Days Gone

Okay, finished it. It was long but enjoyable though. For those that don't know this is the big new PS4 exclusive and just like Horizon: Zero Dawn it's a post apocalyptic open world game made by a studio that's never made anything like this before. That's where the similarities end though, as Horizon is sent many, many years after a cyber apocalypse, and Days Gone is just a couple of years after a zombie apocalypse (you're more standard kind of videogame apocalypse). In this one, you're a biker in a gang of 2 as you and you're Bam Bam B's called, they  tattoo hair replacement friend Boozer (what a mouthful) are hanging in there by doing jobs for local camps and selling them 'Freaker' (zombie) ears for credits in local camps, before returning to your hill top watch tower that would make Firewatch's Henry jealous. Instead of escaping in a helicopter though, you get yourself more involved in helping these camps as you try to track down you're surely, surely (surely) dead wife, because really what are the chances that she could possibly still be alive...? (it should be noted that this game is more afraid to kill off characters than season 7 of game of thrones).

As a modern PlayStation exclusive, this game is a third person action game. It is what Sony published games are known for now. The question is where does this game fall on the pantheon of these games. For me, pretty low, not because it's bad, but because it's a decent game surrounded by greats. It's still fun but if you go in then don't expect The last of us.

The majority of what you're doing is driving to different areas of the map to clear out areas of humans, zombies or zombie animals, maybe collect some items and rescue some hostages. It's all the standard stuff you'd expect. You get around with your heavily customisable bike, which at the start of the game is pretty trash (especially when it runs out of petrol seemingly every 30 seconds) but ends up like a bat out of hell, but still there when the morning comes (as if anyone sleeps in games anyway so you'll probably be driving it around as dawn breaks, so where's it gonna go?).

I find something inherently uninteresting in biker culture, most settings and plots in fiction I can get in to, apart from mobster type settings,which I don't find interesting at all (I will never watch the Sopranos) but these gangs seem really douschey to me (I will also never watch sons of anarchy). Deacon (the protagonist) seems like a nice enough guy but there's something 'bikery' about him I just didn't like, plus, he wears a backwards baseball cap, what is this the 90's? That all the said the story is okay, though a bit unbelievable in places (yes, I know it's based on a world full of zombies). The gameplay itself is also okay, serviceable if you will. In fact, that goes for almost everything in the game. it's decent. I do wish there was more expansion in survival in the game though like having to eat or drink or sleep (there are probably more examples) but all you really have to do is keep your bikes fuel topped up. I really think this game could have leaned a lot from State of decay 2 (or 1 as they're basically the same).

The major issue I have with this game though is its length. It goes on forever, there isn't an in game clock to measure but I feel like it was about 50 + hours, and that's with me barely doing any side missions. The last few hours of the game especially drag as you're supposed to be gearing up (get it? cause it's about bikes) for the final confrontation but instead you're funnelled through a bunch of side missions which seemed to me like advertising for the post game missions so you could mop them all up but the game was way too long for me to care about that and frankly, if the game wants to show off it's side missions it shouldn't be left until the last few hours of the game when they're trying to build tension but have to stretch the plot to fit this in. Great shame for me, slowed it right down. And yes, when you've finished the game the world is still open to you if you want to go back in, obviously.

To summarise then, this game is fine. A classic 7/10 kind of game to me. It all plays fine, the story is fine and it looks really good. My main worry is that it's just too long. It's acceptable to me as I have no need for loved ones and as such have a lot of free time, but if you're a person with things to actually do then it's really not worth investing so much time in to. Forgot to mention you operate the menus through the Dual shock 4's touch pad area, it's weird.

You may also like: State of decay 2

I tried to play Tails sky Patrol and Tails's big adventure (or whatever it's called), but having to play these games made for game gear on a giant flat screen makes them virtually unplayable so they won't be getting any ranking in my Sonic list. Bring on Team Sonic Racing!