20 Beloved Video Games No One Admits They Hated

16. Days Gone

There were high expectations for Days Gone when it launched in 2019. Sony's first-party exclusives were on a bit of a roll at the time, with God of War and Marvel's Spiderman receiving overwhelmingly positive responses from critics and fans alike. Many were expecting Bend Studio's post-apocalyptic action adventure game to be another hit for Sony. However, reviews were mixed, and fans were initially extremely unimpressed.

The game features protagonist Deacon St. John roaming the rural state of Oregon on his motorbike, trying to survive a pandemic that has turned a huge chunk of the population into zombie-like creatures. Action adventure gameplay combines with survival elements that see players having to scavenge for resources like fuel for their bike, or tools to craft weapons. The game's opening hours play out at a gradual pace, and as players are getting to grips with mechanics, progress can feel painfully slow. The launch was also marred by several performance issues and bugs, none of which helped those opening hours feel any more enjoyable than they did frustrating. Many just moved on from the game, chalking it up to a rare miss from Sony.

Bend Studio didn't give up though. The game was patched numerous times, improving performance and removing bugs. Those same mechanics and systems that felt frustrating initially, proved to give players a sense of real growth as they upgraded both Deacon and his bike. The world felt less formidable and more discoverable. Over time, opinion on the game has shifted so much that it got a PS5 remaster, and even muted whispers of a possible sequel.

Days Gone is now seen as an underrated gem, and the game's dedicated fan base includes many who initially found it to be uninviting and even broken in places. It's a great redemption arc for Bend Studio, who worked hard to ensure the game lived up to its pre-launch promise of delivering a comprehensive open world zombie experience.