Dying Light Reviews
A small improvement on Dead Island, but there's still barely anything that either works as well as advertised or is isn't just stolen wholesale from other, better, games.
The zombie is the perfect antagonist for this kind of interactive delusion, always justifying new abandonments by threatening another victim, a cycle which goes on until the entire world has been infected and stands in the streets, needed by no one, and with nothing left to want.
Fans of zombie survival, open worlds, and first-person shooters will find things to enjoy in Dying Light, but it's a rough ride. The contextual movement and realistic time progression suggest that Techland wants to immerse you in Harran's apocalyptic plight, but the game's realism takes a hit at almost every turn whether it's the graphics, the enemy AI, or the mannequin-like demeanor of the souls you'll attempt to save. Jumping around and smacking zombies is fun, but we're hoping whatever comes next focuses more on realistic living people than realistic dead ones.
Unfortunately, Techland is still unable to deliver a story worth telling. I didn't feel any emotional attachment to any of the characters, nor did I care if they ended up surviving or not. The addition of an overall weapon durability was also something I could have done without as I prefer to cut down my enemies without having to worry whether or not my weapons will disintegrate in my hands.
Although a sound game, Dying Light just falls short of greatness. Compared to its predecessors it looks stunning and has picked up a raft of new and interesting ideas. Several hours in, however, and a familiar sense of fatigue will inevitably set in. Unless roaming Harran with friends in tow, Dying Light isn't one of those games you can comfortably sit and play for hours on end. Zombie enthusiasts are still in for a treat though, as well as anyone looking for an unconventional first person action game.
Overall, my time with Dying Light has been incredibly exhilarating and entertaining. The ability to play with friends, but still improve my character without having to worry about losing out on any progress I have earned keeps me coming back for more and more. Tying this into a wonderfully designed climbing system, combat system and crafting system, Dying Light is easily going to be one of my favorite games of 2015.
It's gory as all get out and pretty intense, but you'll probably forget all that round about the 50th time you plunge to your death from a bad jump
A more polished and focused game than their previous effort in open world zombie games, Techland marries graceful parkour and chaotic combat in this sandbox scavenger's fever dream.
Parkour. Open world. Zombies. Online co-op. Crafting. Radio towers. Zombies. Collect-a-thons. Zombies. Zombies. Dying Light desperately tries to be all of the videogames in a bid to impress everybody. If only it had tried as hard to be its own thing, we'd have had an amazing horror game on our hands. Instead, we just have another indistinct jack-of-all-trades to throw on top of the ever growing pile.
Dying Light is Techland's best and most ambitious title to date.
What you do get, though, is a zombie scenario which is entirely plausible and believable and that, in itself, takes Dying Light to a higher plane, reaching toward the role-playing depth of State of Decay and the sheer nastiness of DayZ. Factor in the giant sandbox of a huge city, and the end result is a scarily immersive experience.
Techland's open-world horror can be scrappy in places, but its parkour-inspired zombie hunting is tense, moreish and engaging.
With Dying Light, Techland has most certainly improved on Dead Island's melee-focused, open-world formula, but it still hasn't perfected it. Improved enemies and better navigation mean that while the journey from A to B and back again is more exciting this time around, it's a trip you'll be making far too frequently.
Dying Light is a thrill to play for any zombie enthusiast or someone who simply loves Shaun of The Dead without the comedy. It is a title which will leave you wanting more for good reason, and even though it falls short in aspects, it is a fun and solid zombie apocalyptic game.
Dying Light is a really enjoyable game. The atmosphere is absolutely spot on and the game world is a joy to traverse with your parkour skills. It has issues with its mission structure and confusion in the direction of its protagonist, but you'll likely be having too much fun to care.
Dying Light starts out disappointing, but once you allow its brand of undead action to circulate your bloodstream, it can be difficult to put down. The storytelling is expectedly lacklustre, but with some 40 hours' worth of quests to complete, this is the type of title that's made for kicking back in co-op and culling corpses to your heart's content. The best thing about it, though, is that it gets better as the time flies by.
I could go on further about all the reasons why I love Dying Light, but I'll leave you on this note. I can say, without a doubt in my mind, Dying Light is one of the best zombie games ever made.
Techland has shown us that they've learned from their past experience with the Dead Island series and given us the first stand out title of 2015.
If you're a Dead Island enthusiast, zombie addict, or free running connoisseur, Dying Light is the game for you. Its parkour is addicting and the way it eases your character into power is something other games can learn from. But if you're looking for a story that isn't frustrating, weapons that don't break after ten swings, and basically anything else that makes a game great, you're better off keeping your wallet in your pocket.