Days Gone Remastered Review – WORTH THE UPGRADE?

Days Gone is one of those games that got kicked around at launch, left bleeding out in a ditch… and honestly? It didn’t totally deserve that beatdown. It had its problems (still kinda does), but underneath the bugs, weird pacing and Deacon’s constant angry mumbling, there’s a damn good open-world zombie game roaring to life.

Hit The Road, Jack!

Right from the get-go, Days Gone absolutely breathes atmosphere. Riding a battered motorbike through misty forests while knowing that a mob of flesh-eating Freakers could pop out any second? Inject that anxiety straight into our veins. It’s a game that nails the vibe of a post-apocalyptic world while avoiding Ubisoft’s tedious open-world trappings, even if some of the map activities feel a bit cookie-cutter at points. Having to maintain your bike so often could frustrate the bejesus out of people, too. Though with the game’s bike upgrade system, it does become more manageable, immersive (and second nature) down the line.

While the game’s combat fundamentals aren’t the best thing since sliced bread, it does feel tight and stressful—in a good way. Ammo’s scarce, crafting is essential and fighting off a Freaker horde basically turns you into a discount MacGyver. Seriously, nothing wakes you up faster than accidentally stumbling into a sleeping horde and realising you’ve got two Molotovs, a dream and no way out. Just don’t expect the smartest enemies ever. Watching a human foe pretend like nothing’s happening while you stab their friend right near their face never stops being hilarious.

Whether you’re creeping through trecherous Nero checkpoints, ramming bounties off the road into trees, or just pulling off some sick drifts on your metallic steed, the world feels alive—in a horrible, “everything wants to kill me” kind of way—especially if you turn on the Remaster’s Permadeath option. I didn’t even try this out, because I’m not a masochist. But hey, no judgement from me. It’s your funeral if you die at the 30-hour mark. Just saying… The new Horde Mode is also pretty bloody bonkers, as waves of Freakers rush and fumble-tumble towards you while Deacon, or many of the other notable story characters you can play as, go on an absolute rampage over four stages to pump those score numbers into oblivion. Go wild, bucko!

A Polished Apocalypse

Speaking of Deacon St. John… where do we start? While the rest of the acting is pretty solid (most of the time), Sam Witwer crushes his performance, giving Deacon way more depth than you’d expect from a guy who looks like he’d yell at you for using soy milk. He’s raw, emotional, and sometimes a straight-up jerk, but that makes his journey through grief and survival feel genuine. That said, we have seen better writing elsewhere. Plus, the story of Deacon finding his lost love can fall flat at times, and the pacing is a bit of a mess. One minute, you’re riding an emotional rollercoaster of loss, and the next, you’re being sent to pick flowers because a camp’s stew doesn’t taste quite right. Tonal whiplash, anyone?

Graphically, Days Gone looks gorgeous—the weather effects especially, are very easy on the eyes—but don’t expect the same jump like The Last of Us Part 1’s PS4 transition to the PS5. I honestly found it hard to spot a difference looking back at my footage. Albeit, the base PS5 targets and consistently hits 30FPS at a native 4K resolution on Quality mode, and 60FPS for the Performance mode at 1440P. A far cry from the PS4’s painfully framey as fudge original release.

Some other features include the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, which have just the right amount of oomph! And there are a solid number of accessibility options like: High Contrast mode, Photo Mode, Game Speed adjustments, UI Narration, Collectible Audio Cues and more, so everyone can become an edgy, bikey bounty hunter. You can even slap on a speedrunning timer from the outset, so all the hardcore streamers will be satisfied. Happy now?

Decision

Days Gone is like that beaten-up motorbike you find in a shed: rusty, a bit ugly, but once you fix it up? It absolutely flies, especially about 15 hours in. The survival tension, the unpredictability of the world—it all comes together in an experience that shouldn’t be left forgotten. Revealing a game that’s far more than the sum of its early parts, even if it does seem padded out at points. The way the world feels alive—sometimes working against you, sometimes offering moments of eerie beauty—is one of the best aspects of the experience. If you initially skipped it back in 2019 because of the bad press, now’s the time to take it for a spin.

By Anthony Culinas – Reviewed on PlayStation 5

Great

When Days Gone first released, it was met with a rather mixed reception. However, revisiting it after all this time with its polished presentation and new features, you’ll find a gripping, atmospheric open-world survival game that shines brightest when it embraces its rough, unpredictable spirit.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Sony. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.