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Let's start with the GOOD:
- The voice acting is superb (10/10) - a rare feat in today's gaming industry. The characters are extremely well developed. Each character has their own backstory, distict quirks/flaws, as well as redeeming qualities.
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- Graphics (9/10): It's not as gorgeous as Red Dead Redemption 2, but is very well designed for an open world game. The map is based off a city in Oregon. The setting is very rustic and rural - ranging from a heavily wooded recreational area (camping and lodging), to deserty plains, to snowy mountains. Each offering different weather effects and challenges.
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- Gameplay (8.5/10): This is probably the most subjective part of my review. This game is a slow-paced, learn-as-you go adventure. Combat is a lot of fun, which is my favorite aspect of this game. Ammo is relatively limited is the sense that you cannot go long stints of fighting without having to replenish. However, ammo is extremely accessible and you will never run out of it, it's just a matter of how much you can carry at a time before having to buy more.
There is also a survival mechanic where you will need to refuel your bike ever so often. This is not a big pain as gas is pretty prevelant and can usually be found on any main road. During my playthrough I may have ran out gas twice, and both times were really exciitng! I had to make my way down a road with limited gear, no chance to escape a giant horde if I happen to come across one, all in hopes to find a tank of gas. This is the best aspect of the game in my opinion. Sometimes there may be very few enemies around and sometimes there may be hundreds, you just never know.
The last gameplay mechanic I was to touch on is the combat. It is a typical 3rd person shooter with a weapon wheel toggle menu to switch between gear. You will be able to hold a *primary* weapon, *sidearm*, and *special* weapon. Each weapon will be designated one of those three tags, so you cannot carry three assault rifles lol.
There are also Throwables- I.e. molotovs, pipe bombs, frag grenades | Defensive Items- I.e flashbang, smoke grenade, attractors | Traps: I.e. proxy mines, bear traps | and Health Items
The game offers a "bullet-time" function which slows down time for easier aiming and concentrating fire. This is called Focus. You can upgrade your overall points in three areas -- Health, Stamina and Focus. Health does not recover over time, you cannot sleep to replenish health and the only means to restore it is using bandages/health syrums/medics. Everything can be crafted using certin ingredients found out in the wilderness. Looters heaven :D
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- Sound (9/10): The reverb in the game is great. Much of your survival will depend on your attention to sounds (whether it be you making the sounds or hearing sounds around you). If you have stereo surround sound then you be rewarded! Every enemy makes a distict noise and they will be delivered directionally which will help you pin point where a guy might be hiding without being able to see them.
The music is mostly ambient (to help you hear environmental sounds easier) but is also played dynamically. By that I mean it will cue you in on danger up ahead by slowly ramping up and intensifying as you get closer to that danger. It will begin to play when in close proximity to enemies and again will ramp up once you engage with that enemy. The more enemies that are around you the more tense the music will get.
-- Final thoughts --
Days Gone is a beautifully written story with a strong ephasis on character development and emotion. This is a survival game at its core, but is also action-oriented where you can go guns blazing if you wish. I tend to kill everything in sight since I love the combat.
The developers released a COMPLETE game at launch. Very few hardware glitches (if any at all). No bugs - except for one mission - you can look it up on your own if your curious. Nothing serious though, so don't you worry! There are no plans to release any DLC because there really is no need for it. The game is that well designed. I believe they are in the works on making a Days Gone 2, so if you end up enjoying this as much as I did, then you'll be happy to know a sequal is right around the corner :D
