You could become a scavenger, sneaking through buildings to find junk that can be transformed into deadly weapons, or you might enjoy exploring the rooftops, and trying to gain access to the secluded and secure nooks and crannies of the world. As soon as the overlong prologue is out of the way, the plot mostly takes a backseat and leaves you to speed off in whatever direction you choose. There might even be a nearby trap that you can remotely trigger, causing an explosion that brings every dead thing that can crawl or walk into the vicinity.ĭying Light is consistently entertaining. Perhaps you'd prefer to taunt your enemies from a rooftop, lobbing knives, throwing stars and molotovs from on high? Fair enough, but don't be surprised if they manage to find a way onto your perch. Whether it's a lone zombie, stumbling through the streets like the lost member of an apocalyptic pub crawl, or a random gang of marauders armed to the teeth, there's always somebody to play with.įancy leading those marauders into a massive crowd of zombies? You can do that and then watch as all hell breaks loose. As you wander the streets and leap across the rooftops, you'll often hope to be distracted from whatever humdrum errand the dreary cast have set for you. The slums and their surroundings aren't the most evocative of settings - although they can be strikingly beautiful - but they feel alive in a way that is rare in expansive glossy gamespaces. The beauty of Dying Light is that there's always something happening. And yet I can't seem to spend more than a couple of minutes outside a safe zone before trouble finds me or, more accurately, I find trouble. I'm at a late point in Dying Light's story mode and thanks to the time I've spent levelling up my abilities and crafting overpowered electrocution biffsticks, nothing that walks during the relative safety of the daylight hours should be able to lay a finger on me, let alone hurt me. Thanks to agility and power upgrades, I can effectively sprint across the scalps of a zombie mob, kicking a few craniums into touch as I go. I've perfected my parkour and can scarper up the side of a building faster than Peter Parker. Review copies arrived late, causing eyebrows to raise in suspicion, and after several days and nights with the game, I've emerged with extensive thoughts.Ĭuriosity kills the cat-like. Adding parkour to the first-person melee combat and crafting of the original, it has the appearance of a game suffering something of an identity crisis, packed with repurposed elements but lacking a clear direction. Dying Light is the new zombie game from the creators of the original Dead Island.

Dying light review jim sterling