Days Gone is Bend Studio's 2019 open-world zombie epic — a deeply underrated game that received middling launch reviews but built a passionate fanbase through its compelling protagonist, excellent motorcycle mechanics, and the iconic Freaker Horde system. You play as Deacon St. John, a drifter and former outlaw biker trying to survive in post-pandemic Oregon while searching for his wife Sarah, who he believes died in the initial outbreak.
The Freaker Horde is Days Gone's defining feature: massive swarms of hundreds of zombies that move as a single mass organism, following specific routes, nesting in specific locations, and responding dynamically to sound, light, and prey. Encountering a Horde — 300 screaming bodies descending a hillside — is one of the most cinematic spectacles in open-world gaming. Eliminating Hordes requires preparation: gasoline bombs, traps, environmental explosives, and gunfire laid out along a planned corridor.
The motorcycle is your second major system — a living vehicle with fuel, damage, and upgrade requirements. Maintaining your bike becomes almost affectionate: repairing tires, siphoning fuel from abandoned vehicles, and upgrading the engine and frame from outpost mechanics creates a bond with the vehicle that enhances Deacon's characterization as a biker at his core. Oregon's scenery — dense forests, mountain passes, highway wreckage — is spectacular backdrop for motorcycle travel.
Your bike requires fuel, repairs, and upgrades. Siphon gas from abandoned vehicles, repair tires mid-journey, and unlock engine and frame upgrades through camps.
Hundreds of zombies moving as a single organism. Planning and eliminating Hordes with environmental traps and explosives is the game's most spectacular content.
Post-pandemic Oregon with dense forests, mountain terrain, and highway remnants. Stunning scenery for motorcycle travel across three major regions.
One of gaming's most underappreciated protagonist arcs — Deacon's grief, loyalty, and identity as a biker are explored with unusual depth.