Days Gone is one of those games I will defend to anyone, because it came out, got a rough ride at launch, and then slowly turned into a cult favourite as people realised how good the survival, the bikes and the absolutely terrifying hordes actually were. I was genuinely pleased to see it get a proper remaster, released on the 25th of April 2025 for PS5 and PC, since this is a game that deserved a second shot at first impressions, and the version that finally gets one is the one I would hand you.
What the forests and the nights are doing
The visual side is the obvious upgrade, with better fidelity, longer foliage draw distance so the forests of the Pacific Northwest feel even denser, improved shadows and lighting, and noticeably darker, more natural nights. On PS5 you get DualSense haptics, 3D audio and variable refresh rate, with the usual quality and performance modes, and it is the prettiest this world has ever looked, which matters because so much of Days Gone is atmosphere and dread. I do not say that lightly, because a prettier coat of paint on its own is rarely worth your money, and here it pulls more weight than usual.
So much of what made the original land was mood, the rain coming in, the light dying, the forest closing around you while you listen for the wrong sound, and pushing the draw distance out while the nights drop into proper darkness is not just polishing screenshots. You are deepening the exact thing that made the game frightening in the first place, which is why I will defend the coat of paint on this one and almost nowhere else.
Horde Assault, Permadeath, and who they are for
The real reason to come back is the new modes, and they are aimed right at people like us, since Horde Assault is a survival arcade mode where you take on escalating waves of freakers, which is essentially the best part of the original game distilled into its purest, most stressful form. The one that made my eyes light up is Permadeath, one life for the whole story and no second chances, which turns Deacon’s entire journey into a single nerve-shredding run, and it is exactly the kind of self-imposed challenge that makes for great content and even better personal stakes. There is a Speedrun mode too, and an enhanced photo mode for anyone who likes to frame their misery nicely, which I respect, because somebody should get a decent picture of the bad decision.
Horde Assault deserves a closer look, because the hordes were always the headline act and now they have got their own stage, and stripping away the open-world travel to throw escalating swarms at you is a smart distillation. It takes the single most heart-stopping thing in the game and refuses to let up, while Permadeath is the one I keep thinking about, since a horde in the base game is terrifying enough when a death just means reloading. Make every death final and the calculus changes completely, so suddenly you are playing scared, picking your fights, and treating fuel and ammo like they actually matter, which is solo survival turned up to its absolute limit.
What you pay, depending on the copy you already own
The remaster is fifty dollars standalone, though if you already own it on PS4 you can upgrade for ten. On PC the new content arrives as the Broken Road DLC for around ten dollars rather than a free update, so factor that in before the store page talks you into the wrong pile. A returning PS4 owner is looking at a ten dollar refresh, a newcomer is buying the full thing, and a PC player who already has the base game is paying for the new modes on top, which is three different answers wearing one title.
Who should buy it, and who will still leave
Days Gone fits the channel because it is solo survival in a living, hostile open world, with a genuinely good story underneath the bikes and the blood, and the hordes are some of the most heart-pounding PvE encounters in any game. Permadeath turns the whole thing into the kind of all-or-nothing run I love putting on the channel, which is the practical reason I was pleased, on top of the sentimental one. If you never gave it a fair go, this is the version to do it on, no question, because it is the prettiest, the most complete, and it comes with the modes that show off its best ideas.
If you already poured a hundred hours into the original on PS4, the ten dollar upgrade for Horde Assault and Permadeath is an easy yes, and the full-price standalone is harder to justify on visuals alone. If hordes and one-life stakes do nothing for you, the new content will not change your mind. For everyone else who likes their survival lonely, hostile and beautiful, this is an easy recommend, and the modes are doing more of the selling than the coat of paint. If you want to see Horde Assault actually kicking off rather than just reading me bang on about it, I put the new mode through its paces in Exploding Zombies in Days Gone Remastered: Horde Assault on Cedar Lake. I have ridden a lot of miles through this one already, and there is a full run waiting for you right here, which is WillyB’s Days Gone.
FAQ
What does Days Gone Remastered add?
A visual overhaul, plus Horde Assault, a one life Permadeath run, a Speedrun mode and an enhanced photo mode, which is the second shot I wanted after the original took a rough ride at launch. The forests draw further and the nights sit darker, and those two changes do more for the dread than a prettier screenshot ever would on its own.
How much does Days Gone Remastered cost?
It is fifty dollars standalone, or a ten dollar upgrade if you already own the PS4 version, and on PC the new content arrives as the Broken Road DLC for around ten dollars rather than turning up as a free update. Work out which camp you are in before you buy, because a returning owner and a newcomer are not looking at the same bill.
Is Days Gone Remastered worth it if you already played the original?
Yes, if you want to see the game at its best or try Horde Assault and Permadeath, because it is the prettiest the world has looked and the new modes are aimed squarely at solo survival players. A hundred hours on the PS4 copy makes the ten dollar upgrade an easy yes, while the full-price standalone is harder to justify on the visuals alone.
What platforms is Days Gone Remastered on?
PS5 and PC, and it launched on the 25th of April 2025 for both, with DualSense haptics, 3D audio and variable refresh rate on PS5 alongside the usual quality and performance modes. That is the build I would hand someone who never gave the original a fair go, because the atmosphere was always the point and this is the first time the nights agree.
What is Horde Assault in Days Gone Remastered?
It is a survival arcade mode where you take on escalating waves of freakers, which is essentially the best part of the original distilled into its purest, most stressful form, with the open-world travel stripped away so the swarm never lets up. I would start there if the hordes are why you liked the game, and I would leave it alone if a wall of bodies does nothing for you.
Is Days Gone Remastered good for solo players?
Yes, it is solo survival in a living, hostile open world, and the new Permadeath run, one life for the whole story, is aimed squarely at solo players who want all-or-nothing stakes. A horde is frightening enough when a death means reloading, and making every death final is how fuel and ammo start to feel like they matter.
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