Dying Light

• Category: Game
• Platform: PC (Steam)
• Date: 2023-02-18
• Rating: 5/5
• Link: Steam Store Page

About

Dying Light is a first-person survival horror game developed by Techland and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Released in 2015, it quickly gained recognition for its unique blend of parkour mechanics, intense zombie combat, and a dynamic day-night cycle that dramatically changes gameplay.

Players take on the role of Kyle Crane, an undercover agent sent into the quarantined city of Harran to infiltrate a dangerous humanitarian organization and retrieve a sensitive file. However, Crane soon finds himself caught between various factions, struggling to survive in a city overrun by infected. The game's open world encourages exploration, scavenging for resources, and crafting weapons.

The core gameplay loop revolves around its innovative day-night cycle. During the day, players can freely traverse the urban environment using fluid parkour moves, setting traps, and completing missions while infected are relatively slow and vulnerable. However, once night falls, the hunters become the hunted. More aggressive, powerful, and agile infected known as "Volatiles" emerge, turning simple scavenging runs into terrifying chases. This shift forces players to adapt their strategies, emphasizing stealth and evasion, or facing overwhelming odds in brutal close-quarters combat.

Dying Light is praised for its atmospheric world, satisfying movement system, visceral melee combat, and the sheer tension created by its night gameplay. It offers cooperative multiplayer for up to four players, enhancing the experience of surviving Harran together. The game also received a major expansion, The Following, which introduced a new map, dune buggies, and an extended storyline.