Sony Announces ‘Days Gone Remastered’ Instead Of True Sequel, Drawing Mixed Reactions From Fans Of Bend Studio’s Cult Classic Zombie Adventure: “Stop Playing With Our Hearts!”
Given that no official mention of the PlayStation game has been made in roughly half-a-decade, many players assumed they had seen the last of Days Gone protagonist Deacon St. John and the Freaker outbreak – that was, until Sony dropped was what arguably the most surprising announcement of their recent State of Play showcase, Days Gone Remastered.
Featuring a heavy on its characters and narrative, Days Gone is a single-player, open-world zombie survival game wherein players are put in the shoes of the aforementioned Deacon, a wayward bounty-hunter who sets out to fight his way across the Freaker-infested landscape of the Pacific Northwest in search of his wife Sarah after the two are split-up during a failed rescue attempt by the fictional National Emergency Response Organization.
Released with little fanfare from Sony, players who eventually picked up the title were blown away by its captivating gameplay, the ‘lived in’ feeling of its portrayal of the post-apocalyptic Pacific Northwest, and the massive amounts of Freakers that were able to appear on-screen at one time.
That’s to say nothing of Deacon himself. A combination army veteran, badass biker, and agonizingly honest personification of humanity, for many fans, the Days Gone protagonist belongs on the Mount Rushmore of PlayStation mascots.
Though far from an award show-sweeping release, the game has since gone on to become a staple of the PS4’s exclusive line-up and is still considered by many to be a slept on masterpiece.
Unfortunately, despite their waiting with baited breath for a follow-up to the game’s cliffhanger ending, Days Gone fans have had to spend the past six-years looking on in misery as other Sony franchises like Guerrilla Game’s Horizon, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, and Studio Santa Monica’s God of War have been showered with spin-offs, live-action adaptations, and sequels, while Deacon and his ride have been relegated to the same neglected boat as FromSoft’s Bloodborne.
But in finally offering some sunlight amidst the storm, Sony finally acknowledged the series once again during their February 13th State of Play, in doing so announcing that a Days Gone Remastered – offering better graphical fidelity, an overhauled photo mode, a myriad of accessibility features, and new permadeath, speed run, and “horde assault” modes – was now in the works for both the PS5 and PC platforms.
At first, Days Gone fans were excited at the prospect of reliving the game’s perfectly fleshed out narrative all over again, with many rushing to pre-order the game in order to show both their support for the franchise and that demand for a sequel still exists.
“If y’all want a sequel then this is how you support the studio,” declared Twitter/X user @AngelusHector. “I just started a second play through and will definitely get the upgrade.”
“Already pre-ordered!” beamed @Leech_Monger alongside a screenshot of their library’s display of the game’s unlock countdown. “I love this game a lot and I’m happy to support it again!”
“If ya want that sequel, ya better support it,” rallied @SteddiFl0. “Ya been crying for years for the sequel. If you brought the PS4 version, it’s only $10 for the PS5 version with 4k 60fps, Dualsense features, faster loading, and extra content like Hord mode (how long you can last)”.
However, this outpouring of joy was soon met with an equal showing of cynicism as others expressed dissatisfaction towards the entire idea, their criticisms centering on the fact that Sony was not only producing yet another remaster, but also doing so instead of green-lighting a genuine sequel.
“Tell Sony to get over themselves and to green-light the sequel!!!!” decried @Cloud_Aertih7. “I was so excited my heart dropped when I first saw the intro. I thought it was Part 2.”
“Stop playing with our Hearts !!!!!” @SolarFlarEleven PlayStation, “this Remaster is great but we want a SEQUEL!!! We want DAYS FOUND!!!!
“As much as I love Days Gone, this is such a waste of time and money when you could have made a sequel,” said @ughneyko. “The game looks insanely good already and there is absolutely no need for a remaster. Just Sony burning through money again instead of making something new.”
Between it being another case of Sony’s habit of ‘remastering a game instead of giving it a sequel’, its steep $10 nickel-and-diming price tag being asked for what is essentially a next-gen update à la Ghost of Tsushima and Spider-Man Remastered, and the ongoing silence from both publisher and developer regarding the franchise’s future, gamers have been left widely dumbfounded as to what larger purpose Days Gone Remastered serves for the PlayStation parent company.
All things considered, it is impossible to know if this move is indicative of Sony’s intention to foot the bill for a Days Gone sequel or if they’re just cashing in on the game’s fanbase.
Regardless, there’s at least one thing we can know for sure: the upcoming remaster is a great opportunity for newcomers and veterans to experience one of the modern era’s most underrated gem in its updated glory. Look forward to its release on April 25, 2025.
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