Days Gone is a fantastic open-world survival game that sets the atmosphere for an epic and emotional journey. Games like Days Gone always tend to push the limit of how the open world can still feel as if it’s brimming with life despite a post-apocalyptic setting.
A Brief Look At Days Gone
Days Gone setting is in a world where a plague turns humans into mindless cannibals. The people who haven’t turned have barricaded within their communities. A primal system of urban tribalism is present between factions, which brings us to Deacon St. John, a drifter.
Deacon is the main character; he doesn’t have allegiance to any factions and works for any group willing to pay. The game’s premise is about Deacon receiving clues and some convincing evidence that his presumed dead wife is alive. Deacon starts his journey to locate her and finds himself stuck in the post-apocalyptic political landscape.
Why Is Days Gone Popular?
The main appeal of Days Gone is its highly satisfying gameplay, where Deacon has multiple ways of completing an objective. Players have the choice to use stealth which creates chaos and confusion in different infected groups, and they clash. The direct approach is where Deacon indiscriminately kills everyone to complete the objective, all guns blazing.
The traversal and movement of Days Gone are unique. Players can move around the vast open world on foot or Deacon’s bike. The bike needs repairs and refueling after use, and it’s the only mode of transport for Deacon. If players lose the bike, Deacon’s on his own; there isn’t fast travel.
So that’s Days Gone in a nutshell. It’s hard to describe precisely why people like Days Gone, so we gave a brief overview.
8 Other Games Like Days Gone
Let’s not waste time and start with our list of 8 post-apocalyptic, open-world survival games like Days Gone. Kick back and relax; we’re in for the long haul this time.
1. Dying Light
Developers Techland landed a massive and ambitious project, and they delivered big time with Dying Light. Combining parkour-styled traversal with non-stop running and gunning, and cleaving zombies is a very satisfying mechanic.
The game’s choices affect how NPCs react to our playable character, and there’s a moral dilemma at every turn. The factions each have their agenda, and we must navigate a treacherous path to balance our actions. Always weigh the consequences of your decisions before deciding on a mission.
Supplies are scarce; enemies are fierce. The nighttime is when the true nightmare-fuel zombies come out to test hardcore survival fans. The game perspective is from a first-person view; some like it, some don’t, but it hardly matters when the game is this good.
How is Dying Light Similar To Games Like Days Days Gone?
Direct comparisons between Dying Light and Days Gone are several. However, the major ones are pretty obvious. Both have zombies and different variants that get more clever and relentless during nighttime. Both have settlements with political ambitions, and our character’s actions affect if they prosper or perish.
Dying Light is from a first-person perspective, whereas Days Gone has a third-person perspective, but combat requires tactical decisions in both games. Using the environment to the player’s advantage is a vital aspect that the two games share and encourage.
With so many similarities, it’s easy to declare Dying Light is similar to games like Days Gone.
2. Metro Exodus
We shift the view from American lands to Russian territory with Metro Exodus for a radically different setting and theme. The plot is intricate, revealed slowly through progression as players explore the post-apocalyptic world. The environments are diverse, from harsh winter hellscapes to dilapidated urban infrastructure. The players will experience the world in a year timeline with different weather conditions.
The gameplay is again from a first-person perspective, but the innovative touch added to weapons is a callback to Days Gone. Players must scavenge for resources and keep moving to avoid the terrifying mutants created due to a nuclear war. The gameplay is linear initially, but after progression, backtracking and additional paths for exploration open for players to explore.
As for Metro Exodus’s story, it’s a tale of lost trust in the system, betrayal from superiors, and how the actions of a few impact the many. Players shape the type of person they want the protagonist to be through decisions at critical junctions in the game. There’s great emphasis in Metro Exodus on using stealth during missions, but ultimately it’s the player’s choice to play however they want.
How Is Metro Exodus Similar To Games Like Days Gone?
One of Metro Exodus’s strengths is its intensely compelling and emotional narrative. Players can choose to be selfish, but the consequences of those actions will catch up later. Similarly, being nice makes life hell in the game. The side missions which increase trust levels with different factions in Days Gone are kind of in the same vein.
Another common theme of both games is the survival and use of stealth. Players can do things tactically but rush into a den of enemies if they’re brave enough. The games also share crafting mechanics, which require resource hunting. Innovative weapons like modified blade guns, exploding traps, and luring inhuman enemies are similar gameplay mechanics shared in both games.
From all the shared mechanics and themes, it’s a safe bet to say that Metro Exodus is one of the most brilliant games like Days Gone.
3. Dead Rising 4
For a silly and more hilarious take on the zombie apocalypse setting, you can’t ask for a better game than Dead Rising 4. The game stars fan favorite Frank West, back in all his cringe-worthy glory. Frank’s creative arsenal is more innovative and in-depth than ever this time. You can do everything from blasting zombies with ray guns to using exo-suits to crush them like ants.
The story isn’t ever the strong point of the Dead Rising games, but you can’t complain because the gameplay is so satisfying. Frank West’s chill persona is enough to get us through the game. Seriously how many other protagonists do you know take selfies mid-fight with flesh-eating zombies?
Combat is the Dead Rising franchise’s selling point, and players have the most freedom in the fourth installment. Every object in the game is used as a weapon, and in the DLC story, Frank has mutation powers. Frank can jump higher than usual, use acid spit blast, and other wacky powers.
How Is Dead Rising 4 Similar To Games Like Days Gone?
While not an exact one-to-one copy of each other, Dead Rising 4 and Days Gone have some common themes. The post-apocalyptic setting and zombie-infested world are in both games. While Days Gone encourages ingenuity, Dead Rising takes it to another level.
Zombie hordes are relentless in Days Gone and quickly swarm Deacon, which he can get to back off using Molotov cocktails. In Dead Rising 4, the zombie hordes surround Frank, and players have the most fun here.
The rush of taking on the enemies and post-apocalyptic thematic similarities make Dead Rising one of the best open-world survival games like Days Gone.
4. Telltale’s The Waking Dead
Telltale Games always deliver their games with gripping stories that leave players emotional. The choice, or rather the illusion of it, is always present in all the games of Telltale Games, and The Walking Dead is no exception. Players take on the role of a university lecturer who committed murder, but circumstances (literally) spiral out of control. The former teacher is now a parental guardian of an 8-year-old girl.
Seeds of tragedy become sowed early, which we see at the journey’s end. The story plays out with many characters popping in and meeting their demise, some surviving and carrying on. Eventually, we see our character’s fate at the end of the final episode. The focus is on the dynamic between the parental guardian, Lee, and the little girl, Clementine. The bonds between the two leads depend on our choices; our decisions influence the girl and shape her personality.
Gameplay-wise, Telltale’s The Walking Dead is line r. There is a degree of freedom to explore during downtime, where players can engage in conversations. The game is a much more closely-knit experience than an open-world setting, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.
How Is Telltale’s The Walking Dead Similar To Other Games Like Days Gone?
The emotional tone and the feeling of loss present in Telltale’s The Walking Dead are also in Deacon’s story in Days Gone. Both games deliver impactful narratives that prove a strong plot, and character development is just as vital as gameplay.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead has the constant threat of walkers (zombies) everywhere, as in Days Gone. The two games also share how humans are more dangerous and territorial when paranoia and greed overcome the senses.
From the commonalities, it’s clear that Telltale’s The Walking Dead is quite similar thematically to games like Days Gone.
5. Resident Evil 2 Remake
From one zombie-infested world to another, we dive into one of Capcom’s most well-known games Resident Evil 2 Remake. The hit game is the benchmark for modern remakes. Resident Evil 2 Remake stays true to the roots but adds innovations where necessary.
The game is stunning, and the atmosphere is top-notch. The suspense builds every time players explore as either Leon or Claire. It’s tense because there’s no idea what’s lurking nearby. Zombies are scary, and the sound design is super immersive, which ups the dread, especially in confined spaces.
Resources are scarce, and players must carefully manage what little ammunition and first aid sprays are available. Let’s not forget the intimidating Mr. X, who shows up unannounced to ruin plans for exploring. Shooting vital spots is an important mechanic that needs mastering fast to survive Resident Evil 2 Remake.
How Is Resident Evil 2 Remake Similar To Games Like Days Gone?
The infected in Days Gone share similar traits with the zombies of Resident Evil 2 Remake. Both are cunning and quickly swarm the player if they’re not careful. Another similarity between the games is the lack of resources. You can’t go on killing sprees because ammo and health recovery items aren’t a lot.
Resident Evil 2 Remake’s story features a conspiracy that slowly gets unraveled as players progress to the end of the game. In Days Gone, Deacon goes on a personal quest to locate his presumably dead wife. The journey in both games leads to plot twists that catch players by total surprise. There are sinister elements at play in both games.
From all the similar gameplay elements and story beats, it’s clear that Resident Evil 2 Remake is identical to other open-world games like Days Gone.
6. DOOM Eternal
Okay, time to crank the violence to 11 and get our fix of adrenaline rush-filled gameplay to add spice to our list.
DOOM Eternal is a fast-paced open-world action game set in the (literal) apocalypse. Like there’s no going back, folks; this is the end-game. Demons have invaded the earth, and the one many army known as Doomslayer has to singlehandedly slay them all. The game’s visuals bring the screen to life with intensity, violence, blood, guts, and mayhem.
The chaotic action is pulse-pounding. The first-person perspective synonymous with the DOOM series makes each kill animation memorable and visceral. Demons charge at you to stop you, only to realize their folly right before their demise, which is hugely satisfying.
DOOM Eternal is a modern-day masterpiece, and the DOOM franchise has come full circle. It was the first DOOM game that made first-person shooter games famous and mainstream. Now DOOM Eternal is here to remind us the king is back.
How Is DOOM Eternal Similar To Games Like Days Gone?
DOOM Eternal shares a few similarities with Days Gone, despite seeming impossible. The two games have an apocalyptic setting, the severity may differ, but it’s the same thing. Both game’s protagonists have accepted the reality of their situation, but it doesn’t stop them from pushing ahead into danger.
Doomslayer and Deacon have excellent combat styles that have the same approach. While stealth is encouraged in Days Gone, it’s not compulsory. Players can rush into dangerous situations and take on hordes of enemies. In DOOM Eternal, players have no stealth; it’s always a bloodbath when he fights.
The two significant parallels mentioned above in both games qualify DOOM Eternal to be on our list of games like Days Gone.
7. The Last Of Us Part 1
The Last Of Us set the sales chart on fire upon release. A lot of hype surrounded the initial PS3 release, and when it came out, it delivered on all fronts.
The game portrays the tale of gritty realism, where humanity is at its lowest in the aftermath of a pandemic. The plague turns humans into mindless flesh-eating creatures, but the species have a great variety, each deadlier than the last. The focus is on Ellie, a young girl who is alone and needs to go across the countryside, and Joel, a lonesome smuggler.
The trial and tribulations that both go through shape them into hardened and tough people. Ellie, in particular, becomes traumatized by her survival actions. Joel is her guardian figure and very protective of her. They face many feral species of the infected, barely managing to escape them while also evading human groups after Ellie.
If you can’t tell, the story carries the game, not that the gameplay is terrible. The gameplay involves heavy use of stealth to steer clear of the infected. The humans are also much easier to take down from behind than in a frontal assault that alerts others. Other than that, the linear gameplay style pushes the story forward.
How Is The Last Of Us Part 1 Similar To Other Games Like Days Gone?
The similarities between Days Gone and The Last Of Us Part 1 are shockingly close. Both games are first-party exclusives, received critical acclaim upon release, and have story-focused gameplay. Another common factor between the games is that human settlements are involved in political powerplays.
The mindless infected cannibals are present in both games, and players can use different approaches to fight them. A stealth option is also available in The Last Of Us Part 1 and Days Gone; players can use an aggressive combat style. Crafting essential items and makeshift weapons is possible in both games.
With plenty of familiar mechanics and shared story-driven gameplay, it’s no wonder The Last Of Us Part 1 resembles games like Days Gone.
8. Sunset Overdrive
The final game on our list is a game that has all the elements of Days Gone, but the vibe and tone are different; you could say comically hilarious even. The best way to describe the game is fun injected into your veins; ladies and gentlemen, we present Sunset Overdrive!
The corporate CEO of a global corporation has made a soft drink that turns people into mutants (we kid you not, this is the plot). Now as an ex-employee, it’s the hero’s job to destroy the mutants and get back at their former boss. The motive is revenge for humanity but, more importantly, for unpaid overtime.
Sunset Overdrive has high-octane third-person shooting, rail grinding, and hilarious power-ups. The action and traversal are a fun-fest that never gets old, and the combat is always a blast. You’ll constantly be on the move, wall-running and shooting, as your character cracks jokes with each shot. The unique guns in Sunset Overdrive are so goofy and over-the-top that Borderlands might have competition for gun variety.
How Is Sunset Overdrive Similar To Other Games Like Days Gone?
Sunset Overdrive’s colorful aesthetic and comedic dialogue may give the impression of a normal (relatively) open-world game. The reality is that Sunset Overdrive has a certified apocalyptic setting, very similar to Days Gone. The difference is that Sunset Overdrive doesn’t take things so seriously.
Another thing that’s in both games is that Sunset Overdrive has third-person action-adventure elements. Sure, the absurdity of physics in Sunset Overdrive is high, but both games have incredibly satisfying aggressive combat scenarios. Exploration is rewarding in both games and worth your time.
Oh, and the stories of both games make players feel strong emotions. Days Gone makes players sad, while Sunset Overdrive is a good time to make you chuckle.
Sunset Overdrive is like the cartoony cousin of other post-apocalyptic, open-world survival games like Days Gone. The tone may not match, but most other things are in-line.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it, our list of 8 games with a similar vibe and feel to Days Gone but with enough originality to stand apart. We hope you enjoyed our picks; let us know if we missed any favorites in the comments below.
If you like to see other similar lists of games, check out the List of Survival Games Like 7 Days To Die.
