3/5 ★ – RedIphone's review of Days Gone.

RedIphone Review Presents: An In-depth Case for Days Gone Days Gone is a post-apocalyptic, “zombie”, action-adventure, open world video game developed by Bend Studios (the creators of the Syphon Filter series) and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4. Released in 2019, Days Gone has had a tough time with critics, a seemingly underwhelming response from PlayStation players, while still being able to sell roughly 6 million copies. Bend Studios spent roughly six years developing Days Gone, which can absolutely be seen and felt when exploring the game’s open terrain; from wooded meadows to the arid plains, from the snowy mountains to the water-flowing canyons – the game’s landscape is, indeed, breathtaking. Even the more mundane settings, like the run-down neighborhoods or the picked-through gas stations feel authentically bleak and unkept, giving the player an impressive sense of immersion. This notion may be overlooked when biking the trails, for the player must always be attentive to the constant threat of zombies, wolves, cougars, bears, and marauders that roam the land. However, once the player has gotten some experience in the open world, there are many opportunities to stop and smell the Lavender or “light a candle”, so-to-speak. What is a protagonist without their most trusted companion? Sonic has Tails, Mario has Luigi, Joel has Ellie, and Dwayne Johnson has Kevin Hart. Well, Days Gone’s Deacon St. John has his motorcycle, which can be upgraded to be more reliable whilst out in the world, and aesthetically customizable to the player’s liking. Deacon’s motorcycle is focal to the game in many ways. Not only is the motorcycle essential for a quick retreat or ammo replenishment, but also for a quick save point. The handling and physics of driving the motorcycle feels pleasing and believable, and at times, when not fleeing for one’s life, quite enjoyable. Combat consents of melee, shooting, and usage of various items (Molotov's, pipe bombs, noise devices, etc.) The melee combat and gun fights are enjoyable and up to snuff. The various items that can be found or crafted come in handy, especially when fighting a massive horde of zombies, which surprisingly challenges the player to think before shooting. Speaking of hordes, they are quite a terrifying sight to behold; starting with the sheer number of zombies, from their erratic animations to their blood curdling sound design – Days Gone’s hordes are a technical marvel. Where the game falters is in its incohesive and stereotypical narrative, generic writing, character personality inconsistencies, uninspired mission design, and awkward needle-drops. Despite all this, one can still make out the heartbeat of the game, when pushing all the game’s problems to the side. Spoilers Ahead... The real story of Days Gone is about love. That statement in and of itself, is stereotypical and the average player most likely only sees that stereotype, which has been done time and time again. Dead wife who’s not really dead; a hardened man angry at the world stops at nothing to find her again – two tropes, exhaustingly overused. Every twist the narrative attempts to throw at the player is so generic that it’s easily guessed well before revealed, and once revealed the twist adds nothing new to the overall story (albeit the Skizzo new recruit and O’Brien reveal). However, what is not stereotypical about Days Gone is the kind of love the story is attempting to tell. Love comes in many fashions, whether it be new love, familiar love, fading love, strong love, and in Days Gone’s case, it is rediscovered love, which is a novelty in most mediums. And with a better script and choices that sentiment could have been more effectively shown and used in the game’s story. The missions in Days Gone are straightforward – go here and kill these people and/or listen to this person, repeat. After completing a mission and/or side mission, Deacon usually gets a call on his walkie talkie from a camp leader, thanking him for his service. This can cause character personality inconsistencies for when in the main storyline mission, camp leaders may still be hostile towards Deacon. At times, even within the main campaign the story forgets who is upset with you, and within back-to-back scenes character’s attitudes confusingly flip-flop towards Deacon. The game supports a fine soundtrack and the Days Gone theme is melancholically beautiful. Hearing it play as the player logs into the world is a nice touch and does a superb job at setting the desired tonal mood. Though, there are a couple of moments in-game when the player is treated to full out needle-drops, which is excitingly unique. However, due to the poor writing and the weak story, those needle-drop moments, which are intended to invoke a strong sense of emotion, come off hollow and awkward. Overall, at its core, Days Gone is a beautiful game that is, mostly, enjoyable to play. It would be exciting to see what Bend Studios could do with a sequel for this IP. With the power of the Sony PlayStation 5 a sequel may be exactly what this IP needs to improve on one of the main issues that some had with the game – the countless and back-to-back loading times in between cutscenes. Furthermore, now that the Sony PlayStation 5’s availability is more widespread, and with Microsoft’s impressively aggressive campaign of buying out gaming studios and Activision, now more than ever it would be wise for Sony to bolster their exclusive IPs. Bend Studios approached Sony with ideas for a sequel, as Sony already has plans to turn the IP into a film, with X-Men First Class’s screenwriter. Sheldon Turner to helm the script. In the sequel, Bend Studios planned to incorporate co-op play, which would be a brilliant move, as the hordes introduced in the game almost seem made for cooperative play. This notion may not be far off, as co-op play was initially envisioned for Days Gone, but had to be abandoned due to limited staffing. The ending of Days Gone nicely setup a sequel and with a stronger script, writing, and variety of missions, as well as mission design, along with the inclusion of co-op play, there is no doubt that with the full support Sony Interactive Entertainment - as well as the Days Gone fanbase – Bend Studios could deliver a superior sequel to the IP. If you enjoyed this written review, please like and follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rediphone_says/ Hasta La Vista