For me, Sony exclusives always stood out as masterpieces. I have always been drawn to their originality and uniqueness. Studios like Insomniac Games and Naughty Dog made all the classics that I grew up with. Bend Studio’s Days Gone is no exception. It has a certain charm to it that few games about zombies can capture.
What Makes Days Gone Unique?
The news about Bend Studio pitching an idea for Days Gone 2 to Sony and being shot down was honestly really sad to hear. It seems Sony is playing it safe now, even though it has a history of proving that new and unique IPs can thrive on their systems.
Days Gone is a great example of that. These days, you may think media about zombies has been overdone. However for me, Days Gone stands out for a few different reasons.
One of those reasons is the open-world aspect that is presented here. It was down right exhilarating to go exploring on your motorcycle and come across a horde. These hordes vary in size, but some are just enormous. This was the first thing that stood out to me about Days Gone.
How many games let you take on hordes of zombies like this? I’m not talking about first-person shooter style, but the freedom to approach them however you want to. That is what sets this game apart from so many other games about zombies. I remember approaching every horde differently based on its size and location.
Another thing that set Days Gone apart for me was its approach to upgrades and camps. Each camp offered something different, whether they specialized in guns or motorcycle upgrades. It was also interesting to be exposed to the relationships between these camps. Each camp had their own reasons for believing they were better than everyone else.
As Deacon, you get to explore the world without tying yourself to one camp. This offers a unique insight into what this world has turned into since the outbreak. Deacon seems to know a lot of these people, but not in a way that suggests he is friends with any of them. He has just performed jobs for them to survive.
Days Gone 2?
I can’t imagine why Sony wouldn’t want Bend Studio to create a sequel. Days Gone has already proved to be successful and there are plenty of people wanting a sequel. Not to mention the first title is coming to PC next month, exposing it to more players.
Looking at some of the other new IPs recently, Horizon Forbidden West comes to mind. Horizon was another risky IP that paid off, so why can’t Days Gone get a sequel? Instead, Sony seems more concerned with remaking The Last of Us, a game that in my opinion, is perfect the way it is.
A second Days Gone would do well on the PlayStation 5. I would be thrilled to explore that world again and take down more hordes in stunning 4K. Creating Days Gone 2 would be the right move, but there’s no telling what’s going on at Sony right now.
It is possible that they are working on a second Days Gone since they haven’t announced what they are working on yet, but if they are how much of their original idea was sapped by Sony? If they turned down Bend’s first pitch, will we even see a Days Gone sequel that we will recognize? It seems more logical to continue letting your studios do what they do best.
If Not Days Gone 2, Then What?
This is where I honestly get a bit confused. If Sony wanted to play things safe, I would think that a Days Gone sequel would be safer than have Bend Studio create a new IP. Unless Bend Studio is working on an already existing Sony IP of some kind, I can’t imagine it being safer than a sequel that so many people want to see.
I’ll be interested to see what Bend is working on right now, as this is going to really shape the future of Sony and their studios. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn and Ghost of Tsushima were refreshing additions to the PS4 library and so was Days Gone. If you ask me, limiting their studios’ potential and creativity would be a huge mistake.
The gaming industry thrives on originality and creativity. It is what has always drawn me to games in the Sony family and indie titles that aren’t bogged down by corporations. If Sony is going to be playing it safe, I don’t think the PlayStation 5 library will be able to compete with what the PlayStation 4 offered.
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