5 Best Video Games Like Days Gone

Survival horror went open-world with the 2019 game "Days Gone" for the PlayStation 4 and PC. A post-apocalyptic story, the game is set in Oregon after the world has been overwhelmed by a contagion that turned the affected into zombie-like monsters nicknamed Freakers.

The game's protagonist is biker Deacon St. John, who searches the Freaker-dominated expanse for his presumed-dead wife while taking on odd jobs for other survivors. With Freakers tending to congregate in large herds, Deacon must clean out their nests around the region, using the environment to his advantage and to avoid being overrun.

While it's still unclear if there will ever be a sequel to "Days Gone" in the near future, there are other games to check out. From other survival horror titles involving hordes of enemies swarming over players to other open-world experiences, there is a lot out there for fans to enjoy. These are the five best video games like "Days Gone," offering their own intensely overwhelming thrills.

After popularizing zombie-filled survival horror with its "Resident Evil" franchise, Capcom offered a much different take on the genre with "Dead Rising." The 2006 game opens with a zombie outbreak in Colorado, with photojournalist Frank West investigating the incident at a local shopping mall. With Frank's helicopter out set to return in 72 hours, he spends the time rescuing fellow survivors as the mall quickly becomes teeming with zombies. Frank can also complete challenges, take photos to build up his score, and face off against deranged bosses holed up in various corners of the mall.

"Dead Rising" boasts a tremendous amount of replayability, inviting gamers to relive Frank's chaotic 72 hours differently each time. Though there are inevitably scripted events, there is a healthy variation in how to proceed with each playthrough and the game itself handles intuitively. In comparison to "Resident Evil," there is a sly sense of humor to the game, including some of the funniest weapons in video games. "Dead Rising" would spawn its own franchise but, with the superb 2024 enhanced remaster, we keep coming back to Frank's original adventure.

An absolutely emotionally searing experience, "The Last of Us" made its debut in 2013 for the PlayStation 3 before being remastered and remade for subsequent consoles. The game shows how a fungal infection spread to humans, turning those afflicted into hive-minded feral monsters as the fungus destroys their brain. 20 years later in the "Last of Us" timeline, mercenary Joel Miller agrees to escort teenage Ellie cross-country after she's discovered to have immunity to the invasive shrooms. Joel and Ellie not only have to contend with the infected but also rival survivor factions roaming across the ruins of civilization.

"The Last of Us" is a masterclass in narrative achievement within the video game medium, but what doesn't get mentioned as much is how well the gameplay itself is realized. Every major fight has an air of desperation to it, with players resorting to whatever they can do to survive. This is certainly true of any encounters with the infected, called Clickers, encouraging a stealthier approach rather than outright combat. Intense and brutal in virtually every major aspect of its delivery, "The Last of Us" deserves the hype and acclaim it has earned over the years.

Another fan-favorite open-world zombie game, this time playing from a first-person perspective, is the 2015 title "Dying Light." The first game in the series takes place in a fictional Middle Eastern city that's been quarantined because of a zombie outbreak. Undercover operative Kyle Crane infiltrates the quarantine zone to locate an individual with valuable information about the viral contagion that created the zombies. However, as Kyle witnesses the plight of survivors trying to avoid infection or death, he begins to question the efficacy of his mission.

With its parkour-driven gameplay as Kyle tries to stay one step ahead of the zombie horde, there is a frenetic energy to "Dying Light." Like "Days Gone," "Dying Light" also features a night-and-day cycle, with zombies becoming dangerously more aggressive at night and in darkened environments. This keeps players on their toes, even with an arsenal of weapons and intuitive fast-paced navigation mechanics. Techland produced a line of sequels, starting with 2022's "Dying Light 2," but we recommend starting with the first "Dying Light" to best experience the saga of Kyle Crane.

The online survival horror game "State of Decay" received a direct sequel for the Xbox One and PC in 2018. Similar to "Days Gone," "State of Decay 2" is an open-world third-person survivalist game set in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. While there is a single-player mode, the real appeal of the game is cooperative online multiplayer, working with other players to create and defend a growing community of survivors. Resources are scavenged from the collapsed remnants of society or through trading with NPCs around the world map.

After a shaky start, "State of Decay 2" has improved itself with regular updates adding new features and refining the overall experience. The combat mechanics are streamlined compared to the preceding game in the series while the online modes provide plenty of rewarding gameplay. After three years since its launch, the game boasted over 10 million players online, highlighting its widespread popularity. With "State of Decay 3" in development, fans should prepare for the sequel by revisiting "State of Decay 2" and its community-building take on the genre.

For Soulslike fans looking for similarly scaled difficulty in a post-apocalyptic setting, "Remnant: From the Ashes" provides it all. The 2019 game has Earth devastated by an extra-dimensional force known as the Root, with the player-character determined to eradicate the evil for good. Players battle through waves of twisted enemies punctuated by immensely difficult boss fights testing the gamers' mettle. Up to two other players can join in the campaign, but the game's difficulty scales up when additional players are involved.

In contrast to other Soulslike titles, "Remnant: From the Ashes" has its combat revolve around players using a variety of firearms rather than just conventional melee weapons. Though not an open-world game like "Days Gone," the post-apocalyptic setting and pronounced difficulty thematically echoes the 2019 game. For gamers who enjoy "From the Ashes," it received a direct sequel with 2023's "Remnant II," expanding the post-apocalyptic scope. For genre fans looking for something far more challenging, "Remnant: From the Ashes" is ready to put players through their paces.