Taking your time is how Days Gone should be played, IMO - and so the (rather surprising) high quality of the story almost works against the best parts of the game.
I wanna' barrel through it because I care so much about the story, but I wanna' hit the brakes and just cruise along because the game itself is meant to be enjoyed that way, and is at its best when you do. Just striking out from camp you'll get sidetracked a half-dozen times before you hit your quest destination - jumped by ambushers, clearing a building to search for supplies to repair what the ambushers did to your bike, might as well burn these nests while I'm here, oh shit that dude needs help, is that a Horde? Oh damn there's a NERO beacon right over there. Where can I find gas around here? Oh a tow truck - that's handy!
All its survival and combat systems really mesh with each other nicely once you understand it all. You need to be flexible and willing to poke around - you need to make plans on the fly and be ready to adapt when they go to shit - it's wonderful.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
I am much enjoying playing through the story. Although personally this is not an open world game where I am very distracted in the open world. Not that it is specifically a good or a bad thing. I don't need to get lost in every video game world. But for me this game is much more fast traveling to each each mission.
I do all the camps/nero/infection things. But they tend to get knocked out right after getting to a new area and after that there's never been a reason for me to really explore an area.
Like I said before I wish there was a bit more reason to scavenge, but the overall world feeling pretty empty isn't bad as it fits the narrative.
Fast travelling increases the time until your next camp missions pop - when you pick it it'll say "+1.5 hours" or something - and that's as much as it's explained, so I don't really understand the minutiae of it. I don't know if that "1.5 hours" is like real world time or in-game time, I just know I fast-travelled around Copeland's area a lot and noticed it was taking forever for his next mission to show up, so I just never fast travelled again lol.
But I love ridin' the bike so I don't mind.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
0
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Fast travelling increases the time until your next camp missions pop - when you pick it it'll say "+1.5 hours" or something - and that's as much as it's explained, so I don't really understand the minutiae of it. I don't know if that "1.5 hours" is like real world time or in-game time, I just know I fast-travelled around Copeland's area a lot and noticed it was taking forever for his next mission to show up, so I just never fast travelled again lol.
But I love ridin' the bike so I don't mind.
The time shown is just how much time passes in the game world during that travel. +1.5 hours just means it will be 1.5 hours later in the day.
I fast travel everywhere and I have every tuck mission finished and only 1 copeland mission left. Still in 3rd camp story. It doesn't seem to have any effect on that.
And yea, the decision to fast travel is based on the lack of feeling like there is much to do in the world, not the other way around mind you. In some games there will be potential interesting/useful things to stumble upon and fast traveling a lot would make you miss that. So in those cases exploring the nooks and crannies is more fun for me and I'll do it more often.
That's not the case here so I don't really feel like I get much out of trying to explore. It usually doesn't feel very rewarding.
Wtf where did I get that it increases time till missions pop? I'm fake news omg
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
edited May 2019
Added a bit more to the last post about fast traveling.
But yea I dunno. Maybe it has some hidden effect! But if it does it's not a large impact. The bigger difference is just when you do them since they seem to open sequentially. So if you wait to take one you then have the little delay before the next will open up. But if you do each as they pop the next one will usually pop after the next story mission or so and you get them regularly.
Oooh lemmie know how Rage 2 is. I'm hearing the shooting is fun but it otherwise sucks.
Yea I hear all the skill stuff along with the shooting is fun though. Like everything related to the actual combat is enjoyable. The world is just kinda big and pointless like most avalanche games and the story is nonexistent. So if you don't mind playing just for gameplay sake it is enjoyable.
Which in this case is fine for me because it's this or literally nothing else to play so I'll take this.
I only play 1 game at a time though so you'll have to wait for me to get through Days Gone before I can let ya know how it is.
Man, I really like this game, but it is close to going on the Mad Max and GTA IV list of fun games I never finished because of a particularly bullshit mandatory race mission.
+1
Zavianuniversal peace sounds better than forever warRegistered Userregular
Man, I really like this game, but it is close to going on the Mad Max and GTA IV list of fun games I never finished because of a particularly bullshit mandatory race mission.
Note that if you fail a mission twice (might be three times?) there's an option to skip current sequence. I had to do that myself with an escort mission, still not great at using the bike.
I just got to what I'm guessing is the second act, and wow, I was enjoying the game before but really loving the new area. This game keeps surprising me in good ways
Sawmill Horde down. That thing seemed to be over 300 strong - it was ridiculous. They were all gathered in a ditch in the shadow of a derailed train, so seeded the route I expected them to take around the train to get to me with proximity mines, tagged the huge gas tank with a remote-det bomb and then tossed like 4 napalm molotovs over the train into the ditch. When I went back to gather ears after, there were over 100 ears waiting in that ditch. The gas tank and remote-det got 40, and for the rest I just scrambled all over the geometry, exhausting my shotgun and LMG. At one point I led them into a little ravine, turned around and fire another two napalms at 'em - you haven't lived until you've seen 80 flaming zombies flowing over the environment and coming for you like a fiery red tide.
Man, I really like this game, but it is close to going on the Mad Max and GTA IV list of fun games I never finished because of a particularly bullshit mandatory race mission.
I'm (I expect) very close to the end, and I have never encountered a frustrating race mission. Even if you get dismounted and have to get back on the bike, there tends to be a bit of rubberbanding that'll allow you to catch up to your target in the next minute or so. Practice makes perfect!
Also, if you (like me!) hate how shooting on the bike works, know that you can just ram a target off their bike. And if you feel like the bike is handling like butt, know that it gets way, way, way better as you upgrade it.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
Sawmill Horde down. That thing seemed to be over 300 strong - it was ridiculous. They were all gathered in a ditch in the shadow of a derailed train, so seeded the route I expected them to take around the train to get to me with proximity mines, tagged the huge gas tank with a remote-det bomb and then tossed like 4 napalm molotovs over the train into the ditch. When I went back to gather ears after, there were over 100 ears waiting in that ditch. The gas tank and remote-det got 40, and for the rest I just scrambled all over the geometry, exhausting my shotgun and LMG. At one point I led them into a little ravine, turned around and fire another two napalms at 'em - you haven't lived until you've seen 80 flaming zombies flowing over the environment and coming for you like a fiery red tide.
Man, I really like this game, but it is close to going on the Mad Max and GTA IV list of fun games I never finished because of a particularly bullshit mandatory race mission.
I'm (I expect) very close to the end, and I have never encountered a frustrating race mission. Even if you get dismounted and have to get back on the bike, there tends to be a bit of rubberbanding that'll allow you to catch up to your target in the next minute or so. Practice makes perfect!
Also, if you (like me!) hate how shooting on the bike works, know that you can just ram a target off their bike. And if you feel like the bike is handling like butt, know that it gets way, way, way better as you upgrade it.
It’s the “Anarchist Spy” mission. I generally really liked the bike chases and have a nearly fully upgraded bike, but this one has a combo of high health and speed, a really nasty route with tons of snags that starts out over snow, and the guy throws molotovs. The secret was to get a high damage pistol over an SMG, but it felt like an exponential difficulty jump over what came before.
I just used the Deagle. And I did lose him once, but once I'd seen the route it was fine. That was before I'd maxed the bike, too.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Duuuude. The auto shotty is SO GOOD. SOOOO GOOOOD. It holds so much ammo and it can take down regular zombos with just a body shot. It's the perfect shotty.
+1
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Oh, also now that I'm pretty far I gotta say the wedding scene that got posted everywhere and that person was talking about here was taken SO FAR out of context it isn't even funny.
Like wow, if the person who originally started that was an actual reviewer they either hadn't actually finished the game or didn't care and were purposefully trying to mislead people. Either way it's pretty shameful.
Oh, also now that I'm pretty far I gotta say the wedding scene that got posted everywhere and that person was talking about here was taken SO FAR out of context it isn't even funny.
Like wow, if the person who originally started that was an actual reviewer they either hadn't actually finished the game or didn't care and were purposefully trying to mislead people. Either way it's pretty shameful.
That's an unfortunate thing that happens alot lately. I guess they just want attention or something? I'm betting it effected the number of sales because of it.
Oh, also now that I'm pretty far I gotta say the wedding scene that got posted everywhere and that person was talking about here was taken SO FAR out of context it isn't even funny.
Like wow, if the person who originally started that was an actual reviewer they either hadn't actually finished the game or didn't care and were purposefully trying to mislead people. Either way it's pretty shameful.
That's an unfortunate thing that happens alot lately. I guess they just want attention or something? I'm betting it effected the number of sales because of it.
The combination of burnout and lack of time/attention is a real problem with reviewers these days, in general. It's a poorly paid side of the profession that just seems to grind people down.
Sawmill Horde down. That thing seemed to be over 300 strong - it was ridiculous. They were all gathered in a ditch in the shadow of a derailed train, so seeded the route I expected them to take around the train to get to me with proximity mines, tagged the huge gas tank with a remote-det bomb and then tossed like 4 napalm molotovs over the train into the ditch. When I went back to gather ears after, there were over 100 ears waiting in that ditch. The gas tank and remote-det got 40, and for the rest I just scrambled all over the geometry, exhausting my shotgun and LMG. At one point I led them into a little ravine, turned around and fire another two napalms at 'em - you haven't lived until you've seen 80 flaming zombies flowing over the environment and coming for you like a fiery red tide.
I had something like 400 ears after taking on the Sawmill Horde, and I didn’t finish it.
@Chance - Caught up on your blog posts the other night and am now itching to try Days Gone. Been clearing other stuff from my backlog (including this past weekend), which is keeping me from picking it up at full price, but... Damn if you don't make it sound appealing.
@Chance - Caught up on your blog posts the other night and am now itching to try Days Gone. Been clearing other stuff from my backlog (including this past weekend), which is keeping me from picking it up at full price, but... Damn if you don't make it sound appealing.
Omg ty ^.^
I went from totally disinterested to curious to enjoying to loving over the course of like a week and a half lol.
It's not perfect and it's somethin' special.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
@Chance - Caught up on your blog posts the other night and am now itching to try Days Gone. Been clearing other stuff from my backlog (including this past weekend), which is keeping me from picking it up at full price, but... Damn if you don't make it sound appealing.
Omg ty ^.^
I went from totally disinterested to curious to enjoying to loving over the course of like a week and a half lol.
It's not perfect and it's somethin' special.
There are a lot of lessons other open world games could learn from this. Just the way missions flow is quietly innovative. The game reduces open world fatigue by combining long-term goals with a mission flow that repeatedly expands and then funnels you back into the main plot. You always have things to do, but you never feel overwhelmed by choice.
I'm a little tired of zombie tropes, but Mad Max is one of my favorite games of this generation, so... it's not gonna take too much to put me over the top. I do think I'll wait for a sale, though. I'm whittling down my on-system backlog and also my wishlist (down to 20 games and going to try not to let it get any higher).
It takes until like the last third of the game before you go "ohhhhkay now I understand why Bend were so adamant about not calling the freakers zombies."
But I'm still gonna' call 'em zombies.
Also I know European and Japanese sales numbers have been excellent, but I'd still expect a sale or PS+ freebie for this at some point in the next year. At the very least Halloween or Black Friday.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
The .50cal rifle does exactly what it should do and it's hilarious.
It will 1 shot all regular dudes with body shots. No need to even go for headshots any more. It makes clearing camps from a mile away so easy. Don't even need to bother silencing it.
I actually never even bought it 'cause it would have replaced Hordekiller, my LMG.
Last night I watched the credits roll on this before I finished my Overwatch placements. Things players may want to know:
Once you're at the endgame, every single Horde location is flagged on your map.
Once you get to that location the marker may break up into several search zones in the area, where the Horde will be.
Once you've beaten the game you can finish off maxing your trust/buying gear with every camp.
Trust does, in fact, have an impact on the game's ending:
But only for the three northern camps - Tuck, Cope and Iron Mike.
I don't know about Rikki and Iron Mike's people specifically, but there's a big final battle and I had trust maxed with Iron Mike and Tucker.
So in the cutscene just prior to the big fight, a bunch of people (and Rikki) from Iron Mike come to join me, and then Tucker's gun merchant and a bunch of dudes from Tucker's show up.
So I loaded an earlier save, went and killed another Horde around Cope's camp, got him to trust 3, restarted the mission and then everybody and Cope and crew showed up to help.
Having beaten the game, though, I still have a major question and I'm pretty bummed it hasn't been answered - maybe I missed a mission?
What the fuck happened to Lisa!?
Chance on
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Ending thing (I'm not there yet)
I was told after you go back into the game post credits and clean up a the last side missions there's actually a bit more story stuff and then a final "true" ending of sorts.
I was told after you go back into the game post credits and clean up a the last side missions there's actually a bit more story stuff and then a final "true" ending of sorts.
Yeah I do have at least 1 mission waiting for me and apparently I have some Ripper lore to get.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Alright finished up all the none mission stuff on the map that I care about(all ambush camps, nero spots, infestation zones even the incredible stupid bird infestations what the hell was the point of that??)
Now I have nothing left but missions (and maybe a horde or two if needed to get camp rank 3 for wizard island).
Alright finished up all the none mission stuff on the map that I care about(all ambush camps, nero spots, infestation zones even the incredible stupid bird infestations what the hell was the point of that??)
Now I have nothing left but missions (and maybe a horde or two if needed to get camp rank 3 for wizard island).
The final stretch!
I should think you'd've been awesome at the bird nests - one fire bolt each, easy peasy.
I was so dedicated to my LMG that I basically cleaned out every can of kerosene in the south because I kept on using one molotov per nest to clear them out. Not even per tree because the initial explosion would catch the second nest like one out of ten times.
There really need to be a "craft 2 consumables/throwables off 1 recipe" skill.
I eventually swapped out to the crossbow expressly for finishing off those damn nests more efficiently. I'd never used the thing since I got the first sniper rifle and had no idea the fire bolts were actually a way more efficient use of Kerosene - I just hoped at the time lol
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Oh yea I had no idea you could get multiple bolts per kerosene. I never used the crossbow. Always a sniper rifle in the special slot.
But the whole mission was just weird because it was its own separate thing from the other infestations. It felt like it should have been part of something more... but it wasn't? There were so many of them and it took so much longer but was treated as just finishing a regular infestation. No explanation. Nothing special happens. Just dots appeared on the map and you completed them. It felt weirdly unfinished!
Also just the overall design felt bad. There was no particular threat or anything interesting about doing them, the only difficult part was that fire was seemingly the only way to deal with them and thus they were just weirdly consuming of kerosene.
I didn't mind that aspect of it. So gameplay spoilers for people still in the north -
there are infected crowwwws and they dive-bomb you and are little bastards when you're trying to get other shit done and the only way to stop them from harassing you is to torch their nests!
If anything, if you're doing a mission in that area, clearing the crows nests is worthwhile just because you don't wanna' turn to face a horde, pull up your weapon and bonk! Get nailed and staggered by a crow.
So it felt more necessary to burn out the their nests, to me. I know clearing freaker nests opens up fast travel but because I literally never fast-traveled I only did 'em for trust levels - they never impacted gameplay for me.
The crow nests needed to get burned for gameplay reasons. Stop harassing me you little bastards!
Chance on
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Ah.
Yea see by this point the only times I have been bothered by them was while specifically travelling to the nests to burn them. Everything else I've done has seemed to be mostly just outside their range.
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DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
I beat it!
What a sequel hook and twisteroo! Now I have questions for sure. When did he get turned? How did he get infected? Is it ever explained how the infection spreads in general? You never see anyone get turned so it seems like a big uncertainty.
But somehow he got turned despite being in his special suit. And does that mean he started right at the evolved state?
Not ending things but just a few funny dumb overlooked things.
Two silly things when you go to Sarah's old work. 1) the machine says how many days it had been since she was there... but the pause menu tracks your Days and it didn't match up at all. 2) They make a big deal about how no one could get in there because of the electric fence... but since there no guard anyone could just go over the roof of the front gate. There was not fence there. Wide open.
They definitely ran into the all too common thing these days of the skill point system running out of steam too early. It always feels bad when towards the end of the game when you feel like you should be getting the best stuff that the skill points become useless. Even for the ones that fit your playstyle some late tree ones have so little affect that they feel pointless and disappointing (stamina rate, headshot healing). So since it gives you so many points once you get everything that does fit your playstyle you are expected to put points into things that have very little effect for a playstyle you don't use which ended up feeling so pointless I ended up with like 5 or 6 or I dunno even know how many left over because I never looked at that screen again.
Similar weird progression stuff with the weapons. Some really weird design there that probably just didn't have enough time to stew. Rewarding the player mid level weapons at the end of the game? Weapon upgrades only being available to purchase when you are past the point of using those weapons? Stuff like that.
Overall though I really enjoyed the game. But it definitely has a lot that could be improved for the sequel. Certainly agree with the 7/10 scoreline.
There's a lot that can be improved, but I can't go so low as 7.
If Days Gone had been the game it is without the story, I probably woulda' said 8.0 just because just the act of picking my way through ruins in search of supplies is always a pleasure to me, but more importantly how involving the combat, stealth and bike riding is once your ride is really kitted out and you're deeply invested in the skill trees. The bike is just okay, at first, and the combat is difficult and unwieldy and stressful - at first. By the end, Deacon in combat feels sharp, precise, weighty and professional - and the bike is absolutely goddamned incredible. You can literally feel both of its tires as they touch the ground and grip, yanking you forward as you hold down the gas, lightly leaping off each little hill, adjusting your tilt in mid-air to land perfectly on a slight angle at this curve in the road to hug the corner and go blasting off at full tilt.
With its story it's not just an 8 to me- the way it keeps twisting and turning, how the stakes are kept so personal to Deacon, how much respect it gives its relationships - I was shocked by how good almost all of the story was. There were definitely some patches of poor writing, but they were outliers in quality - it is, as a general rule, stunningly well-written and mature.
If the game stayed as fun as it was in the opening hours - a solid 7 I was happy with. A charismatic 7.0, right in there with State of Decay and Dead Rising 2.
As it goes on, opens up and combat is refined through new tools and skills, the thrilling challenge of hordes - a beautiful, fun 8.0. Up there with Dying Light.
Plus that crazy-awesome storytelling? 8.5. Gotta' be.
Story spoilers for the 4th camp:
HE'S GOT YOUR FUCKING RING DEKE WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GET THE RING HE MUST HAVE STOLEN IT OFF SARAH'S COLD DEAD HAND!!!
(Much later.)
Aw thanks, dude. You're a good dude.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
There's a lot that can be improved, but I can't go so low as 7.
If Days Gone had been the game it is without the story, I probably woulda' said 8.0 just because just the act of picking my way through ruins in search of supplies is always a pleasure to me, but more importantly how involving the combat, stealth and bike riding is once your ride is really kitted out and you're deeply invested in the skill trees. The bike is just okay, at first, and the combat is difficult and unwieldy and stressful - at first. By the end, Deacon in combat feels sharp, precise, weighty and professional - and the bike is absolutely goddamned incredible. You can literally feel both of its tires as they touch the ground and grip, yanking you forward as you hold down the gas, lightly leaping off each little hill, adjusting your tilt in mid-air to land perfectly on a slight angle at this curve in the road to hug the corner and go blasting off at full tilt.
With its story it's not just an 8 to me- the way it keeps twisting and turning, how the stakes are kept so personal to Deacon, how much respect it gives its relationships - I was shocked by how good almost all of the story was. There were definitely some patches of poor writing, but they were outliers in quality - it is, as a general rule, stunningly well-written and mature.
If the game stayed as fun as it was in the opening hours - a solid 7 I was happy with. A charismatic 7.0, right in there with State of Decay and Dead Rising 2.
As it goes on, opens up and combat is refined through new tools and skills, the thrilling challenge of hordes - a beautiful, fun 8.0. Up there with Dying Light.
Plus that crazy-awesome storytelling? 8.5. Gotta' be.
Story spoilers for the 4th camp:
HE'S GOT YOUR FUCKING RING DEKE WHERE THE FUCK DID HE GET THE RING HE MUST HAVE STOLEN IT OFF SARAH'S COLD DEAD HAND!!!
(Much later.)
Aw thanks, dude. You're a good dude.
My one big overall complaint with the game:
I love the emptiness of the world map, in general, but the game really could have used another tier of narrative experience out in the open world. Maybe something like the "Stranger" missions that GTA and Red Dead use - characters with dialogue and story that exist in the world separate from the camps.
There is also a weird, but not total, lack of allies or other friendlies doing the things the plot and dialogue says they are doing out in the world. One time, late in the game, I came across a biker with a green X when I pulled a gun, and I realized it was another person from one of the camps. That's the only time I ever ran into friendlies outside of missions and events.
I came across lots of people that needed help (or were trying to ambush me).
I would have enjoyed more side threads a'la Lisa though.
'Chance, you are the best kind of whore.' -Henroid
+1
DemonStaceyTTODewback's DaughterIn love with the TaySwayRegistered Userregular
Hmm yea the tech issues alone are going to take a lot away from it. Even if the gameplay were absolutely perfect and it was the best story the tech issues cannot be ignored. I think it would be hard to even give it a 9 at that point due to how rough it was sometimes. And that stuff doesn't really lower my personal enjoyment. I don't really care much about framerate and stuff but that doesn't mean that it can just be ignored. So whether it bothered me or not I'd have to take some off there. If everything else was perfect I still think it couldn't pass 8.5 as it currently stands.
I do disagree about the bike though. It really didn't feel particularly special. And the physics were all sorts of janked up. And then the bike was also another major part of the tech issues. When you have all the upgrades the world chugs A LOT when trying to cruise around. Which immediately takes away from how good it should feel.
Also I feel like it was another example of something that they wanted to do so much more with but didn't have the time. Other than paint options the bike is basically always going to look the same. It seemed like it was going to be more of a customizable thing but most of the upgrades were just set power upgrades. But then they were a very small amount of alternate upgrades sprinkled in. It seemed like they wanted there to be more there but just couldn't quite get there.
And for me 7/10 isn't low. And it shouldn't be considered low ever. That's definitely a common issue with gamer perception. 7/10 is good. It's not great, it's not incredible. But it is good. In this case it has moments of greatness and strong high points. But also has a bunch that feels unfinished and some real rough tech issues that can take away from the overall experience.
Posts
I wanna' barrel through it because I care so much about the story, but I wanna' hit the brakes and just cruise along because the game itself is meant to be enjoyed that way, and is at its best when you do. Just striking out from camp you'll get sidetracked a half-dozen times before you hit your quest destination - jumped by ambushers, clearing a building to search for supplies to repair what the ambushers did to your bike, might as well burn these nests while I'm here, oh shit that dude needs help, is that a Horde? Oh damn there's a NERO beacon right over there. Where can I find gas around here? Oh a tow truck - that's handy!
All its survival and combat systems really mesh with each other nicely once you understand it all. You need to be flexible and willing to poke around - you need to make plans on the fly and be ready to adapt when they go to shit - it's wonderful.
I do all the camps/nero/infection things. But they tend to get knocked out right after getting to a new area and after that there's never been a reason for me to really explore an area.
Like I said before I wish there was a bit more reason to scavenge, but the overall world feeling pretty empty isn't bad as it fits the narrative.
Fast travelling increases the time until your next camp missions pop - when you pick it it'll say "+1.5 hours" or something - and that's as much as it's explained, so I don't really understand the minutiae of it. I don't know if that "1.5 hours" is like real world time or in-game time, I just know I fast-travelled around Copeland's area a lot and noticed it was taking forever for his next mission to show up, so I just never fast travelled again lol.
But I love ridin' the bike so I don't mind.
The time shown is just how much time passes in the game world during that travel. +1.5 hours just means it will be 1.5 hours later in the day.
I fast travel everywhere and I have every tuck mission finished and only 1 copeland mission left. Still in 3rd camp story. It doesn't seem to have any effect on that.
And yea, the decision to fast travel is based on the lack of feeling like there is much to do in the world, not the other way around mind you. In some games there will be potential interesting/useful things to stumble upon and fast traveling a lot would make you miss that. So in those cases exploring the nooks and crannies is more fun for me and I'll do it more often.
That's not the case here so I don't really feel like I get much out of trying to explore. It usually doesn't feel very rewarding.
But yea I dunno. Maybe it has some hidden effect! But if it does it's not a large impact. The bigger difference is just when you do them since they seem to open sequentially. So if you wait to take one you then have the little delay before the next will open up. But if you do each as they pop the next one will usually pop after the next story mission or so and you get them regularly.
And I haven't maxed these camps either! Arrrrg!
Whelp. Back to hunting hordes for me.
Sounds like I still have a lot of game left if you are still going Chance!
Good to know as I found out Rage 2 is a bit short and that's my only other game until the end of June.
Yea I hear all the skill stuff along with the shooting is fun though. Like everything related to the actual combat is enjoyable. The world is just kinda big and pointless like most avalanche games and the story is nonexistent. So if you don't mind playing just for gameplay sake it is enjoyable.
Which in this case is fine for me because it's this or literally nothing else to play so I'll take this.
I only play 1 game at a time though so you'll have to wait for me to get through Days Gone before I can let ya know how it is.
Note that if you fail a mission twice (might be three times?) there's an option to skip current sequence. I had to do that myself with an escort mission, still not great at using the bike.
I just got to what I'm guessing is the second act, and wow, I was enjoying the game before but really loving the new area. This game keeps surprising me in good ways
I'm (I expect) very close to the end, and I have never encountered a frustrating race mission. Even if you get dismounted and have to get back on the bike, there tends to be a bit of rubberbanding that'll allow you to catch up to your target in the next minute or so. Practice makes perfect!
Also, if you (like me!) hate how shooting on the bike works, know that you can just ram a target off their bike. And if you feel like the bike is handling like butt, know that it gets way, way, way better as you upgrade it.
It’s the “Anarchist Spy” mission. I generally really liked the bike chases and have a nearly fully upgraded bike, but this one has a combo of high health and speed, a really nasty route with tons of snags that starts out over snow, and the guy throws molotovs. The secret was to get a high damage pistol over an SMG, but it felt like an exponential difficulty jump over what came before.
Like wow, if the person who originally started that was an actual reviewer they either hadn't actually finished the game or didn't care and were purposefully trying to mislead people. Either way it's pretty shameful.
That's an unfortunate thing that happens alot lately. I guess they just want attention or something? I'm betting it effected the number of sales because of it.
The combination of burnout and lack of time/attention is a real problem with reviewers these days, in general. It's a poorly paid side of the profession that just seems to grind people down.
Omg ty ^.^
I went from totally disinterested to curious to enjoying to loving over the course of like a week and a half lol.
It's not perfect and it's somethin' special.
There are a lot of lessons other open world games could learn from this. Just the way missions flow is quietly innovative. The game reduces open world fatigue by combining long-term goals with a mission flow that repeatedly expands and then funnels you back into the main plot. You always have things to do, but you never feel overwhelmed by choice.
But I'm still gonna' call 'em zombies.
Also I know European and Japanese sales numbers have been excellent, but I'd still expect a sale or PS+ freebie for this at some point in the next year. At the very least Halloween or Black Friday.
It will 1 shot all regular dudes with body shots. No need to even go for headshots any more. It makes clearing camps from a mile away so easy. Don't even need to bother silencing it.
Last night I watched the credits roll on this before I finished my Overwatch placements. Things players may want to know:
I don't know about Rikki and Iron Mike's people specifically, but there's a big final battle and I had trust maxed with Iron Mike and Tucker.
So in the cutscene just prior to the big fight, a bunch of people (and Rikki) from Iron Mike come to join me, and then Tucker's gun merchant and a bunch of dudes from Tucker's show up.
So I loaded an earlier save, went and killed another Horde around Cope's camp, got him to trust 3, restarted the mission and then everybody and Cope and crew showed up to help.
Having beaten the game, though, I still have a major question and I'm pretty bummed it hasn't been answered - maybe I missed a mission?
Yeah I do have at least 1 mission waiting for me and apparently I have some Ripper lore to get.
Now I have nothing left but missions (and maybe a horde or two if needed to get camp rank 3 for wizard island).
The final stretch!
I should think you'd've been awesome at the bird nests - one fire bolt each, easy peasy.
I was so dedicated to my LMG that I basically cleaned out every can of kerosene in the south because I kept on using one molotov per nest to clear them out. Not even per tree because the initial explosion would catch the second nest like one out of ten times.
There really need to be a "craft 2 consumables/throwables off 1 recipe" skill.
I eventually swapped out to the crossbow expressly for finishing off those damn nests more efficiently. I'd never used the thing since I got the first sniper rifle and had no idea the fire bolts were actually a way more efficient use of Kerosene - I just hoped at the time lol
But the whole mission was just weird because it was its own separate thing from the other infestations. It felt like it should have been part of something more... but it wasn't? There were so many of them and it took so much longer but was treated as just finishing a regular infestation. No explanation. Nothing special happens. Just dots appeared on the map and you completed them. It felt weirdly unfinished!
Also just the overall design felt bad. There was no particular threat or anything interesting about doing them, the only difficult part was that fire was seemingly the only way to deal with them and thus they were just weirdly consuming of kerosene.
If anything, if you're doing a mission in that area, clearing the crows nests is worthwhile just because you don't wanna' turn to face a horde, pull up your weapon and bonk! Get nailed and staggered by a crow.
So it felt more necessary to burn out the their nests, to me. I know clearing freaker nests opens up fast travel but because I literally never fast-traveled I only did 'em for trust levels - they never impacted gameplay for me.
The crow nests needed to get burned for gameplay reasons. Stop harassing me you little bastards!
Yea see by this point the only times I have been bothered by them was while specifically travelling to the nests to burn them. Everything else I've done has seemed to be mostly just outside their range.
But somehow he got turned despite being in his special suit. And does that mean he started right at the evolved state?
Not ending things but just a few funny dumb overlooked things.
They definitely ran into the all too common thing these days of the skill point system running out of steam too early. It always feels bad when towards the end of the game when you feel like you should be getting the best stuff that the skill points become useless. Even for the ones that fit your playstyle some late tree ones have so little affect that they feel pointless and disappointing (stamina rate, headshot healing). So since it gives you so many points once you get everything that does fit your playstyle you are expected to put points into things that have very little effect for a playstyle you don't use which ended up feeling so pointless I ended up with like 5 or 6 or I dunno even know how many left over because I never looked at that screen again.
Similar weird progression stuff with the weapons. Some really weird design there that probably just didn't have enough time to stew. Rewarding the player mid level weapons at the end of the game? Weapon upgrades only being available to purchase when you are past the point of using those weapons? Stuff like that.
Overall though I really enjoyed the game. But it definitely has a lot that could be improved for the sequel. Certainly agree with the 7/10 scoreline.
If Days Gone had been the game it is without the story, I probably woulda' said 8.0 just because just the act of picking my way through ruins in search of supplies is always a pleasure to me, but more importantly how involving the combat, stealth and bike riding is once your ride is really kitted out and you're deeply invested in the skill trees. The bike is just okay, at first, and the combat is difficult and unwieldy and stressful - at first. By the end, Deacon in combat feels sharp, precise, weighty and professional - and the bike is absolutely goddamned incredible. You can literally feel both of its tires as they touch the ground and grip, yanking you forward as you hold down the gas, lightly leaping off each little hill, adjusting your tilt in mid-air to land perfectly on a slight angle at this curve in the road to hug the corner and go blasting off at full tilt.
With its story it's not just an 8 to me- the way it keeps twisting and turning, how the stakes are kept so personal to Deacon, how much respect it gives its relationships - I was shocked by how good almost all of the story was. There were definitely some patches of poor writing, but they were outliers in quality - it is, as a general rule, stunningly well-written and mature.
If the game stayed as fun as it was in the opening hours - a solid 7 I was happy with. A charismatic 7.0, right in there with State of Decay and Dead Rising 2.
As it goes on, opens up and combat is refined through new tools and skills, the thrilling challenge of hordes - a beautiful, fun 8.0. Up there with Dying Light.
Plus that crazy-awesome storytelling? 8.5. Gotta' be.
Story spoilers for the 4th camp:
(Much later.)
My one big overall complaint with the game:
There is also a weird, but not total, lack of allies or other friendlies doing the things the plot and dialogue says they are doing out in the world. One time, late in the game, I came across a biker with a green X when I pulled a gun, and I realized it was another person from one of the camps. That's the only time I ever ran into friendlies outside of missions and events.
I would have enjoyed more side threads a'la Lisa though.
I do disagree about the bike though. It really didn't feel particularly special. And the physics were all sorts of janked up. And then the bike was also another major part of the tech issues. When you have all the upgrades the world chugs A LOT when trying to cruise around. Which immediately takes away from how good it should feel.
Also I feel like it was another example of something that they wanted to do so much more with but didn't have the time. Other than paint options the bike is basically always going to look the same. It seemed like it was going to be more of a customizable thing but most of the upgrades were just set power upgrades. But then they were a very small amount of alternate upgrades sprinkled in. It seemed like they wanted there to be more there but just couldn't quite get there.
And for me 7/10 isn't low. And it shouldn't be considered low ever. That's definitely a common issue with gamer perception. 7/10 is good. It's not great, it's not incredible. But it is good. In this case it has moments of greatness and strong high points. But also has a bunch that feels unfinished and some real rough tech issues that can take away from the overall experience.