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14 Days Gone tips that will get you off to a great start
Struggling to survive in post-apocalyptic, zombie infested Oregon? You're going to need our Days Gone tips.
Sony's new PS4 exclusive is full of infected humans and animals that want nothing more than to tear you limb from limb. On top of that, you have other survivors that will kill you if it means protecting their own supplies. Danger is everywhere, and at times it can feel like you have no allies. Luckily, we’ve got the Days Gone tips you need to survive out there, and we're also going to make sure you know exactly what to do early on to prepare for the long journey ahead.
1. Loot everything
There’re plenty of craftable items like beer bottles, sterilisers, and rags scattered everywhere, so it’s hugely important to pick up everything you find. If you see an abandoned gas station or convenience store, go in and pick up anything and everything you find.
They can be used to craft Molotovs and Medi Kits – both of which are useful – so make it a habit to pick up everything. It’s also important to loot off the bodies of those you kill. The uninfected will carry craftable items as well as ammo, whilst you can only take the ears off Freakers, but these are used to give to camps for a little reward.
Make sure you stop to pick up everything you can find in Days Gone
© Sony
2. Always use Survival Vision
Pressing R3 will use your Survival Vision, essentially a mechanic that allows you to see items that may be hidden to the naked eye. It’ll show you certain cars that can be opened to find scrap which is used to fix your bike, and it also highlights craftable items
3. Craft as you go
You’ll get to a point where items can’t be picked up because you’re carrying too much – crafting as you go will alleviate this issue. By pressing L1, you’ll open your Inventory Wheel, and from there the option to craft everything will present itself. In the middle of the wheel it’ll show you which items are needed to craft as well as the amount you have in your possession, so it’s easy to see what you have instead of pausing and going into the menus.
4. Be quiet
In the early hours of the game, and even later on, your bet course of action is to take on Marauder or Ripper Camps as quietly as you can. When you reach an area inhabited by enemies, equip your binoculars by pressing up on the D-pad, then tag any enemies you see with L2.
Once you’ve tagged everyone in that area, pressing Circle will allow you to sneak up to the enemies quietly, and pressing Triangle once you get close will let you take them out without causing suspicion. Not only does it cause you less damage, but it helps to conserve ammo – something that is in short supply on the open road.
It helps to be quiet in Days Gone
© Sony
5. Know your camps
Survivor camps are scattered around Oregon, and these places are incredibly useful for a number of reasons. Not only do they offer you a place to sleep, you can also refill your fuel and ammo, and you can also fix your bike and purchase new weapons from the merchants. Each camp has a Trust level, and by completing missions for them, the level of trust they have for you will increase, meaning certain weapons and bike parts will become available once a new trust level is unlocked.
6. Earn trust
You’ll find that earning trust can be done by completing both main and side missions for each respective camp. There are three levels of trust at each camp, and the higher the level, the better gear and upgrades are available to you. Obviously, main missions give you more trust, but it’s still worth completing the smaller missions as well.
Also, there are certain missions in the vicinity of the camp’s territory that also grant trust, such as ‘unmarked missions’. You may bump into a survivor that’s trapped in their car because a handful of Freakers have surrounded it, but once you’ve cleared them out you can talk to the survivor and advise them to go to one of the camps. You’ll get a choice of which one to send them to, so depending on where you want the trust to come from, choose wisely.
You can also earn trust by giving in Freaker ears you’ve collected at the Bounties table, and if you’ve hunted any deer, wolf, or dug up any edible plants, they can all be given into the Kitchens for a few extra Trust points. Opportunities for gaining Trust is all around you, so make sure your eyes are wide open when it comes to earning it.
You need to upgrade your bike
© Sony
7. Upgrade your bike
The most useful tool at your disposal in Days Gone is your motorbike, but in the beginning it’s very basic. Weapons can be found in the field, so make sure you spend your hard-earned credits on upgrading your bike. You do this at the camps by visiting the mechanic, and from here you can improve your speed, bike durability, and ammo storage. You can also reduce the amount of noise your exhaust makes, as well as equipping nitrous for extra speed bursts when the going gets tough. Each new upgrade is locked behind Trust levels, so building up trust will get you the most out of your upgrades.
8. How Fast Travel works part 1: Clearing out infestations
The option to fast travel across Oregon is available almost instantly, but there are a few things that factor in to how it works. Firstly, many paths are blocked from fast travel because you must clear out infestations of Freakers or else you won’t be able to pass through. These are highlighted on maps by small red icons, and once you’ve arrived at them there will be a selection of infestations to clear out.
Throwing Molotovs at the infestations will clear them out, but once they start to burn, Freakers will run out. Doing this at night will reduce the amount that emerge, so it’s worth waiting until it gets dark. Also, as soon as you throw the Molotov, run away. There’s no requirement that needs you to kill what comes out of the infestations, so don’t engage them. This conserves ammo, and also helps to get you out of unnecessary fights.
You don't have to engage the enemy – sometimes it's best to run away
© Sony
9. How Fast Travel works: part 2: Fuel consumption
Once the infestations have been cleared out, there’s still one more hurdle you need to factor in. If your bike doesn’t have enough fuel, you won’t be able to fast travel. Refuelling at camps will help your cause, but there will be times when you’re out there with no camps near you. Luckily, there are plenty of red fuel cans that can be found, and picking these up will fill your tank. A good rule is to be looking for these cans when your fuel gets to around 40,% because you do not want to run out if a Horde is close by.
10. Utilise the Hordes
One of the scariest elements of Days Gone are the Hordes. Bumping into 40 Freakers at a time is something you don’t want to be doing, so it’s always worth avoiding them completely. However, as nerve-wracking as it can be, you can also make good use of them. As mentioned before, there are a lot of enemy camps scattered around, and if you’re on your way to one and you bump into a Horde, take them with you. If you’re on your bike, try to coax them into following you, then ride straight into the enemy camp. Sure, the enemies may start firing a few rounds of ammo at you, but the speed at which a Horde rips them to shreds is incredibly satisfying, and you also save your bullets at the same time.
Get on your bike, ride away and the Horde will follow you
© Sony
11. Seek Out NERO checkpoints
NERO Checkpoints are scattered across Oregon, and at each one there’s a case that holds a NERO injector gun that allows you to improve either your maximum health, stamina, or focus. To do this you need to restore the generator, then cut off the speaker system. It takes a few minutes, and you will have to kill some Freakers, but once finished it’ll be worth it.
12. Use your bike to quicksave
Days Gone does tend to save after missions, but you can also save at any point by pressing Triangle when you’re near your bike. If you're riding it or engaged in a fight, the option won’t be available, but as long as you’re not near any enemies and are stationary, this quicksave option is a godsend
You'll need to get off our bike, but be near it to quicksave
© Sony
13. Explaining the mission structure
Perhaps the most confusing element in Days Gone is how its missions are structured. There are different missions that are colour coded, and percentages appear at the end of a completed mission that don’t seem to make any sense.
Firstly, all main missions are coloured yellow, so completing these will progress the main story. All the others are a vast selection of side missions, and whilst some are independent stories, many integrate to the main thread. By looking at your progression (swiping up on the touchpad), you can see what missions can be tracked, and it’ll also give you details as to what missions relate to the main story.
As for the percentage that appears at the end of a mission, this relates to how far you are from your next Skill Point. XP is earned from completing missions, so if you’re on 89%, it’s not long before you’ll unlock your next experience level.
14. Unlocking your skills
There are three Skill types in Days Gone: Ranged, Survival, and Melee. Each type is sectioned into tiers, and the more you unlock, the more skills become available in the next tier. Each one has some useful skills, and depending on how you play, you’ll find some of the skills invaluable.
Melee improves close encounters, whilst Ranged improves attacking from a distance. Finally, Survival gives you the tools to improve a range of skills that’ll help you collect and find items a lot more easily.
