One of the most polarizing games released during the PS4's lifespan was 2019's Days Gone, the action-adventure survival game from Sony's Bend Studio. While the game received mixed reviews upon its release, it was very quickly followed with surprisingly strong sales and a eager cult following, with many online communities rallying around the game in hopes for a sequel. A sequel that it seems is unlikely, with the game's director Jeff Ross now revealing new details as to what Days Gone 2 would have looked like.
Days Gone was often characterized as an odd new IP for Sony to invest into during its marketing period for the PS4, releasing with the logline of "Sons of Anarchy meets The Walking Dead" years after either of these TV shows were at their peak. Despite this, the game caught on with PlayStation fans across the world and quickly became a welcome part of the PS4 generation.
Speaking to USA Today, Jeff Ross, who left Bend Studio following the release of Days Gone and rejection of the game's pitched sequel, revealed numerous elements that Bend Studio would have improved upon for the game's sequel. Ross describes Days Gone 2 as hypothetically being his oppertunity to create the "definitive version" of the game. The sequel would have had a bigger focus on the relationship between Deacon and Sarah, implying that the two would have struggled with their relationship following the years they were seperated during the events of the first game. The studio would have also polished sequences such as the often criticized stealth sequences and boss fights.
One element of Days Gone that Ross claims would have been improved upon for the sequel is the lack of swimming. The lack of this mechanic in the original game was due to a technical limitation that the developers managed to weave into the game's narrative, but the sequel would have seen Deacon overcoming this fear and implemented a swimming mechanic to diversify the game's world and exploration.
One thing that Ross's statements make clear is that, given the chance, there are a lot of underwhelming elements of Days Gone that Bend Studio is more than prepared to take on if the opportunity to develop a sequel arises. As the USA Today article notes, most major franchises have been improved by their sequels, such as Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, and Uncharted, which all saw substantial upgrades after their first entries. Hopefully Days Gone 2 isn't a complete impossibility within the PS5 generation.
Days Gone is available now for PC and PS4.
Source: USA Today
