Days Gone Remastered leaves fans wondering - where's the upgrade?

During Wednesday's PlayStation State of Play, Sony announced that Day's Gone, the survival action thriller released in 2016, would receive a remastered release dropping April 25, 2025.

Early reactions to the project are lukewarm. A video posted by Cycu1 on YouTube provided a side-by-side graphics comparison of the two titles, comparing footage from the original's PC version with trailer footage of Days Gone Remastered (running on the PS5 Pro).

As you can see in the video, it isn't easy to differentiate the two. The textures, lighting, and shadows appear largely the same. The original PC version even outperforms PS5 Pro in some areas. It's important to preface that the PC footage runs on an NVIDIA RTX 4080, quite a step up from the hardware that powers the PS5. Despite this, it's somewhat concerning that a remaster of a 6-year-old title is still being outperformed by its original counterpart.

7

(Credit: Cycu1)

Threads on Reddit and discussions on X also highlighted the lack of difference, with users commenting:

"Why is Sony constantly remastering games that haven't even begun to look dated yet?", a user wrote.

"Where is the remaster?" another wrote

An X poll also compared the versions, with a sample of 6,000 users showing that 75% have no plans to buy or upgrade from the PS4 base version.

The State of Play showcased emphasized that the PlayStation 5 version will bring the title to 'new life' with improved graphical fidelity, extended foliage draw distance, and enhanced shadow and lighting quality.

Days Gone Remastered will also introduce new features, including improved accessibility options, the Horde Assault survival mode, permadeath mode, and an upgraded photo mode. On the technical side, players can expect 3D audio, VRR support, and new quality and performance modes.

7

(Credit: Cycu1)

While these upgrades are welcome, they raise the question - does this justify a paid release? Sony has repeatedly remastered last-gen titles like Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut, The Last of Us Part I & II, Spider-Man: Remastered, and Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered. While remakes like The Last of Us Part I & II involve significant work, many of these projects feel more like minor refinements than genuine overhauls.

Days Gone Remastered will launch at $49.99 USD, close to full retail price. Existing owners can upgrade for $10 USD, and Sony is offering pre-order bonuses to encourage early purchases.

So, what do you think - does this upgrade justify the price?

Edit (Feb 17, 2025): Added X discussion and results from an X poll for context on player sentiment.

• Read more: GTA 5's ex-lead just revealed a new game-fans are calling it '2077'
• Read more: 'Hapunan' - Why this Filipino horror game about selling duck eggs is going viral
• Read more: Until Dawn meets The Thing in latest State of Play reveal trailer