Days Gone Director Shares Details On Sequel’s Story, Gameplay & World

Jeff Ross, director of Days Gone, has revealed new details about what the game’s theoretical sequel would’ve looked like, sharing news of its story, world, and gameplay. Days Gone released in 2019 with mixed reception from critics and not enough sales to impress Sony out of the gate. The game attracted a strong following, especially after a number of patches to fix some performance issues and bugs, but it wasn’t enough to convince Sony that Days Gone 2 should exist.

After fans learned in 2021 that Days Gone 2 isn’t happening, PlayStation players made it known that they want to see the series continue. A petition signed by over 100,000 people requested Sony consider making Days Gone 2, but the publisher hasn’t offered any kind of official response. While it’s possible the sequel could come someday, Sony has confirmed that developer Bend Studio is working on a new open-world IP at the moment, though details on the project are sparse.

In an interview with ForTheWin, director Jeff Ross gave an idea of what Days Gone 2 would’ve included. Ross noted how frustrating it was not to have swimming in the first game and said it would’ve made its way into the sequel, and also shared how the team planned to give the player more advanced, government-based tech, avoid instant-fail stealth missions, and introduce a more lively world with things like bears that rummage through trash cans. The director also stated that Deacon and Sarah’s relationship would also be further developed, with a heavy focus on narrative and exploration over whether their relationship could survive the apocalypse. Ross explained:

“We would have kept the heavy, strong narrative. We would have kept the bike, obviously. And I think we would have expanded the tone a little bit in a more technical direction, kind of like, ‘Alright, now we have all this NERO tech – what can we do with it?’ The tone would have expanded one ring outward towards some of the new reality. I think this would have been a little bit more – I don’t want to say Avengers, but something where the player had resources, he had some sort of the remnants of whatever the government had.”

Whether fans will get to play Days Gone 2 someday remains to be seen, despite the many players calling for the series to be continued. It was previously reported that while a sequel was pitched to Sony, it was turned down, possibly due to a lack of initial game sales. Sony’s first-party games are often some of the highest-rated on the market, with titles like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and The Last of Us setting the bar high for PlayStation console exclusives, and it’s possible the company was dissatisfied with Days Gone‘s mixed reviews.

Jeff Ross left Sony Bend at the end of 2020 and the time between the first and hypothetical second game could be so long that it may be hard to pick up where it left off. Days Gone would likely have to be rebooted or reimagined if it doesn’t come back within the next few years. Ross’ vision for Days Gone 2 may be nothing more than a concept that never sees the light of day, but it does seem to highlight Bend’s greater aspirations for what could’ve been another flagship franchise for Sony.

Source: ForTheWin

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Cade Onder
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Cade Onder is a 20-year old video game, movie, and chicken tender enthusiast. He has been writing about games since he was 14 and is always trying to learn more about the gaming industry. You can follow him on Twitter @Cade_Onder for bad jokes, bad takes, and pictures of chicken tenders.

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