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‘Days Gone’ looks to take post-apocalyptic survival to the backwoods

By Brandon Widder June 13, 2016

The post-apocalyptic survival genre isn’t exactly new, but with Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us having shown what could be done within the space, it was only a matter of time before other developers followed suit. Take Sony Bend, for example. The company’s forthcoming title, Days Gone, almost looks like a spiritual successor to the former — only it revolves around a grizzled biker who’s holed up in the scarred deserts of the Pacific Northwest opposed to the mean streets of Pittsburgh and Boston.

Unveiled during Sony’s press conference at E3 2016, the open-world Days Gone sees players players taking on the role of Deacon St. John, a “drifter” who prefers to forgo the protected wilderness encampments to fend for himself on the open road.

According to a recent post on the PlayStation Blog, the title takes place two years after a global pandemic has wiped out nearly everyone, leaving the story’s protagonist to fend for himself amid a onslaught of mindless, zombified creatures known as Freakers. The recently showcased demo features both the aforementioned Freakers and a collective monstrosity known as a Horde, which is made of hundreds of Freakers who prefer to eat, move, and attack like a single unit hell-bent on eating you alive.

days gone gameplay demo e3 2016 005

days gone gameplay demo e3 2016 001

For a title that revolves around a never-ending sea of undead, Days Gone does look appetizing — at least visually. The developers have clearly taken their home in the Northwest to heart, and as such, the gameplay footage showcases a lush setting that’s heavily rooted in the trees, mountains, and rural vastness that surrounds Oregon, Washington, and other parts of the West.

Sony also plans to showcase other aspects of the game’s sandbox mechanics — including crafting, traps, and the game’s alternative paths — during an extended gameplay demo at this year’s E3, but for now, you’ll just have to settle for 10 minutes of bullet-laden gameplay and a sweet-ass embroidered jacket that looks like it was culled directly from Sons of Anarchy.

Days Gone is set to arrive on PlayStation 4 at an undisclosed date.

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Brandon Widder is a multimedia journalist and a staff writer for Digital Trends where he covers technology news, how-to…

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