Days Gone Review: 8 Ups & 5 Downs

2. Weapons And Combat Feel Weighty And Satisfying

Gunplay and combat takes some getting used to in Days Gone, as its weapons are far heavier and more difficult to use compared to other third-person shooters. The lack of ammo means every shot counts, but aiming is impacted by some difficult-to-judge sway and a recital that encourages static, considering shooting, but that challenge is what ends up making the gameplay so damn satisfying.

Shooting feels as messy and as destructive as it should in a post-apocalyptic story like this, with each shot sounding like a thunderous, devastating cannon that tears through enemies. Getting headshots and making the most of your ammo is difficult, but that makes it even more rewarding when you do efficiently take out a group of bandits or Freakers.

This, combined with the melee combat (which isn't exactly complex but is punchy enough), creates a rather solid interplay between considered, planned attacks and on-the-fly improvisation. There's an unpredictability to combat that can be infectious, and is entirely at home in this world.

Stealth fares similarly, pretty rudimentary in the grand scheme of things but still satisfying to execute flawlessly. It's not the most robust combat system, but the feel and sounds of the weapons combined with the limited resources makes for always intense gameplay.