Days Gone has a wide variety of difficulties that you can play through at your leisure. This review covers all difficulties and after game completions, such as Game+.
#1 – Easy
A ‘walk in the park’ is almost an understatement for this level of difficulty. Most zombies ignore you, you can find ammo everywhere and it’s like the apocalypse never happened at all! On easy, you can leave your game unpaused while standing out in the open with no repercussions usually.
How it Works
- You can change the difficulty at any time.
- Great for learning the basics of the game.
- Extremely quick playthrough.
- Takes very little scrap and fuel to repair your bike.
- Chances of death are almost non-existent.
- Abundance of resources that you don’t have enough inventory space for.
- Enemies have the least amount of health and ability to cause damage.
- Some alarmed vehicles and buildings you will literally have to crash into with your bike to get them to sound off.
Choose This Difficulty If…
- You’re newer to the horror survival genre and want a calmer experience.
- Want to learn the mechanics and explore the game on your first playthrough before heading to more challenging areas of the game.
#2 – Normal
Normal is a good starting point if you’ve played video games before. Enemies match your level of health and stamina, the chances of dying are more viable, and you have a bit more immersion in the game. If you want to see the game as it’s intended to be seen, it’s recommended you start here.
How it Works
- You can still change the difficulty at any time.
- Enemies are now evenly matched with you and your level.
- You have resources but not too many or not enough.
- The game is almost perfectly balanced for what you consume relating to resources.
Choose This Difficulty If…
- The truest experience as to what the game developers intended.
- You’re versed in standard gaming and challenges.
#3 – Hard
If you enjoy the horror survival and have made it through games like Resident Evil 7 or Alien Isolation- this level is more your speed. Only second to Survival, this game mode unlocks several achievements.
How it Works
- You take a lot more damage from enemies. Enemy health is also expanded.
- Resources are more scarce and hard to get ahold of. Though you can usually find what you need from a trader at a decent price.
- More scrap is required to fix your bike.
- More fuel is required to refuel it.
- No auto-aim.
- You cannot reduce your difficulty once you start, you’ll have to completely restart your game.
Choose This Difficulty If…
- It is recommended if you play video games often and have the time to sink into it.
- Want a stealthier playthrough where you have to strategize to take out your enemies.
- It offers significant challenges but it still possible to complete the game.
#4 – Survival
Added in later by the developers as a part of a patch DLC, Survival is a newer opportunity to test your skills against the undead hordes, wildlife and fellow starved humans. This is the highest difficulty you can play on your first time, but it’s not recommended.
How it Works
- No fast travel.
- Survival vision to help you locate enemies and plants is gone.
- HUD elements are gone.
- Waypoints and your map is also gone.
- Enemies now have extreme amounts of health and some stronger enemies can one-shot you.
- You will have to buy most of your resources rather than find them, and even then, it’ll be for prices that make your wallet cry.
- Enemies will come for you without making noise and will almost have a sixth sense that you’re approaching.
- Example: Takes 10 melee hits to kill a zombie, almost two-thirds of a clip of ammo to take down a standard enemy.
Choose This Difficulty If…
- You want the most challenge this game can offer, this is the difficulty for you.
- The achievement through PlayStation titled: Surviving is Living
- Another achievement, if you’re feeling lucky, is to defeat a horde in under a minute. Days Gone in 60 Seconds. Good luck!
#5 – New Game+ / Survival+
New Game+ allows you to relive Deacon St. John’s adventure again, only this time with all of the previously achieved skills points, weapons, bike upgrades, recipes and more. This difficulty allows you to choose between easy, normal, or hard. Survival+ on the other hand is daunting and some players are still yet to complete this level of difficulty.
How it Works
- Hordes are now bigger, faster, and stronger. Some hordes range into the thousands.
- Builds upon the standard survival mode. No map, HUD, waypoints, or fast travel.
- Considered easier by most because you repeat the game with all previously earned material.
- Though some players have reported it clears out the inventory entirely if you are ambushed and captured, with no way to regain supplies/ammo besides standard weapons.
- Resources, gas, ammo, and more are nonexistent. Even traders will be scarce on supplies and will overcharge massively. Be highly selective on your purchases.
- Example: Takes 14 melee hits to kill a zombie, almost a full clip of ammo to take down a single enemy.
Choose This Difficulty If…
- You want the highest achievement available connected with difficulties. This one titled: 2 Days 2 Done. This is for completing the story on Hard+ or Survival+.
- You want to test out the new ‘mystery weapon’ that’s given to you when you attempt New Game+.
- Whether this new round is more or less difficult than the original Survival, give it a try and find out for yourself if you can stand alone against the seemingly endless armies of the undead.
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