Techland – the folks behind Dead Island – have taken another stab at the arguably dead zombie genre with Dying Light. The immediate reaction, and probably a pretty fair one, is to just write it off as Dead Island 3. Until you play it, that is. Some games need to be played to be understood, and Dying Light is just such a game.
Yes, it’s yet another game in a giant open world populated by shambling, ambling hordes of walking corpses and much of the experience is still focused on hacking and slashing your way through the undead, it’s got an incredible shantytown atmosphere and a blistering pace to set it apart from..well, just about everything else. It’s a survival horror with a bit of a twist; involving a lot of parkour-styled running, climbing over things and sliding under things while trying to void those nasty zombies.
And you’ll use those skills quite a bit as you traverse and manoeuvre around a very open, open-ended world trying to avoid the hundreds, perhaps thousands of zombies that litter the streets. And it really is quite open ended; you can use whatever route you’d like to get to where you need to be; over rooftops, through tunnels, in and out of windows and under things – setting off nifty traps to keep the face-chewers at bay.
It works incredibly well – and you’ll soon feel like one heck of a free-runner, as you dodge a swarm of zombies, dip under a pipe, resume a full run, scale a wall, jump in through a window, run down the opposite wall, set of a timed car bomb before ducking in to a building for some necessary reprieve.
When the sun goes down though it all changes, and the zombies become considerably more agitated and agile – with some of them even having the ability to scale walls and run over rooftops that you do. They all begin to home in and head straight for you. Tossing a quick, noise-emitting ball of bait temporarily draws zombies away , because the one thing you don’t want is to be cornered by a rabid pack of runners, who’ll happily munch on your head.
When the demo had ended, I’d only just made it through to a safe house with a horde of zombies in pursuit – and I was still shaking from how intense and exhilarating it was ten minutes later.
The combat itself is still a bit on the wonky side, but Techland has already nailed the free-running, resulting in a tense and terrifying first person survival horror that takes the good bits from Dead Island and Dead Rising – including a crafting system – and blends it with Mirror’s Edge. Oh yes – it’s visually pretty mind-blowing, and it has four player co-op to boot.
It was one of the biggest surprises from Gamescom – and a certainly game to keep your eyes on. It’s coming to PC and next-gen systems in 2015.
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Last Updated: August 27, 2013
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 12:37
I have a feeling that 2015 is going to be like 2007 all over again 🙂 BRING IT!
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:48
When we play coop I’ll be taking out your knee caps to slow you down boet 😉
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 12:50
I will steal all the health packs and ammo as usual :p
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:51
Yes, you will you bastard. And I’ll end up doing all the work, like Borderlands!
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 12:56
There’s no “I” in co-op.
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:59
He said ” and it has four player co-op to boot.” AND boy, AND!
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 13:06
Don’t try to confuse me with logic, grammar & reading comprehension!
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:10
Spaghetti!
Matthew Holliday
August 27, 2013 at 15:11
Thats what they said about 2012
and 2014
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 15:13
Yip, but if the last 7 gens have proving anything, it is the second year of the generation that kicks ass on so many levels as the 3 year dev cycles start hitting the shelves.
Cant wait 🙂
TiMsTeR1033
August 27, 2013 at 12:46
looks like what dead island should of been but better!!!
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
August 27, 2013 at 12:46
SOOOOOOOO EXCITED for this ……….
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:47
Game sounds awesome. I like the idea of mixing a Mirror’s Edge with brain eaters, NICE!
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 12:49
I would be to scared to do anything at night. I would just hide like Will Smith in Legend and wait for the games clock to wind on.
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:50
I’ll remember you saying that! lol
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 12:53
Things like this come out at night.
LordCaptainAwesomeness
August 27, 2013 at 12:59
Mind you…. that can be useful as well..
can you imagine waking up to that face…. Instant GTFO moment, you will never be late for work again…
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:59
Jesus, there goes my day!
LordCaptainAwesomeness
August 27, 2013 at 13:03
Mind you though…. after a case of beer, she is not too bad….
loftie
August 27, 2013 at 13:30
..only if you consume the actual case as well after the beers..
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
August 27, 2013 at 13:32
Mmmh
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 13:35
Is it Gene Simmons without makeup?
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 13:38
You might be onto something
GalacticLordCaptainAwesomeness
August 27, 2013 at 13:41
You Sir, have won today…
http://24.media.tumblr.com/5509ceb7d11d9357c442764325ccb762/tumblr_mieoq83bh41rggns2o1_500.gif
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 13:47
BWAHAHAHAHA
loftie
August 27, 2013 at 13:59
AHAHAHAH!! have as many Internets as you want sir!
ALKi1234
August 27, 2013 at 17:55
man…that pics going to haunt her for life!!!I’d still tap that.
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 12:48
Sounds like fun! Do you need to play co-op or can you run on your lonesome?
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:50
HAHAHAHA! #foreveralone? BOOM!
Admiral Chief Raider of Tombs
August 27, 2013 at 12:53
look who is talking…
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:18
You shut it you! #toosoon
Admiral Chief Raider of Tombs
August 27, 2013 at 13:32
At least you have an awesome shirt now. A dirty one, but still
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 12:55
You shut up! #foreverSP :/
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:59
Lol!
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
August 27, 2013 at 13:03
You can play alone. It’s scarier that way.
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 13:07
I play on my own every night. It is not that scary, just turn the lights out 😛
LordCaptainAwesomeness
August 27, 2013 at 13:08
You bastard… You gave that Same Advice with F.E.A.R.
Turn the lights off, and crank up the Surround sound…
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 13:10
Oh… Is Geoff talking about games? 😛
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 13:11
That’s not what he meantttttttttttttttttttttttttt :/
HAPPYPLACEHAPPYPLACEHAPPYPLACEHAPPYPLACE
OVG
August 27, 2013 at 13:11
Bwahahahahahaha
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:18
I just dry heaved 0-O
Alien Emperor Trevor
August 27, 2013 at 13:07
Sweet, then I’ll keep an eye on it. In the dark with headphones it is.
So you shouldn’t play it with a Rift then? lol
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:09
Can you imagine this with the Oculus?! 0-O
Sageville
August 27, 2013 at 13:53
New underwear please barman!
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 14:30
I would so love to immerse myself like that!
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
August 27, 2013 at 13:23
Oh. MY. GOD. That would be boss.
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 12:52
Geoff, he says 2014… Not 2015?
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
August 27, 2013 at 12:54
Yeah I was wondering why he said 2015, he seems to know a lot of things we don’t
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:18
thought it was an Asian thing…
LordCaptainAwesomeness
August 27, 2013 at 13:19
ROR..
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:20
AhAHHHA! Nicely done 😉
Exalted Overlord Geoffrey Tim
August 27, 2013 at 13:03
I spoke to the developers..and they told me 2015.
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:05
Ahh, okay. Looks fantastic! And I can see how it will get your heart going!
RinceThisandbeAbsurd
August 27, 2013 at 13:00
Bloody hell that night time scene is awesome!
ALKi1234
August 27, 2013 at 13:13
mirror;s edge with zombies.
erfan
August 27, 2013 at 13:27
it is very good
Lardus-Respect the beard
September 3, 2013 at 14:44
Wow, only saw this vid now. Looks great!