PlayStation’s strategy this generation has been all over the place. From an initial focus on PS5 exclusives (Demon’s Souls,Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart,Returnal) to cross-gen titles (Horizon Forbidden West,Gran Turismo 7,God of War Ragnarok), the console manufacturer has now settled on re-releasing various PS4 games as upgraded remasters while developers work on new titles.Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered,The Last of Us Part II RemasteredandHorizon Zero Dawn Remasteredare all remasters of not-so-old games that were massively successful. What happens when a game that didn’t do as well as anticipated gets a remaster, though? Could that game find redemption? PlayStation and Bend Studio will find out whenDays Gone Remasteredlaunches on PS5.
Days Gone Remastered Announced for PS5, Launches in April
Deacon St. John rides again when Days Gone Remastered launches on PS5 this spring.
Days when?
Days Gonelaunched back in April 2019 on the PS4. Taking place in post-apocalyptic Oregon, the game follows drifter Deacon St. John as he attempts to survive the outbreak and search for his long-missing wife. A third-person action-adventure title,Days Gonesplits its gameplay between battling human enemies and Freakers, mindless mutated humans that wandered in hordes.
Since its announcement at E3 2016,Days Gonestruggled to win over players, with many comparing it to Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us. The game would go on to garner mixed reviews at launch, though our review was kinder, highlighting the characters, horde gameplay and beautiful presentation. The biggest low point was the technical issues and lack of polish, something that may have turned away players who expected a certain amount of polish from a PlayStation Studios title.
Days Gonestill found success even if it might not have met PlayStation’s expectations. From the infamous Insomniac Games leak, we learned that the game sold just shy of 8 million units. Bend Studios also never gave up on the game, polishing it heavily post launch both on PS4 and PC to the point where the PC version now sits at avery positive 92%on Steam. Despite all this, PlayStation has reportedly decided not to move forward with a sequel. At least, not yet.
A remastered redemption
Days Gone Remasteredis an opportunity to re-introduceDays Goneto a) a new audience and b) those that may have skipped the original release for any reason. While Bend Studios have not outright confirmed it, this remastered release on PS5 may very well be utilizing a lot of the studio’s excellent work on the PC version.Days Gone Remasteredwill feature improved graphical fidelity and improved shadow and light quality. Hopefully that means the higher-quality assets and software-based screen-space ray traced global illumination make their way from the PC to PS5. On top of this, Bend Studio has yet to reveal what to expect from PS5 Pro.
The game will also heavily support PS5 native features. Tempest 3D audio, DualSense support and new accessibility features. While we don’t expect a massive upgrade to the visuals like we saw inHorizon Zero Dawn Remastered, just bringing over the PC tech alongside PS5 hardware features and a high level of polish should be enough to do the already good-looking game justice.
It’s not just about the visuals
LikeThe Last of Us Part II Remastered,Days Gone Remasteredfeatures new game modes to play and trophies to earn. Horde Assault is a survival arcade mode where players survive as long as possible against ever-increasing horde sizes. The mode features locations pulled from across the main game, in-mode rewards to collect and additional playable characters. Given how fantastic the horde fights in the base game were and the high quality ofThe Last of Us Part II Remastered’snew mode (No Return), Horde Assault should be a fantastic addition to theDays Goneexperience. There’s also new Permadeath and Speedrun modes, adding additional challenge to the core experience.
LikeThe Last of Us Part II Remastered,Days Gone Remasteredfeatures new game modes to play and trophies to earn
PlayStation continues making the barrier to entry quite accessible. Those who already own the PS4 version can upgrade to the remaster for $10. For those who enjoyed the game the first go-around or maybe dropped off after a bad first impression, this is a cheap way to give the game another go. For those that missed out the first time,Days Gone Remasteredwill set you back $49.99, the same price as previous PlayStation remasters.
It’s a bit trickier for PC users. As they already have the graphical updates,Days Gone Remasteredwon’t launch on PC. A DLC including all three new modes, DualSense support, the new accessibility features and an enhanced photo mode launches alongsideDays Gone Remasteredfor $10, though.
It’s too early to say whetherDays Gone Remasteredwill save the franchise and convince PlayStation to greenlight a sequel. This is an opportunity for new and old players, however, to experience one of PlayStation 4’s more looked-over exclusives.Days Gone Remasteredlaunches April 25 on PS5.
