Days Gone: 10 Scariest Creatures, Ranked

Days Gone was met with mediocre reviews when it debuted as a PlayStation exclusive in 2019, but it has since found a new audience of enthusiastic fans following its release on PC in 2021. It may not have reinvented the wheel when it comes to third-person zombie survival titles, but it did offer up a believable world, compelling characters, and more than a few freaky creatures.

The Bend Studios-developed title is likely best remembered for its massive Freaker hordes, but Days Gone‘s Hooligan virus is capable of creating far more intimidating baddies than the run-of-the-mill zombie.

10 Freakers

Dubbed “Freaks” by survivors of the outbreak, these infected humans fit the typical zombie mold. Though they’re relatively fast and agile compared to the Night of the Living Dead archetype, they don’t present much of a threat by themselves, and even groups of moderate size can be dispatched fairly easily.

By the conclusion of the game’s story, Days Gone protagonist Deacon St. John will have slaughtered thousands of this pseudo-undead, and, once the game’s more powerful weaponry becomes accessible, they become less than trivial.

9 Bleachers

Bleachers are said to be mutated Freakers who’ve evolved to become more obdurate, but they aren’t much more of a threat than their more common counterparts. Easily identified by their pale skin, they do take more punishment than the average zombie, but, by the time they’re introduced, Deacon should have an arsenal more than capable of eliminating them.

They can be a bit of a nuisance when mixed in with a horde, but Bleachers aren’t typically encountered in large groups, and they only become a problem should the player be running low on ammo.

8 Runners

Wolves infected with the Hooligan virus, these creatures can pose a genuine threat to Deacon, as they’re one of the few enemies capable of keeping up with his bike. In packs, they can transition from annoying distraction to a genuine problem, and they often take a surprising amount of ammunition to put down.

Worse still, Runners have a habit of showing up at the most inopportune of times, and they can be an extreme pain when mixed in with a larger crowd of infected.

7 Newts

As remembered by GameRant, the inclusion of child zombies in Days Gone had some gamers up in arms, and the outrage wasn’t entirely unwarranted. Very few games allow players to harm children, and, while Days Gone‘s newts aren’t exactly innocent youngsters anymore, some players are hesitant to dispatch them, all the same.

Newts pose next to no threat to Deacon, as, even in larger groups, a single shot from almost any weapon can do them in. They also typically don’t attack unless provoked. Of course, they don’t necessarily have to be intimidating to be scary.

6 Reachers

Introduced near the end of the game’s main story, Reachers are hyped up as a superior evolution of Freaker. Werewolf-like in appearance and unnaturally mobile, their animalistic tendencies and appearances make them seem much less human than their standard Freaker cohorts.

Deacon first encounters one deep within a cave system, and it’s presented as a boss fight. While Reachers certainly do more damage and take more firepower to put down, they aren’t nearly as hazardous as the game makes them out to be. They’re never encountered in large groups, and they’re definitely less of a burden than some of the game’s more brutish baddies.

5 Ragers

Seldom encountered throughout Days Gone‘s main campaign, Ragers are genuinely menacing creatures that are best avoided when possible. Bears infected with the Hooligan virus, they hit hard and take an outrageous amount of munitions to defeat. Players unlucky enough to have a run-in with these creatures need to be armed to the death and extremely proficient with the game’s dodge mechanic.

The amount of ammo expended on these things vastly outweighs the reward earned for killing them, so they should only be fought during certain story missions in which there is no other option.

4 Breakers

First encountered near the halfway point of the game’s campaign, Breakers are perhaps the most threatening Freaker type Deacon can come across in Days Gone. Hulking, unbelievably strong zombified monstrosities that take an enormous amount of effort to eliminate, taking these creatures on is generally inadvisable.

Initially introduced as a boss, Breakers are found fairly regularly in the game’s southern regions, and they can cause serious concern when part of a larger pack of Freakers. Much like Ragers, using up Deacon’s stockpile of ammo on them isn’t worth the meager reward, and they should be avoided unless there is no other option.

3 Screamers

While Days Gone‘s screamers aren’t exactly physically imposing, their shrieks have the near-supernatural ability to distort Deacon’s vision and may even knock him off of his bike. Screamers are also able to call small packs of regular Freakers to their aid, making confrontations with them slightly more harrowing.

Beyond that, their long hair and gaunt appearances make them seem particularly otherworldly. They may be incapable of putting Deacon in any significant danger, but they more or less define the word “creepy.”

2 Swarmers

Perhaps the most iconic of Days Gone‘s enemies, swarmers gather in large packs and require plotting, patience, and a whole lot of firepower to take out. While they can typically be found hiding in caves or large buildings during the day, they roam the Oregan countryside at night and can cause some serious problems.

One of the scariest things about Days Gone‘s swarmers is how eerily silent they can be; crowds of zombies can seemingly come out of nowhere, and, unless Deacon is equipped with late-game weaponry, this usually results in disaster.

1 NERO Infected

Before Days Gone‘s main story wraps up, Deacon’s NERO contact O’Brien alludes to the fact that there are new Freaker mutations that Oregon’s survivors won’t be able to take on. Deacon brushes this off, but a meeting with O’Brien during the game’s epilogue clarifies that his warnings are genuine.

It’s revealed that O’Brien was actually exposed to some form of the Hooligan virus and is undergoing horrific mutations. He seems to boast enhanced strength and agility much like the regular Freakers, but he’s able to maintain his intelligence. Seemingly intended as a sequel hook, time will tell if Days Gone fans ever get to take on this new strain of Freakers in a future game.