24.0 hours played
Written 3 days ago
When Dying Light dropped in 2015, it didn’t just breathe new (undead) life into the zombie genre—it sprinted, climbed, and dropkicked its way to cult status. Developed by Techland, the game blended parkour mobility with gritty survival mechanics, creating one of the most distinctive and memorable open-world action games of its generation.
At the heart of Dying Light is its free-running system—and it’s still one of the best in any game. Traversing the quarantined city of Harran is fluid, empowering, and downright exhilarating. Scaling rooftops, vaulting fences, and ziplining across ruined buildings turns what could’ve been standard zombie fare into a kinetic thrill ride.
Combat is primarily melee-focused, and it’s brutal in the best way. Swinging a modified wrench into a zombie’s face has weight and consequence. As you progress, the weapon mod system lets you turn everyday objects into electrified death-dealers, adding personality and creativity to every fight.
But what really sets the gameplay apart is the day-night cycle. During the day, you're predator. At night, you're prey. Volatiles—fast, deadly monsters—emerge in the dark, forcing you to rethink movement and hide more than fight. It adds a layer of tension that elevates the whole experience.
The plot? Serviceable. You play Kyle Crane, an undercover agent dropped into a zombie-infested quarantine zone to retrieve sensitive data. What follows is a mix of political intrigue, betrayal, and survivalism. While the narrative doesn’t break new ground, it does enough to move things forward, and it occasionally surprises with emotional weight and strong side characters like Rais and Jade.
Where Dying Light excels is in atmosphere. Harran feels alive in its decay—half-urban slum, half-wartorn disaster zone. The ambient sounds, eerie radio chatter, and distant screams give the world a tangible sense of dread.
Character progression is split between three skill trees—Agility, Power, and Survival. This system encourages you to diversify your playstyle and rewards both exploration and combat. Whether you're unlocking new parkour moves, crafting fire traps, or enhancing your combat finishers, the growth feels steady and satisfying.
Crafting is a huge part of the loop, and it walks a fine line between depth and convenience. Scavenging for supplies feels essential, not tedious, and the sheer number of weapon blueprints keeps things fresh.
Dying Light shines in co-op. Up to four players can explore, fight, and complete missions together, turning survival horror into a shared adrenaline rush. The optional PvP mode, Be the Zombie, lets players invade others' games as a deadly night hunter—a brilliant, if underutilized, twist on standard multiplayer.
At launch, Dying Light had its share of technical hiccups, but over time, Techland delivered consistent updates, content drops, and performance improvements. By the time The Following expansion rolled out, the game felt like a complete package—expanded map, vehicles, new storylines, and deeper lore.
Dying Light is more than just another zombie game—it’s a tense, agile, open-world survival experience that rewards movement as much as mayhem. It stumbles occasionally in storytelling and mission design, but its core loop of parkour, crafting, and high-stakes nighttime exploration remains addictively compelling.
Years later, it still stands tall (and climbs higher) among its undead peers. If you’ve ever wanted to dropkick a zombie off a rooftop in the middle of a sunset, Dying Light is your perfect playground.
Rating: 9/10