I ran as soon as the high-pitched shriek split the night sky, knowing I would only have a moment's head start. It's one thing to take on a few Biters, but the Volatiles that emerge after dark should not be faced head on. The roar meant I was spotted, and the grunting and clamoring behind me was growing louder with every second. The soft blue glow of the UV lamps around the safe house up ahead beckoned me onward as my energy ran low, a race unfolding against both myself and the undead nightmare close behind.
With only twenty meters to go, I swiveled my head back to see how much ground my pursuers needed to cover. Two muscle-bound creatures were only a few paces behind, but the walls of the safe house were approaching quickly. One claw suddenly raked across my back, causing me to stumble but not knocking me off my stride. With weakened hands I hoisted myself onto the roof of a hovel, then leapt fluidly onto the adjacent wall of the compound. The Volatiles halted their run at the burning light of the UV fixtures, screaming in protest before disappearing back into the night.
***
Dying Light is an open world survival-horror game set in the contained, zombie-infested Middle Eastern city of Harran. You play as Kyle Crane, a contractor hired by the GRE to recover a file from within the city's quarantined walls. As you may expect, the plan goes off the rails quickly once you're airdropped inside, and you begin to learn that your mission is not quite what it appeared.
This is developer Techland's second take on a zombie action franchise, having released Dead Island in 2011 to decidedly mixed reception. The game, in the end, did not live up to its billing or expectations, though its general framework allowed for some good moments. This isn't a review of the last generation title, but of its spiritual evolution: Dying Light is a much better, expertly designed game that succeeds in almost every area in which Dead Island fell short. It comes off as the game Techland was aiming to make the first time around, and is simply a lot of fun to play.
Dying Light will last you dozens of hours, offering challenges scattered around the map to supplement the already lengthy main story and side quests. You'll often be challenged to hack or shoot a certain number of zombies within a time limit, or perform a series of timed stunts. These are fun distractions, and the combat-related games allow you to let loose on huge hordes with strong weapons. There's also a competitive multiplayer mode, Be The Zombie, which was originally planned as paid DLC. You can drop in on anyone's singleplayer campaign if their game is open as a Hunter zombie, which combines several Left 4 Dead-like powers. Other survivors can join the opposing team, and it's your job as the Hunter to stop them from destroying several zombie nests. It's a fun alternative to the main game, and swinging from rooftops (using similar controls to the web-slinging in Spider-man titles) before pouncing on survivors below is very satisfying.
Dying Light is a (perhaps surprisingly) well-designed game, with greater depth found in its individual parts than you might have expected. It's easy to be dismissive at first glance--some might say it's just a new Dead Island, or it's only uninspired zombie hacking--but clear consideration went into creating something that feels new, and fun. I genuinely enjoy spending time in its world, which looks good visually and is complemented by a fitting, eerie score and great sound design. The story is predictable, and the main villain disappointingly insane, but it's still enjoyable trappings for an open world game. On the back of its great free-running and satisfying melee combat, Dying Light provides a refreshing experience that betters the majority of its zombie contemporaries.
***
Dying Light was reviewed on the PlayStation 4 via a code provided by Techland. It's also currently available on PC and Xbox One.
