Days Gone Review Roundup -- Here's What Critics Are Saying
Years after its debut, Days Gone is finally available. The open world zombie game puts you in the shoes of Deacon St. John, a rough-and-tumble biker turned mercenary after the world went to hell. You'll take on Freakers (aka zombies) and factions of brutal survivors in an expansive open-world adventure.
Though the game boasts high production values, reviews have been mixed. The adventure itself is often said to be dull or middling, and many critics agree the story fails to do anything interesting with its conflicted hero. This is reflected in GameSpot's own review.
"I did a lot of things in Days Gone," said Kallie Plagge. "I burned every single Freaker nest; I cleared every ambush camp; I maxed out my bike; I took out a few optional hordes just because. Like Deacon with Sarah, I kept going because I hoped to find something, to follow a thread to a possibly fascinating or satisfying or impactful conclusion. But at the end of it all, I'd only gotten scraps."
Many other outlets have published their Days Gone reviews as well. We've gathered a sampling of them below to give a view from around the industry. For an even broader overview, check out GameSpot's sister site Metacritic.
Game: Days Gone
Platforms: PS4
Developer: Sony Bend
Release date: April 26
Price: $60 / £50 / $100 AUD
GameSpot -- 5/10
"Deacon also has a policy where he doesn't kill unarmed women, which does not affect the story in any way and goes completely unexamined. There's no introspection here; Deacon is selfish, and it's simply boring that the game is uncritical of him." -- Kallie Plagge [Full review]
PlayStation Lifestyle -- 9/10
"Days Gone checks all the boxes of a proverbial PlayStation exclusive, but never feels like it’s stepping on anyone else’s toes. Despite the games, film, and TV that you can easily draw comparisons too, Days Gone handles it all in such a way that it has its own unique identity. The more I played it, the more I loved it, until finally finishing the long journey and not wanting the adventure to end. Sam Witwer is brilliant as Deacon St. John, and his journey of survival, humanity, and self-discovery through a deadly world via motorcycle is a memorable one that shouldn’t be missed." -- Chandler Wood [Full review]
Attack of the Fanboy -- 8/10
"Days Gone is by no means perfect, but if you're willing to put up with some shortcomings the reward is one of the best open-world zombie apocalypse games to date." -- William Schwartz [Full review]
Game Informer -- 7.75/10
"Days Gone has good gameplay foundations. The scarcity of supplies and ever-present threat of zombies put me on edge as much as it gave me options to escape by the skin of my teeth. But the inability to fully deliver on either the story or open world fronts makes it a title of both possibilities and limitations." -- Matthew Kato [Full review]
USGamer -- 3.5/5
"The zombie apocalypse is well-trodden territory and the open-world spin of Days Gone can only differentiate it so much. There's a strong narrative focus, but Deacon St. John doesn't carry that weight as deftly as he could. There are highlights and fun tools available within, but the game doesn't push those forward initially, leaving the players to deal with some tedium first. Days Gone is a great foundation for something better though, so hopefully Bend gets the chance to improve upon it." -- Mike Williams [Full review]
IGN -- 6.5/10
"Days Gone feels bloated, like a movie that goes on for an hour longer than it needs to or should’ve. It’s messy and confused, but peppered with genuinely thrilling encounters with rampaging hordes of zombies and occasionally breathless firefights. There’s a good game in here somewhere, but it’s buried in a meandering storyline, repetitive missions, and just too much obligatory stuff to do without an eye on the smaller details that could have given it much more character. Some fine tuning and editing could have removed the tedium and celebrated what makes this game unique and interesting, but Days Gone rides strictly down the middle of the dusty road and never finds its rhythm." -- Lucy O'Brien [Full review]
Destructoid -- 6/10
"Days Gone ups the open world survival ante but doesn't have enough cash to pay for the rest of the rounds of betting, making it one of the weirdest AAA releases in recent memory. If enough people buy it, its stronger moments will likely be immortalized in YouTube videos for years to come. Yet, most people will probably remember it as the open world zombie game that didn't bring much mechanically to the table. With some tweaks to the pacing, it could have reconciled its warm, frank look at humanity and been something special." -- Chris Carter [Full review]
Slant -- 1.5/5
"Days Gone is the apotheosis of the more-is-more philosophy: more bars to fill, more gates to progress, more hours of playtime, more zombies per square inch because “more” is supposed to fill the hole where some semblance of meaning ought to be, bridging the gap between one mind-numbing mission template and the next. It’s the purest example yet of the video game as mere content to be consumed, down to the very fact that each storyline you’re supposed to be emotionally invested in is marked with a completion percentage. Days Gone is a void." -- Steven Scaife [Full review]
Variety -- No Score
"There is a living, breathing undercurrent of ambition undeniable in the scale and intricacy of developer Bend Studio’s creation. And you can tell the effort here is to apply to a naturally tense open-world survival structure the kind of high-impact narrative one would expect from a linearly-funneled action game. But the result is one of the best examples of why that can’t work, and of the damage such an effort can have on otherwise solid foundations. With the game’s pacing ground to dust in service of open world largess, expansiveness, and narrative potential, the core of “Days Gone” is buried too deep for even a zombified resurrection." -- Trevor Ruben [Full review]
Hands On: Super Mario Odyssey VR – A Non-Essential But Pleasant Return Trip
After losing our lunch with Breath of the Wild‘s VR mode update, we entered the Cap Kingdom in Super Mario Odyssey with a sense of trepidation, as well as a slight headache. We’d been excited to explore Hyrule with the Labo VR Goggles and it was disappointing to have our latent fears concerning the Switch’s limited VR prowess confirmed.
Happily, then, it was most pleasant to discover that Mario’s tailor-made mini-missions are far better suited to prolonged play sessions. The bite-sized nature of these trips to the Cap, Seaside and Luncheon Kingdoms means you won’t be spending very long with the Goggles held to your face, but even so, you’re unlikely to experience dizziness or pain in your temples either.
Once you’ve downloaded the update you can access the VR levels from the main menu. Starting in the Cap Kingdom, the camera is rooted to a fixed point in the middle of the level from which you control the plumber and guide him to close-by treble clefs. Collecting the notes that appear after touching them reveals a musical instrument to deliver to one of three musicians milling around.
That’s it. You shouldn’t go in expecting much – you’ll visit three kingdoms in total but the whole thing will probably take you 15 minutes, if that. However, that’s 15 fresh minutes in the delightful world of Super Mario Odyssey, and compared to the migraine that is the Breath of the Wild VR update, this is a lovely little treat.
Having the camera stuck in the same spot means Mario can move pretty far away – far enough that you’ll be able to count the pixels in his cap – but fortunately hitting ‘L’ or ‘R’ zooms to give a better view of distant detail. If you lose sight of Mario at any time, clicking the right stick will snap the camera round to frame him in the centre again, otherwise an onscreen indicator points you in the right direction. Get too far away and you’ll be plucked up and delivered back to the play field. Slingshots exist which fling you to other small areas of the level and there are a handful of secreted coins to discover, but you won’t be staying anywhere very long.
Even if you don’t own the requisite Labo kit to enjoy the VR, you can still play using the console’s gyroscope. You might lose that feeling of immersion, but you’ll gain a massive increase in resolution and it plays just fine outside of VR, too.
Once you’ve found the musicians in the three kingdoms it’s off to the concert with you for another encore of Odyssey’s signature song. We remember ‘Jump Up, Super Star!’ bringing a tear to the eye the first time we heard it, although it doesn’t quite have the same effect the 562nd time. Pauline takes centre stage, of course, and you still have control over Mario. Jumping on Pauline’s head causes her to stop singing, which we found hilarious for some reason.
Also viewable in stereoscopic 3D are the opening and closing cutscenes. Presented in ‘Theater’ mode, you can’t move your head and it feels almost identical to watching cutscenes on a 3DS. A nice extra, but hardly scintillating.
The patented Nintendo ‘take a break’ advice screens are present and correct which is a tad irritating when the whole mode is so slight, but Super Mario’s Odyssey’s micro-brand of VR is very pleasant indeed, especially coming after the disappointing implementation in Zelda. It’s a fluffy, throwaway thing, but cute nonetheless, and the fact that its also available without VR means there’s no reason not to give it a try. We wouldn’t buy Labo VR just to play this update, but the cumulative value of this and the Labo VR Kit itself (specifically the Starter Kit + Blaster) makes Switch’s VR experience worth investigating if you are at all curious. On the strength of this, we’d be up for seeing more VR novelty updates for other Nintendo games – a blaster-based on-rails update for Splatoon 2, for example, wouldn’t go amiss.
How did you find Super Mario Odyssey’s VR update? What other games could benefit from a little Labo VR seasoning? As always, let us know below.
This is the most authentic simulation of the sport ever created, with TV-style presentation and commentary, true-to-life physics and advanced artificial intelligence. Choose from offline and online modes, from quick play online match-making to global online tournaments that link in real-time with the live World Snooker calendar.
Avengers: Endgame Directors Are Done With Marvel Movies, For Now
Anthony and Joseph Russo, collectively known as the Russo brothers, have helmed four Marvel movies--including both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and two of the three Captain America movies--back-to-back. With Endgame here, the Russo brothers are taking the chance to say goodbye to Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe--at least, for now.
According to a GamesRadar interview, the Russo brothers have no plans for more Marvel movies at this time. "It's our Endgame, at least for now," said Anthony Russo. "We don't have any plans for now to make any more Marvel movies." The key phrase is "for now," as Anthony confirms that the opportunity "certainly may come up in the future at some point."
So what's next for the director duo? The two are teaming up with Tom Holland (Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming) on a smaller project called Cherry, with American screenwriter Jessica Goldberg (creator of Hulu's The Path) writing the script.
"[It's] loosely based on a real story about a veteran of the Iraq War, who suffers from PTSD ... gets a heroin addiction and ends up robbing banks to sustain that addiction." The book, also titled Cherry and published in August 2018, is the debut novel of currently-incarcerated Nico Walker, who robbed 10 banks around Cleveland in a four-month period in 2010. Walker was arrested in April 2011 and indicted with an 11-year sentence in 2012.
In addition to Cherry, the Russo brothers have 21 Bridges and Dhaka in post-production. 21 Bridges, an action thriller, stars Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), J. K. Simmons (Justice League, Whiplash), Sienna Miller (American Sniper, Foxcatcher), and more. Dhaka, meanwhile, is an action drama featuring Chris Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War), David Harbour (Hellboy, Stranger Things), Manoj Bajpayee (Love Sonia, Missing), and more.
In our Avengers: Endgame review, we called it "an emotional, fulfilling ride [that's] a love letter to the entire MCU--the whole thing."
Don’t Expect A Skies Of Arcadia Port Or Sequel Anytime Soon
When Skies of Arcadia was originally released on the Sega Dreamcast in the year 2000, it was widely praised by fans and critics alike. To this day, it’s still considered to be one of the greatest JRPG and video games of all-time.
After underperforming commercially on the system, it was then ported across to the Nintendo GameCube as Skies of Arcadia Legends in 2002 when Sega exited the hardware business.
In a recent interview with Kotaku, the producer of the game Rieko Kodama was asked about the possibility of the game being re-released on the PC or modern video game hardware such as the Nintendo Switch.
Unfortunately, Kodama wasn’t very direct with her reply, instead stating how she was “very grateful” the game had a special place in the hearts of those who had played it and was happy to hear fans were openly voicing their wishes.
As for a sequel – don’t go expecting any announcements in the near future. Kodama believes the GameCube release was more than enough:
“I personally feel that [the GameCube’s] Skies of Arcadia Legends completed the “director’s cut” of the title. But I am honored when fans of the game who have become game developers themselves express interest in creating a sequel. It makes me happy to think of its legacy being passed on in this way.”
Would you like to see Skies of Arcadia re-released one day on modern hardware? How about a sequel? Did you play the GameCube or Dreamcast version? Tell us in the comments.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 27th)
After another busy week, this time full of Nintendo financial news and that Persona 5S reveal for Switch, it’s finally time to wind down with a game or two. Team Nintendo Life has gathered to discuss our gaming plans once again, and we’ve love for you to get in on the action in the comments and poll below. Enjoy!
Ryan Craddock, staff writer
Each night this week, I’ve been rummaging around my office, attic, and anywhere I can think of to gather every single video game I own. Annoyingly, I sold quite a few in my youth (darn you, younger Ryan) but I still have most of my Nintendo games and I’ve been cataloguing everything in hopes of keeping on top of a physical collection.
As tedious as this sounds, it’s been an utter delight stumbling across games I’d forgotten about. From the excellent Pokémon Trading Card Game on Game Boy Color, to the probably not-so-excellent Bunnyz on DS (don’t ask), it’s been making me want to spend some time booting up some golden oldies for the sake of nostalgia. If I get any time to do just that this weekend, I might have to go with Banjo-Kazooie – I haven’t played this for well over 15 years and I think it’s time to give it a revisit.
Austin Voigt, contributing writer
My friends – it is with a happy heart that I say I will finally be delighting in a full replay of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in cardboard Virtual Reality. Had a little taste last night before bedtime (nothing like waiting til the last minute to release that update), and I’m already hooked. I’ll also be visiting my little brother at uni, so I have a feeling I’ll get a chance to take down some college kids in Mario Kart 8Deluxe and Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Lastly, I’ll be continuing my adventures in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (officially very glad I finally picked up this title), and My Time at Portia (but for the love of the Church of Light, please fix those lag times…).
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer
This weekend I’ll be spending even more time with Mortal Kombat 11 as I attempt to reclaim my once proud prowess with Sub-Zero. Alongside punching people until their heads come off, I’ll be taking Beyond Enemy Lines: Covert Operations for a spin to see if an indie developer can make a sandbox FPS really work on Switch. The things I do without COD…
Gavin Lane, staff writer
Ah, the weekend. All being well, I’d love to dive into the first course of Overcooked 2‘s DLC. Despite losing enthusiasm for some of the later challenges in the main game, I’ve got such residual affection for it that I immediately bought the season pass without a second thought.
On the subject of co-op, I noticed a new icon for Death Squared on my Switch menu indicating an update has dropped, so that could also be on the menu. We’ve also been having fun with blasting fruit at hippos in Kablasta’s hippodrome (ha!) for Labo VR, but if my significant other is indisposed for any reason, I may squeeze in a level-or-two of Wolfenstein II, too. Too many ‘toos’?
Have a good one!
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
My condition of physical cartridge addiction once again came back to haunt my weekend. There will be no Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen or Mortal Kombat 11 for me because neither game currently exists at European retailers. However, the weekend was saved by a timely arrival of a parcel from the Far East; added to my humble Japanese import collection are Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy!, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Blade Arcus Rebellion from Shining. New spirits arriving in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate also ensure that I will once again be hustling at the Spirit Board.
My game of the week is rather special since I had the pleasure of accompanying this one since its early access days on Steam. Loren Lemcke’s Super Blood Hockey is not only the single current gen hockey game on the Switch, but it’s also one of the best games representing the sport ever made. And I’ve been around for all of them. Drop the puck!
Which games are you playing this weekend? (272 votes)
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Flash Deal: Get 12 Months Of Xbox Live Gold For $40
If you're an Xbox One owner who plays online multiplayer games, you're probably very familiar with Xbox Live Gold, Microsoft's premium service that lets you do just that. A 12-month membership sells for $60 at most retailers, but for a very limited time, you can grab an annual subscription to Xbox Live Gold for just $40 at MassGenie. The deal ends in less than 24 hours, so act fast.
Here's how to claim the offer at MassGenie: On the product page, click on the Power Deal circle. It'll prompt you to sign in or create an account--creating an account is free (and there's no guest checkout for Power Deals). After you're signed in, you'll automatically be redirected to checkout, and you'll see that the coupon (XBOXLIVE12M) has automatically been applied.
After you check out, the Xbox Live Gold code will be sent to you in a tracking email after the Power Deal ends. The Xbox Live Gold code is the same as the tracking ID in your order history. To see the code, just click "track your package" in the email you'll receive, and you'll be redirected to your order details, where you can see the tracking ID/digital code to redeem at the bottom right.
Video: Digital Foundry Takes A Look At Mortal Kombat 11
Earlier this week, Mortal Kombat 11 arrived in North America on the Nintendo Switch. The European release will be out next month. If you’re still on the fence about this particular version of the game, Digital Foundry has now uploaded a video comparing the Switch release to its PlayStation 4 and Xbox One counterpart. According to the tech experts, it’s simply “remarkable” a demanding 60fps Unreal Engine game like this is even running on such a device.
Shiver Entertainment has managed to keep all of the gameplay intact in the Nintendo release. The main difference between each version is image quality and resolution. When the Switch is docked, the game resolution runs at 1280×720 and can fall to 960×540. The bigger drops appear during the fatalities and opening moments, but on average, the gameplay runs at 720p. On the portable front, MK11 takes quite a hit. At best, it is 854×480 and can go down to 682x 384 during more intensive moments.
In terms of frame rate, the Switch release runs at 60fps with a few stutters here and there in docked mode. It’s only the cut scenes that struggle, often dropping below the 30fps cap. In the portable mode, the game runs at 60fps but can go down to 45fps. Overall, though, Mortal Kombat 11 is one of the most ambitious Switch ports to date. The portable play is what makes the Switch version worth considering.
Have you tried out Mortal Kombat 11 on the Switch yet? What do you think of it so far? Tell us below.
The folks over at Humble are running another bundle of interest to developers, especially those working on web games. They are running the Humble Full-Stack Web Development Bundle, a collection of courses from Zenva. The courses cover the gamut of web development, both on the front end as well as back end systems and it includes a couple courses specific to developing games. As always the Humble Bundle is organized into tiers, buy a higher tier and you get all the lower tiers included. The contents of this bundle include:
1$ Tier
Intro to Bootstrap
Intro to Next.js
Bite-Sized HTML
Bite-Sized CSS
Bite-Sized JavaScript
19$ Tier
Create Interactive Pages with JavaScript and the DOM API
Advanced JavaScript and ES6
Express for Beginners
TypeScript for Beginners
Bite-Sized jQuery
Bite-Sized HTML5 Game Development
The Complete Responsive Web Design Course
Learning Angular by Creating a Web Application
25$ Tier
Responsive Admin Pages with Semantic UI
Node.js for Beginners
MongoDB for Beginners
Server-Side Rendered Webapps with Node.js, Express and MongoDB
Create REST APIs with Express and MongoDB
Build Web Applications with React
Intermediate React and Redux
Introduction to GraphQL
Git and GitHub Version Control and Collaboration
AWS Deployment for Node.js Applications
Azure Deployment for Node.js Applications
Project Based Next.js Games Website
As with all Humble Bundles, you get to decide how your money is allocated, between the creator, Humble, charity (the World Wildlife Foundation or The V Foundation are featured this bundle) or using this link even supporting GFS (thanks!). Check out the video below to see how the bundle works, how to redeem your code and hands-on with a sample lesson from the courses.
