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Remasters usually get lower review scores than the games they’re based on.
Without getting too insider baseball on this stuff, that’s because when a publisher re-releases a title, the climate tends to have changed. Gameplay, for example, will have been pushed forward by more contemporary titles – and the element of surprise will have gone.
A good example is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – a 10/10 in its time. It’s less special these days, and so we just gave it a 7/10.
But Days Gone has actually been getting better reviews over time.
Now some of this is due to the fact the PS4 original launched with a number of bugs, but it’s also because time has been kind to the open world game.
So, the original released in 2019 with a 71 Metacritic, which is considered ‘Mixed or Average’ by the site.
Once the PC port launched in 2021 – which was a fantastic version of the game, by the way – that number increased to a 76 overall.
And now with the PS5 remaster, the average review score has increased again to 78, which is considered ‘Generally Favourable’ by Metacritic.
One thing that’s worth pointing out here is that the game has, as you’d expect, been attracting less reviews over time. The original version was reviewed by over 100 outlets, while the PC version attracted just 48 reviews, and the PS5 edition is currently at less than 20 verdicts.
More reviews will generally result in a lower overall average, but it’s clear that critics have come around on Days Gone as it’s matured; what was once the ugly duckling of Sony’s first-party has gradually blossomed into a misunderstood fan favourite.
With Bend Studio cancelling its recent in-development project, we wonder if a sequel could happen after all. Either way, it’s going to be interesting to see where the developer turns its attention to next.
[source metacritic.com]
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As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy has over 15 years of experience analysing the world of PlayStation, from PS3 through PS5 and everything in between. He’s an expert on PS Studios and industry matters, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he has the time to dedicate to them, and is a bit of a gacha whale.