Days Gone was the first original IP from Bend Studio, the Sony-owned studio behind Siphon Filter, in over a decade. The Oregon-based company spent six years making this open-world action-adventure game, and it dramatically increased its employee count in order to accommodate the title's development. Leading up to its release, there seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm from both developers and fans surrounding Days Gone. Sony appeared very confident in the title; so much so, in fact, that the company showed it off twice during its legendary E3 2016 conference.
The hype train for Days Gone unfortunately came to a crashing halt, however, when the game was finally released in early 2019. Upon its debut, Days Gone was met with a mixed critical reception. The game got an underwhelming score of 72 on OpenCritic, and it garnered very few accolades from major gaming outlets. Most of Sony’s blockbuster AAA games at the time had obtained OpenCritic scores in the 80s and 90s, so many fans were surprised that Days Gone had received such a low rating. In spite of its middling critical reception, though, Days Gone became something of a cult classic within the gaming community. The game sold millions of copies across PS4 and PC, and it’s soon going to get a second shot at life on PS5, as well.
Days Gone Dev Upset with Astro Bot Cameo
A prominent Days Gone developer expresses their displeasure with Deacon 'Deek' St. John in Astro Bot and promotional art celebrating it.
Days Gone is Getting a New Lease on Life With Its Upcoming PS5 Remaster
Days Gone's PS5 Re-Release Includes a Lot of New Content
During the recent PlayStation State of Play, Sony announced that Bend Studio's open world epic would receive a remaster for the PlayStation 5 on April 25, 2025, which will include graphical enhancements, alongside some new modes and gameplay features. This new version, called Days Gone Remastered, will feature a permadeath mode, an arcade-y horde assault mode (in which players have to fight endless waves of Freakers), and a speedrun mode. Like many of Sony's recent remasters, this edition of the game will be offered to all current Days Gone owners as a $10 upgrade, though it will otherwise cost $50.
The Days Gone Remaster is Nice, But Many Fans Would Have Preferred a Sequel Instead
Although Days Gone Remastered does include a decent amount of extra content, it's hardly what most fans of Bend Studio's latest game were hoping for. The original Days Gone may be a six-year-old title, but it still looks and plays great on PlayStation 5. In fact, thanks to a patch that came out in 2020, Days Gone runs at a stable 60 FPS on PS5 with a dynamic 4K resolution. Instead of an unnecessary remaster like this one, many gamers would have no doubt preferred a proper sequel to Days Gone.
Although Days Gone 2 Was Initially Scrapped, It Could Be Greenlit If the Remaster Sells Well
Apparently, a few years ago, Bend Studio did actually have plans to make a Days Gone follow-up. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the company sent Sony a pitch for Days Gone 2 shortly after the release of the first game, but it was ultimately rejected. Several reports alleged that, despite good sales, Sony internally viewed Days Gone as a disappointment. The game's mixed critical reception and strenuous, drawn-out development cycle were allegedly factors that played a big role in Sony’s decision to reject a sequel to it. After Days Gone 2 was scrapped, Bend Studio started developing a new live service multiplayer title, but it was canceled earlier this year.
Although it is nice that Sony hasn't completely forgotten about Days Gone and is still giving it attention with its upcoming PS5 remaster, it would have been far better if the company had just given Bend Studio the opportunity to release a sequel instead. If Days Gone Remastered sells well, then perhaps Sony will give Bend Studio the approval it needs to make Days Gone 2, especially since it currently isn't working on any known projects. At the moment, though, this is just a pipe dream, and the future of the Days Gone IP, aside from this remaster, is a complete mystery.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 75%
- Released
- April 25, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Bend Studio
- Publisher(s)
- PlayStation Studios
