Days Gone, developed by Bend Studio, is an open-world survival horror game set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by hordes of zombie-like creatures known as Freakers. You play as Deacon St. John, a former outlaw turned drifter, as he navigates a world filled with danger, loss, and the hope of survival. Whether you're battling swarms of Freakers or exploring the game’s vast landscapes, success in
Days Gone requires strategy, resource management, and smart decision-making. This guide provides tips and tricks to help you thrive in this unforgiving world.
Introduction: Surviving the Post-Apocalyptic World of Days Gone
In
Days Gone, every day is a fight for survival. The game’s open-world environment and dynamic systems create a unique challenge that requires players to adapt constantly. With danger lurking around every corner, mastering the basics, from combat to exploration, will significantly increase your chances of making it through the day. In this guide, we’ll cover essential tips and strategies to help you survive and thrive in
Days Gone.
Understanding Freakers and Enemy AI
The heart of
Days Gone is its dynamic and dangerous enemy AI, particularly the Freakers. These zombie-like creatures come in different types, each with its own behavior and threat level. Understanding their AI patterns is crucial to survival.
H3: Types of Freakers
Days Gone features different types of Freakers, including Swarmers, Breakers, and Screamers. Each type has its own strength and weaknesses, requiring different strategies.
H4: Swarmers
Swarmers are the most common Freaker type and usually travel in large groups. The best way to handle Swarmers is by using traps or explosives to thin their numbers before engaging in combat.
H4: Breakers
Breakers are larger and more powerful, often requiring a well-timed approach with heavier weapons. It's crucial to keep your distance and look for opportunities to use the environment to your advantage.
H3: Understanding AI Behavior
Freakers and human enemies in
Days Gone have adaptive AI. They respond to sound, light, and your actions in real time. Learning how to manipulate this behavior, such as drawing Freakers into enemy camps, can help you conserve resources and avoid unnecessary fights.
Resource Management and Crafting
Survival in
Days Gone depends heavily on how well you manage your resources. With limited supplies available, you'll need to prioritize what you craft and when.
H3: Gathering Supplies
Scavenging is an essential aspect of the game, with items like scrap, kerosene, and rags needed to craft essential gear such as Molotovs and bandages.
H4: Prioritize Healing Items
Always ensure you have enough resources to craft healing items. Keeping a stock of bandages or medkits can mean the difference between life and death in an unexpected skirmish.
H4: Collect Weapon Crafting Materials
Molotovs, traps, and explosives are key to dealing with large groups of enemies. Collect kerosene, nails, and other crafting materials regularly to stay prepared.
H3: Crafting Efficiently
Efficient crafting can save you time and resources. Plan ahead by crafting traps or explosives before entering dangerous areas to reduce your risk in battle.
H4: Focus on Versatile Items
Certain items, like Molotovs, serve multiple purposes—they're effective against Freakers, human enemies, and environmental traps. Prioritize crafting items that offer versatility.
Mastering Bike Mechanics
Deacon's motorcycle is one of the most important tools in
Days Gone, offering transportation, inventory storage, and a quick escape from danger. Keeping your bike in top shape is essential for survival.
H3: Maintaining and Upgrading Your Bike
Your bike requires fuel and maintenance. Running out of fuel in the middle of a Freaker-infested forest can quickly turn into a death sentence.
H4: Upgrade Your Fuel Tank First
One of the first upgrades you should focus on is your bike's fuel tank. This increases your travel range and reduces the time spent searching for fuel.
H4: Keep Scrap on Hand for Repairs
Always keep a stock of scrap to repair your bike on the go. Scrap can be found in cars, garages, and other locations throughout the world.
H3: Customizing Your Bike for Performance
Beyond fuel and repairs, you can upgrade your bike’s speed, handling, and durability. Choose upgrades that match your playstyle.
H4: Speed vs. Durability
If you prefer a stealthier approach, prioritize handling and fuel efficiency. For players who want to charge into danger, durability and speed upgrades will serve you better.
Combat: Stealth and Aggression
The combat system in
Days Gone allows for both stealth and aggressive playstyles. Knowing when to use each approach is critical for taking down enemies while minimizing damage to yourself.
H3: Utilizing Stealth Tactics
Stealth allows you to take down enemies silently and avoid large confrontations, especially when dealing with Freakers or human camps.
H4: Silent Takedowns
Approach human enemies or lone Freakers quietly to perform silent takedowns. This allows you to conserve ammunition and avoid drawing attention to yourself.
H4: Use Suppressed Weapons
Equip your weapons with suppressors to maintain stealth while taking out enemies from a distance. Suppressed weapons are especially useful in enemy camps.
H3: When to Go Loud
While stealth is useful, there are times when you’ll need to go loud, particularly when facing large groups or tough enemies like Rippers or Breakers.
H4: Crowd Control
Use explosives, shotguns, and machine guns when dealing with groups of enemies. Throwing Molotovs into Freaker hordes can create a deadly chain reaction that clears out large numbers of enemies.
Handling Hordes
One of the most unique and terrifying features in
Days Gone is the presence of Freaker Hordes—massive groups of hundreds of Freakers that move together. Surviving a Horde encounter requires preparation and strategy.
H3: Prepping for a Horde Fight
Before engaging a Horde, make sure you have enough supplies, especially explosives and healing items. Scout the area for traps and choke points.
H4: Find a Safe Location
Identify areas where you can funnel the Horde into narrow spaces, allowing you to control their movement. Buildings, bridges, and caves can work as choke points.
H4: Set Traps
Place explosives like proximity mines or remote bombs along the Horde's path to thin their numbers before they reach you.
H3: Staying on the Move
When dealing with Hordes, mobility is key. You’ll need to constantly move to avoid being overrun.
H4: Use the Environment
Use the terrain to your advantage. Jumping over obstacles, running through narrow passages, and leading the Horde into traps can give you a critical edge.
Exploring the Open World
The open world of
Days Gone is filled with hidden resources, camps, and missions. Taking the time to explore and understand the environment can help you uncover useful items and storylines.
H3: Unlocking Fast Travel
Fast travel in
Days Gone allows you to move between safe locations quickly, reducing your travel time and avoiding unnecessary danger.
H4: Clear Infestation Zones
Fast travel requires clearing out Infestation Zones, which are areas filled with Freaker nests. Destroying nests with Molotovs will allow you to move freely in the area.
H4: Find Safehouses
Safehouses are scattered throughout the world and provide you with a place to rest, resupply, and fast travel. Always be on the lookout for new safehouses.
H3: Completing Ambush Camps
Ambush camps are human enemy hideouts that can be cleared for rewards. These camps are often filled with supplies and can provide you with valuable upgrades.
H4: Approach with Caution
Ambush camps are heavily guarded, so plan your attack carefully. Use stealth to take out enemies before they can raise the alarm.
Maximizing Skills and Upgrades
Deacon has access to a variety of skills and upgrades that can improve combat, survival, and bike performance. Choosing the right skills for your playstyle is crucial.
H3: Best Early Skills to Unlock
Some skills provide more value early in the game and should be prioritized to make the beginning of the game easier.
H4: Focus on Melee and Health
Early on, skills that increase your melee damage and health regeneration are incredibly valuable. These skills allow you to survive longer in tough fights.
H4: Unlock Focus Shot
Focus Shot slows down time while aiming, allowing you to make precise shots in the heat of battle. This skill is especially useful when fighting tough enemies or targeting weak points.
H3: Long-Term Skill Development
As you progress, skills that enhance your bike performance or resource gathering become more important.
H4: Improve Your Survival Skills
Skills that increase your ability to gather resources or improve crafting efficiency are essential for long-term survival.
Navigating Story and Side Missions
While
Days Gone is packed with action and combat, the narrative and side missions add depth and emotional weight to Deacon's journey. Balancing the main story with side quests is key to experiencing everything the game has to offer.
H3: Focus on Story Missions First
Completing story missions early on can unlock valuable resources and upgrades that will make the game easier.
H4: Unlock New Gear
Main story missions often reward you with new weapons, gear, and bike upgrades. These can provide you with the edge needed for more difficult challenges.
H3: Don’t Neglect Side Quests
Side quests often provide important backstory, resources, and experience. Many side missions also help build Deacon’s relationships with the various survivor camps.
H4: Camp Trust and Reputation
Completing side missions for camps increases your trust level, unlocking better items and weapons for purchase.
Conclusion: Thriving in the World of Days Gone
Surviving in
Days Gone requires mastering multiple aspects of gameplay, from resource management and combat to exploration and crafting. By understanding how to manage your resources, mastering stealth and combat tactics, and preparing for the toughest challenges like Freaker Hordes, you can navigate the post-apocalyptic world with confidence. Remember, each decision matters, and adapting to the ever-changing dangers of
Days Gone will determine whether you survive or become another victim of the wasteland.
