Plat Runner 07: Days Gone

For my 60th Platinum I was going to get Uncharted 3 or maybe Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell, instead I set my sights on finishing a larger task and finished those two before hand. 

Days Gone wasn't received too well by a lot of critics on release. The quote I recall reading was this: "Days Gone is a game that tries to do many things and does none of them well..."

This put me off of buying the game when I got my PS4 and it could not have been further from the truth. Days Gone is easily one of my favourite gaming experiences of all time. The world is so rich and well considered, the story emotive, yet not gruellingly depressing like most releases I have played of late. The games story is a solid 40-45 hours and the platinum you're looking at 60-70 depending on your play style.  

At the start of the game you are faced with the task of surviving the post apocalyptic state of Oregon. To begin with you are under-equipped and your bike is poor. The fights are a struggle and even small skirmishes are a very real mortal threat. As the game progresses your skills and firepower scales with the environment. When you get to the final regions you are dealing with hordes of undead in the 200+ bracket, bringing a different level of intensity to the experience. 

While many have said there are better games and other games do certain aspects better, there is nothing quite like Days Gone. The social drama is better than The Walking Dead, more believable and grounded in our reality. It isn't a soap opera, the characters feel real and the narrative touches on a whole host of world issues. None of this is shoved down your throat either, it is subtle world building. Small glimmers in conversations and found collectables really reveal the greater world. While it is possible to plough through the game, you would be missing most of what makes the game special. 

Days Gone brings content in spades and keeps both the sandbox gaming and horror genre fresh and enticing. Once the game is over there is still a rather large amount of side missions to be carried out that tie up all of the loose ends nicely. While there is more than enough room for a sequel, if one never came I would still feel fulfilled and content. 

I would recommend this to any plat hunter that hasn't played it yet, who has the time to dedicate to the game. 

Hints and Tips

• There are no missable trophies, so play the game and enjoy it.

• If you are finding fighting hordes hard just avoid them until the end game.

• If you are skilled enough to wipe out hordes early the weapon rewards make the entire game much easier. 

• There is no difficulty requirement. You can play on easy all the way.

• If at the end of the game you are getting worn down hunting collectables Iron Butte has 13 RIP Sermons that are all very close to one another (They are speakers that broadcast religious sermons).

• There are two points of no return, but do not fear as by the end of the game everything opens up again, allowing you to tie up any loose ends.

• You've Got Red on You, requires you to loot 541 corpses, which you cant do if your inventory is full. Make sure to craft and use items often or this may be a real grind at the end of the game. Even actively looting corpses I only got this towards the end of the game. The undead don't count here.

• For the more intense trophy hunters the DLC trophies require you to play on harder difficulties and also a New Game +, as well as gold ranking the challenge mode, which is hard!

Days Gone: Uncharted Horizon

Days Gone Week may have been and gone, but that doesn't stop players loving the game. Today we have the work of Uncharted Horizon. 

On her profile Caitlyn has a wonderful juxtaposition of serenity and sadness. Scenes of tranquil beauty are showcased alongside characters torn up by their internal and external struggles.

It is this that draws me to her profile. Not only are the shots well framed and considered but the tale behind each shot is evident. For more of her work check out Uncharted Horizon here. 

Days Gone Week: Focal Disposition

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

To close the week we have the work of Focal Disposition. He is a constant inspiration to myself and many others. His portraiture work is really shows off the high definition textures of the games that he photographs. The choice of subject angle and lighting are always well considered and spot on. To see more of his work check out his Instagram page here.

Days Gone Week: Sim Neil

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

To go alongside Kevin McAlister's interview we have the shots of @sim_nell_vp, Vice President of the Mongrels. Her shots really portray the raw emotion within the game and get across the highs and lows the characters go through on their journey.

VP Interview: Kevin McAlister

As you know this week is Day's Gone Week over at  The Broken Road. For some time I have been an avid follower of VikingDad aka Kevin McAlister the man behind this community event. He is a virtual photographer and blogger who solely focuses on the Days Gone and President of the Mongrels community. I always admire such focus, having spent years and hundreds of hours solely on Skyrim myself. 

Throughout this article we will find what drives his ambition and vision.

Hi Kevin, I am thrilled that you took the time to answer my questions here for the virtual photography community. My first question is what makes Days Gone such a standout title, for you but also in gaming in general?

Days Gone stands apart from other games on a personal level because of the story. The story resonated with me because the characters felt real. They had real emotions, real tribulations and behind all the darkness and chaos of the world lied the core themes of family, hope and trust. When you play this, you start thinking about how you would react if the world became like this. What actions would you take? How far would you go for your loved ones? Its games like this that get you thinking outside of the game itself.

Days Gone was ambitious and moved toward a new way of storytelling by creating this brand-new world, interwoven story lines and interactive open-world that comes for you at every angle. There are story moments in the game that players will remember for a long time. The technical feat that Bend Studio pulled off by having 500 Freakers on the screen at one time is something that hasn’t been done before. Days Gone is the start of what could be a long living PlayStation franchise and deserves to be mentioned in the top tier of games.

What drove you to start a blog focused solely on Days Gone?

The simple answer is, I just fell in love with the game. When I first created the blog, I just wanted a place to write and share my short stories within the Days Gone world. I also noticed that there wasn’t another outlet that focused solely on Days Gone, so I thought creating my own little corner could fulfill my own hunger for more of the game. As the blog became more known, it evolved to more than just writing short-stories and I started to include topics on the game, interviews from the team at Bend Studio, a gallery displaying my virtual photography and more.

How have you found the reception to what you have done so far?

Let’s just say I never imagined that this blog would have gotten this far. When I created this last June, I didn’t have a following on Twitter (maybe 25 followers?) and I didn’t have an Instagram. I was writing for myself because I was having fun with it. Days Gone is also where I first started the virtual photography art form. With the mesh of the blog, photos and posting my love for Days Gone it grew to lengths I didn’t expect. So, in less than a year I went from 25 followers to now almost 2000 with a blog that continues to have people visit it daily. However, numbers are not the measure for success. I just appreciate people reading my stuff, liking my photos and talking about the game to other like-minded people. I am blown away by the support I receive from Bend Studio, the virtual photography community and people not getting sick of me posting about one game! Also, I hold a monthly Days Gone virtual photography theme called VPDaysGone and each month I receive 100+ photos from the community and even a year after its release, I just get so happy that people still participate in it. As long as I keep having fun with it (as I am) I will continue and that is the type of reception that I focus on.

Having read your blog I was drawn to your interviews with Jeff Ross, Nathan Whitehead and Paul Deakin. How did it feel to be talking to some of the talent behind the games creation?

It was so cool and a little surreal honestly. Jeff Ross was my first interview, and this was the start of my continued relationship with Bend Studio. Being a small creator, you get lost behind the big voices of the gaming world, but Bend Studio took time to respond to me and gave me a chance. That I am very thankful for. I do this out of pure love for the game, so when developers take time out of their busy schedule to answer some of my questions I really just appreciate being able to interact with them and learn more about the game. 

Within the communities that you are part of is there any one you would like to give a shout out to. Perhaps people that have been somewhat a pillar of the community or helped you on your journey?

The two big communities I am apart of and love very much is my Days Gone community and virtual photography community. Without the support of these two, my blog and photos would not be seen. They have all been so friendly and supportive of me since I began this journey last year and it makes social media so much fun. I have a long list of people I would like to give a shoutout to, but we could be here awhile! Instead I’ll just mention a few. One of the first virtual photographers I came across was @dotpone. I never knew virtual photography was even a thing until I saw some of his shots. From there, I explored a whole community of people who share the same interest. @musa_warrior_vp was another VP I came across early on. It was always a pleasure interacting with him and he always showed me nothing but support and love. In my Days Gone community, I must give a shoutout to my Vice President of the Mongrels, @sim_nell_vp. Its fun being able to nerd out together about the one game we love, ask for advice on each other’s photos and to have someone like me to help keep the Days Gone community together.

Like anyone who takes the time to look at your blog, I have read the short stories you have written so far. Do you plan on writing more and what is it that draws you to create your own narrative within the world?

After I finished Days Gone, I was captivated by the story and characters as I said before. The game does a great job at setting world-building pieces throughout the world from environments, NERO recordings, collectables, and a starting point of two years after the world went to hell. All of this creates a sense that there is a bigger world at play here than what you are just doing with Deacon St. John. It reminds me of The Walking Dead and how they are building their own universe by creating spin-off shows, novels, video games and even movies. There is so much that can be explored and told through stories in this brand-new world of Days Gone. I began writing a few years ago and fell in love with creating my own stories. The more I play the game the more ideas I come up with, so yes you can definitely expect more stories down the road.


What is next for The Broken Road?

The Broken Road is just getting started! I do have a long-term plan in mind for the blog to evolve and improve. I constantly come up with more ideas. Being a perfectionist, my mind never stops! One thing that can be expected for the future at some point are more videos. The written format plays to a certain group of audience, so adding in additional content for people to consume is always a bonus. I have a couple more ideas that I don’t want to share quite yet, but I can say that when Days Gone 2 gets announced you will want to keep an eye on The Broken Road.

You can follow Kevin on both Twitter and Instagram. You can also join the Discord where Days Gone fans get together and talk everything and anything about Days Gone. Hope to see you on the broken road!

Days Gone Week: PigslaschDerMann

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

Pigslasch's virtual photography is always pleasing to the eye. Whether it is a military agent poised for the kill or a serene camp scene, his use of vivid colour and softness of his black and white shots are wonderful. 

Across his Instagram profile there is a wide range of landscapes and portraits throughout a variety of photo mode games. To see more of his work, check out his Instagram page here.

Days Gone Week: Dragngirle Gaming

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

Today we have a showcase from Dragngirle Gaming, a beautifully varied virtual photographer that turns her focus to one game at a time. Whether the game has an in built photo mode or not she shoots it regardless, creating a wonderfully diverse array of photos. 

Through these shots alone we can see the varied subject matter, but check out her profile here for a wide variety of landscapes, portraits and so much more.

Days Gone Week: Alexiou90

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

In this showcase we have the shots of Alexiou90. His virtual photography often focuses on dynamic movement and action throughout a variety of photo mode games. In between these can be seen some shots of emotive portraiture, for more of his work check out his Instagram page here.

Days Gone Week: Gamez Photomode

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

Today we have Gamez_Photomode, his Instagram profile may only be two weeks old but it is clear hes a seasoned virtual photographer. Exploring a host of games with photo mode, he conveys emotion and drama superbly. 

To see more of his shots and to follow his VP journey check out his profile here.

Days Gone Week: Brandon.VRS6

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

Here we have Brandon, which you may remember from his The Last of Us Retrospective. He is what I like to call an emotive photographer. Whether it is a demon or even a faceless portrait Brandon does an amazing job at capturing the subjects emotions. All of his shots are bold, colourful and are a treat to behold. 

To see more of Brandon's work check out his Instagram here.

Days Gone Week: Artistry Impact

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

The third in the Days Gone Week showcase is Artistry Impact and her wonderful choices of photographs. 

She mainly chooses to focus on portraits of people and animals but as you can tell from this small snippet of her work, she excels at whatever she turns her virtual lens to. Truly a gift to the community, it is no wonder she has such a following. For more of her work visit her Instgram page.

Days Gone Week: Enthusiast Gamer

Over at The Broken Road it is Days Gone Week. Here on VP Vibrancy I am hosting a showcase of virtual photographers Days Gone work.

Today we have the Enthusiast Gamer. Hailing from Belgium the trophy hunter hosts a plethora of shots from a wide variety of games. 

Often not the popular choices of photo mode games, Kevin pushes himself to shoot outside of the norm and photographs in any game that his playing. This makes even what could be considered, more outdated games stylish and vibrant. For more of his wonderful work check out his Instagram profile here.

Days Gone Week

Join The Broken Road as they celebrate the one-year anniversary of Days Gone! 

"Fans around the world get to share, connect, create and discuss the game we love. You can take part in the celebration by sharing your Days Gone virtual photography, photo edits, streams, videos, fan-art, discussions and anything else you would like to add to the week. There will be interviews, giveaways, fan-appreciation videos, streams, a photo mode contest with prizes and more! Let’s show Bend Studio how much this game means to us!" - The Broken Road

As part of the weeks celebration here at VP Vibrancy I am hosting any virtual photographer's shots of Days Gone in the form of a mini showcase.

I hope you enjoy the ride! If you have shots and would like to be featured, contact me here. 

For everything Days Gone, check out The Broken Road!