Skip to main content
Oregon is a lovely place for an apocalypse.
Released in April 2019, Bend Studio's Days Gone is a dystopian adventure set in our own backyard. It was the company's most ambitious game in its 26-year history—and given the hype that greeted it when it eventually arrived on PlayStation 4, perhaps the most significant game ever to come out of an Oregon studio.
Until recently, the studio's legacy lay in the Syphon Filter games, a series of third-person shooters that began on the original PlayStation. Its work on Bubsy 3D, a game often ranked as among the worst of all time, also made it a trivia regular.
Reaction to Days Gone fell somewhere in between. Reviews were middling—critics found the narrative meandering and the gameplay derivative. But that didn't stop it from becoming a hit: Its first-week sales in North America represented the seventh-highest debut for a Sony-published title, and the game topped sales charts in the United Kingdom and Japan.
And despite the mixed reviews, one element of the game was universally praised: its expansive, naturalistic depiction of Oregon's wilderness.
Should you choose to step into Bend Studio's world for yourself, here are some real life landmarks to look out for.
Marion Forks
WHAT IS IT?
A small, inconspicuous town on Highway 22.
WHEN DOES IT APPEAR?
Marion Forks can be visited as soon as the tutorial concludes, but the story of Days Gone doesn't bring players there until partway through the first act, when Deacon, the protagonist, goes there to rescue a girl holed up in her family's old house.
WHAT HAPPENS THERE?
Deacon first encounters Marion Forks when the leader of a refugee camp near Three Fingered Jack sends him there to deal with "Freakers," the game's version of zombies, and rescue the girl trapped in the town.
WATCH OUT FOR:
Freakers nesting in the ruins of Marion Forks are the first threat to handle, but the sleepy town also contains a bear and gun-toting "Rippers," murderous bandits from the Rest in Peace Cult who roam the wilderness.
Diamond Lake
WHAT IS IT?
A body of water just north of Crater Lake National Park. In the game, it's the staging ground for the Deschutes County Militia, a paramilitary organization dedicated to reclaiming civilization. Mount Thielsen can be seen on the horizon.
WHEN DOES IT APPEAR?
Diamond Lake Camp isn't accessible until the game's third act. When it finally becomes available, it brings with it some of the best motorcycle parts and upgrades the game has to offer.
WHAT HAPPENS THERE?
When crossing the mountain range that divides the map of Days Gone in two, Deacon gets caught up in saving a group of men from a "Rager"—the game's name for an ultrastrong, infected bear—and the chance encounter leads him to the encampment where he is introduced to the captain of the Deschutes County Militia.
WATCH OUT FOR:
The Rager outside Diamond Lake is exceedingly dangerous—though, thankfully, need be fought only once.
Three Fingered Jack
WHAT IS IT?
A famous volcanic mountain in the Cascades. Its digital counterpart is smaller, but the iconic shape is recognizable to anyone who has seen the real thing.
WHEN DOES IT APPEAR?
Three Fingered Jack figures into the game's narrative quickly. The work camp at its base, built around a fictional hot springs heated by the mountain's volcanic properties, is one of two locations early in the game where players often stock up on supplies and weaponry.
WHAT HAPPENS THERE?
The camp at the mountain's base is the scene of many events during the game's first act. Deacon takes jobs from Tucker, a former prison warden who works the camp's residents to the bone in exchange for granting them safety and who first sends players to Marion Forks.
WATCH OUT FOR:
Immediately outside the safety of the gates is a town full of Freaker nests. If players draw too much attention without first clearing the area, the sheer number of enemies that converge can be overwhelming. The region also holds several camps of bandits, who leave deadly traps in the high desert surrounding the mountain unless killed.
The Cascade Mountains
WHAT IS IT?
Mounts Bachelor, Thielsen, Jefferson and Washington all appear in Days Gone by name, forming a barrier between the northern and southern ends of the map. The mountain range can be seen on the horizon throughout the game.
WHEN DOES IT APPEAR?
In later acts of the game, Deacon rides south to seek out an old friend, and players are allowed to cross the Cascade Range. Though there are many locations and things to find among the snowy peaks, the area initially exists mainly as an obstacle to be crossed on the way to Diamond Lake.
WHAT HAPPENS THERE?
The battle with the previously mentioned Rager occurs in the Cascade Range as players venture south. Lots of side content is hidden in the mountain range as the story quickly progresses away from the peaks and toward Crater Lake.
WATCH OUT FOR:
The Rager, of course. More broadly, this is where players get their first real taste of the map's southern region, which is the scene of much of the game's toughest combat.
Crater Lake
WHAT IS IT?
One of Oregon's most recognizable landmarks, not just for its beauty but also the scale of its topography. The re-creation in Days Gone is suitably massive, taking up a large chunk of the game's southern region. Players can even visit Wizard Island by crossing one of two bridges.
WHEN DOES IT APPEAR?
Crater Lake is one of the most important locations in the narrative of Days Gone, though players hear about it long before they're allowed to visit.
WHAT HAPPENS THERE?
Without spoiling too much, the game's largest and most complex encampment is situated within Wizard Island: the headquarters of the Deschutes County Militia. It's where players meet Colonel Garret, who's in charge of the group, leading its mission to secure the area and rebuild civilization.
WATCH OUT FOR:
Marauders, Rippers, Ragers and overwhelmingly large hordes of Freakers who roam the areas surrounding Crater Lake. This is where the game throws its strongest punches, but where the most powerful weapons also become available. Any more details would ruin the fun.
SuperGenius Is a Small Company With Big Clients. Just Don't Ask About Them.
A Tour of Post-Apocalyptic Oregon in "Days Gone," the State's Biggest Video Game Release Yet