Sony's 2019 action-adventure survival-horror game Days Gone was met with a mixed reception upon its exclusive PlayStation 4 release. Since then, it has been the topic of much debate over just how good (or bad) it actually is. Unfortunately for fans hoping for more, Bloomberg recently broke the news that a sequel won't be happening given the original's protracted development and the aforementioned lukewarm reviews.
That hasn't stopped almost 80,000 people signing a petition demanding a sequel, though. Those who have played the open-world game will be familiar with its protagonist, the bombastically named Deacon St. John. Voiced and motion-captured by Sam Witwer, the gruff biker has been one of the most divisive elements of the game.
For one, Deek (as those close to Deacon call him) barely stops talking. For a character that goes to great lengths to display just how rugged he is, he is alarmingly verbose. Players could be creeping through an enemy camp, plotting their route of attack, when Deacon starts muttering (sometimes yelling) to himself about how much he hates the people he's about to slaughter. Not only does this break the immersion, as there's no way these enemies wouldn’t be able to hear him if this were a real scenario, but it's also a real buzzkill.
Deacon hates just about every aspect of the post-apocalyptic Oregon landscape he traverses on his motorcycle, and he makes sure the player knows it. For many players, this negativity doesn't serve as an interesting character wrinkle, but rather a drag on the experience as a whole. It's not much fun to play as a character who is unwaveringly annoyed, no matter what situation they're in. Add to that the fact that some of his dialogue (both in cutscenes and gameplay) is downright silly, and it's easy to see why Deacon is hard to take seriously despite his military background and talent for taking down Freakers.
In this cutthroat world, Deacon also crosses plenty of ethical lines. This isn't inherently an issue -- just look at Joel from The Last of Us -- but some of Deacon's decisions during the story make little sense. The game force-feeds you the notion that Deacon is a good guy who will save those in need and follows some sort of moral code, yet he'll also kill a tortured woman and give an addict a lethal overdose. A ruthless penchant for violence is a necessity in the world of Days Gone, but these decisions cross a line and don't sit well with a lot of players.
Still, there are Days Gone fans who love Deek and would like to see more of him in a sequel. They point to his nonsensical barking in the heat of combat and while on the road alone as a potential symptom of PTSD caused by both his military service and psychological scars from fighting to survive in an unforgiving world ravaged by Freakers and murderous tribes.
Throughout the game, Deacon's motivation is to learn what happened to his wife, Sarah, who he thought had died after he shipped her off on a helicopter on the night of the outbreak years earlier. That’s an undeniably noble cause, and it's a reason some fans are so endeared to him. Deacon St. John is an imperfect character in a warped world, with fascinating elements that are undercut by underdeveloped facets. This makes it all the more disappointing that Days Gone 2 isn't happening, as a sequel would have been a perfect opportunity to flesh him out and make him less divisive.
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