Beginners Guide & Tips for Days Gone Game

Get started with Days Gone game with our set of essential tips and tricks. Our beginner’s guide covers all the important aspects of the game, helping you understand the gameplay mechanics and avoid costly mistakes.

• Keep developing your character
• Search for better firearms
• Regularly repair or replace your melee weapons
• Look for opportunities to gain XP
• Unlock Focused Shot skill and use it during combat
• Search police cars and ambulances
• Use binoculars to locate visible enemies
• Use stones to check where enemies are hiding
• Try to eliminate enemies from a hiding spot
• Be cautious of enemy traps
• Avoid fighting Hordes initially
• Visit NERO checkpoints to increase your hero’s stats
• Deacon’s health bar does not regenerate automatically
• Be prepared for unexpected situations on the road
• Save the game regularly
• Collect Freaker Ears
• Return to the O’Leary Mountain Safehouse frequently
• Wolves hunt in packs, so be aware
• Beware of snipers
• Motorcycle bags let you carry extra ammunition
• Attractors help remove large groups of Freakers

Constantly Develop Your Character

Deacon’s motorcycle is the only means of transportation in Days Gone. Take care of your machine as without it, it will be challenging to navigate the game’s world and escape opponents. Check the fuel level and condition of the motorcycle before each major expedition. Explore the surrounding area in search of a gasoline canister or dispenser to refuel your bike. Avoid travelling at maximum speed to conserve fuel and maintain the motorcycle’s durability.

1. Deacon’s motorcycle burns through fuel quickly, so explore the surrounding area in search of fuel.
2. The motorcycle can be easily damaged, so repair it using scrap found in the game world to keep its durability above 20-30%.

Find more information about the bike in our Motorcycle chapter.

Search for Better Firearms

Upgrade your weapons by finding new ones in the game. New weapons can be found in two main ways:

To acquire weapons in Days Gone, you can either loot them from defeated enemies or buy them from encampments. However, the former option usually results in low-quality weapons while the latter can be quite expensive, and some weapons are only available after increasing trust levels with specific encampments. Firearms do not degrade in the game, so once obtained, they can be used throughout the game. However, certain components such as suppressors have limited durability.

Melee weapons are also crucial in the game, especially in close combat situations. The durability of melee weapons decreases with each successful hit until it reaches 0% and is permanently lost. The Field Repairs skill can prevent this by allowing players to restore their weapon’s durability with collected scrap. Additionally, players can improve their weapons with recipes and ingredients obtained through crafting.

Players can earn experience points and advance to higher levels in Days Gone, with each level equating to one skill point that can be used to purchase skills from three categories: melee combat, ranged combat, and survival. It is recommended to purchase skills from all three categories for versatility and improved abilities. Experience points can be earned through defeating enemies and completing missions.

1. Earn experience points by completing missions and killing enemies. Newly unlocked missions can provide a few thousand experience points, while more powerful foes from later stages of the game offer much higher numbers of XP. You can also attack larger groups of enemies with the aid of grenades.

Unlock and utilize the Focused Shot skill in combat

After advancing to the second experience level, you can purchase the Focused Shot skill which allows you to slow down time in combat while aiming. By activating this skill, you can aim at an enemy’s head and save ammunition over time. Focus renews itself automatically and you do not need to purchase any additional supplies for this purpose.

1. You can calmly aim at an enemy’s head, and a single hit to the head is enough to guarantee their death.
2. You can kill enemies one by one with accurate headshots, and wait for the focus bar to regenerate in the intervals between the separate gunshots.

Search police cars and ambulances for valuable loot

Use the Survival Vision feature to investigate all interactive items outlined by the game. This will allow you to acquire a lot of loot – weapons, ammunition, as well as various other items and crafting ingredients. It is particularly important that you loot the trunk of police cars for an ammo box and the storage compartment of ambulances for a first aid kit.

Mark visible enemies with binoculars

Use the binoculars to mark enemies and track their actions. Before entering each new location, reach a vantage point and mark as many enemies as possible. The main advantage of this method is that marked enemies can be tracked even if they disappear from your field of view.

Use stones to locate hidden enemies

Use stones to find and locate hidden enemies, as the main character has an unlimited supply of these. This can be particularly useful when you don’t have time to mark enemies before the start of direct battles.

When selecting a stone from your inventory to plan a throw, you can view all enemies in range who will hear it. This is particularly useful during fights in villages or buildings since it allows you to identify where enemies are hiding and reduce the risk of being caught off guard by one of them. Attacking enemies from hiding is highly recommended in Days Gone. Deacon can sneak by pressing the circle on the controller, and you can increase your chances of staying hidden by moving and hiding in tall grass, sneaking in after dark, or using binoculars for reconnaissance. You should always try to sneak up on opponents from behind and stab them in the back, which works on standard enemies. You can use firearms with suppressors against stronger monsters and enemies using armor, but if you are noticed, you can escape and hide in tall grass or buildings until your enemies stop searching for you. Traps can be set for opponents, but you should also watch out for traps around enemy encampments, such as bear traps that can be disarmed or redeployed and rope traps that can alert nearby enemies. Initially, you should avoid fighting against Hordes and try to escape on your motorcycle instead of running on foot since the Freakers will not tire.

Boost Your Hero’s Stats by Visiting NERO Checkpoints

When exploring the vast world of Days Gone, you should keep an eye out for NERO Checkpoints. These optional locations are crucial as each of them contains an Injector that permanently increases one of your chosen stats by 1. You can choose to increase your health, stamina, or focus, making Deacon a much more formidable character and improving his chances of survival in the post-apocalyptic world.

To learn more about permanently increasing Deacon’s stats, check out our dedicated page on the topic.

Deacon’s Health Bar Won’t Regenerate Automatically

One important thing to note in Days Gone is that Deacon’s health bar doesn’t regenerate automatically after he’s injured, except when he’s on the brink of death. You’ll need to heal him using bandages or first aid kits, which can be found in the game world or purchased from vendors in encampments.

For more information on healing your character and avoiding death, visit our page on the topic.

Be Prepared for Unpleasant Situations on the Road

As you travel through the world of Days Gone, keep in mind that random events can lead to unexpected attacks from bandits, animals, or monsters. Sometimes, you won’t be able to defend yourself effectively, such as when Deacon is thrown off his motorcycle due to a scripted event.

While you can’t completely avoid these situations, you can prepare for them by checking your hero’s health and stocking up on supplies before setting out on a new journey.

Save Your Game Regularly

Days Gone automatically saves your progress, but it’s also a good idea to save manually to avoid potential issues in case of death or other setbacks. You can save by accessing the pause menu or by using the quick save feature with the triangle button.

There are some limitations to saving, however, so be sure to read up on them to avoid losing progress. Check out our page on saving your game for more information.

1. You can only save your progress in the game when you are near your motorcycle or a bed. It is not possible to save the game at any time, such as when infiltrating a hostile encampment away from your motorcycle.
2. You cannot save the game while driving, and you cannot save when enemies are nearby.

Collect Freaker Ears

Each Freaker you eliminate will drop Ears. It is important to get into the habit of collecting them regularly by simply walking over the corpse. Information about the collected ears will be displayed in the lower left corner of the screen.

You can exchange Freaker Ears at encampments within the game world for credits and trust points. Additionally, collecting these ears brings you closer to unlocking the Lend Me Your Ears trophy, which requires 989 Freaker Ears.

Regularly Return to the O’Leary Mountain Safehouse

The O’Leary Mountain Safehouse is a safe encampment within the game world. After completing the prologue, Boozer will stay there. There are several benefits to visiting the Safehouse regularly:

1. There is a fuel dispenser for free bike refueling.
2. A supply crate in the observation tower provides single-use items and ammunition for free. Additional crafting materials can be found at the base of the tower.
3. The encampment also has a bed and a gun locker.

For a more detailed description, refer to the Encampments chapter in the game guide.

Wolves Hunt in Packs

Wolves can attack Deacon while traveling. They always attack in packs, and can knock him off his motorcycle. Use quick-time events to throw off the attacking wolf.

After dealing with the first wolf, be prepared for others. To avoid being bitten or knocked down, roll frequently by pressing R1. The shotgun is an excellent weapon against wolves, and Focused Shot can be attached for more precise aiming.

Be cautious of snipers

In Days Gone, snipers are dangerous enemies that can pose a serious threat to the main character. They can be identified by the red laser beam, as shown in the picture. If unnoticed, try to approach them from the flank or behind, but be aware that they may suddenly turn around. Avoid moving in open fields and hide in bushes along the way.

If a sniper spots Deacon, quickly hide behind the nearest obstacle. You can also engage in a pursuit, shoot at the sniper with your own rifle, or use a smoke bomb to temporarily conceal the hero. Snipers may attack while you are traveling on a motorcycle, so it’s best to stop the bike, jump off, and hide behind a cover.

Use motorcycle bags for extra ammo

Saddle bags are a useful upgrade for your motorcycle that allow you to carry extra ammo for all your weapons. This means you can quickly replenish ammunition without having to return to a camp to purchase from the merchant, which is especially helpful during long trips.

You can buy saddle bags from the mechanics at Copeland Camp and later at Iron Mike Camp. However, for the Copeland camp, you must first reach the second level of trust before Manny the mechanic will sell the bags (for 800 credits). It’s best to exhaust most of your stock before opening the bag, as Deacon will immediately take everything out of it. You won’t be able to repeat this process until refilling the bag with ammo at a merchant.

Attractor aids in eliminating groups of Freakers

The Attractor is a useful gadget that can be used for more than just distracting enemies. It can be found in the game world or crafted during the campaign.

The Attractor is especially useful in areas with many Freakers. You can effectively eliminate all or most of them in one action:

1. Approach the Freakers without being seen.
2. Throw the Attractor between the monsters.
3. Wait for all the nearby Freakers to swarm to the bait.
4. Throw a Molotov cocktail, frag grenade, proximity bomb, or similar item at the same spot.

If the Freakers survive, you can either run away or deal with them. For more tips on fighting monsters, check out the Weapons and Combat section.

FAQ

What is Days Gone?

Days Gone is an action-adventure survival horror game developed by SIE Bend Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world where players take on the role of Deacon St. John, a former outlaw-turned-drifter who is trying to survive in a world overrun by “Freakers” – human-like creatures that have turned into mindless, zombie-like monsters due to a global pandemic.

What are some tips for beginners?

1. Take your time exploring: The world of Days Gone is vast and full of hidden treasures. Don’t rush through the main story missions, take your time to explore and scavenge for resources. This will help you upgrade your weapons, craft better gear, and survive encounters with the Freakers.

2. Manage your resources: Resources such as ammo, fuel, and scrap are scarce in the post-apocalyptic world of Days Gone. Be mindful of how you use them, and try to conserve them whenever possible. For example, avoid using your bike’s boost unless it’s absolutely necessary, as fuel is hard to come by.

3. Upgrade your bike: Your motorcycle is your lifeline in Days Gone. Upgrade it whenever possible to make it faster, more durable, and better equipped to handle rough terrain. Be sure to keep it fueled up and in good condition, as it will break down over time if not properly maintained.

4. Use stealth to your advantage: Sneaking around and avoiding combat whenever possible can be a great way to conserve resources and stay alive. Use tall grass, bushes, and other natural cover to hide from enemies, and try to take them out silently with stealth kills or well-placed traps.

5. Learn to fight: Sometimes, combat is unavoidable in Days Gone. Be sure to master the game’s combat mechanics, including dodging, rolling, and using different types of weapons. Practice makes perfect, so take on side missions and random encounters to gain experience and improve your skills.