Days Gone is one of those games I will defend to anyone. 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. So I was genuinely pleased to see it get a proper remaster, released on the 25th of April 2025 for PS5 and PC, because this is a game that deserved a second shot at first impressions.
The visual side is the obvious upgrade. 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. It is the prettiest this world has ever looked, and given how much of Days Gone is about atmosphere and dread, that matters.
The real reason to come back, though, is the new modes, and they are aimed right at people like us. 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, the whole story, no second chances. That 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.
A couple of practical notes so nobody gets caught out. The remaster is fifty dollars standalone, but 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.
Why this fits the channel so well is simple. Days Gone is solo survival in a living, hostile open world, with a genuinely good story underneath the bikes and the blood. The hordes are some of the most heart-pounding PvE encounters in any game, and Permadeath turns the whole thing into the kind of all-or-nothing run I love putting on the channel. If you never gave it a fair go, or you want to see it at its best, this is the version to do it on. 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: WillyB’s Days Gone.
Days GoneDays Gone Remasteredsurvivalopen worldsolo PvE
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