Sequels and remakes are tricky to get right. It can be hard to preserve the charm and quality of the original in a follow-up. It can be even tougher to surpass and iterate on what the first game did so well. Some games are just absolutely begging to be expanded upon with a new entry, and it’s those that we’ll be highlighting here. Each of these titles represents a ‘what if’ that gamers are hungry to see happen one day, but whether due to corporate meddling or cancellations, they still seem so far away.

So with that, here are the ten games whose surprise trailers would make the community absolutely lose it.

Days Gone 2

While the odds of a Days Gone sequel remains unlikely, Sony Bend has managed to stir hype thanks to the game’s April 2025 remaster. with its remaster. Days Gone Remaster finally smooths out the original’s rough framerate while enhancing its visuals with better shadows and 4K resolution. That release reignited hope for a sequel, but those hopes were eventually crushed when Sony Bend posted a job listing seeking someone with “experience with multiplayer game development and design.” The studio has a history of outright dismissing any possibility of a sequel in the past as well, but demand remains high, and where there’s demand, there’s money. Knowing Sony, it wouldn’t be completely implausible to eventually see a Days Gone 2 in the future, especially if fans remain vocal about it.

The Saboteur 2

Remember Pandemic? No, not the 2020 one, the studio that brought us Destroy All Humans and Mercenaries Playground of Destruction. The Saboteur was their last game before being dissolved into the rest of EA, and it had a lot of unique things going for it. Sure, it followed the Ubisoft open-world design ethos, but the WWII France setting and the mechanic of restoring color to liberated districts stood out. Now imagine how cool a sequel with top-notch voice talent and an actually compelling story would be. With EA’s enormous budget and the creative potential of that setting, a Saboteur 2 could finally give us a GTA-style game set in WWII Europe, but it’s a long shot at best.

Uncharted 5

The last time we ventured into the world of Uncharted was 2017’s spin-off starring Chloe and Nadine. Lost Legacy seemed to be paving the way for the next generation of Uncharted with its more open-ended exploration and, well, lack of Nathan Drake. Of course, Nathan’s story isn’t necessarily over following the ending of Uncharted 4. Like Indy coming out of retirement in the latest Indiana Jones films, Nathan can be called for one last globe-trotting adventure. Uncharted 5 is rather likely to happen at some point. Naughty Dog has been working on a project led by Uncharted writer Shaun Escayg for years now, and it’s not Intergalactic. It’s unlikely we’ll see Uncharted 5 before Intergalactic releases, but we sure hope to see it at some point.

Bloodborne 2

Is there any video game sequel more craved than Bloodborne 2? Bloodborne is the one gigantic Sony-owned IP that somehow just keeps getting overlooked. The Last of Us got numerous remasters and even Days Gone just received one. What is Sony waiting for? Well, one thing’s certain: if Bloodborne 2 were announced, it would be the only game capable of rivaling GTA 6 in sheer hype. Here’s hoping it avoids the multiplayer-heavy direction of FromSoftware’s recent projects and instead doubles down on the slow-burn, atmospheric exploration that made the original Bloodborne unforgettable.

Titanfall 3

Titanfall 3 occupies the same heartbreaking territory as Bloodborne 2: everyone wants it, yet EA refuses to greenlight it. The first cancellation came in 2019, when EA halted development in favor of Apex Legends, chasing the booming hero-shooter market and its lucrative ongoing revenue. Then, earlier in 2025, The developer had to shutter their planned Titanfall extraction shooter due to layoffs. What made Titanfall 2 so special was its well-paced and wildly inventive single-player campaign. It’s probably the last significant FPS campaign that I can think of that wasn’t a Doom title. It’s still not an impossibility that the developer gets a legitimate opportunity to make Titanfall 3, but a major shift in EA’s priorities needs to happen first.

Sleeping Dogs 2

This one’s more of a pipe dream than others on this list. Sleeping Dogs is a very popular cult classic for a reason; it oozed personality and was a genuine counterpart to GTA. Unfortunately, the development studio, United Front Games, shut down in 2016. The main developer still holds the rights to the Sleeping Dogs IP, though, so maybe there is a snowball’s chance in Southtown for it to happen. The studio’s MMO spin-off, Triad Wars, took place within the universe of Sleeping Dogs. launched briefly in open beta but was quickly shut down after poor reception. But imagine a thoroughbred sequel to Sleeping Dogs, one that wasn’t a sloppy MMO, but a single-player game with a more intricate Hong Kong map filled with fully realized martial-arts combat propelled by modern processing power. A proper Sleeping Dogs 2 could be incredible.

Metal Gear 1 Remake

“I FEEL ASLEEP!!” Imagine that iconic line from the 1988 NES version of the original Metal Gear (first released in 1987) being fully voiced in a modern, high-fidelity remake. Unlike polished and cleaned up script of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, I’d want Konami to preserve the hilarious botched translation of the original. It would both honor Kojima and provide some charm to the game. Of course, the fully blown HD graphics and character renderings would probably make those lines extra awkward, but hey, that’s what makes the series so lovable, right? The good news is a remake of the original Metal Gear isn’t impossible. Konami has shown a willingness to remake classic Metal Gear Solid titles faithfully. And what better candidates than the very first games from the ’80s?

New Dino Crisis

Forget a new Dino Crisis—I’d settle for a remaster or a full remake of the first game. Oh, who am I kidding, I want a new Dino Crisis, sigh. The developer sits on the most beloved dormant IP, barely acknowledging series that fans have begged to see return. Who doesn’t want a new Mega Man (especially Legends), Breath of Fire, or of course, Dino Crisis? Dino Crisis—a 90s survival-horror game —never grew past its more action-oriented 2003 third entry. But fans still swear by the first game, which followed the classic Resident Evil formula in a Jurassic Park-inspired setting. A modern-day game firing on all cylinders would do justice to the original Dino Crisis if RE 2 and RE 3 Remakes are anything to go by. But just imagine what they could do with a completely new entry with the mature horror and first-person perspective of, say, Resident Evil 7.

A New inFamous

Continuing the trend of studios sitting on a golden goose is Sucker Punch and their dormant inFamous series. There was a time when a new InFamous game was the talk of the gaming town. It was a series about open world parkouring around realistic city-scapes. But one element that sets inFamous apart is its Karma system. You can choose your morality in these games, something that shows itself in the powers you unlock as well as key story decisions. With today’s more advanced processing and capabilities, the potential of that system is enormous. Imagine branching storylines, deeper morality-driven powers, and immersive-sim-style world reactions. Heck, just adding more customization elements based on morality would be awesome. But Sucker Punch will need to step away from Ghost to make it happen—and it’s unclear when that day will come.

Sekiro 2

Finally, we have another FromSoftware juggernaut that’s been left alone since its release. Unlike Bloodborne, Sekiro never even received any DLC. None. We all kinda applauded their restraint at the time, but after some years away, it’s hard not to wish the game had gotten an expansion or two. Out of all the Fromsoft games, Sekiro takes the cake for having the most awesome combat. Its very focused and specialized, leading to more intricate and precise controls. Sure, Sekiro didn’t have a lot of playstyles to choose from, but that focus is what made the limited style so polished. A sequel could expand your playstyle selection pretty significantly, and without sacrificing the original’s polish. The core combat system is already built—they’d just need to expand the build options a bit. Fans would love to see it, but as many know, Hidetaka Miyazaki isn’t fond of sequels. So while Sekiro 2 would be a dream come true, we shouldn’t expect it anytime soon.

Thankfully, there’s no dearth of options when it comes to games that just let you loose into their long winding roads that have a lot going on as you travel along vast worlds. We’ve put together titles we think fit that description and are certainly worth getting lost in. Some of your most memorable gaming moments could be waiting just around a corner in their worlds!

Let’s dive in.

1. Days Gone

A vast expanse of map waits for you and your trusty motorbike in this one. It’s a pity that its beautiful landscapes are marred by the presence of vicious zombies and humans desperate enough to forget their moral codes. But a large part of the game involves cruising along the map on your motorcycle, ensuring you have a safe way back to it if your next dangerous plan doesn’t pan out the way you wanted it to.

Play things right and you’re back on the road, albeit having to make a quicker exit than your entrance. But you never know what else you might discover as you blaze a path to safety in such situations. It’s a world that does a good job of keeping its players invested in Deacon’s melancholy tale.

2. Pacific Drive

From its riveting opening to a rather bittersweet ending, this is a journey that’s underlined by a literal bond between your Driver and the station wagon you commandeer at the start of your adventure. It’s a story beat that works well for the narrative while also giving you a reason to travel far and wide in your car.

The game’s premise provides the scope for a journey like no other along roads that want you to discover everything they have to offer. We’re not going to forget some very memorable anomalies during our time in the Olympic Exclusion Zone in a hurry. Especially the ones that messed with our car.

3. Death Stranding 1 & 2

Whether on foot or in a vehicle, Death Stranding’s trek through a very memorable adventure with Sam Porter is all about traversing a beautiful yet hostile world. Guiding Sam to his next delivery destination is all about the different things you can discover, or be forced to work around, that you can find along the way.

It’s a journey like no other, and it’s a road that’s as unpredictable as the many threats you’re likely to find before you make it to safety again. There’s always a sense of anticipation as you travel across America, Mexico, and Australia, and a sense of awe when you discover the next thing they have been hiding. The original Death Stranding and its sequel continue to evoke fond memories.

4. The Crew 2

There’s a case to be made for The Crew 2’s scaled-down take on America that really brings moments where it’s just you and your car to life as you make your way between its various activities. Although it’s meant to be played with your buddies, its persistent open world design means that it’s quite easy to just get to exploring, driving around in your favorite ride, and having some racing fun along the way.

Of course, getting to pilot aircraft and operate boats were welcome additions, but our first sight of the Grand Canyon in this massive world was definitely among the highlights of driving around in it.

5. Jalopy

Splat and Lutfi’s journey in this one was nothing short of a masterpiece as far as memorable road trips go. The Jalopy in question is almost a character on its own, requiring a fairly realistic amount of upkeep to keep players ticking along in the narrative as they discover more about what was waiting for them at the end of it.

The option to keep the adventure going after its rather sad ending just adds more intrigue to an already satisfying journey. This is one that’s all about the journey, although there’s a case to be made for that destination being a very memorable moment.

6. Final Fantasy XV

In another adventure that has its protagonist accompanied by memorable companions, Noctis Lucis, the Regalia, and the chocobos, sure make travel and discovery a very memorable part of Final Fantasy XV. It helps that your posse is right by your side for the most part, their banter and conversations making the adventure come alive as you travel across Eos.

It helps that you can customize the Regalia and chocobos, giving your adventure that personal touch that makes such experiences special. Whether you’re chugging along on the road or soaring across the skies to your next destination, this is a game that makes the journey there a very enjoyable facet of the experience.

7. Read Dead Redemption 2

Arthur’s journey is one that absolutely exemplifies the feeling of being on the road, with endless possibilities and a world where life goes on, even if you’re not a part of it, being baked into the adventure. This is a world that’s alive, and almost thrumming with activities, secrets, discoveries, and content that’s sure to make your time with this one unforgettable.

There’s nothing that beats a conversation by chance that turns into a full-blown series of side quests, or the many quirky characters the road leads you to, in this one. There’s also the fact that you need to care for your horse as you would in the real world, and a host of activities that make your time on the road feel quite authentic and immersive. As far as open worlds that put you on a long and winding road go, this one continues to be a classic.

8. Mad Max

Max Rockatansky’s determination to build the Magnum Opus and the fact that this vehicle is a very crucial part of the adventure are reasons enough to qualify this one for our list. But it’s in the way that the Magnum Opus weaves itself so naturally into the gameplay loop and combat, in particular, and makes itself a star of the show.

It’s narratively valid, and the fact that customizing its parts can force you to make trade-offs in other aspects makes for a layer of immersion and engagement that solidifies the bond between man and machine in this one. The open world is a stage just waiting for you to discover moments where you and your vehicle are given an opportunity to shine.

9. State Of Decay 2

This one’s a constant challenge due to the world around you, a tale that builds a community around the struggle, and one in which the world can get quite unpredictable from moment to moment. From the need to nurture your community and take down the area’s Awakened Heart, every zombie-infested site is a chance to take your story down a path that’s different from the one you began with.

A lot of it comes down to your fellow settlers, and weaving everyone’s journey together into a gameplay loop that’s quite addictive makes each bit of territory you free from the zombies an achievement, and a very satisfying one at that.

10. Snowrunner

This is a title where the simulation of off-roading on rough terrain is accompanied by very flavorful discoveries that spell out the stories of the regions you explore while you witness your own role in fixing them up firsthand. It’s a great way to have you braving its landscapes, taking care of your fleet of vehicles while getting invested in a progression loop that becomes quite interesting the more you make your way through a region.

It connects you to the land you’re exploring while your vehicles carry you through it all, making this a journey that just draws you into the world it presents you with. You’re the focal point of an interesting bridge between the past and the present, and it’s up to you to build it up, one success after another.

11. Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 serves up surreal beats as you roam a world filled with calamity. But it’s the people you meet and the friends you make along the way that make this a worthwhile journey.

The ability to recruit locals who resist the local militia and their rigid control over the land is a great addition to this open-world, and adds a flavor to the entire journey that’s just too great to ignore. It helps that you forge relationships to discover more of the story and side content as you go, along with helping the local resistance, you know, resist the militia’s growing influence. You’re a cornerstone of that struggle, and the journey felt personal and, as a result, memorable.

12. The Long Drive

The road goes on and on in this innovative concept that’s literally all about being on the road and letting the journey continue. With a focus on freedom, immersion, and exploring the vast desert, this one gives its players a lot of freedom to just enjoy the journey.

You’re given a lot of reasons to just hop into your car and drive along, never knowing where the road takes you in this randomly generated desert. If you’re looking to immerse yourself in a game where the adventure takes you down unpredictable paths, look no further.

13. Forza Horizon 5

Mexico proved to be a great location for this instalment to the Horizon series, and driving along to stunning vistas was both entertaining and visually memorable. Getting to drive fancy, fast cars on roads that wound between different elevations, climate patterns, and, of course, new discoveries was a treat.

There’s an active volcano, ancient structures, cities, towns, jungles, and beaches to find and explore, making this title find reasons to put you at the wheel and send you along on your journey.

14. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Survival in The Zone and navigating the complex relationships that govern it while also ensuring that you get enough food and sleep, is quite an immersive loop in GSC Games Studio’s much-awaited return to its popular franchise.

Recruiting people to aid in your journey, while the many discoveries and anomalies that await you in The Zone give this entire world a sense of mystery, and venturing into the unknown can be quite hard to top. With the PlayStation version on its way, now might be a great time to dive into a game whose journey to its current build is as interesting as the one it presents to you.

15. Ghost Recon Wildlands

Operation Kingslayer was a brilliant stage for the adventure that awaits you in this very immersive open world. With so much variety in the terrain along with a lot of freedom with how you approach any mission you find out in cartel-controlled Bolivia, this is a world where every inch of land you capture could be one worth the memories, and even lets you disable your AI companions if you believe in taking single-player literally.

However, there is a case to be made for bringing up to three buddies along for the ride. That immediately makes this one a worthy addition, although the AI companions are always there if you’re going for a suitable middle ground. Either way, dismantling a cartel has never felt so immersive, and entertaining too.

That’s a wrap on our favorite titles that put us on the road and just let us build our best memories of them along the way. Here’s to many more such experiences on the horizon.

Dying Light

Dying Light taps into what makes horror games so irresistible. It’s got a scarcity of resources, infected humans transforming into zombies, and the fear of nighttime adding anxiety on top of it all. And while most gamers would argue the best horror games are linear curated experiences in nature, Dying Light uses its open-world to ramp up the horror in ways only it could. Threats aren’t fully scripted and can come from pretty much any direction in the map. Similarly, scrounging for resources takes on a new life given the large dynamic environments. Dying Light 2 would take the parkour of the first one and really polish it up while adding a paraglider for faster traversal. Though fans still largely prefer the darker tone of the first game over the more colorful style of the sequel.

Days Gone

Want to simulate what it would be like to outrun and outgun an ocean of zombies out in an open field? Well, Days Gone is the closest thing to that experience on the gaming market – yet nothing could prepare us for the sheer size of hordes that the game would bless us with. While it would have been amazing to mow down zombie hordes using pick-up trucks or even a combine harvester, Days Gone limits its vehicles to primarily bikes. Still, the bike controls are quite smooth and ramming into zombies is a fun, though less ideal, way to squash their huge numbers. The icing on the horror cake are the stealth sequences, which make for some terrifying moments when swarms get alerted. Now if only we could finally get a sequel that gives us more vehicles to mow zombies down with.

The Evil Within 2

The world design of The Evil Within 2 may not be as open-ended as the previous games on this list, but it makes up for it in its tightly crafted narrative. Sebastian Castellanos’ mind is still reeling from the events of the first game, but he still has to rescue his daughter, Lily within the surreal Union labyrinth. The stakes are more personal here than in the first game, amplifying the psychological aspect tenfold. The semi-open world design adds some interesting side stories and secrets to discover, nicely contrasting the more claustrophobic sequences. Oh, and the bizarre, surreal world can even be experienced in first-person thanks to a 2018 update to the game.

Sons of the Forest

Being stranded on an island full of cannibals has to be one of the more harrowing concepts in horror, and Sons of the Forest executes it frighteningly well. The size of the island and its predominant forest biome is four times larger than the first game. The larger layout both helps the player and hinders them with helpful NPCs and a host of new terrors lurking in hidden corners of the map.

Ghostwire: Tokyo

After developing The Evil Within, Tango opted to go fully first-person with Ghostwire: Tokyo. The more intimate perspective combined with a supernaturally shifting environment enveloped in fog gave it a unique brand of horror. The game’s developer describes battles with the phrase ‘karate meets magic’. You’d think being adorned with such supernatural abilities neuters the sensation of helplessness a bit, but no, the many occultic monstrosities populating the possessed Tokyo are enhanced with even more terrifying abilities than the player character, making for an unpredictable and haunting journey.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Stalker 2, actually the fourth game in the series, was first announced way back in 2010. Typically, games with development hell history turn out poorly, but Stalker 2 nailed the post-apocalyptic premise and gameplay the series had been celebrated for prior. The limited inventory space and sparse resources within the Exclusion Zone make for a true survival experience. Add on a hunger and sleep meter and some reality-altering anomalies within the open-world and you’ve got a game sure to raise players’ blood pressure.

Dead Rising

This 2006 game may be the oldest on this list, but it’s also one of the most iconic in terms of open-world horror. Willamette Parkview Mall makes for a fantastic locale to combat hordes of flesh-hungry zombies. Part of the endless charm of the series is the sheer variety of weapons available to smash zombie brains with. The first Dead Rising hosts 250 weapons ranging from useful shotguns to fun props such as Mega Man’s Megabuster. The horror aspect, while less severe than others on this list, still comes into play when dozens of zombies close in on a defenseless and unaware Frank.

State of Decay 2

The State of Decay series has quickly become one of gaming’s most immersive zombie survival experiences. There’s few games that can match the feeling of building outposts and combating zombies together with other co-op partners quite like State of Decay 2. The series has always been primed for co-op, yet the first game lacked any multiplayer, being a purely solo affair. Besides the four-player co-op, the additional facilities and utilities, as well as a far more diverse map made for an improved gameplay loop. The improved open-world may have sacrificed some of the memorable story moments the first had, but the series is certainly headed in the right direction, giving us optimism for State of Decay 3.

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is another game that uses its semi-open world structure well. The Volga, Caspian Desert, and Taiga regions feel so distinct from each other, as opposed to the largely monotonous regions of previous games. But the game still hones in on those narrow tunnel corridors that the original did so well. The Metro series also evokes a peculiar sensation of dread with the semi-frequent hallucinations and horrific mutant creatures aptly named The Dark Ones.

Dead Island 2

Dead Island takes a more arcady and fun approach to its horror, though getting overwhelmed by zombies still provides some tense jump scare moments. The sequel partitions up its open world into regions, helping to make each area distinct. What really makes Dead Island 2 stand out from the rest is the environmental interactions. Most objects lying around can be used as weapons, and a number of hazards such as electric and fire can be used against zombie hordes.

Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

Combining a spaghetti western wild west setting with a zombie apocalypse probably hasn’t been done in games before Red Dead did it with Undead Nightmare. It’s such a unique fusion of disparate elements, yet feels so satisfying and fun to experience. The addition of classic folklore monsters, from Chupacabras to Sasquatches, is just the cherry on top of a well blended horror-tinged desert of the Red Dead franchise.

Project Zomboid

Project Zomboid takes a unique twist on survival horror. It’s not about how you survive, but how you die in this game. Players are fated to get eliminated by a single slow zombie bite, yet the game manages to make this process rewarding and, above all, fun. The unlimited nature of sandbox mode puts all the tools in the player’s hands, giving control of the zombie population, weather patterns, and loot. It’s a top-down 2D game though, so if you’re just in the mood for a cinematic and graphically intensive horror experience, others on this list will have to substitute.

Once Human

One of the most recent entries on the list, Once Human prides itself on its community-focused gameplay. Players can craft and build base camps meant to serve as a home base within the game world. Hunger and sanity needs to be kept in check lest players lose their loot with a respawn. What helps separate Once Human from other multiplayer survival games is the wild creature design. I mean, there’s a walking bus monster that players can use for transportation for crying out loud. Once Human isn’t lacking in creative  charm.

Beyond Hanwell

Surprisingly overlooked despite its quality, Beyond Hanwell lets players loose in the rainy streets of Westminster London amid an outbreak of mutant anomalies. The sound and music in particular really create an unsettling atmosphere, which is further aided by the environmental details of within the first-person perspective. Your primary source of self-defense is a pistol and some other light weapons, but a bigger aspect of the game is simply exploring the old buildings for notes and objects that help uncover the mystery.

The Sinking City Remastered

Fans of Lovecraftian horror should check out The Sinking City if they haven’t already. It’s filled with a variety of weird monsters beyond the familiar mortal coil, and even features a mental stability meter that diminishes as you learn new truths. The semi-open environments help fill out the background lore of Oakmont well, and the motorboat is just plain fun to traverse the waters with.

Since its release, Days Gone has gone on to gather a sizable fan following and even though a sequel doesn’t seem to be in the cards at this point in time – we do have Days Gone Remastered. Built for the PS5 and PC, Days Gone Remastered aims to provide a souped-up version of the original that can actually leverage the capabilities of current-gen hardware and elevate the playing experience to another level.

Days Gone Vs Days Gone Remastered – What’s New?

It’s mostly a retread of the same upgrades that we saw in the Days Gone PC port, with a few minor tweaks. We will be discussing each of these upgrades in detail, but missing out on Unreal Engine 5 and its visual feature set does seem to be a big missed opportunity for this game. The majority of the remaster’s efforts have gone into introducing new game modes, including but not limited to Speedrun mode alongside support for DualSense haptics or enhanced audio.

Character Models

The original version of Days Gone employed a great character model system that boasted a high level of detail. The polygon count was quite comparable to most games of the time, right from how the skin meshes were constructed to how the physically based materials were rendered to how the hair was constructed for the characters.

When it comes to the remaster, there isn’t really all that much of a radical difference in how character models are constructed this time around. The polycounts may have slightly increased under the hood, but you can’t really tell the difference in action. The hair physics are the same as before, which does feel a little outdated when compared to current-gen contemporaries.

In a similar vein, the physically based materials have also seen incremental upgrades that wouldn’t be all that noticeable in the heat of things. The clothes that these characters don, like leather jackets or denims, have quite a bit of detailing to them, from the stitching to the prints and different materials are used to bring that to life. It all looks pretty good, especially in cinematics, but do note that there isn’t any major upgrade in the character model department.

Environment

Switching gears over to the environment, Days Gone mostly employed traditional rendering techniques and world streaming measures that was once again comparable to most games of the time. The post-apocalyptic world of the game looked great and didn’t really have many flaws as per se, but nothing really stood out in terms of how it was constructed or achieved, except the outstanding number of enemies in a Freaker horde.

When it comes to Days Gone Remastered, we get to see a mostly similar implementation with a few upgrades under the hood. The asset quality has seen an uptick, and the textures that looked a bit muddy on the original PS4 now look a lot crisper. Textures such as foliage and stones have more geometric complexity, and that gives the world a richer look this time around.

Bend Studio has also made changes to how the sky is rendered. The remastered version makes use of spectral light simulation to produce more accurate sky tones, and that is definitely noticeable when comparing against the original version. In a similar vein, better processing power has enabled the studio to craft a better world streaming system, which in turn gives the game world a more uniform look. Pop-in artifacts are minimal, and the level of detail swapping occurs smoothly without any hiccups.

Lighting, Shadows And Post Processing

When it comes to lighting, Days Gone original rendition had a screen space global illumination system that worked well for its case, but it does look a little dated by modern standards. The PC version introduced software-based ray tracing GI to the mix, and the Remastered version is building upon it. Global illumination looks a lot better in the remastered version as compared to the original, with reflections and light casting being a lot more accurate than before.

Indirect lighting also benefits from an upgraded GI system, and bounce lighting is simulated better than the original. Just observe how the cast shadows and lighting data seem more realistic than before in a side-by-side comparison of the original and Remastered version. Again, it’s not much considering that we already got these upgrades in the recent PC release – but it’s worth noting nevertheless.

The improved lighting system also helps with shadows, which are more detailed than before and cast at longer ranges. Lastly, there’s post-processing, which involves stuff such as motion blur, depth-of-field, and volumetric effects. All of these have also seen incremental upgrades in this release, particularly the smoke which does look pretty good when you are wandering off and fighting Freakers in the forests.

These are all minor upgrades in essence, and they don’t really change the overall visual presentation too much. Days Gone isn’t a particularly old release, and it still looks decent by modern standards, so these minor upgrades aren’t all that bad in the grand scheme of things.

Resolution

Days Gone on the PS4 had an adaptive resolution like most current games of the generation. The original version of the game ran at 1080p on the base model and 4K on the Pro variant, and it made use of temporal anti-aliasing to smooth out the rough edges.

With the Remastered release, Bend Studio has bumped the resolution up to a full-fat native 4K which, combined with the updated visual presentation, does look quite a bit better and crisper than what you get on the base release. And that’s just the PS5 release, so you could even go higher on a PC provided that you have the required specifications to go for that.

Frame Rate And Load Times

When it comes to the frame rate and load times, the increased power on the PS5 has allowed Bend Studio to push the game a bit further. Where the base game would run at just 30fps at 1080p on the base game, the Remastered release runs at upscaled 4K at 30fps or 1440p at 60fps depending on the mode you will select. Internal render resolution is a lot better this time around, and the upscaling is achieved through PSSR, which ensures minimal artifacting, resulting in a crisp image.

The game also held its frame-rate targets pretty well for most of the time, so stability doesn’t seem to be much of an issue in this release. In a similar vein, loading times have also seen plenty of improvements. Loading into the game and fast-travel are quite seamless, taking just a handful of seconds as opposed to the long load times on the base release.

Other Minor Upgrades

Days Gone Remastered also introduces several PS5-centric upgrades to the mix, putting the console’s features to good use. There’s support for DualSense’s enhanced feedback, which adds another layer of interactivity in terms of the moment-to-moment gameplay. In addition to this, there’s also 3D Audio support that should also elevate the playing experience for anyone with a compatible headset.

Conclusion

To conclude, Days Gone Remastered doesn’t offer much in terms of radical changes to the experience. There are a few incremental upgrades to each aspect of the presentation, like we discussed before, but none of them are particularly game-changing in the grand scheme of things.

Days Gone Remastered also comes with new content and quality-of-life improvements which add value to this package, and that’s precisely the reason why one should buy into this remaster. If you have already experienced Days Gone before, you could skip this one without much regret, but if this is the first time you are going into this, Days Gone Remastered could be a great way to go about this.

But despite the magnificent sales and player love, Sony’s treatment of the IP has been puzzling. Aside from a solid PC port release in 2021 and now this PS5 remaster, there’s been radio silence from the Japanese tech giant on a potential sequel. It’s as if Sony doesn’t quite know what to do with this franchise, even though fans clearly want Deacon to return and close the story.

So, with the game getting a fresh coat of paint on Sony’s current-gen consoles, the PS5 and PS5 Pro, the question stands, how good is Days Gone Remastered? Does it manage to reach its full potential after all these years? Let’s find out.

"Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the story of Days Gone is pretty much an open secret by now."

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the story of Days Gone is pretty much an open secret by now. But if you are unaware, let me give you a short recap. You step into the shoes of Deacon, a drifter and biker who’s survived the Freaker outbreak but along the way, lost contact with his wife, Sarah. The two were separated during the early days of the outbreak, and Deacon, being the gritty character he is, refuses to believe she’s dead. His journey to find her leads him across massive challenges, dangerous environments, and crossing paths with a cast of characters ranging from interesting to downright boring.

One thing that quickly stands out is Deacon’s habit of talking to himself. Sometimes it works, adding a sense of intensity to the creepy world as you drive on your bike, other times it becomes borderline annoying when they overstay their welcome. However, the real problem isn’t Deacon’s monologues, it is its narrative’s uneven pacing. The first half of the story moves at an extremely slow pace, taking its sweet time to lay down the basics, and it’s only around the halfway mark that the plot finally shifts into maximum gear, delivering the impactful moments and major story beats that we all came for.

Unfortunately, Days Gone Remastered doesn’t address these pacing issues and the skeleton of the original story remains intact. However, if you’re willing to stick through the first half, the payoff is absolutely worth it. However, by the time you reach the ending, the game will leave you with more questions than answers, hinting at untapped potential that still longs for a sequel.

Just like the original game, the freaker hordes remain the highlight of Days Gone Remastered. With multiple massive hordes to tackle, each encounter demands careful preparation, focus, stocking up on the best weapons, crafting explosives, and smartly placing traps and mines. Even six years later, battling these crazy big swarms feels just as thrilling and never gets old in 2025. While wildlife and human enemies add some variety and challenge to the proceedings, their AI still leaves something to be desired, making the freaker hordes easily the star of the show.

"The world design remains one of the game’s strongest features, thanks to its scary forests, dilapidated houses, and abandoned factories."

Combat in Days Gone Remastered holds up surprisingly well. As you are probably aware by now, it’s a system that is largely inspired by The Last of Us, so it’s bound to hold up well years later. Most of the guns feel punchy, with feedback that makes each enemy encounter satisfying. However, the melee combat, while functional, lacks that satisfying crunch. Don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done but doesn’t deliver much in the way of weight. Still, the third-person combat overall is solid, and the wide variety of weapons makes experimenting fun. So, whether you’re gunning down the horde from a distance using an assault rifle or going in up close and loud with a hand gun, there’s enough here to keep combat fun throughout the game’s run time

The world design remains one of the game’s strongest features, thanks to its scary forests, dilapidated houses, and abandoned factories. The varied landscapes are beautifully realized and help sell the creepy atmosphere of a post-apocalyptic world. Deacon’s bike is central to this world, it’s your biggest weapon, and thankfully, there’s a wide range of customization options to make it a beast. Managing fuel levels, upgrading its several parts, and keeping it tip top all ties seamlessly to the game’s excellent survival loop.

Deacon himself also progresses through various skill trees, unlocking crucial upgrades that make a real difference, especially when facing the larger hordes later in the game.

"On top of better frame rates and resolution, the PS5 version also enhances the original’s visuals in subtle but meaningful ways."

Now that we have the basics out of the way, what about the remastered version itself? The remastered version of Days Gone brings several noticeable improvements in the tech and graphics departments. We played the game on the base PS5, and it offers two graphical modes: Performance which targets a resolution of 1440p at 60 frames per second and Quality which runs the game at native 4K resolution at 30 frames per second. Both modes perform well, but I preferred the Performance Mode due to its stable 60FPS, which made everything from exploring the game’s open world to fighting hordes feel so much smoother. For context, the PS4 Pro used checkerboarded 4K at 30FPS, while the base PS4 ran at native 1080p and 30FPS, so, having a much cleaner, visually rich experience on PS5 is a major win in my book.

On top of better frame rates and resolution, the PS5 version also enhances the original’s visuals in subtle but meaningful ways. There’s a new atmospheric and sky simulation that makes sunlight and skies look more natural, better lighting and shadow quality, improved ambient occlusion, and increased foliage draw distance. While none of these changes are groundbreaking on their own, together they make the game’s graphics feel more alive.

Load times are shorter when compared to the original, but they are not completely eliminated like some of the modern games from recent years. The game also takes advantage of the PS5’s DualSense controller, with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers mostly noticeable when using different weapons. The implementation is decent, varying from weapon to weapon, but it’s a nice to have feature that adds to the overall experience.

"The Horde Assault mode is easily one of the best new features in this remaster that truly elevates the Days Gone experience."

Days Gone Remastered on PS5 introduces three new modes: Speedrun, Permadeath, and Horde Assault. Speedrun mode is exactly what it sounds like, complete the story as fast as possible, with the in-game timer pausing during cutscenes to keep it fair. Permadeath, on the other hand, raises the challenge even higher: if you die once, it’s over. Given how challenging Days Gone can get, especially in the late game with bigger hordes and harder encounter, both modes are perfect for players looking for a real test of endurance and patience.

However, the best new addition is without a doubt Horde Assault. This mode is all about what made Days Gone special: the massive freaker hordes, and dials it up even further with even bigger ones. You unlock different maps where increasingly larger hordes come at you in waves. As you struggle to survive longer, you gain XP that unlocks special “Injectors” that can either help or hinder you. Some injectors make freakers explode when they die, giving you an edge but can also hurt you if you are near them, while others, like starting at maximum enemy aggression, make proceedings even tougher. As you progress, you’ll also unlock cosmetics and even more injectors to customize your experience. It’s an intense mode where you’re constantly on the run, never having the time to rest as you mow down dozens of freakers. It’s easily one of the best new features in this remaster that truly elevates the Days Gone experience.

Challenges from the original game also make a return, placing players in specific scenarios like stealth ambushes, timed bike runs, or taking down set numbers of human enemies, basically individual scenarios from the story mode. These challenges are a fun experience that work perfectly if you’re looking for action packed missions after finishing the story.

"In its current state, it has now firmly established itself as one of the best titles in PlayStation’s library."

There’s no doubt that Days Gone has some issues that even a remaster can’t fix. The uneven storytelling, some boring NPCs and inconsistent AI are still present, but there’s also so much to love about the game in 2025. The improved visuals, and the fantastic new modes like Speedrun, Permadeath, and Horde Assault, are extremely engaging for anyone who loves a real challenge. Whether this remaster was truly necessary, or whether Sony could have simply updated the PS4 and PC versions with new content, is a topic for another day, but one cannot deny that the overall package with the remaster is simply superb.

Days Gone Remastered represents the maturity of a game that once had a shaky release, then with time got better with post launch patches and updates, improved further with a great PC port, and now shines even brighter on the PS5. In its current state, it has now firmly established itself as one of the best titles in PlayStation’s library. It’s a shame that Sony doesn’t seem interested in doing much with the IP going forward. Will that change someday with a Days Gone 2? Only time will tell.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

Alongside visual improvements and PS5 Pro support, the remaster’s main appeal is the new content, particularly Horde Assault. The arcade-like experience involves surviving in the world for as long as possible against increasingly challenging Freakers. Hordes are larger than ever, and negative Injectors result in more harrowing fights.

However, there are also positive Injectors for gaining an edge, and as you level up, new cosmetics and playable characters become available. Days Gone Remastered also adds Permadeath and Speedrun Modes, and new settings for Photo Mode, like time of day, new logos and a three-point lighting system.

High Contrast Mode, UI narration, fully remappable controls, and other accessibility features are also included. Check out our feature for everything you should know before buying.

One of the big new options in the suite of visual accessibility features is the ability for players to further modify their subtitles. In Days Gone Remastered, players will have 11 different subtitle colour options to choose from. The speaker’s name can also be highlighted, and there will also be new options for subtitle backgrounds.

A new High Contrast mode will also be available in Days Gone Remastered, which can be paired with the High Contrast HUD that was already available in the base game. High Contrast mode will allow players to more easily parse various details of the game, including the differences between friendly NPCs and enemies.

When it comes to audio accessibility features, Days Gone Remastered will include a revised and improved audio mix. The game will also include new audio accessibility options in the form of UI Narration and Collectible Audio Cues. While UI Narration will help visually-impaired players better understand the interface, Collectible Audio Cues will, as the name suggest, offer up audio cues for when the player is close to one of the game’s 240 collectibles.

On the gameplay front, Days Gone Remastered will include fully remappable controls, allowing players to change various keybindings. The game speed can also be changed, ranging from 100 percent, to 75 percent, 50 percent, and 25 percent. This option was designed for players that might feel too overwhelmed with the challenges that players might have to face in the game.

More minor options, including Recenter Camera on Attack, Haptic vibration intensity sliders, Field of View, and Persistent Center Dot will also be available in Days Gone Remastered. The auto-complete QTE feature will also be available on all difficulty settings from Easy to Survival II.

“With the launch of Days Gone Remastered for PlayStation 5 just around the corner, we’re excited to spotlight our expanded suite of accessibility features,” wrote McAllister on the PlayStation Blog. “Taking the foundation of our baseline list from Days Gone in 2019, we made it a priority to evolve and improve accessibility to make the player’s experience more accessible and customizable when hitting the Broken Road on April 25.”

Along with being available on the PS5 in Days Gone Remastered on April 25, these accessibility features will also be available on the PC version of Days Gone through a free update, which also brings graphical improvements. You can check out the details about the free update here.

While you await the release of Days Gone Remastered, here is everything you need to know about the game. In the meantime, also check out the recent trailer showcasing the new Horde Assault game mode that will be part of Days Gone Remastered as well as the Broken Road DLC on PC.

The biggest highlight is improvements to the world’s visuals. While the studio hasn’t gone into too many details about this in the patch notes, there are mentions of new atmospheric and sky simulations that help make the game’s skybox look generally better. More accurate sunlight and sky intensities are also in place alongside improved color tone. Nighttime has also been made “significantly” darker.

The visual improvements will bring the PC version of Days Gone more in-line with the PS5 remaster when it launches on April 25th. The latter features visual enhancements, along with new game modes with options like Permadeath and a Speedrun mode. This gameplay content, along with the Horde Assault mode, will be available on PC through the Broken Road DLC, which can be picked up for $10 and will be available on the platform on the same day as the remaster.

Days Gone, originally released on the PS4 all the way back in 2019, made its way on to PC in 2021. The title is an open-world game that puts players in the shoes of a biker trying to survive in a world that has been infested by zombies.

One of the main hooks of Days Gone is the fact that the protagonist’s bike is an incredibly important thing. Along with being the main method of exploration in the open world, the bike can also be upgraded in various ways, ranging from making it more fuel efficient and faster, to killing some zombies more efficiently. The PC version was released in 2021 with a host of features, including unlocked frame rates, improved visuals, and support for ultrawide displays.

Leading up to its upcoming PS5 release, Days Gone Remastered got a new trailer showing off its new Horde Assault game mode. In the trailer, we got to see insanely large swarms of zombies, as well as new playable characters for the mode like Boozer, O’Brian, Iron Make, and a NERO soldier.

For more details about the original, check out our review from back when it came out on PC. In the meantime, also check out our thoughts on why the Days Gone Remastered might be worth a look.

Days Gone PC Update Notes:

• DualSense haptic feedback support
• Accessibility features
• World graphical improvements
• New Atmospheric/Sky simulation using ozone and spectral light simulation: Improves overall color tone and produces more accurate light intensities for the sky and sunlight
• Significantly darker night time
• Improved screen space indirect lighting and ambient occlusion effects
• Double shadowmap resolution when Shadow Quality is set to Highest
• Additional improvements

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