Summary

  • Days Gone director John Garvin disapproves of PlayStation's 30th anniversary trailer for omitting Bend Studio's games.
  • Well-known Bend Studio franchises like Syphon Filter and Days Gone are entirely missing from the tribute trailer.

Days Gone writer and director John Garvin has complained about PlayStation's 30th anniversary celebration video leaving out games developed by Bend Studio. The recently-released video is just over two minutes long and pays tribute to several PlayStation characters and franchises, including some from third-party developers, but Bend Studio games like Syphon Filter and Days Gone were oddly overlooked.

Despite facing a myriad of technical issues and lukewarm critical reception at launch, Days Gone carved out a sizable fanbase for itself in the five years it's been on the market. However, reports of internal turbulence at Bend Studio ultimately led to the cancelation of a Days Gone sequel a few years ago, and the team is currently focussing its efforts on a brand-new IP. Days Gone fans continue to rally for the shelved sequel to this day, and director John Garvin, who exited Bend Studio in 2020, apparently isn't very happy with the cancelation either.

Deacon St. John on his motorcycle in Days Gone
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Garvin has attracted notoriety in recent years for his somewhat displeased stance against Sony, with the Days Gone director even lambasting an Astro Bot cameo of Deacon St. John, the protagonist of Days Gone. Now, Garvin has yet again taken to social media to express discontentment over the absence of Bend Studio's contributions in PlayStation's 30th anniversary tribute video. In a recent post uploaded to Twitter, Garvin parodied the trailer's numerous "It's About..." Taglines with an "It's about...ignoring Bend Studio" remark.

Days Gone Director Upset Over Missing Bend Studio Representation in PlayStation Anniversary Trailer

The former Bend Studio director then said that the 30th anniversary trailer makes no acknowledgment of Syphon Filter and Days Gone, making it seem as if they "never happened." The omission of Bend Studio's two most prominent franchises is quite bizarre, especially since the team has been under Sony's ownership for decades. The Syphon Filter franchise may have been dormant for a long time, but so have Resistance, Infamous, and Twisted Metal, and they were all featured in the trailer. Therefore, Syphon Filter could've slotted in with these legacy PlayStation franchises and honored Bend Studio in the process.

On the other hand, both Sony and Bend Studio have somewhat distanced themselves from Days Gone and John Garvin in recent years, so the game's exclusion from the trailer might be a result of that decision. Still, Syphon Filter was deserving of consideration at the very least for a spot in PlayStation's 30th anniversary festivities, and the reasons behind its omission may never be known.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Days Gone Tag Page Cover Art
8 /10

Days Gone
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Open-World
Action
Adventure
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1
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Top Critic Avg: 72 /100 Critics Rec: 54%
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Released
April 26, 2019
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
Developer(s)
Bend Studio
Publisher(s)
Sony
Engine
Unreal Engine 4
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WHERE TO PLAY

SUBSCRIPTION
DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Days Gone is an open-world action-adventure game set in a harsh wilderness two years after a devastating global pandemic. Play as Deacon St. John, a drifter and bounty hunter who rides the broken road, fighting to survive while searching for a reason to live.

Harsh Open World: Using the power of PlayStation 4 and Unreal Engine 4, Days Gone offers an incredibly realistic and detailed open-world experience. Immerse yourself in vast and hostile environments, and explore their secrets. Search abandoned vehicles, houses, truck stops and towns as you scavenge for resources. But be careful— day and night cycles, along with dynamic weather systems, all affect gameplay and enemy behavior.

Brutal Sandbox Combat: Perfect your gameplay with an endless combination of strategy and play in every situation. Craft customized items using pieces and parts found in the field, from brutal melee weapons to traps and more. Act wisely, as every choice can be the difference between life and death.

Platform(s)
PC, PlayStation 4
How Long To Beat
36 Hours
PS Plus Availability
Extra & Premium
OpenCritic Rating
Fair