After releasing for the PS4 in 2019 and receiving PS5 support last November, Sony Bend Studio’s Days Gone finally makes its way to PC on May 18th. There’s quite a lot to break down for new players along with new features that may interest veterans. Let’s take a look at 13 things you should know before picking it up.
Story and Setting
The story of Days Gone takes place two years after a virus breaks out, turning most of the population into Freakers. Former war veteran turned bounty hunter Deacon St. John roams the Oregon countryside, taking on jobs and fending off hordes of Freakers whenever possible. Initially, Deacon believes that his wife Sarah – who was seriously injured during the initial outbreak and evacuated by the National Emergency Response Organization or NERO – is dead. However, upon spotting NERO helicopters, he believes that she may have survived. Thus, does he embark on a journey to locate and hopefully reunite with his wife.
Activities and Camps
In terms of structure, the open world of Days Gone is somewhat similar to other open world Sony exclusives. There are several side activities to complete and numerous regions to explore but the narrative is the main anchor, gradually introducing players to the world and its various characters. Different factions abound in Oregon and few are friendly. The antagonistic ones are holed up in Ambush Camps which you’ll need to clear and capture.
NERO Checkpoints can also be investigated and provide Injectors that will increase your stats but can attract tons of Freakers. Injectors can also be found in NERO Research Sites which require careful exploration to locate. Then there are the roaming Hordes, sometimes up to 500 at once, which must be eliminated.
Deacon will also receive new missions via his radio after progressing enough. New missions and quests may also pop up when exploring while others can be added to the journal by studying maps. Missions and bounties can be completed at various camps to raise Trust, which unlocks better items and upgrades to purchase.
Crafting and the Drifter Bike
While Deacon won’t have to manage his hunger or thirst, he doesn’t have unlimited resources for tackling the world. Locating bandages and first aid kits is necessary for restoring health and you’ll need to search for ammo or buy it. Crafting is also essential, providing new melee weapons to fight with along with Molotov Cocktails, Cocktails for restoring Stamina and Focus, and much more. Bandages and Health Cocktails can also be crafted to bolster your chances of survival. As you unlock more crafting recipes and locate different resources, you’ll be able to craft more items and weapons.
You won’t be exploring the world on foot though. Deacon’s Drifter Bike is available and can be customized for greater speed, carrying ammo and so on with paint jobs and decals available to change its look. It needs to be refueled on a regular basis and repaired upon taking too much damage, though it can be upgraded to absorb more punishment. The bike also serves as a save point and is necessary for fast travel – take too much damage or use up all your fuel and you won’t be able to use the latter.
Enemies
The Freakers are the primary threat and there are different types to contend with throughout the game. You have the Swarmers that are easy to tackle solo but dangerous in groups with the Horde versions essentially connecting together in a swelling tide of bodies. Bleachers are slightly tougher while Newts will attack if Deacon gets too close or is on low health. Screamers will attract Hordes by, well, screaming and must be taken down quickly. Depending on the weather and time of day, the Freakers’ behavior can also change. Don’t try to assault a Horde at night since they’re faster and more aggressive.
Of course, there are other enemies like the Rippers; the Marauders who are violent gangs roaming about; and even infected animals like bears and wolves that can be a real nuisance to deal with.
Combat
Days Gone offers a variety of different weapons to combat foes with. Firearms include sniper rifles, LMGs, shotguns, assault rifles and more along with more silent options like crossbows. You can also discover and use weapons like baseball bats, clubs, machetes and more, with crafted weapons dealing even more damage (though melee weapons in general can break after some time). Deacon can also acquire skills that will increase his proficiency in either ranged or melee combat. Of course, you don’t have to leap into the fray with every battle – it’s possible to sneak into Ambush Camps and take out enemies with stealth. If you’re feeling particularly creative, it’s possible to manipulate a Horde into an enemy camp and have them clear it out.
New Game Plus and Survival Mode
Along with New Game Plus – which allows for carrying over all collectibles, bike upgrades and so on into a new playthrough – Survival Mode difficulty is also available. It brings tougher enemies, and an “immersive” HUD with no indicators or outlines for enemy awareness. Playing through on this difficulty will unlock exclusive rewards like new bike skins. If you crave an even greater challenge, try playing on New Game Plus and choosing Survival II difficulty which makes enemies drop less ammo, take more damage and hurt way more.
Challenges
Other content includes Challenges which provide unique missions with different objectives and modifiers (like surviving against an endless Freaker horde). Different outfits are available for Deacon in this mode and you can even unlock different characters. Spending some time in Challenges is also beneficial for unlocking Patches, which provide passive benefits, and Rings which offer perks like reloading a portion of your ammo on rolling. You can use both of these for higher scores in the Challenges, though only the Patches can be used in the main game. New bike skins can also be purchased, allowing even more customization for Deacon’s ride.
Playtime
You’re looking at about 35 to 40 hours for finishing the main story. Going for full completion can raise that to roughly 63.5 hours as per HowLongToBeat.com. However, keep in mind that this is before Challenges, Survival Mode and New Game Plus were added so the overall number can be even higher. Either way, there’s more than enough content to sink one’s teeth into.
Ultra-wide Support and Unlocked Framerates
Being on PC means more options for graphics and display modes. Ultra-wide monitors are supported, allowing players to enjoy the visuals in 21:9 ratio, while frame rates have been unlocked, providing 60 frames per second or potentially even higher. All options for graphical customization haven’t been explicitly outlined but there are a few interesting bits like…
Improved FOV and Foliage Draw Distances
Days Gone was already a pretty good-looking game when it launched in 2019. The PC version sports an increased level of detail and improved foliage draw distances along with improved field-of-view. So while it might not be a huge departure from, say, running the game on PS5, the PC version should be the best looking.
Mouse and Keyboard Support
Keyboard and mouse support is confirmed with options for adjusting mouse sensitivity, aiming sensitivity and bike sensitivity. You can also vertically and horizontally invert all three. First and third party controllers are supported, which includes the DualShock 4, Steam Controller, Xbox 360 and Xbox Wireless Controllers and even a Switch Pro Controller.
System Requirements
In terms of system requirements, Days Gone isn’t too demanding. At minimum, an Intel Core i5-2500K at 3.3 GHz or an AMD FX 6300 at 3.5 GHz is needed along with 8 GB of RAM. For the GPU, a GeForce GTX 780 3 GB or AMD Radeon R9 290 4 GB is required. Though it isn’t required, a solid-state drive and 16 GB of RAM is “recommended”. For the recommended requirements, an Intel Core i7-4770K at 3.5 GHz or a Ryzen 5 1500X at 3.5 GHz with 16 GB is necessary. A GeForce GTX 1060 6 GB or AMD Radeon RX 580 8 GB is also required and, once again, an SSD is recommended despite not being required. In both cases, you’ll need 70 GB of installation space.
Super Resolution Photo mode
Along with the usual Photo Mode, Days Gone on PC features something called “Super Resolution Photo Mode.” While there aren’t a lot of details on this, it’s possible that this allows for capturing images at much higher resolutions than possible on PS4.