Before E3 2018 we got a new trailer for Days Gone, the upcoming “zombie” game from developer Bend Studio. The word zombie is in quotes because they’re not technically zombies. They’re called Freakers, and as the developer has made clear, they are alive. They require food. They require sleep. They just happen to also been bloodthirsty creatures.

During E3 2018 some of the folks working on the game hung out with PlayStation to show off some gameplay. You can read much more about the game and watch a pair of videos sharing new peeks at gameplay below.

ABOUT:

Days Gone is an open-world action-adventure game set two years after a devastating global pandemic. Play as Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter facing a brutal struggle for survival, searching for a reason to live.

Compelling story:

At its core, Days Gone is about survivors and what makes them human: desperation, loss, madness, betrayal, friendship, brotherhood, regret, love – and hope. It’s about how even when confronted with such enormous tragedy they find a reason to live. Hope never dies.

Open World:

Using the power of PlayStation 4 and Unreal Engine 4, Days Gone offers an incredibly realistic and detailed open-world experience. Vast and hostile environments can be fully explored on the back of Deacon’s Drifter bike. Abandoned vehicles can be searched for useful items. Towns and buildings can be entered and searched – at great risk. All lighting is done in real time – eye adaption technology creates a real sense of dread when entering dark buildings; day and night have an impact on the experience; weather affects enemy behavior.

Brutal sandbox combat:

Exemplifying true, free-form gameplay, Days Gone offers freedom to explore, strategize and play “your way.” Every challenge can be approached and completed in an almost infinite number of ways. Many different items and weapons can be crafted using items found in the field, including brutal melee weapons and traps. Customizable weapons and skills offer true freedom in how the game is played.

Unique enemies:

In addition to human Drifters, marauders and militia, Deacon must face a wilderness overrun by Freakers – mindless, feral creatures, more animal than human but very much alive and quickly evolving. Freakers have needs, habits and behaviors that the player can learn and adapt to.

Unique setting:

The harsh high-desert of the Pacific Northwest offers a large variety of environments in a single geographical area. One minute Deacon can be riding through a pristine forest, a snow field, a lush meadow, and the next, be in the harsh desert lava fields. The hazardous environments, scarred by millions of years of volcanic activity, are defined by ancient lava flows, mountains, caves, cliffs and river basins, delivering a breathtaking backdrop to an equally diverse style of gameplay. Cinnabar mines, lava tube caves and small rural towns offer a variety of environments to explore.

The first video below is the developers playing a section of the game, while the second video is a member of PlayStation’s team playing a different section of the game. As you can probably guess, the second doesn’t go quite so smoothly as the first. But I enjoy seeing people who are unfamiliar with a game give it a go.

If you missed them, you can click right here to find previously released trailers and gameplay videos.

Days Gone will be released on February 22, 2019 exclusively on PlayStation 4. You can pre-order a copy over at Amazon now if interested.

And be sure to click right here for more from E3 2018!

Videos

Watch a brand new open-world gameplay demo for Days Gone, recorded live at E3 2018.

Days Gone’s open-world allows a ton of emergent gameplay, so we went hands-on. Again.

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