Days Gone PC Port Preview: Deacon Rides Again
We find ourselves living during a revolutionary period in the games industry. The simple reality that I’ve been given the chance to preview a first party PlayStation “no longer exclusive” on my personal computer signifies that fact.
Excitement was bound to run wild when Sony made their first concession of a console exclusive to PC last year with a port of Horizon: Zero Dawn. Ravenous gamers wondered aloud about what could possibly come after? Uncharted? The Last Guardian? Maybe even God of War? Well, we got our answer not too long ago that Sony Bend’s Days Gone was next-up to receive the port treatment. Upon first announcement, I found it funny that the most exciting initiative Sony had undertaken in recent memory was now being spearheaded by one of their least compelling titles. In 2019, Days Gone failed to impress critics usually kind to PlayStation exclusives, but found favor among the general gaming audience. After another few hours in Deacon’s boots myself, maybe I misjudged this game on its initial release.
Upon first glance, Days Gone presents generic. It hits all the bullet points of the PS4-era “Sony First Party” checklist with a third person view, thick air of melodrama, and realistic art style. However, in my first few hours with new PC version, I was able to discover a new side of the game. Enhancements like the ability to render at higher native resolutions revealed meticulously detailed strands of denim on the ripped shoulders of Boozer’s jacket. I found myself in more control of Deacon as well. Mouse & keyboard controls freed my Team Fortress 2-trained senses to react much quicker and with higher precision to enemies. Higher frame rates made navigating with Deacon’s bike more manageable even for someone like me, a person who well understands that they are terrible at driving in video games.
All these improvements allowed me to appreciate Days Gone for what it was trying to achieve and was probably unfairly judged for upon release. Regardless of what Bend developers might say, this game is aware it’s a B-tier title and plays into the role. With all elements. Ranging from Deacon’s cliché dialogue, Boozer’s name, or the fact that the game refuses to acknowledge its zombie characters as zombies, instead opting for the odd title of “freakers” which I still really don’t get. Like just call them zombies. If it walks like a zombie, if it talks like a zombie, it must be a zombie. Just doesn’t make sense. While this may sound like criticism, I fully enjoy what the game presents. Not having to focus too hard on the characters also allows me to spend more time gazing at the world constructed by Sony Bend. In the first few hours, Deacon rides through dense forests with muddy paths and winding roads cracked from nature reclaiming its territory. The rhythmic nature of Days Gone’s hills calmed me alongside the bewitching backdrop of forest and, genuinely, this could have been the whole experience for me.
(NOTE: Due to the timing of our access to the title, I was lacking my proper powerful computer at the time of writing and had to play experience the game through Parsec. The game was this enchanting even with multiple layers of compression, and that’s something to acknowledge.)
Speaking of beauty, Days Gone‘s PC graphics settings allow for refresh rates up to 144hz with a decent range of options to adjust to your computer’s capabilities. It’s not the most comprehensive or advanced (I personally advocate for the inclusion of a dynamic resolution setting in all newly released game and its absence is a bit odd as Days Gone runs on Unreal Engine 4 which supports the technology, but probably has to do with the original solution used on PS4. Still disappointing its not available here.), but you can play the best version of Days Gone here on PC, even surpassing players on PS5 “stuck” with dynamic 4K and 60FPS.
As for any issues rearing their heads during the early hours, they’re not too intrusive. We’ve experienced hitching during during scene transitions and between camera cuts in cutscenes. Some of the less important textures’ blurriness stand out more at a higher res, specifically a license plate early on that almost looks watercolor art style. There was also one glitch that left Deacon uncontrollable and running face first into granite instead of an enemy faction’s headquarters early on. Otherwise, less impressive elements are specific to the game. Blood textures from slain enemies look like plastic mats against the game’s ground. Transitions from gameplay to cutscenes are hard dips to black that feel B-tier compared to what is expected of new Sony releases. Nothing interferes with gameplay, but the overall presentation still doesn’t deliver the “wow” factor I hoped Deacon and his crew would somehow surprise me with.
I’m going to stick with Days Gone. Not just because of our upcoming review, but I’m genuinely enjoying my time spent with Deacon. It’s become a zen game for me, which I’m not sure Sony Bend was aiming for. Not requiring too much investment beyond cruising through Northwest dirt, pumping freakers full of lead, and hanging with the gang is a good time in my book.
Stay tuned in the upcoming days as I can’t wait to share more about Days Gone’s PC port for Handsome Phantom.
Access to Days Gone on PC was provided by PlayStation PR.
