Understanding Days Gone Reviews

[Deleted member 31817]

I have never seen a game like this that's so consistently mediocre and most people agree as well as critics but this forum for some reason has a ton of holdouts that think actually it's some hidden GOTY heavyweight and everyone else got it wrong. So bizarre.

Spoiler

is it because it's a sony first party game?🤔

 

[Servbot24]

It should get a score based on how much the reviewer enjoyed it. Not sure why this is difficult.

 

[DanteSparda504]

You can still enjoy an average game. The reviews are fair. Doesn't mean the game cannot be fun and enjoyable, but that also doesn't mean it's a fantastic game.

 

[thediamondage]

There was a lot of negativity towards the game before launch, from all the "Sony thinks this game is gonna fail" to "white straight male protaganist? pass" kinda things. I ended up buying it when it was on sale for $40, played for a few weeks on and off, plat'd it, and thought it was a solidly mediocre game. Nothing really stood out good, but nothing was that bad either. I thought RDR2 was a better "technical" achievement but end of the day I'd say I had more fun in Days Gone. It was definitely no God of War or Spider-Man in story, combat, or world and I kinda view that as the new bars for first party Sony games, fair or unfair.

I think there's just a class of games - Ubisoft games, this one, sports games - that sell really well and critics don't care for or talk much about (Assassins Creed is the exception). I don't think we've gotten real sales numbers yet but the indications are Days Gone has sold really, really well from snippets like it being a top seller in the UK, etc.

 

[DevilMayGuy]

I have never seen a game like this that's so consistently mediocre and most people agree as well as critics but this forum for some reason has a ton of holdouts that think actually it's some hidden GOTY heavyweight and everyone else got it wrong. So bizarre.

Spoiler

is it because it's a sony first party game?🤔

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I don't think there are a "ton" of holdouts that would call it their GOTY. There may be like 10 people on this forum that would. Where are you getting this narrative from? I see most comments here that either agree with the scores it got or maybe would rate it slightly higher at 8-8.5/10. I'm only seeing a small handful of "GOTY" posts.

 

[Edgar]

I really don't understand why this is some big mystery. The plot is trite and dull, the writing is some of the worst from a AAA title this generation, the pacing is atrocious, there are countless ill-timed loading screens interrupting the flow of the game but the gameplay mechanics offer a great opportunity for unique combat scenarios. It's a perfectly acceptable "meh" game and that's perfectly fine! It's okay to like something without needing to argue that it deserved some sort of praise that it simply isn't objectively deserving of.

Hell, I love Homefront: The Revolution but you won't ever see me questioning the critical reception it received, those reviews raised valid points about the game's flaws and my personal enjoyment of the game doesn't magically render it above fair criticism. If you love Days Gone, love Days Gone, just don't take up arms because you believe that critics had gotten it all wrong and committed some great injustice by accurately portraying the glaring issues in the game.

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oh my good the loading screens are really bad , I thought we were way past that in open world games

 

[VideogameVices]

I would review it 6 and under.

lots of thoughts etc: in the OT so i won't regurgitate. It's not worth more.

 

[FerryF1]

i loved the game. no idea how i'd score it though, probably 8,5 or 9.
i dont like the review system, never liked it. reviews are just a opinion of one person..
i think you should buy and play whatever interests you, no matter the review score

 

[Deleted member 18379]

I really don't understand why people struggle with the reviews of this game so much. It's an average game that got average reviews. It didn't break the mold. It wasn't extraordinarily compelling. It was a safe game and some people liked it. There is nothing more at work here. Mad Max reviewed similarly and the general public seemed to love it even though I found it average at best. This is a world where average is sometimes good enough and there is nothing wrong with that. The hardcore gaming community has been conditioned to think that 6 and 7 are terrible review scores. They're not.

 

[shiba5]

I had a lot of issues with it, but I thought it was a good foundation for them to build on. It looked great.

 

[Deleted member 31817]

I don't think there are a "ton" of holdouts that would call it their GOTY. There may be like 10 people on this forum that would. Where are you getting this narrative from? I see most comments here that either agree with the scores it got or maybe would rate it slightly higher at 8-8.5/10. I'm only seeing a small handful of "GOTY" posts.

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Goty contender, and then that's even sillier because making a thread about a game that's 1 point off the average you would like just seems a little pointless, no?

 

[Sparks]

It got a 71 on MC. More people liked it than they didn't.

At an aggregate level, the game scored alright. The negative perception was overwhelming given the low score and harsh assessment from high-profile sites, but the raw numbers speak for themselves.

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So I believe that would be a 58% on Rotten Tomatoe which is equivalent to Aladdin. Don't ask why I did this...

But I do wish we'd do a more Rotten Tomatoe esque approach to our reviews.

(also the new Lion King, the new The Grinch and Mission Impossible 2)

 

[Raijinto]

I gave it a 6 in my review because
- nothing is happening during first 10-15 hours
- tons of pointless missions and fetch quests (deliver an MP3 player, seriously?), without them the game would be shorter and more enjoyable
- abysmal performance on base PS4
- empty open world without any side activities except for hordes. It's basically pick a quest, ride for 5-10 minutes, do a quest, ride for 5-10 minutes, finish the quest. As a linear game it would probably be better.

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This.

The backlash against the reviews is baffling. A 6 is totally fair and understandable.

 

[weebro]

I'm a few hours into Days Gone right now and its a fun and competent game but nothing that's blowing me away yet, a 7 seems about right. I think reviewers were just down on it because its an open world collectathon and reviewers play a lot more of those so they might have gotten burnt out.

 

[Kenjovani]

Alot of "my rating score is right, your is wrong" It's a game, it's subjective and I enjoyed the shit out of it and thought it should be at least an 8.0. Am I baffled others rated it differently? Noooo your talking to a person tht thought botw was a 7 at best but I respect others opinion tht thought it was a goty.

BTW I didn't feel the first few hours were slow at all.

 

[phant0m]

It's like a 7.5 for me. Really enjoyed it overall but the game outstays its welcome and has some pacing issues. Loved the story and the core gameplay loop was pretty satisfying.

 

[hank_tree]

I think reviewers were slightly too harsh for Days Gone and probably not harsh enough on Horizon Zero Dawn. The gulf between them isn't as big as the review scores would lead you to believe. Horizon is still the better game though.

 

[Jobbs]

As I said before, both of those games had immense highs that countered a lot of their weaknesses. They're also both incredibly polished and high in production values. Spider-Man is an extremely competent and polished game backed by an insanely popular IP which no doubt inflated the score as well.

What is obviously special or stands out in Days Gone that could boost it's review scores? Outside of the weather system I can't think of anything at all. I think something like Spider-Man is just as average as Days Gone design and gameplay wise. The difference is Spider-Man was 10 times more polished and carried by people's love for the franchise.

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Days Gone has a strong story/acting performances, and the nature and execution of the zombie horde felt completely novel to me. I was honestly surprised that it had something so impressive in it when I played it after knowing how badly it was received. It also has among the best environment graphics/design I've ever seen in any game.... It took a while for me to stop being distracted by the immense disconnect I was experiencing.

The worst problems with Days Gone, (obviously ALL of this is IMO) are a bit of jank in the combat that I feel is forgivable due to the immense scope of what they're doing -- and the stealth missions, which are abysmal, but they are also infrequent.

Meanwhile, (IMO IMO IMO IMO) RDR2's missions structure, control scheme, and gunplay are just rotten on a fundamental level. The game is brokenly bad almost to where I considered it unplayable. Here we saw the reverse effect, where I was playing a game I knew had received 10/10s and what I was experiencing as I played was an absolute nightmare. It took me a while to stop being distracted by the disconnect and just decide for myself.

I guess for these reasons I should try to just ignore reviews completely --which is something I've always tried to do, but it's difficult to not be at all impacted by external factors.

You don't see the difference between DG and RDR 2/ spiderman on a conceptual / execution level? How these games are written and acted? How these open worlds are designed?

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Days Gone isn't quite as slick in its acting/cutscene type stuff, but I don't care about those things very much. In terms of gameplay, it's better than RDR2 and it's not even close. Environmental graphic fidelity is similar, maybe a bit better than RDR2. Animation quality is worse than RDR2, and this is the area where I think RDR2 shines most -- Its awesome animation system. Again, though, the gameplay of RDR2 is just worse. It's not fun to play. Playing the game and interacting with the game world honestly feels like torture.

Spiderman I can't really compare since it's apples and oranges and I haven't played it much... Plus it's not really my cup of tea. Batman button mashing combat and QTE stuff doesn't interest me.

 

[Shark]

The scores it got are the scores it should have gotten since they represent a person's opinion. It isn't 'wrong'. I think it got dinged for offering not that much new. Days Gone has a very overdone core gameplay loop we've seen in other open world games. The activities you do are very much repetitive. For a lot of people they're gonna hate that. The technical issues in the southern part of the map are inexcusable. The overall story isn't really that deep or surprising. Its reviews don't surprise me after having played it.

That said, I do think it deserves a lot of recognition for how insanely good the performance capture and the performances were. I'm still pretty gobsmacked by a lot of little character moments and how natural so many of the conversations are. I like how Deacon has a history with some of these people and how that shows itself over the course of the game. These are some of the most realistic portrayals of people in a video game this side of Naughty Dog. I also want to praise it for how parts of the narrative unexpectedly played out that I wasn't expecting. The middle to beginning 2nd half of this game has a lot of highs and does some bold things. There hasn't been a better performance this year than Sam Witwer's.

I found the game fun, engaging and I wanted to keep playing it. I'm not susceptible to the repetitive nature of open world design in 2019 like most as long as I am progressing and earning things that check off a list. I know I'm in the minority on that stuff.

I think Days Gone is one of the first games to show how video game scoring is quickly evolving past the 'everything below a 9 is shovelware' that we've been accustomed to. There's gonna be some course correction over the next year or two we need to get used to and that has been long overdue.

Days Gone is pleasantly okay and there's no problem with that.

 

[Zelus]

I felt like the reviewers were harsh. And there were some, I think the reviewers for both IGN and GameSpot, that called the game out for featuring a straight white male as the protagonist, like being straight, white and male is some kind of crime now or at the very least is heavily frowned upon.

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Disgusting if true. Review scores affect sales figures and ultimately people's livelihoods. If someone tries to hurt sales figures simply to fulfill their political agenda, they should be held accountable for it.

 

[Pakesaker]

It's probably a 8.5 or above for me. One of my favorite games of the year. I would love to be able to play this game at 60fps or even at a super stable 30. Playing on PS4 Pro and the framerate was my biggest complaint. Loved the setting, characters, gunplay, survival stuff, difficulty, voice acting, and just the overall tone of the game. I'm assuming we'll get a sequel next gen and it would be one of my most anticipated games.

 

[Terraforce]

I've only played like 5 hours of it, but I don't regret buying it around launch for $60. Definitely doesn't feel like yet another 7/10 game.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Only thing i dont like about the game is the framerate, and i wish there were more weapon variations. 7.5 out of 10 for me. Really good game imo.

 

[shaneo632]

Nah the game is a 6-7/10 and the Metacritic reflects that.

For me it is a competent yet largely soulless experience that has no real creative spark and just feels like Bland AAA Action Game.

 

[LonestarZues]

I really loved my time with the game. Might've ended up in my top 3 for GotY if it weren't for the technical issues. As it is it might end up in my top 5, but top 10 is probably more realistic.

 

[TuMekeNZ]

I'm still playing through it (probably 30 plus hours) and I adore this game. I think the main reason is I haven't been playing all the latest open world games like Assassins Creed etc. So I dont have that fatigue.
Game is not perfect and is pretty buggy but I just love it inspite of those flaws.
Not for everyone but I'd rate it 8+ for sure.

 

[Crossing Eden]

You can still enjoy an average game.

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"But is it actually average if I specifically enjoy it?" seems to be the common narrative of most days gone threads.

 

[Tatsu91]

I felt like the reviewers were harsh. And there were some, I think the reviewers for both IGN and GameSpot, that called the game out for featuring a straight white male as the protagonist, like being straight, white and male is some kind of crime now or at the very least is heavily frowned upon.

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They were definitely way to harsh is it perfect nope no way. But i enjoyed it being a slow burn as it allowed for great development and fleshed the world out and honestly i am day one for any sequel or DLC we get

 

[truly101]

I've only played a bit of DG but I think its a yes and no thing. Were some reviewers harsh? Sure, you could tell that certain outlets were going to hate it from outset, or at the very least, DG was going to have to be absolutely phenomenal to sway their opinion. DG may be the closest we've had to the dudebro ennui of the 7th generation, and certain games just become pariahs due to perceived reception and largely not about actual experience. How many times have you listened to a gaming podcast where a game like DG is brought up, everyone groans like it was a root canal experience, only come to find out, most of them, if not all didn't play the game in question.
On the other hand, DG seems like a fine open world game in a climate of plenty of fine (or better) open world games. Deacon St John and his cast of NOT SoA biker bros don't come across as very interesting. I think in a game set in a post apocalyptic setting, having empathy for your character's situation and lot in life is essential to buy in to the overall aesthetic and mood of the game. It doesn't need to be a somber or dour as TLOU, but it needs something. So far, I haven't found it. While I'm not cynical to the overall game, I'm a bit jaded in relating to DSJ. I'd prefer the game more if the protag was significantly different.

I have never seen a game like this that's so consistently mediocre and most people agree as well as critics but this forum for some reason has a ton of holdouts that think actually it's some hidden GOTY heavyweight and everyone else got it wrong. So bizarre.

Spoiler

is it because it's a sony first party game?🤔

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Remember when people were championing The Order 1886 as a GOTY contender?

Spoiler

I don't. Guess that Sony 1st Party bias only goes so far

 

[Deleted member 29249]

I knew something was up with the game when the E3 before it came out Sony didn't even acknowledge it (when spider man came out sooner and it was showcased). Ended up getting it on one of the many sales months after it was released and it was still packed with bugs in the 1 or 2 I wasted on it. Last nail in its coffin was the shitty driving, how do you fuck up driving in this day and age.

A 6 is to high for this trash fire on par with the original release of recoil as the worst 1st party game I've played this gen.

 

[Deleted member 2145]

classic swimming in 7's game

 

[blitzblake]

It's a classic "hope they get to do a sequel" game. Horde mechanics need more looking at as it often resulted in me peeling off some, kiting them far enough until the horde resets and then repeat until gone.

 

[Hilarious_Bearious]

I haven't played Days Gone either but I think this is an intriguing question. Let's stipulate that Days Gone would have really impressed people in 2014. But in 2019 factors that could be understood as external to the game (open world fatigue, zombie genre fatigue, concern about representation) made it less impressive.

Given that assumption, is the job of a reviewer to review the game in a vacuum, or as a product situated in a particular time?

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I suppose it's the role of the reviewer to adequately explain why they rate a game higher or lower, so that the reader can make an informed decision about how their tastes align with those of the reviewer. If a reviewer says the game is 7/10, and it lost points because it didn't do enough to differentiate itself from other open world/zombie games on the market, that seems fair. As somebody who enjoys open world games, cinematic Sony third person romps and zombies, I can infer that I would probably like the game all things considered.

 

[carlsojo]

It's a solid game. I got pretty engrossed with the story and world. The "true ending" has a fantastic hook for Days Gone 2 so I'm pretty excited to see where they can take it.

Is it some secret GOTY? Maybe not, but it's a good game and I think it was *somewhat* critically snubbed. Not unlike Dying Light at launch.

 

[DionardoLicaprio]

I felt like the reviewers were harsh. And there were some, I think the reviewers for both IGN and GameSpot, that called the game out for featuring a straight white male as the protagonist, like being straight, white and male is some kind of crime now or at the very least is heavily frowned upon.

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Please tell me this isn't true... Holy shit.

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

Its a solid 6 or 7.

I recommend people check it out on sale. You might be surprised.

 

[TacoSupreme]

I was super busy when the game first released, only able to sneak in a few short sessions here and there, so I got to witness the improvements to the way it played and performed as patches dropped, finally playing and really enjoying the majority of the game after it was mostly finished being patched. I wouldn't be surprised if the game got roasted by some critics because the review builds were in an as-bad-or-worse condition than the first retail launch, and lots of people now are playing the best version of the game.

This isn't the reviewers fault. It's Sony's fault for pushing it out too early. It's a great game in my eyes, but pushing out an unpolished game will usually end like this.

I would like to see sites like Metacritic or Opencritic let you filter reviews based on whether they were updated/played the patched version though, so potential buyers could decide based on the current state of the game, not its release state.

 

[BabyMurloc]

The baseline for competently designed games is so high these days that reviews are highly subjective. So you have to find a person whose gaming tastes you agree with, or you'll miss out (and end buying some stuff you don't like).

 

[Thorrgal]

85/100 for me.

But that was after the first patch, if a reviewer played it before the patch I could understand taking some points off.

For me that wasn't why it got so low scores though, I'm willing to bet that most reviewers didn't finish the game, and for me the game gets better the longer you play it, with the last third being really excellent.

So clearly some reviewers fucked it up this time, but thank god it didn't affect the sales of the game

 

[Haze]

It looked really bad so I never played it. Reviews be damned.

 

[Dewin]

Its a solid 8. It has some things that should have had more polish (turning your character to pick something up/interact with), while other things were very sophisticated (song while riding Boozer to a camp). All in all, its a great time. Its not perfect, but its more unique than most reviewers give it credit for. First time a horde arrives while you are doing a mission, you'll shit your pants.

 

[Deleted member 21411]

As someone whose favorite game is a 6 out of 10 yall just need to count your blessings that it did extremely well. The only things that matter is your own opinion and the sales

 

[VideogameVices]

DG's sold as a zombie game except its one where you spend 85% of the time fighting shitty human AI and its overly long.

DG's lucky it didnt get savaged more.

 

[Dizastah]

Sorry to bump this but didn't want to create a new thread just for my brief comment. I just decided to play this after having it in my backlog for months. Seriously enjoying it. Solid 8.5 out of 10. Bend has a lot to build on here. Looking forward to Days Gone 2 or whatever its called. :)

 

[Deleted member 13798]

Numerical scores are pointless.

Days Gone is a fine game, some good ideas and execution marred by some repetitiveness in the gameplay loop until you get a lot more options late game, weird pacing intervals and bland storytelling.

Didn't deserve to get trashed, but it didn't light my world on fire. It's fun enough to recommend in bursts.

 

[Deleted member 58846]

I find the whole idea of this thread... odd.
There was no conspiracy against the game. People scored it in accordance to their enjoyment of it. That you enjoy it more than them is great! That doesn't invalidate them not enjoying it as much, though.

 

[nelsonroyale]

The difference is that RDR2 is an achievement on every level outside of gameplay which is just okay, whereas Days Gone is basically like eating saltine crackers. I'm satisfied but I'm not really having a great time.

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I wouldn't say the mission design is just okay in RDR 2 though. It is very restrictive even relative to the standard of its peers.

 

[BackToKitchen10]

Haven't played it but talking to people who have, it seems more like a great proof of concept like State of Decay. The groundwork, foundation for a great game has been built

 

[TheOnlyJ]

Disgusting if true. Review scores affect sales figures and ultimately people's livelihoods. If someone tries to hurt sales figures simply to fulfill their political agenda, they should be held accountable for it.

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It's just shorthand for "the main character is boring and no one ever tries to fix it."
Plus, I mean, all games are political so reviewers inherently bring biases. I imagine a few people disliked Disco Elysium because of its politics. It's fine.

 

[Gilver]

I didnt play it because it looked generic as fuck. Also with RE2 im good on zambambos at least for a year.