Days Gone developer Bend Studio doesn’t seem ready to reveal it’s new PS5 project just yet, but it’s making meaningful progress behind-the-scenes. Asked for an update on its work, a spokesperson for the studio said on Twitter: “We’re cooking.” While it’s not much to go on at all, it’s at least a confident statement from the company.
We know that Bend Studio’s next game will not be a sequel to Days Gone, but will instead be a brand-new intellectual property building on the ideas introduced in its likeable open world outing. Last summer, community manager Kevin McAllister said that its next project will be the studio’s “best game yet”. Considering how popular Days Gone tends to be, that’s a bold claim.
What are you hoping to see from Bend Studio next? Let us know in the comments section below.
[source twitter.com]
Comments 79
Yeah. I'm still not expecting any news about this game this year.
5 years in development is common in current AAA game industry (even more with new IP) and considering they only started development on that new IP in 2021, I'm expecting this game at the end of current gen. So there is no point in revealing that game this year.
It’s going on 5 years since their last released, I hope this meal is close to being finished.
If Bloodborne gets a sequel and Days Gone doesn’t there is something going on there considering the gulf in sales between the 2 games .
@OmegaStriver Most likely not unfortunately, their time was wasted for roughly two years on a project that they ultimately were withdrawn from.
We’ve got to have some bloody announcements this year surely? I feel like there’s no surprises or announcements that have been recent and anything already announced is either miles away or we’ve heard nout more about (Wolf Among Us 2 I’m looking at you…)
@OmegaStriver Sadly I think they were in the wilderness for a while so probably a few years away yet.
Hopefully John Garvin is not involved this time?
Real hyped to see what they got as Days Gone was criminally underrated/targeted… one of my fave PS4 titles!
@colonelkilgore it was so good wasn’t it. Try it on PS5 at 60. It’s fabulous 🥳
@Mikey856 it really was mate… the hoards were maybe my favourite endgame content of any game.
Word on the street is that their community manager was left home alone as a kid one Christmas, then ended up lost in new York the next
@colonelkilgore absolutely same here. Never forget those horde challenges either, they’re were brutal haha
@Mikey856 What gulf in sales exactly?
I am CONFIDENT that trading down Days Gone for TLOU2, sinking the sequel and firing creatives are dumb moves belonging to a creatively bankrupt management who went for GAAS-games that are going to fail maybe even before hitting the ground.
TLOU3 will have a fully cooked Factions 2, so that cut is okay. Failgame$ will be cancelled and SONY will cut funding from Jade, I think. Concord will happen and have a life that does not offer anything tremendous to the bottom-line of SONY. There are probably others I'm forgetting, which means they'll eek out a miserable existence. But here is my head on the chopping block:
Therefore, I think this new game IS IN FACT Days Gone 2 or Open World, Zombie game the "new IP" with recognisable villainous entity. I will follow that helicopter ANYWHERE and die on that hill.
I miss those devs saying "our next game will be worse than our last one!11"
@ChrisDeku didn’t bloodborne sell something like 2 million copies on PS4 and Days Gone did 6-7?
Let it cook, we can wait
Deacon St John is modern gaming's second most unbearable character (looking at you, Aiden Pearce).
Considering Days gone hit 7million sales it’s surprising a second wasn’t greenlit. The first was good and different a great 8/10 even if imo it was a little bit too long.
But I’m interested to see what they are working on now.
Damn, I wish every time I'd tweet about just doing my job some website would make an article out of it.
@Mikey856 What sequal did Bloodborne get?
@PsBoxSwitchOwner The game was sold for next to nothing in the end I would love to hear how many sales were made for €20 so people would stop crying about it
@Mikey856 Bloodborne was kinda niche that's why the sales. And it scored into the 90s that's why there's always sequel talk. Sadly DG rated badly (wrongly). Thats why it won't. Actually just checking myself...where is this gulf in sales? That's sold pretty much exactly the same amount
@colonelkilgore
Same I still haven’t gotten round to finishing it yet though
@Mikey856
God days gone, best game I’ve ever played
Days Gone was outstanding.
Having completed that game, it made TLoU2 feel like even more of a disappointment.
That world had so much potential, it’s gutting there won’t be a sequel.
Meanwhile Naughty Dog absolutely stank up their zombie series, yet that will likely get a third entry. No justice.
From the leaks Bloodborne sold 7.5 million.
I didn't have a ps4, so when I bought a ps5, one of the first games I played on it was days gone. I heard that the game was rought when it launched, but by the time I played it, it was incredibly good and immersive.
Three years later, I still think that's the most fun I had on the ps5.
@Mikey856 the sale were never officially stated beyond 2m for Bloodborne and I don't think Days Gone were ever officially revealed. However the Insomniac leak revealed both as of February 2022(or maybe it was 2023) and sales at that time on PS4 were:
Bloodborne - 7.648m
Days Gone - 7.238m
However it should also be noted that Bloodborne is a beloved game that has a 92 on metacritic and Days Gone was a 71. Additionally Days Gone took 6 years of development time and cost and Bloodborne was around 3 years developed concurrently with DS2 so only about half the studio.
Days Gone sales are really not that bad though, and fan feedback is quite positive. I definitely think the relationship with the game directors was the key problem.
@SgtTruth beyond the post-apocalyptic setting, the two games are not really comparable and set out to do different things and offer vastly different experiences.
I enjoyed Days Gone's more traditional arcade approach as much as I enjoyed TLOU's narrative driven gameplay, and like you when it comes to DG and TLOU2 I prefer DG, but DG existing doesn't expose TLOU2's shortcomings any more than any of the RE games do.
However I do agree that TLOU2 was a major dissapointment. I really dislike what they did to Ellie.
Deacon rolls again I want to hang out with boozer .
Ahhh I can dream
Removed - inappropriate; user is banned
Im playing days gone now. from psplus essential.wow its a wonderful game.deacon st john is a excellent protagonist.cant wait for what bend studio is doing.word up son
@Mad001 so....you didn't read what I wrote then. Or were you agreeing with me. Honestly, it's hard to tell.
Edit: gone back through your comment. I think you are so 👍
Whatever it is I can't wait I loved Days Gone and can't wait to see what else Bend can do ^__^ (as long as it's not a multiplayer game of course 😅)
Days Gone was done very dirty! Ended up loving every second of it and its criminal they never got a chance to shine in a sequel
If a studio was selected by Sony to make a live service game, I think it would be this one to be honest.
@colonelkilgore To me it's unbelievable they'd just scrap a new IP like that. Imagine DG2 with huge hoards at 60 fps 4k. Far from a perfect game, but it brought some new stuff to the table. I really enjoyed my time.
@riceNpea don't mind me I'm on morphine 😂🤣
Fingers crossed this new IP will be good and successful game, and then who knows?! Maybe Sony will give DG2 a go in the future...but if new IP will end up so good, most probably this might be the sequel Sony will want from Bend. It's tricky of course, but I wish there still some chance for DG2 some day
It’s been over three years since this console generation started. We’re likely more than 40% through this generation. Stop calling it “new-gen”. It’s just current.
@ChrisDeku fair enough sales clearly levelled out in tbe end then. I was going to say Bloodborne only selling 2 million is bloody criminal! Lol. Well whatever Bend’s new game ends up being I can only pray it’s a sequel to Days Gone!
I still think about that secret/"complete" ending of Days Gone from time to time.
Considering how well it sold, reviewed, and that they're making a TV show, I'd be very shocked if we never return to that world.
Still can't believe we're not getting a sequel to Days Gone.
What's funny to me about Sony's move into GaaS is that Bend extending the Days Gone IP with some sort of multiplayer/co-op/PvPvE utilizing the horde technology they built would have been AMAZING. But instead Sony shelved what Bend wanted to do with DG and made them create an all new IP. All the while, Sony is creating brand new IPs for GaaS from other studios.
Makes zero sense to me, personally. Being able to battle all those zombies and survive together/fight against other survivors could have been extremely cool and unique within the GaaS space. Plus, it would keep the DG brand out there and likely pump sales of the original game up, building support for the proper sequel they envisioned.
God I wish this was Days Gone 2, what an absolute gem the first game was.
Excited for whatever comes next from them.
Real shame they couldn't do Days Gone 2. Or even another game with a nee name but in that same universe. The next gen Hordes on PS5 would have been fantastic.
@riceNpea My take is that TLoU 1 was very much a generic third person zombie game, but lifted above the pack by the surrogate father-daughter relationship, that was further enhanced by the father knowing how life was before the outbreak.
The sequel removed that element, leaving just the generic 3rd person action game, and the remaining characters acting out of character and irrationally/unbelievably.
Days Gone was obviously open world rather than linear, but also added the bike mechanic that was essentially lifted from the Mad Max game. That was a relationship in itself, where as per Mad Max, you felt anxious when any distance from your vehicle as it left you exposed.
You were like a small child, and the vehicle your parents who you run to for protection.
It had more interesting zombies than TLoU 2, especially in later zones, and whilst not as good as the TLoU 1 narrative, I found the story, characters and relationships to be superior, with the actions of characters more believable and logical.
Different games, but even if one doesn’t agree with the comparisons and arguments I made as to why Days Gone is superior, TLoU 2 is ultimately demonstrated to be weak by comparison with its own predecessor.
I’m more in favour for a new IP than a sequal. I really love Days Gone, still one of my favorite games but i think we need new IP’s more. I’m very optimistic about this one and i don’t know why…..
@SgtTruth
That is a question of taste. You can’t argue taste. I LOVE TLOU2! The story is absolutely controversial but i still play it and love it. Very emotional story that is checking every possible box.
Wait - the line saying the new game is "building on the ideas introduced in its likeable open world outing" is based on what?
Given that, one of the most interesting ideas introduced in that game was the motorcycle mechanics. If they build on that in another open world game, that could be quite interesting.
The hordes was another interesting idea - a mass of people (not necessarily zombies) or other enemies (a la A Plague's Tale) might be interesting as well - but I'm hoping it's more on the bike.
@SgtTruth agreed with your final point. TLoU2 compared to the first game is inferior and contrived. The gameplay is barely evolved but its the narrative that really suffers and betrays the relationship we built and nurtured with Ellie and Joel in the first game in favour of cheap shock tactics and gratuitous, emotionally manipulative narrative as a substitute for real drama.
The first game had heart, it was a story of loss, desperation, redemption, love and selfishness. The second game was hateful, vengeful and discordant, contrived to force us to follow it's darker narrative rather than letting it happen organically via well-crafted, relatable storytelling.
It's like how Game of Thrones turned Daenerys into a genocidal maniac in one episode after 7 series of her being compassionate.
Hope that whatever is next will be better received and that they'll be successful. Days gone has got he short stick from what I've heard, but I haven't played it until this day either. With that and tlou2 there was just too much dreary zombie stuff at once in Sony's lineup.
Cooking what, a frozen t.v dinner?
Honestly, reflecting on days gone, it's actually a really decent game.
@riceNpea
Arcade? I thought the narrative in Days Gone was miles better. Because, TLOU2 was a game about ***** on people and calling it art.
@riceNpea
Don’t get me wrong here b’cause i respect your opinion but al your negative points about TLOU2 are my postive points about the game! Even the forcing to follow it's darker narrative! Controversial and unpredictable…..i love it!
@Hypoman each to thier own mate 😊
@EfYI I meant the gameplay when referring to 'arcade', like horde mode for example.
I'd give anything for a Days Gone sequel. Well not anything. But definitely something.
Hopefully they got some writers that can make appealing characters.
@itsfoz i mean clearly if we don't know what they are working on , that its going to be a surprise , and personally i'd rather find out when they announce it instead of having it leak out. i think when they do announce these games every one is going to be pretty happy.
Awesome!
Days gone is one of the best story games i ever played! That cinematic when completing the game 100%... oof..... im still hoping on a sequel some time!
@playstation1995 I always love reading your comments especially with the iconic “word up son”
@Doctor_BK. Haha.thanks playa.queens new york is in the house.are you from Brooklyn.anyways much respect to the wu tang clan.mobb deep.nas.eric b and rakim.run dmc.onyx.kool g rap.etc.word up son
Days Gone is still my favourite game of the PS4 generation. There were technically better games (though it was technically impressive, early bugs aside), but as a whole package, I enjoyed it more than anything else I played.
I hope this is great. Really enjoyed Days Gone (platinumed it twice), seems some games get a pass on day one bugs and are allowed to "redeem" themselves and others aren't. Also Deacon wasn't my favourite character, wasn't my most hated either but surely the variety is good so people connect with different protangonists
No days gone hardly surprising this is what Sony players wanted anyway, more marvel predictability with black and white "good vs evil" over bikers who aren't really are as far away from what marvel watchers like as you can get. Find it funny how only now i see people here slobbering over the game when I've been saying for years it is the only good game sony put out since uncharted 4..
Let them cook
@Deityjester
On pushsquare there are so many goody-twoshoes who were told that TLOU2 was great so they internalized it and shat on anyone who preferred Days Gone. But the truth is that Days Gone was a masterpiece shot down by media and their little fanboys.
Now, their resolve is all but gone and Days Gone's legacy matches any game on PS4. This is the exact opposite of what these whimps were saying at the time. I'd take the fight to their doorstep any day, and I'll be the one knocking✊
If SONY is awake, they'd know that Days Gone has to get a sequel.
I played days gone and spiderman back to back and i had way more fun with days gone.
Shame it doesnt come back, would have loved a sequel
Days Gone a 'masterpiece'? Those are some very low standards.
So... They're making a cooking game?
I have absolutely no faith in their judgement at all. Days Gone was a great game and a sequel would've been well received, but they called it a failure and ditched it.
@EfYI I don't recall any of that happening. Days Gone was great as was TLOU2.
Except the cringe line about riding all day long, but, yeah, Deacon was cool. The game mechanics were good. I ended up getting the platinum and having a blast.
TLOU2 is amazingly beautiful, tense, and Metal Gear in how it stalks its prey, yes. And then it flips when the monsters are alerted, both men and dead by the way. That's why they HAVE to fold their work on multiplayer into a release sometime in the future.
But I prefer the story of Days Gone especially because you are like a detective finding out what's happening in the world around you. Going into a nest is terrifying. I remember having to go into some natural caves, that was intense.
@AndroidBango
I highly doubt your credibility. Who are you to tell me otherwise? Age, level of education, etc!? This comment always scares away the crows, so I know you won't answer.
Of course, at the end of the day it's subjective, but I had SO MUCH fun that I throw the label of masterpiece on to this.
@EfYI Been playing video games for nearly 40 years, have a PhD. Bit of a strange question, but there you go.
Days Gone is by no means a bad game - it's just alright and has its occasional moment, but is let down by profoundly bad character writing and generic open world gameplay. Plus any game with forced insta-fail stealth sections can just get stuffed.
'Masterpiece' implies to me an era-defining game, one of the best of all time, whereas I find Days Gone instantly forgettable.
Ah, I see you are both a gentleman and a scholar. I sense, however, you are of the the technical pedigree. But I digress and I have to say "No, sir."
Only a seminal game implies that - making it a pinnacle of the art form. A masterpiece simply means that it is masterfully constructed and holds a special place for enough consumers of art. There can be no doubt that subjectively it can be revered and refuted at the same time whilst still living up to that label.
A masterpiece of technical merit it is, in my opinion, and to some it is a very, very satisfying story that fits the mold of what many seek in playing games (a blockbuster, but not an absolute highlight of narratological skill, perhaps).
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