Dying Light

I have played a ton of zombie games in my time, but few have hooked me like Dying Light did. This is a game that felt like it was in development forever. Some folks were even convinced that Dying Light was some kind of sequel to the Dead Island series of games. It may not be that, but I can tell you that Dying Light is one of the more intense FPS zombie games I have played.

Let Me Tell You A Tale

The weakest point of Dying Light for me is the story. Let’s face it there are only so many ways that a zombie outbreak can happen and we have had so many movies and games at this point it is hard to tell a super original zombie story. To be fair to Dying Light though while the actual story may not be super interesting. I do feel that it gives you enough information to let you know that this is a messed-up world, the zombie outbreak is getting worse and survival is only going to get harder and harder. In that regard the story is fine, but you are certainly not getting anything like Resident Evil or The Last of Us here.

Check Out These Moves

What made me really excited in the months leading up to Dying Light on the PC coming out was the parkour mechanics. This is a game where you play as a character that is very nimble on their feet. As a result, you can run on walls, pull your self up quickly, make cool jumps and you even have a grappling hook that allows you to zip around. Being able to move quickly is a huge part of what makes Dying Light so much fun. Many times, you will find that you will avoid the undead rather than engaging them in battle.

Watch Out For The Dark

Dying Light has one of the most interesting day and night cycles of any game I have played. During the day you need to go out and scavenge for supplies that can make your weapons and make sure you have other items to progress. The zombies during the day are more docile and easily managed. You will find that you can get around them quite easily and they are only super dangerous when there are a lot of them.

Then at night, all hell breaks loose! The Zombies become super strong, nearly as fast as you are and much more alert. Going out at night before you are level 8 is sure to end up in your death! They do not mess around and you will have to sneak around, use distractions and just pray that you do not get caught. It is very tense stuff and it is awesome!

Smack Them In The Head

Dying Light is all about melee combat and there are over 100 different items that you can use to take the undead down. These weapons are not going to last forever so you need to keep an eye on them as having them break in the middle of a fight is a nightmare, especially if it is at night! You can fix up your weapons and if you have the right resources you can actually craft better and more powerful weapons. This to me was always the incentive to go and explore that little bit further in the hope that I would find something that will help me out.

Zombie Slaying With Friends

I have had fun playing Dying Light on my own, but it is an absolute blast when you team up with some friends. Also, when you play with friends it makes you work as a team as you can coordinate attacks on the zombies. You can actually play through the whole campaign in co-op and I think that is really cool. What is kind of cool is that when you venture out at night as a team, you do have more chance of survival thanks to your numbers. However, it is also a lot easier for you guys to be seen and to make noise, alerting the zombies to where you are.

Pros:

• The parkour is fantastic
• There are lots of possibilities when it comes to weapons
• The day and night cycle is very well done
• The presentation is good
• Zombies are scary when they are chasing you

Cons:

• The game is super hard when you are low level
• The story is not that great

When it comes to zombie games, Dying Light really does a lot to stand out from the rest of the crowd. While it may have taken forever to come out (and the sequel is the same) it really impressed a lot of people. If you want a zombie first person shooter that kicks the intensity up to 10, Dying Light is the game for you.

The Story

I actually like what they did with the story in Dying Light. While it may not win any awards or anything like that. It does a good job of setting up this zombie apocalypse. Also, I really like the way it gets across the point that survival in this world is super tough and it is only ever going to get harder!

The Presentation

I really like the art direction of Dying Light. It is very easy to look at this game and say that it looks just like every other game set in a zombie apocalypse. However, I love the detail they crafted in this decently sized open world. Not just that, but the lighting effects when day turns to night and you see the shadows of the Zombies that want to have you for lunch are very well done.

The Gameplay

Dying Light is well known for its quick-paced gameplay. Parkour is what this game is all about and you are able to nip around the map very quickly. Wall running and being able to pull yourself up a ledge quickly make getting around the city a lot of fun. You even have this hook shot type thing that lets you zip around like you are freaking Batman! Getting the hang of the controls is absolutely essential and it can take some time. However, once you get the controls down, Dying Light becomes a real blast to play… except at night! You see there is a day and night cycle in this game and it is actually a huge part of the gameplay.

During the day you can go out and get new items, parts and so on. These can be used to make new weapons and items, not to mention move the story along. Zombies are around during the day, but they are manageable. At night, however, the zombies go insane and will hunt you down with speed and focus! Going out at night before you are comfortable with the controls or even at a decent level is a mistake! The combat is very satisfying and Dying Light has a heavy emphasis on smashing zombies in the face with stuff. You have many weapons that you can craft and they have a limited shelf life. They will break down on you and having a spare on you, especially at night is something that I always highly recommend that you have.

The leveling up does happen at a rather slow pace and in the early parts of the game, especially at night, the difficulty can be brutal. I can see some people being turned off by this and giving up on the game before they see what it is all really about. Another thing that is great about Dying Light is the way you can play with friends. I played the game on my own, but then when I played with one of my friends, we had an absolute blast. Working together to get items and take down zombies really is a lot of fun.

Final Thoughts On Dying Light

I really enjoy Dying Light and cannot wait for the sequel! The game has a really fun and well-designed world for you to play in and I love how it does not hold your hand. Dying Light can be brutally tough, but I also feel that it is a very rewarding experience and the more you play and put into it. The more you are ultimately going to get out of it.

Final Score: 8/10

Pros:

• Running and zipping around the city is great
• I really like the day and night cycle
• Plenty of weapons that you can kill zombies with
• The story is actually better than people say
• Your heart is certainly pumping when being chased at night!

Cons:

• It is a very challenging game early on
• I can see some people quitting before they really see what this has to offer