Overall: Days Gone takes quite awhile to hit its groove and some players won't have the patience, but if you stick it out the investment pays off. Better than the sum of its parts.

Pros: Characters are initially off-putting but have great development throughout the narrative, solid third person shooter gameplay; second half of the narrative is really strong, wealth of content to keep players busy.

Cons: Narrative takes too long to hit its stride, script and voice acting is hit or miss, side missions can get repetitive, some mechanics are annoying (such as constantly needing to refuel to fast travel the open world).