Days Gone has struggled to gain the kind of mainstream buzz I’m sure Sony is hoping for, considering it’s from Sony Bend and was given a few big E3 demo slots.

Being yet another third-person action survival with zombies doesn’t help. Sure The Last of Us is in the same camp, but the phenomenal story-telling Naughty Dog is known for, elevated Joel and Ellie’s story to the stuff of legend.

Days Gone’s generic bikers still haven’t managed to hook an audience in a meaningful way.

If the last E3 demo didn’t kickstart your crotch rocket, maybe this alternate playthrough of that demo portion will. It’s a very different approach and may interest fans of much more subtle gameplay.

This demo was originally shown behind closed doors at E3 to games media, away from the filthy masses and their greasy fingers.

Days Gone writer/director and the main protagonist’s voice actor lead us through the video, focusing on weather and daytime changes to gameplay. For instance, in the day, there will be less zombies. That’s pretty handy if you’re against having your brains eaten. The weather will affect your motorcycle’s handling and even the patterns of animals.

This version of the demo shows Mr Hero sneak up on the baddies, taking them out with brutal stealth kills that Manhunt would be proud of. The main actor (voice and mo-cap) mentioned the initial physicality was much different. He likened it to Kurt Russell two-hand punching, before Bend took it in a much more realistic and vicious style.

The stealth/action looks solid, but there’s still very little revealed in the way of character interaction. As of now, it’s tough to get a read on the emotional core of the story. However, if you think story just gets in the way of brutally massacring bad guys camping, you might not be concerned in the slightest.

This demo was a nice step forward, but many gamers will still need to see more heart and personality. With so many huge games coming up in the next year, Days Gone could find itself lost in the shuffle if it doesn’t find a way to stand out.

What do YOU think?