'Days Gone' PC Version Impressions
First launched in 2019 on the PS4, Bend Studio’s open-world post-apocalyptic title Days Gone made its way to PCs in 2021 via Steam. A few weeks ago, in time for spooky season, the game launched on another platform, this time as a DRM-free version on GOG. As I didn’t play the game till now, I decided to try it out to see how Sony’s first-party title holds up on PC.
Days Gone is set in a post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest following a pandemic that has turned those infected into zombie-like Freakers. It centres around the story of Deacon St. John, a former outlaw biker who has turned into a bounty hunter, as he tries to eke out a living day-by-day by any means necessary.
As noted in our official review of the game on PS4, Days Gone’s plot feels generic and often feels too familiar for its own good. The slow burn aspect to its narrative might not help in this regard either. The gameplay will also feel familiar if you’ve played one of the many recent post-apocalyptic zombie-themed games with a mix of action, stealth and survival elements.
That said, Days Gone does include some new additions of its own such as biking and the Horde mechanic where hundreds of zombies can chase Deacon at a time. Biking might be one of the most original additions to this tried-and-tested genre. Just as with Deacon’s stats, you can upgrade his bike’s parts to improve performance and the vehicle not only lets you travel across its attractive landscapes towards your next destination but also save and fast travel. Days Gone also puts a greater emphasis on survival elements as you have to collect items to craft resources whether it’s to heal, fight or simply travel. Indeed, you also have to keep an eye out on the bike’s fuel and occasionally repair it as well.
What’s most compelling and can get you more drawn to the title though is its presentation. The detailed, open world with environments that range from survivor camps to snowy plains are still stunning and invite exploration. It’s a great fit for PC gaming as this version of the game includes ultra-wide monitor support, unlocked framerates as well as improved graphics such as increased level of details, field of view, and foliage draw distances. You can further tune the graphics settings based on your PC specs but even on a handheld gaming PC the game looks stunning.
Sony’s recent PC ports of its first-party titles haven’t always been the best performing ones but Days Gone’s PC port has been out for some time already and performance has likely improved since. I haven’t encountered any issues myself and the game plays smoothly.
While Days Gone isn’t the best that Sony has to offer on PCs but having it on another platform, especially in DRM-free version, is welcome. If you’ve been looking to try it out but haven’t been able to, you have more options to do so now; but it might still be worth waiting for a sale.
Days Gone (PS4) Official GBAtemp Review
