Some of the best releases of late have been remastered takes on older games. Days Gone joins the likes of Horizon Zero Dawn and Until Dawn as the latest games originally released on PlayStation 4 to get a next-gen polish up.

Now, I’m particularly fond of Days Gone. I think the game got a bit of a raw deal on its original release. Many of the so-so reviews seemed to miss out on references to the way the game shakes things up about halfway through and again with the third act, suggesting that they may not have played enough to give a reasonable assessment. I also wondered if the protagonist, Deacon St. John, was a bit too rowdy for critics hoping for a more cuddlier biker a la The Walking Dead’s Daryl Dixon than someone displaying traits closer to a real member of a 1% outlaw motorcycle club. Inevitable comparisons to Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us also didn’t help.

So, instead of the critical acclaim I think it deserved, Days Gone somewhat misfired at launch. There were also some rumblings regarding internal issues at Sony, which allegedly saw the game as a disappointment. Thankfully, despite all this, the game found its audience, getting a release on PC and now this PlayStation 5 remaster.

PC owners get the graphical updates of the remaster for free but need to part with a token sum for the Broken Road DLC to get the horde mode, permadeath mode, speedrun enhancements and improved photo mode. These additions bring the PC version in line with the PlayStation 5 remaster. It is not as essential in my mind, but something for completionists.

Days Gone is a third-person zombie outbreak game with a difference, more Sons of Anarchy than The Walking Dead. When it all goes off, Deacon(Deek to his friends) and his wife are separated when she is injured. Deek and his friend Boozer are left to fend for themselves as the world falls apart around them.

This updated version of the game enabled me to load my last PlayStation 4 save, so I could either continue from that point or start again. All you need to do is upload the save that you want to transfer from the original version and download it into the remaster.

Opting to start again, I remembered just how good the game is. The story isn’t as tight as the likes of The Last of Us, but this should be expected. Days Gone is an open-world game and The Last of Us is a very tight and linear narrative adventure.

Deek is a very reluctant hero. His loyalty to his friend, Boozer, and his relentless search for his missing wife give the character a heart that would otherwise make him particularly unlikable. His mumbling complaints and his remorseless ability to do what is necessary define a character that is both flawed and realistic.

One of the big deals with the game is just how many zombies, or freakers, to use the game’s vernacular, are visible at once. Hordes can number in the hundreds, which is quite scary, and we are taking 28 Days Later runners, here, not George A Romero or Walking Dead’s shambling undead.

The world is vast. As the story progresses and Deek starts to head north, new areas open (that those early reviewers, back in the day, may not have been aware of). The changing scenery keeps things fresh.

Deek gets around on his motorcycle. You need to be mindful of the amount of fuel in your tank as the last thing you want is to run out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a horde of freakers. You can fast travel to previously discovered locations, provided you have the fuel, and the route is cleared of freaker nests.

The game progresses via multipart story missions that can be undertaken as the player wishes. Mission progress may depend on the completion of tasks for other related missions. This percentage-based mission system is a bit more organic than a shopping list of tasks, allowing players to mix up how they play in a more organic way.

That doesn’t stop some of the missions from being just glorified fetch quests. But the game is what you make it. Playing to win, tearing through it, will give you the same sort of burnout that you’d get from an Assassin’s Creed game. The huge open environments invite, sometimes foolhardy, exploration that can lead to interesting discoveries and emergent gameplay, separate from the game’s mission objectives.

There is plenty to do in the game, with side activities to complete to help with progress. Hunting freakers rewards players with bounties (freaker ears) that can be handed in at camps, increasing trust levels, which unlock items for sale. Clearing nests allows Deek to fast travel along the routes and powering up government sites rewards players with perks.

The remaster cleans up the visuals, but not in much of a dramatic way. Days Gone looked good on the PS4. This new version has just a bit more polish, with some better environmental effects and skies. The best addition is the use of the PS5 controllers’ adaptive triggers when firing guns. This and the haptics when riding make for a more immersive experience. The horde mode and improvements to the photo mode are a bonus.

Days Gone Remastered is an essential PlayStation 5 game if you enjoy action-adventure games. It’s a massive game that’s a lot of fun and offers players plenty to do. If you have the original, it depends on how much you like the game as to whether or not the upgrade is worth it. But if you’ve never played Days Gone before, I’d highly recommend it.

Rating: Great