All Channels
Popular
260°

Why Deacon St. John Is a Weak Protagonist

KeenGamer: "Days Gone's leading man is one of the most dull and hopelessly docile protagonists in quite some time and fails to captivate in the way you would expect a biker with his badass appearance to look and behave. This feature explains why Deacon St. John is a poor model for how videogame protagonists should behave along with examples of how he stacks up alongside his contemporaries."

Read Full Story >>
keengamer.com
-Foxtrot1770d ago

He was fine

There’s far worse characters out there

Lore1769d ago

Agreed, if anything should be put into question it’s the writing. But the character has a lot of potential if a sequel is greenlit. Boozer had a good personality imo also

Sonic-and-Crash1769d ago (Edited 1769d ago )

when i first saw Deacon on first trailer ..i ve said here in N4G that he is not appealable (and many called me whitflake, weeb and other things)....the protagonist had artistic problems., its a fact....

not many out of US could relate to that Bike-renegade-gang culture protagonist (also he is a bit ugly ..if you have in mind that games need protagonists like Cloud, Snake or Link to have some decent success)

yes the game as whole is very good and at the end you like Deacon also as Fox says we have seen far worse ....but for a game , 7 years in development ,AAA production Sony should have corrected him

imo his design played a major negative role to first impression and the general sales of the game

bouzebbal1769d ago

I think his personality is spot on.. you feel his sorrow in his eyes, he sacrifices everything for his close ones and is brutal against the enemies.

Yi-Long1769d ago

Same for me, the character design simply never appealed to me, and the drab brown green world with zombies premise didn’t do much for me either.

And that’s okay. Not every game and character needs to appeal to me, or ANYONE, on a personal & individual level. That would be impossible and unlogical. Creators just need to be able to design the characters, the worlds, the stories they want, and then that product will find its own audience.

thorstein1769d ago

I think the very criticisms are what make him a great character: He has flaws. I hate playing as superman in every single game: perfect in anyway, with no development.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 1769d ago
Tapani1769d ago

He was fantastic, well acted, had really interesting vibes in the last 3rd of the game. High quality indie movie level performances, and very memorable guy. Obviously, it’s fantasy setting described with realism, but I thought he made a lot of sense. A lot of guys are like that.

Seraphim1769d ago

while nothing exceptional he was that, just fine.

these useless opinion pieces are beyond old. No one cares who or isn't a good protagonist or 95% of the other junk put out there via "opinion pieces." Like a wise man once said, "Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has one." A lot of what is good or isn't is also subjective.

anast1769d ago

They have to eat too, but yeah, game journos aren't known for their reach beyond banality.

neutralgamer19921769d ago

In today's society it is not a accepted character that's just a fact of the matter. We are living in a Time where being a straight man especially white or any straight man for that matter is a downgrade (looked at negatively) compared to Women(with their me too) and LGBT(for them always playing the victim card)

Where everyone is a victim you to social media everyone has their feelings hurt and this is coming from a brown guy so I'm not racist. You can never have a real mature conversation until things become uncomfortable that's when you can make changes happen but when you always have your feelings hurt or what somebody else's then you can never have real change

The moment days gone was announced I saw so many comments saying oh there it goes another white man has a man character for a video game

Freedom of speech goes right out of the window then what's your speaking doesn't align with what they want you to say

Innocent until proven guilty is now guilty until proven innocent look no further than this metoo movement. It's not about powering these women who are victimized and some of them have but a lot of them took that opportunity to grow their careers and now 20 years 30 years later they want to come back and complain about it ask them how much money they have in their bank accounts

This is why this country is now so divided it's not because Trump was the president it's because he would say whatever the hell he felt like it whether you like it or not (once again coming from a democrat)

Fluttershy771769d ago

There's far worse characters out there, really? yes, of course, Deacon von Mumbling is quite bad though

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 1769d ago
jznrpg1769d ago (Edited 1769d ago )

I liked him overall. Kind of a dick at times but he was in a zombie apocalypse not expecting the happiest guy in the world .

zsquaresoff1769d ago

You can relate to him, that's the most important part, he had flaws and all which we all do.

Inverno1769d ago

The overall story was oddly paced, so some things just needed to be better fleshed out. Personally I liked him, he was pissed at the world. He lost his wife, he lost a friend that became insane and formed a crew of religious crazy people, it's the end of the world and everything good going for him was shattered. He's a vet, he's a biker, has pride, lives by a code and he's someone that just gts shit done.
A sequel and maybe a couple of well done side stories in the form of comics could help his character develope more.

SegaSaturn6691769d ago

tldr; he stopped lifting when he was 14.

Show all comments (50)
140°

Sony scrapping Days Gone studio's live service IP didn't come as a surprise to one dev

Responding to one user saying that they'll "never get over what they did" to Bend Studio, Morrison says: "To be fair we didn't make enough substantial progress over the three years I was there. I saw the eventual cancellation coming prior to it."

Read Full Story >>
gamesradar.com
Jin_Sakai189d ago

This live service push should’ve never happened in the first place! It put most of their major studios behind schedule big time.

189d ago
Redgrave189d ago

A big thank you to Jim for this shortsighted, greedy blunder. A half thank you to Herman, because he stupidly kept some of them going.

The PS5 gen has essentially been a bust, though a few gems such as Returnal, Astro Bot, and Steller Blade.

We might not have had unnecessary remasters (Last of Us, Horizon) or remakes (Last of Us, again) if not for this. Alas, with the die already having been cast, we hope for a return to form.

But, along with the current state of the industry, I don't think we will get it.

S2Killinit188d ago

I disagree. Somy needs to be able to compete in all genre. They have nothing less than studios that do have successful live service games, including MS which is solely focused on service games. Sony had a live service success with Helldivers that people like to not mention in these articles.

S2Killinit188d ago

I disagree. Sony needs to be able to compete in all genre. They have nothing less than studios that do have successful live service games, including MS which is solely focused on service games. Sony had a live service success with Helldivers that people like to not mention in these articles.

189d ago
TheColbertinator189d ago

Sony is stupid for thinking live service would work for them. Or anything else they do for that matter.

Inverno189d ago

To work on something for 3 years and say that no substantial progress has been on it seems to be the trend happening across the industry. It's one thing to work without stress or crunch but in 3 years they could've used everything made for Days Gone and had a sequel out by now. Or worked on something smaller that they actually wanted to work on and with actual direction.

Travesty189d ago (Edited 189d ago )

Sony was the one telling them to do something different. I don’t blame Bend Studios. It was a lot of pressure pushing live service titles out and it backfired.

DaysGone wasn’t a bad title. It sold pretty well too. It sold 8 million copies on PS4 as of 2021. Almost 2 million on PC as of 2022. I don’t know the remastered version but it sold decent for a game that was already on the PlayStation Catalog.
They should have let them make a sequel. The series was made to be a trilogy.
The canceled game was reportedly using the Decima engine. It would make sense if their next game would be using that. I know DaysGone was using UE4. But if they did make a sequel I would prefer Decima over UE5. But that’s wishful thinking.
I’m not against a Syphon Filter remake. But just give us something memorable.

isarai189d ago

This is where there's a huge misconception that everyone is still running with. The idea of a sequel wasnt taken off the table, ONE MANS PITCH for a sequel wasnt greenlit, there would definitely be more than one pitch for a sequel

Travesty189d ago

The one man was the former director of Bend Studios. It not being “greenlit” was what I was referring to when they asked if Bend Studios would be interested in making a Syphon Filter game, after they released Days Gone. Don’t understand what was misleading.

https://www.thegamer.com/so...

isarai188d ago

The misleading part is that studios get several pitches, their could've easily been like 3 separate days gone sequel pitches, just because he's director doesn't mean his pitch couldn't have been lame, i mean he was talking about it being a multiplayer game, that already sounds iffy. But everyone talks as if the idea of a sequel as a whole was dismissed and we just don't know that.

Show all comments (17)
380°

The Days Gone Remaster Is an Unsurprising Cash-Grab and Nothing More

Honestly, who is the Days Gone remaster for? Fans of the original won't find anything new here.

Read Full Story >>
fortressofsolitude.co.za
Christopher362d ago

I don't know why you're being downvoted. It is a new thing in the remaster. Perhaps it's not worth the $10 upgrade if you've played. But, I mean, if you never played the game, then just wait for it to go on sale, forget about it, and continue not playing it like you did for the last 6 years?

TheEroica361d ago

The downvotes are likely from the excuses... Horde mode doesn't obsolve Sony from cash grabbing its easily duped fanbase.

S2Killinit361d ago

I love how people call this a money grab while the real money grabbing is in other genres. But, I think people who are that dumb deserve to be fed with skins and micro-transactions, and don’t get to complain that single player games of this caliber are few and far in between.

IAMRealHooman361d ago

@TheEroica
they changed the header. it was originally the " Remaster has nothing new" or something similar.

Christopher361d ago

It's still in the description: "Fans of the original won't find anything new here."

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 361d ago
princejb134362d ago

Days gone is amazing regardless and for those that didn’t play the original I highly recommend.

SimpleSlave362d ago (Edited 362d ago )

Yes. All of Sony's Remasters - all the ones stemming from the PS4 library - are cash-grabs. When all they needed to do was patch them to run at 60fps, up the resolution, and be done with it. But then they had to actually care about Bloodborne, and that's a cardinal sin over at Sony.

On a side note. I just got The Sinking City Remastered for free, because I owned the game. Weird...

anast362d ago

The Bloodborne thing is a real issue.

SimpleSlave362d ago

I'm sure they banish people to the Nightmare Frontier if they as much as whisper the name in the office.

Bebedora362d ago

Cash-grab or not. As long the Bend Studio gets their share, I am for it. I don't know, but I still hope for making of a second title. However, in a way It's a cash-grab. They still put something extra to it (horde mode), that is.

anast361d ago

lol Yeah they seem to hate the idea of a new Bloodborne anything.

I've still got to play the shrinking city. I enjoy Lovecraftian stuff.

RaidenBlack362d ago

Hope the recent remasters like Sinking City and Oblivion, ups the ante and alters the industry's approach.
But what fans really want is just a straight up sequel ... oh and add sequel to 1886 as well.

GhostScholar362d ago

I would love a days gone sequel. Days gone to me is such a better game than the last of us. The world in days gone was so great.

362d ago
mkis007362d ago (Edited 362d ago )

To me they appeal to different players outside of just being zombie games. I like them both, but days gone is more fun to me. The last of us 2 is my murder game though along with red dead 2 and gta 5. Love the realistic violence.

jznrpg361d ago

I’m a big fan of Days Gone but TLOU is a better made game. How much you enjoyed each game is of course up to you.

neutralgamer1992362d ago

With the recent cancellation of Bend Studio’s live-service project, there’s now a real and exciting opportunity for the studio to revisit Days Gone 2. This might be the perfect time for Sony to greenlight the sequel—especially with the PS6 likely on the horizon—because Days Gone already has a strong foundation, a passionate fanbase, and significant untapped potential.

It’s worth remembering that Days Gone was Bend Studio’s first major AAA title developed for a home console. Before that, the studio had primarily worked on portable systems like the PSP and PS Vita, or acted as a support studio. That leap to a full-scale open-world console game was ambitious, and although the game launched in a somewhat rough state, that context is crucial to understanding its initial reception.

Gaming critics were often harsh in their reviews, frequently comparing Days Gone to other PlayStation exclusives that came from more seasoned console studios like Naughty Dog or Santa Monica Studio. Despite these comparisons and the early technical issues, Days Gone still went on to sell over 7.6 million copies—a remarkable achievement for a new IP. Even more importantly, Bend Studio listened to fan feedback and steadily improved the game through patches, updates, and optimizations. Today, Days Gone stands as a much more polished and enjoyable experience than it was at launch.

That kind of growth shows Bend Studio’s resilience and potential. A sequel would not only benefit from their hard-earned experience, but also avoid many of the pitfalls that affected the original’s development. Much of the foundational tech, gameplay systems, and world-building has already been done, meaning the studio can focus more on innovation and storytelling rather than reinventing the wheel.

Compared to the high-risk, long-development timeline of a new IP—which could take 5+ years just to get through pre-production—returning to Days Gone is both a smarter and more efficient route. If Sony and Bend Studio commit to Days Gone 2 now, there’s a strong possibility it could be a key PS6 launch title—offering a fan-driven, proven IP with greater polish, depth, and scope.

Let’s not forget Bend Studio’s deep legacy either. This is the same team that brought us Syphon Filter, a series that helped define early PlayStation experiences. With the right support and direction, they can absolutely deliver a worthy sequel that lives up to the franchise’s potential and the studio’s legacy

Harkins1721362d ago

Loved it on PS5. Cant wait to play again at somepoint on PC when on sale

Show all comments (45)
210°

Days Gone PS5 Is a 'Really Good Piece of Work', Say Tech Experts

Sammy writes: "Back when Days Gone Remastered was announced, many fans were squinting to see the differences between the excellent original PS4 version and its PS5 re-release.

But now with the game readily available – and our 8/10 review declaring it the “definitive version of a fan favourite” – we’re beginning to get some meaningful tech analysis.

And according to Digital Foundry, this is not just the bare-bones resolution upscale some had anticipated – “a lot of effort has gone into it”, according to the tech experts. "

Read Full Story >>
pushsquare.com
IAMRealHooman376d ago

First game sell well enough to warrant a sequel? Our received well enough?

Alos88376d ago

It sold well but reviewed only okay, which apparently wasn't enough for Sony.

Cacabunga376d ago

Sold well and received even better.. had a bad first month due to technical issues but ended up being one of the best games from last gen

Knightofelemia375d ago (Edited 375d ago )

That's the nature of the beast. If a game like a movie does not meet certain numbers then they write off the franchise. EA scrapped DS2 because the DS1 remake did not meet certain numbers. I was hoping the remaster of DG and the fact it also came to PC would convince Sony to green light a DG sequel.

PanicMechanic375d ago

Critic reviews were appalling. The worst reviewed game I’ve ever seen. By that I mean, poor quality journalism, dishonest writing and review scores which are out of touch with fan reception.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 375d ago
anast376d ago

Fans are having fun with this one.