Bend Studio had a hell of a reveal this year at E3 with post-apocalyptic antihero story Days Gone. Inspired by Sons of Anarchy, the game tackles what it means to be an outsider after the world falls apart, as well as digging into the concept of chosen family. Main character Deacon St. John is not your usual hero. His home is the road, his closest friend is his bike, and his family are the men he rides with- what is left of them.
Days Gone has enough going for it with its premise and the attention to detail the developers have put into biker culture. The graphics in the original trailer were beautiful, adding to the appeal. They didn’t think that was enough, though, and released new photos of the upgraded graphics available in Days Gone on the PS4 Pro.
How about a small taste of some Days Gone PS4 Pro shots? pic.twitter.com/hr3Wrial42
— Bend Studio (@BendStudio) September 9, 2016
The guys at Bend have given more updates on the enemies and ideas for the game since E3, as well. Developer Emmanuel Roth gave players a bit more information on the “zombies” seen in the reveal trailer. It turns out they aren’t undead. The enemies are hordes of humans infected with a virus that turns them feral, and will react to changes in weather, surroundings, and obstacles differently. The Freakers may be encountered solo or in varying sizes of groups, or in massive swarms like the one at the silo. One thing they will not say is how many of these creatures they can populate on the screen at once, answering GamesRadar’s question with, “we really aren’t allowed to discuss it.”
The game will be open-world, with dynamic time and weather. Players will be able to choose to complete missions at night or during the day, while having to account for weather and geographic challenges. The environment will be highly interactive, with many opportunities for what the developers refer to as “contextual kills”. You will be able to save ammo by choosing to use the items in the environment around you to kill or evade enemies, allowing for a variety of play styles.
While the release date for Days Gone is still not set, it looks like development is going well. The staff at Bend Studio are active on social media, so fans can catch glimpses of the developing life of Deacon St. John in the meantime.