Days Gone: Complete Walkthrough & Boss Guide
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🗺️ Main Story Walkthrough
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The game opens two years before the main story during the initial outbreak, introducing Deacon St. John and his wife Sarah as they escape Farewell on Deacon's motorcycle. This prologue segment teaches the core movement and stealth systems. The main game begins with Deacon working as a bounty hunter for Tucker's camp with his partner Boozer. Your first priority is fuel — the motorcycle runs on gasoline found in abandoned vehicles, and running dry leaves you stranded and vulnerable. Learn the map layout of the Cascade wilderness region, which is the first open zone, and begin marking NERO Injection Sites on your map as early as possible since they permanently boost health, stamina, or focus.
The Cascade region is the starting open world and contains 12 NERO Injection Sites, each of which requires restoring power to the NERO Research Trailer before the injector can be used. Restore power by finding and inserting the NERO Fuel Cell (usually located near the trailer in a portable generator) and then turning off all loudspeakers that would attract Freakers before activating the injector. Prioritize Health boosts from the injectors for the first several sites — early-game Freaker damage is significant. Begin clearing Infestation Zones (marked in red on the map) to earn Trust with nearby survivor camps. The Copeland's Camp and Tuckers Camp are the two primary vendors in this region; earn Trust Level 2 with each to unlock their full weapon inventory.
Deacon's motorcycle is both his primary vehicle and a core gameplay system. Bike parts are purchased using Camp Credits (earned through Trust and mission rewards) from camp mechanics. The first upgrades to prioritize are: Fuel Tank Capacity (reduces how often you must scavenge for gas), Engine Upgrades (increases top speed and hill-climbing ability), and Ride Height (affects handling off-road). Keep Scrap in your inventory at all times for roadside repairs — the bike can take damage from Freaker attacks and collisions and will break down at zero durability. The Stash box (accessible from the bike inventory) stores overflow resources and weapons.
Freaker Hordes are the game's most iconic feature — massive swarms of hundreds of Freakers that behave as a fluid organism. The Sawmill Horde near Chemult is one of the largest in the game with over 500 Freakers, while early-game hordes like the Belknap Caves Horde number around 50–100. Before engaging any horde, scout the area to identify chokepoints, fuel barrels, and environmental hazards you can detonate. The Attractor Bomb pulls Freakers toward a central location, while the Napalm Molotov creates a persistent fire zone. Horde Killer challenges (clearing 40 hordes) unlock powerful permanent upgrades. Never engage a horde without a full ammo supply and at least 3 Attractor Bombs.
The story moves into the Iron Butte region after Boozer's injury and the Copeland's camp questlines conclude. This region introduces the Rippers, a hostile human cult that self-mutilates and worships the Freakers. Ripper camps require a more tactical approach than Freaker zones — they use tripwires, attack dogs, and RPGs from elevated positions. Iron Mike's Farm is the Trust hub for this region. The Crater Lake region is accessed in the second half of the game and introduces NERO's research operations as a plot driver — the Freaker mutation lore is revealed through found audio logs. Clear all Ambush Camps in each region to earn Trust bonuses and permanently clear them from the map as hazards.
The best combat loadout in Days Gone is the SMP9 or the Chicago Chopper (submachine gun variants) for close-range Freaker swarms, paired with the Chicago Chopper or the MWS Assault Rifle for mid-range human targets. The .50 BFG sniper rifle (unlocked through Trust progression at Wizard Island) is the single highest-damage weapon in the game and one-shots nearly all non-boss enemies. Craft Residue Bolts (crossbow bolts that attract Freakers to a point) from the crossbow for strategic horde manipulation. The Drifter Crossbow is silenced and one-shots most human enemies with a headshot, making it ideal for stealth clearing Ripper camps. Upgrade your Melee weapon tier by finding better base weapons (Axe, Pickaxe) and applying Upgrade Kits at the bike stash.
NERO Inspector O'Brian is Deacon's contact and a recurring side-questline protagonist that reveals the origin of the Freaker pathogen. The O'Brian missions unlock progressively as the main story advances and culminate in a revelation about Freaker evolution and directed mutation. NERO Checkpoints (guarded military installations different from NERO Injection Sites) contain high-value loot including suppressor components, military-grade ammo, and research notes. Activating all NERO loudspeakers at a Checkpoint location then shutting them off gives a stealth window to loot the interior before Freakers flood back. The complete O'Brian questline is required for the game's true ending context.
The Wizard Island location is the final major camp and Trust hub in the game. Colonel Garret's Militia organization operates from here and serves as the final antagonist faction alongside an evolved Freaker threat. The Wizard Island merchant has the best weapon inventory in the game including the .50 BFG and the Chicago Chopper. Complete all Trust-building missions for Wizard Island to unlock the full weapon and bike upgrade catalogue before the finale. The game's final sequence involves a large-scale battle with the Militia that makes heavy use of the stealth and combat skills developed throughout the game. New Game Plus retains all weapons and upgrades while resetting story and enemy density.
⚔️ Boss Guides
Sawmill Horde
Attack Patterns
The Sawmill Horde is one of the largest Freaker Hordes in Days Gone with 300–500 Freakers nesting in the Old Sawmill structure northeast of the Chemult Community College. The horde is active during the day and emerges as a flowing mass that pursues players by sound and movement. Unlike scripted bosses, the Horde fights as a fluid swarm — its danger lies in its volume, speed, and ability to surround from multiple directions. If the mass reaches Deacon it will down him in seconds regardless of health level at medium-game gear.
Strategy
Scout the sawmill perimeter before engaging to mark all fuel barrels and propane tanks. Enter from the south road and position Attractor Bombs to cluster the Horde in the main mill opening. Detonate the fuel barrels when the horde is concentrated — a single large explosion can eliminate 30–50 Freakers. Then spray the survivors with the Chicago Chopper while they are regrouping. Use the motorcycle to fall back when your ammo runs low, ride ahead of the horde (they cannot match bike speed), reload, and return for another run. Repeat until the counter reaches zero. The Horde Killer challenge rewards a permanent focus upgrade on completion.
Rager Bear
Attack Patterns
Rager Bears are Freaker-infected bears found in wilderness zones throughout Oregon, notably in the Belknap and Cascades regions. Unlike normal bears they are faster, more aggressive, and significantly more durable due to Freaker infection increasing their pain tolerance. A Rager Bear will charge from a distance, rear up for a devastating overhead smash, and attempt to grab and maul Deacon if he is knocked down. They do not stop attacking at low health and in fact increase speed. They appear as optional encounters and in specific story missions.
Strategy
Open with a Napalm Molotov thrown at its path of charge for early fire damage. When it rears for the overhead smash, step sideways and immediately aim for its head during the recovery animation for maximum damage. The .50 BFG rifle can kill a Rager Bear in 3–5 headshots, making it the fastest option. Keep Medkits in a hotbar slot for quick use after a mauling hit. Rager Bear loot (Bear Ears, Claws) is used for crafting upgrades and sells for significant credits at camp vendors. The bear in the "He's My Brother" story mission is a scripted encounter with pre-placed explosive barrels around the clearing.
Breaker
Attack Patterns
Breakers are elite, mutation-enhanced Freakers that appear as mini-bosses throughout the game in Freaker nests, story missions, and occasionally alongside regular hordes. They stand roughly twice the height of a normal Freaker and have heavily muscled bodies. Their attacks include a long-range charge that covers the arena quickly, a ground pound with a radius shockwave, and a rapid three-hit combo at close range. They have a very high health pool compared to regular Freakers. Breakers become more common in the late-game regions (Iron Butte, Crater Lake) and frequently appear in pairs.
Strategy
Never engage a Breaker in melee — two close-range combo hits will down Deacon at most gear levels. Open with a Napalm Molotov to apply sustained fire damage. Use Focus mode to aim for the head during its brief pauses between charges — headshots deal 3x damage and are the fastest way to end the fight. When it charges, dodge to the side rather than backward to avoid the knockdown. If fighting two Breakers simultaneously, use the bike to maintain distance and focus one down with the .50 BFG before engaging the second. Breaker loot includes Freaker Brain material used for crafting and NERO research item turnins.
Carlos (Ripper Leader)
Attack Patterns
Carlos is the leader of the Rippers and serves as a story-boss antagonist across multiple confrontations in the Iron Butte region. He fights as an armored human combatant with fire-cult iconography, using a Ripper-modified assault rifle with incendiary rounds and grenades. In his later encounter he commandeers a military vehicle for a pursuit sequence on mountain roads. Human boss encounters in Days Gone rely on the cover system — Carlos flanks aggressively and throws grenades to flush Deacon from cover. He also uses self-inflicted Freaker infection as a mechanic that temporarily boosts his speed and resilience.
Strategy
Use Residue Bombs to attract nearby Freakers to Carlos's position — they will attack him while you reposition. During the vehicle pursuit, aim for the tires with the shotgun or MWS Rifle to slow the vehicle before the explosive barrel sections of the road. In the foot-combat phases, stick to cover and use the Drifter Crossbow for silenced sniper shots to the head. His armor absorbs the first headshot without a kill — two consecutive headshots or one focus-mode precision shot to exposed face will kill him. During the story arc, defeating Carlos unlocks access to the Iron Butte NERO sites.