We got our very first look at SIE Bend Studio’s IP Days Gone at E3 2016. This is the same studio that brought us Uncharted: Golden Abyss for the PS Vita. It’s been a few years since that released, and during that time the developers have been creating a new open-world, action adventure game in Days Gone- a title that could be aesthetically reminiscent of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us (2013).
Since its announcement at Sony’s press conference last June, Days Gone has been sitting comfortably out any major spotlight. The excitement is there, but fans still have a few burning questions- what exactly will this game entail? When can we expect a release date? We broke down all the major aspects of Bend Studio’s forthcoming title.
First, it’s going to be a franchise. This is something the creative director at Bend Studio expressed on the PlayStation blog last year. Players will take control of Deacon St. John, a rebellious biker, and Drifter on a journey of survival two years after a global pandemic as he searches for a reason to keep living. The game has been described as a story about “survivors and what makes them human: desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, regret love- and hope.”
The world is a dangerous place now, but rather than live in the confines of various encampments, Deacon prefers to live on the outside despite the fact infected humans have taken over the outside. Instead of the term “infected” that we were accustomed to in The Last of Us, the infected in this game are called “Freakers”. Based on the trailer we’ve seen, Freakers are persistent and feral enemies.
Days Gone is a third-person action adventure title, and as far as gameplay is concerned it incorporates intense sandbox combat. The game encourages exploration and boasts a “play your way” mantra, as each challenge can be approached in various ways. Items and weapons are able to be crafted using things found throughout the environment, and there are unique ways to escape the Freakers. In the E3 announcement trailer, Deacon takes on a horde of the undead, using a combination of shooting, classic diversions like pulling objects in the way, and of course, good old fashioned running.
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Set in the Pacific Northwest, the game explores a number of environments in a “single geographic area”. The setting can change in an instant between deserts, forests, and other dangerous environments that have been affected by volcanic activity. Each location is sure to present its own interesting challenges when it comes to Deacon’s survival.
As of now, there is no scheduled release date for Days Gone, but we do know the game will be a PlayStation 4 exclusive and will support the PS4 Pro at launch.
