Days Gone Review

The Horde System: Gaming's Best Zombie Spectacle

No other zombie game has matched Days Gone's Horde system. At maximum size (500+ Freakers), a Horde encounter isn't a fight — it's a survival engineering puzzle. Preparation requires scouting the Horde's nest location, mapping escape routes, placing proximity mines and gasoline bombs along planned corridors, and identifying environmental hazards (fuel barrels, propane tanks, bee nests). The execution is controlled chaos: lure the leading edge into your trap corridor, detonate the gasoline bombs as the mass reaches maximum density, then use your bike to outrun the survivors. The NERO Research Center Hordes that occupy key locations throughout the game are optional but among the most satisfying content in the genre.

The open world is populated with smaller Freaker threats — nests, ambushers, and day/night activity cycles. Freakers are faster and more aggressive at night, which genuinely changes patrol routes and risk assessment during evening exploration.

The Motorcycle: A Character in Its Own Right

Deacon's relationship with his bike mirrors his identity — it's not just a vehicle, it's his life. The maintenance loop (fuel management, tire repair, damage tracking) creates attentiveness to the bike uncommon in open-world games. Siphoning fuel from an abandoned car while Freakers circle nearby, then sprinting back to the bike and escaping at maximum throttle, is a consistently tense loop. Upgrades — fuel tank expansion, nitrous, off-road tires, reinforced frame — meaningfully improve performance across the game's terrain.

Story and Characters

Deacon St. John is gaming's most underappreciated protagonist. His grief for Sarah, his loyalty to his surviving brother Boozer, and his identity as an outlaw biker finding purpose in a collapsed world are explored through voice acting and writing that significantly exceed the game's critical reception. The twist regarding Sarah's fate (no spoilers) lands with genuine emotional weight. The longer you spend with Deacon, the more you root for him.

Verdict

Days Gone is a compelling, lengthy open-world survival game that rewards patience. At its current sale price, it's one of gaming's great bargains.

Pros & Cons