By: Gavin Childers
Zombies- the go to archetype when it comes to anything horror related. The idea of the dead coming to life has been used and reused since it was originally introduced in Victor Halperin’s White Zombie, the pioneer zombie film. I consider myself a huge zombie buff, however, I cannot lie the never ending Zerg Rush of low quality zombie themed cash grabs had begun to wear on me. Therefore when Dying Light was first released, hearing little about the game during its development, I admit I wasn’t expecting much. “Just another zombie game,” I thought, “to be forgotten along failures The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct and War Z.” However, I was gravely wrong, Dying Light, an innovative first person open world survival horror game, is a refreshing introduction to the Zombie Universe.
Players take the role of Kyle Crane, an undercover agent. Smith was sent into the quarantined city of Harran, a place where a viral plague has turned most of the population into violent, flesh-eating monsters. You are tasked with locating rouge politician Kadir “Rais” Suleiman, as Suleiman possesses a file that, if in the hands of the wrong person, could be the downfall of Crane’s agency. Once in Harran, however, Crane finds himself struggling to decide whether to continue his mission or to help the survivors in Harran struggling to survive in the crumbling ruins of their city.
Dying Light is a genuinely scary experience. It features a dynamic day/night cycle which alters the gameplay depending on the time of day. In the day the infected may be dangerous, however, during the night, they are much more menacing. This is because when the sun goes down, the Volatiles come out. These are a rare variant of zombie, stronger, faster, but intolerant to UV light. Fighting them is challenging. Another option is to sneak around them, or once discovered, to run away.
When it comes to running, there is more to it than just hold R3 to sprint, as Dying Light boasts an entertaining free-running element. Players are encouraged to take advantage of the average infected’s inability to climb by traversing Harran by way of parkour. Rather than walking from place to place, players have the ability to jump along rooftops, cars, bridges, and anything else that can be climbed. However, when a player is forced to confront the infected, the melee driven combat system makes it a blast.
While Dying Light does offer a number of firearms, the main focus is on melee based combat. Players use things like wrenches, table legs, bats, and batons and even kicks to fight infected in close quarters combat. Players have to be careful to aim their blows for the head of the zombie, as little else is effective. Much like Dead Island, player’s weapons decay with use, and you will find yourself constantly repairing your favorite weapons. This mechanic is a bit annoying, however it does little to subtract from the overall experience of the game.
All in all, I really enjoyed my time with the game. Taking advantage of the Co-op game play I was able to complete the story line rather quickly. Joined by friends Zane Rimmer, Cole Hray, and Jack Burkett, I successfully survived my stay in Harran.
8 Zombies out of 10
Filed under: gaming Tagged: Dying Light, gaming, ps4, zombies Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
