“Dying Light” aims to, among other things, simulate being eaten by zombies for you in full HD. It’s a first person shooter, which immerses you in the world more than a third person or an isometric view. This lends a more cinematic, visceral feel to the game as a whole.
You’d think this would make the game scary. Sure, if you’re not used to zombie games. But if you are, then you’ll likely shrug off the slow, shambling default zombies that have overrun practically the entire city of Harran, the setting for the game. This is true during the day. Night, however, is a different story.
When night finally arrives, it’s a harrowing experience. The game harkens back to the survival horror of the old days, much like the first “Resident Evil,” where you’re scrambling around nearly blind in the dark with only your flashlight as a companion. The sound department did an excellent job making the game genuinely scary. All the screams, groans and indescribable sounds are more frightening when you’re virtually ensconced in darkness.
Another thing “Dying Light” has going for it is the story. You play as Kyle Crane, an operative for Global Relief Effort, who is sent into Harran to find a GRE agent who has gone rogue. At first, Crane seems like the typical action hero, but you learn this is a man who is morally conflicted by the mission at hand. The GRE winds up being a villain of sorts, but more of a minor one.
The main villain, who provides unintentional comic relief throughout, is Rais. He’s a typical, insane, over-the-top ‘supreme ruler’ type, whom Crane is forced to work with.
Unfortunately, the rest of the game tends to be difficult and frustrating. The parkour element, which features prominently throughout the game, devolves into annoying bits of platform-style jumping, where if you miss a jump, you’re backtracking a long way. Either that, or you’re dead due to the fact that you’re probably climbing a tall building, and it’s almost impossible to grab something on the way down.
This game was obviously supposed to be a mix between “Assassin’s Creed” and “Dead Island,” which isn’t a surprise since “Dying Light” and “Dead Island” were made by the same developers, Techland. Unfortunately, it ends up being a tad difficult at times and downright tedious at others.
