Dying Light

 Xbox One
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 566 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 441 out of 566
  2. Mixed: 63 out of 566
  3. Negative: 62 out of 566
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  1. Hellraiser1985
    Mar 9, 2015
    10
    Better than Dead Island! I love zombie games and movies. And this game blow your mind away! I play it over 30 hours and now, I must say anything about it.

    It has a good movement (I think, people who doesn't fit it, they have 2 left hands :D). It is very gory. The story is OK ( what do you expect from a zombie game?) The technic is superb! Beautiful little details everywhere. From    Better than Dead Island! I love zombie games and movies. And this game blow your mind away! I play it over 30 hours and now, I must say anything about it.

    It has a good movement (I think, people who doesn't fit it, they have 2 left hands :D).
    It is very gory.
    The story is OK ( what do you expect from a zombie game?)
    The technic is superb! Beautiful little details everywhere.
    From start up, it has a nice feeling. You are in the game!
    The German synchro is also good.

    - The fighting system is a little bit irritating, a block (without a shield) would be appropriate.

    So, I can say, it makes more fun than Dead Island and Dead Rising for me.    … Expand
  2. Ethan_Wrayn
    Mar 18, 2015
    9
    One of the very few gems so far on the new console platforms. Dying light is one of the only zombie titles that introduces it own original game play style (cant compare it to other games) the combat is smooth as butter, and the realism of how detailed the gore is is gut wrenching brilliance. story is also pretty good to, yeah starts of kind of 'meh' but the characters can get pretty clicheOne of the very few gems so far on the new console platforms. Dying light is one of the only zombie titles that introduces it own original game play style (cant compare it to other games) the combat is smooth as butter, and the realism of how detailed the gore is is gut wrenching brilliance. story is also pretty good to, yeah starts of kind of 'meh' but the characters can get pretty cliche (the leader that always has a explosive temper, the young prickish kid, and the the character who "try's his or HER best" but makes the dumbest decisions without giving them-self a second to think about it. though they did a good job on making the most bad ass antagonist that i can only say is like a more serious Vaas in FarCry 3. so when i first played it i was already scared of the zombies but quickly got over it, then i thought "why is this a horror game" well lets say i have never screamed like a girl as much as i did when it was my 1st time stuck outside at night. during dusk you will get 2 warnings on your radio saying "night is about to come seek shelter immediately" (TAKE THE WARNINGS SERIOUSLY) because at night the game turns into a mix of Amnesia/Assassins Creed. very scary. though the reason this is a 9 is because there are alot of ways this can be improved. 1.wish it would rain during the day more
    2.wish outfits had stat effects
    3.be the zombie mode is a bit more fair to the humans
    4.more types of weather(rain,monsoon,fog,thunder)
    5.gun mods (scopes,suppressors,ammunition)
    6.more variety in models for Raises guys
    7.small factions that opens new skill trees

    other than that amazing game that will last you a long time    … Expand
  3. GameSplash
    Mar 20, 2015
    7
    The player takes control of Kyle Crane; an undercover operative working for an organisation known as The Global Relief Effort. Crane is sent to infiltrate the quarantine zone in the city of Harran to retrieve a sensitive file in the possession of a political figure turned slum warlord; Rais. The game is arguably spread rather thin in terms of narrative with many characters owning their ownThe player takes control of Kyle Crane; an undercover operative working for an organisation known as The Global Relief Effort. Crane is sent to infiltrate the quarantine zone in the city of Harran to retrieve a sensitive file in the possession of a political figure turned slum warlord; Rais. The game is arguably spread rather thin in terms of narrative with many characters owning their own story arcs. This creates depth in the world, showing how multiple characters have their own agendas and motivations, and adds to the games immersion and realism. However this multitude of story arcs is also a distraction from the main narrative, striving more for gameplay hours over one fully explored and developed narrative focusing on a single character. Additionally, the absence of any actual likeable characters makes it difficult to invest in these story arcs, and they instead feel like another pass-time for the player until Rais pops up again and reminds you what you're actually there for. On the other hand, the moments where Rais is on-screen are fairly exciting, and after failing to kill him off multiple times, the game does quite well in building up to the final encounter

    The combat in the game has a strong emphasis on melee weapons, which you'll use to fend off the stereotypical zombie types (spitters, runners etc). The undead aren't the only enemies the player will face within Harran, there are also militia-type enemies that are under Rais' control, and random encounter hostile survivor attacks. You can buy and scavenge an interestingly large variety - from machetes to hammers to medieval long swords. The start of the game is slightly grueling, beating even the weakest zombies to death takes two recharges of a stamina bar - hardly what you'd expect from a trained freerunning agent. The melee weapons can be customised in a variety of ways. This may sound interesting to begin with, but wait until it detaches you from reality and you start to question how exactly duck-taping a battery to the end of a hammer turns you into Thor, Norse God of thunder. However, despite the break in immersion, decapitating a zombie with a flaming hatchet is fun and so it gets let off, if that is all Dying Light is trying to be.

    The parkour is well-integrated within the combat, being able to unlock skills from three individual trees which provides you with new weapons in your arsenal, for example vaulting over the infected, and tackling your way through crowds. These upgrades were fairly well executed and when remembered, could be made good use of. However, I was disappointed to learn that I couldn't unlock the best upgrade of each tree until I had first gained enough experience to gain the abilities on each individual branch, even if I didn't see myself making much use of them. Additionally, I found myself raising my eye multiple times due to the parkour, when I'd fall short of the ledge I was jumping to and be teleported atop it moments after, when the game realised what I was actually trying to do. Apart from that, it felt good to run, jump, and climb my way through playable areas that lent themselves well to the game mechanic. After a few hours of playtime and becoming adept and recognising what I could and couldn't do, I almost reached a point in which I became elegant or graceful in my performance.

    Dying Light adds another layer to the world by having a day-night cycle. It adheres to the trope of more powerful enemies spawning at night, and advises players to sleep in one of the many safe zones dotted throughout Harran. If you find yourself unable to get to one of those safe zones, you may be spotted by a powerful infected and activate a pursuit. When this happens, you'll be chased by the undead throughout the city until you lose them, having to make use of your parkour practice and the multiple "traps" that have been set up in the environment.

    Finally, Dying Light offers a multiplayer experience called "Be the Zombie" in which you'll either invade someone's single player campaign as a Hunter or join other humans to co-operate in destroying Volatile nests marked on your mini-map. I found playing as the zombie wildly unbalanced, having your energy easily drained by UV flashlights and being slaughtered in only a few hits. What I came to realise was that you'd have to have played as the zombie for a considerable amount of time and unlocked almost your entire set of skills before even being able to put up a fight against two humans, let alone four at one time. Despite this, the multiplayer is actually enjoyable and unique in it's presentation. The speed and addition of tentacles that work like a grappling hook allow you to become even more adept at traversing the city than your average human and it brought me joy to zip around overhead and if I got lucky, pounce on unsuspecting players.

    Overall, Dying Light is lacking in the story department but provides a refreshing experience for the zombie genre.    … Expand
  4. Clifanger
    Jul 16, 2015
    9
    This game is awesome! Its like mix of Mirrors Edge, Dead Island, Dead Rising Fast Furious movie (don't ask why - just storyline). One of the best parts is the zombie invadings. The other player with all left 4 dead zombies abilities + spider man's web. The only thing why the game is 9/10 is music/ The music is really boring. Too bad for this masterpiece.
  5. jdwarrior
    Apr 20, 2015
    8
    This game earned an 8 from me. A 6 for when I am playing alone, because it feels somewhat average then, but no major complaints. But this game is a true 10 when playing with friends. The fact that every single tiny aspect of the game can be played with up to 3 friends is amazing!!!!! Dying light also has the best assortment of eastereggs I have EVER seen. So grab a friend or two and pickThis game earned an 8 from me. A 6 for when I am playing alone, because it feels somewhat average then, but no major complaints. But this game is a true 10 when playing with friends. The fact that every single tiny aspect of the game can be played with up to 3 friends is amazing!!!!! Dying light also has the best assortment of eastereggs I have EVER seen. So grab a friend or two and pick up some copies of Dying light.… Expand
  6. nibblo
    Sep 20, 2015
    9
    My game of the year so far. It's full of the usual type of busy work you find in open world games but the little stories that come with even the smallest missions make it worth while and how they tie missions to other missions is a welcome break from just do that so someone will be happy. In fact because the side missions are so well thought out and implemented the main mission sufferesMy game of the year so far. It's full of the usual type of busy work you find in open world games but the little stories that come with even the smallest missions make it worth while and how they tie missions to other missions is a welcome break from just do that so someone will be happy. In fact because the side missions are so well thought out and implemented the main mission sufferes for it with only slightly better writing and construction.
    Any way I spent 47 hours in this game and I normally start complaining if you make me spend more than 10 hours in a game so that should tell you something. Great mechanics (the free running is done superbly) and great combat once you upgrade a bit. Outstanding game that anyone who has the slightest tolerance for open world games should play.    … Expand
  7. JustAr3v13w3r
    Aug 17, 2015
    7
    This game is great, I loved the gameplay, multiple skill trees, the fluent and great partcore which feels like assassins creed, and great combat. But the story was really bad, and when you start out at level one, it's hard to kill zombies and especially humans. Still, stick around past the first seven levels and your bound to have an amazing time!
  8. Fracturedchief
    Sep 7, 2015
    8
    Xbox 360 comparable graphics and numerous glitches don't stop this game being the most amazing fun especially in co-op mode with friends.And you simply must go out after dark when you are a level one and you will scream like a little girl.Highly recommended.
  9. Josh_Dransfield
    Oct 31, 2015
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At the time of release, I didn't really know much about the game or what incentive there would be to buy it. I ignored it, thinking it was an indie game (due to a huge lack of marketing in my area). Several months later, my next door neighbour bought the game and I had a playthrough. I was shocked by how brilliant the game was. i only played the first mission, but in that I already knew who the main characters were, as the game has an excellent way of telling the story. So I bought the game just before my birthday, and I've now played through the entire game. I will go through the story (there is one, and a pretty good one) the positives, and anything that could be improved on in the future.

    You start the game with a cutscene that explains about the crysis happening in Haraan, a small Turkish town which has been put under quarentine by the UN (best zombie apocolypse handling ever) and you are playing as a field agent used to salvage documents for your higher collective. You are Kyle Crane, an American male voiced by Roger Craig Smith (voice of Ezio from AC, Batman in Arkham Origins and the new Sonic) as you are airdropped right into the middle of the slums. You fall onto a light trap and badly injure yourself before being rescued by the runners of the Tower (your home base) and are patched up and welcomed to surprisingly open arms. Partly because you are nigh-on immune to the virus.

    You quickly meet the main group of characters: Rahim; a young and daring ambitious parkour specialist (who looks like the main character from Pyschonauts), Jade; a famous local kickboxer who is aesthetically stunning but also quite fiesty (cliched, kind of) and Brecken, the leader of the Tower (and also the guy from the trailer) who sounds and acts exctly like Jason Statham. Rahim gives you a quick parkour training where you soon impress (if you are good at the game) and are used to do shifts for the people of the tower.

    The main story is: Keep the Tower up on their Antizin intake (which isn't an actual mechanic in the game, which I wish would be) and either scavange from airdrops / buy from Rais (bad idea) and help Dr. Zere in his research to find a cure. The deals with Rais go **** up so you are forced into a Civil war of sorts with his men. As with Zere, he asks you to fight through the old disheveled parts of town to Dr. Camden, his co-worker. Not gonna spoil too much more, so you can play the game yourself.

    Pros include: There is a massive emphasis on realism and immersion. The game's amazing audio and vibe allow this with precision, especially early in the game where you are beating off zombies with nailed sticks. The zombies are graphically detailed and their AI is (mostly) well made. With the first person element, you feel like you are really Kyle Crane and you are really in a fight for survival. The protagonists are so well acted, I could see Crane's voice actor picking up awards for this year where voice acting has really not been strong. The open world is incredibly beautiful and feels more next-gen than 90% of next-gen games. The game is beautifully crafted and the art style is utterly superb, and when it turns to night, it holds this with its gritty dark tone that makes the dark something to be feared.

    The gameplay is incredible. The dynamic parkour and the environment go hand in hand in a beautiful display which feels like heaven if you've just finished playing Cod. This really helps both at day and at night, in every situation. The combat feels like a massive improvement from Dead Island is gets even better when you move further down the skill tree. It gives the gain replayability when it is this fun to bash zombie's brains in. How ironic.

    Now for the negatives. It is best said that the cliches could drive a nitpicker round the bend, especially with all of the comparisons to Far Cry. The antagonist is very flimsily portrayed, who rightly is just a Turkish Vaas knock-off. Turkey are 'good' on their knock-offs. Also, the AI can be laughable at times, mainly with Rais's men and grounded zombies, especially with the voice queues. Unfair to say, they weren't given that good a script. Said script which makes half of the characters in the game unlikable. The character models on most NPCs are the same and are similar to that of the Marines in Halo: CE. It doesn't help when most character have the same body language besides the ones that have had effort given to them. And finally, the online. It may be good in co-op, but Be the Zombie is pretty damned broken. Just stick to the main game.

    I played this game almost fully on my own, so my experiences are from playing alone. My experience: the game is brilliant. This is possibly the best zombie game ever in terms of immersion and playability. I love this game, it is some of the most fun I've had in a single player game. One problem though: When you run out of missions, it gets boring quickly. Very quickly. I give this game a 9/10 on the fact that it plays so damn well.    … Expand
  10. SextonHardcase
    Nov 9, 2015
    8
    Dying Light is as cliched as the undead enemies that populate the game world. Though it features solid voice acting, nearly every character has unknown or downright idiotic motivations and decisions throughout the game. It's attempts at creating emotion (care for Jade, the love interest. anger towards Rais, the antagonist) fail miserably due to a lack of character development, suffice toDying Light is as cliched as the undead enemies that populate the game world. Though it features solid voice acting, nearly every character has unknown or downright idiotic motivations and decisions throughout the game. It's attempts at creating emotion (care for Jade, the love interest. anger towards Rais, the antagonist) fail miserably due to a lack of character development, suffice to say, you probably spend 10 minutes total throughout the entire game (including cutscenes) interacting with every major character in the game. Where Dying Light succeeds is in it's gameplay, combat may seem jerky, but their's weight behind every skull crushing blow you make on your enemies. Difficulty is really unforgiving to begin with, but as you level up you begin to feel far more powerful. Traversing through the game world is Dying Lights strongest aspect, as free running and parkour make for a fluid and enjoyable experience. Another big positive is the Day/Night cycle, during the day, simply running along rooftops is enough to evade enemies, during the night however, zombies undergo a transformation, going from shambling "walkers" to frightening runners, not to mention the Volatiles, an extremely deadly enemy that should be fleed from. Unfortunately, the Night time isn't central to the games plot, and feels like an unneccesarily tacked on mechanic. Levelling up is seperated in to Three skill classes, Strength, Agility, Survivor. Strength points are accumulated mainly through combat, and upgrades tend to focus on Damage. Agility points are accumulated through Free running and parkour, upgrades focus on stamina and how long you can last in combat/running, Survivor points are accumulated by saving NPC's or collecting supply drops, upgrades focus on mainly passive elements e.g Vendor prices. Overall, a game of solid design let down by a poor narrative… Expand
  11. IQDecIined
    Dec 9, 2015
    7
    Surprisingly fun game. The mediocrity of Dead Island is not present despite the similarities. Decent plot and characters despite treading into familiar territory.

    This game is actually scary and most players will initially want to spend as little time as possible outside after nightfall. Being able to scale/climb/jump from building to building is a satisfying dynamic and you'll want    Surprisingly fun game. The mediocrity of Dead Island is not present despite the similarities. Decent plot and characters despite treading into familiar territory.

    This game is actually scary and most players will initially want to spend as little time as possible outside after nightfall.

    Being able to scale/climb/jump from building to building is a satisfying dynamic and you'll want to get proficient at this or find yourself dropped into an alley full of zombies.

    Very enjoyable in the earlier stages, though the last third of the game suffers from cliche plot developments and a few tedious boss battles.

    I played Dying Light solo and found it worthy on those grounds, which is saying nothing about a healthy multiplayer component.

    Can't give it an 8 or 9 simply because the game suffers on multiple levels in later stages.    … Expand
  12. CDizzness
    Aug 31, 2021
    9
    The best zombie game I have ever played and a perfect way to show off the last generations hardware. I remember playing this for the first time and just being blown away by how amazing it looked (still feel this way)...it was true horror to stand on top of a building and watch them slowly advance towards you and just stare if they couldn't climb to you....and trust me, there are plenty who can...
  13. kewldawg6969
    Jan 20, 2016
    9
    This game is the best zombie game out there (besides the last of us) and I loved it!
    The gameplay is addicting and it is so cool and fun to watch the zombies heads explode when you kill them.
    Most characters are interesting and the story is ok but the real fun I had with the game as exploring and seeing what cool things I can find in the open world The parkour system feels weird at    This game is the best zombie game out there (besides the last of us) and I loved it!
    The gameplay is addicting and it is so cool and fun to watch the zombies heads explode when you kill them.
    Most characters are interesting and the story is ok but the real fun I had with the game as exploring and seeing what cool things I can find in the open world
    The parkour system feels weird at first because of the controls but one you get used to them it turns out feeling great and it is the best first person parkour system ever
    At night the zombies get much stronger and you turn out being helpless during the night and you can either run or be stealth there is no way you can take the zombies head on at night at once
    The Awesome: characters, open world, zombies, characters, day/ night cycle where the zombies are strong at night, weapon mods, and side quests
    The Bad: Cliche story, aiming, controls.    … Expand
  14. Honest-Review
    May 10, 2023
    10
    This game is a masterpiece. My only critic was that some huts you go into were repeated that took me out of the world from time to time. The soundtrack to this game and the sound effects in general are top-notch. Gameplay is so fun once you rank up a little.

    The devs went from this beast, to the 2nd game that totally sucked. I knew it would the moment i heard that they replaced the    This game is a masterpiece. My only critic was that some huts you go into were repeated that took me out of the world from time to time. The soundtrack to this game and the sound effects in general are top-notch. Gameplay is so fun once you rank up a little.

    The devs went from this beast, to the 2nd game that totally sucked. I knew it would the moment i heard that they replaced the person who made the soundtrack to this game. What an L.    … Expand
  15. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Sep 9, 2022
    8
    "Dead Island" meets "Mirror's Edge". It's solid fun during solo play, but it's meant as a 4 player experience. If "Island" felt like a low budget zombie flick, this one fees like a Hollywood epic. The city is huge and there are tons of zombies scattered throughout. Parkour is a great way to explore the buildings and escape the undead. There's also a touch of Far Cry 3 in the game. Dying"Dead Island" meets "Mirror's Edge". It's solid fun during solo play, but it's meant as a 4 player experience. If "Island" felt like a low budget zombie flick, this one fees like a Hollywood epic. The city is huge and there are tons of zombies scattered throughout. Parkour is a great way to explore the buildings and escape the undead. There's also a touch of Far Cry 3 in the game. Dying Light is not too different from Dead Island, but it's still great. I would rate it with an 8.1 out of 10.… Expand
  16. Tigershark
    Feb 13, 2022
    5
    Really buggy. Sound will often bare or suddenly go muted. Lots of video glitches. NPCs will often disappear or be invisible. The developers have apparently decided to make you play most of the game in the dark, which leaves you stumbling around trying to figure out basic navigation, making even crossing a room challenge. Your character moves like he is traveling through molasses exceptReally buggy. Sound will often bare or suddenly go muted. Lots of video glitches. NPCs will often disappear or be invisible. The developers have apparently decided to make you play most of the game in the dark, which leaves you stumbling around trying to figure out basic navigation, making even crossing a room challenge. Your character moves like he is traveling through molasses except when he is running open world. The only choice you have for your main character is heterosexual male, so no LGBT inclusivity. The dialogue choices and quest choices your given are often cruel or stupid. Your quest items are not marked as quest items, allowing you to accidentally sell them and foil your intent. There is only one save file! A bad decision is permanent no matter what. It does have fun gameplay but not worth purchasing. Rent it instead.… Expand
  17. BrettSiebenhaar
    Aug 11, 2018
    9
    I loved every second of this game. From the first time seeing the open world while skydiving in, to the ending on top of the building. This game was fun, engaging, and just excellent. The visuals are breath taking. This is the best zombie game I have played (The Last of Us doesn't really count as a zombie game). This game is awesome in every aspect!
  18. hejtyjaa
    Oct 11, 2018
    8
    I have like 150 hours already and i can't stop! This game fun, i really like the zombie-parkour concept which is that small thing that made Dying Light way better than Dead Island. One thing that was annoying me was gun-fights. Shooting system on XBO is good to fight with slow zombies, but when your opponents are armed and so f*cking strong it makes you feel uselesss sh*t. Anyway - youI have like 150 hours already and i can't stop! This game fun, i really like the zombie-parkour concept which is that small thing that made Dying Light way better than Dead Island. One thing that was annoying me was gun-fights. Shooting system on XBO is good to fight with slow zombies, but when your opponents are armed and so f*cking strong it makes you feel uselesss sh*t. Anyway - you should at least try it.… Expand
  19. zNeverSleeping
    Oct 29, 2020
    8
    ---{Graphics}---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful X Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{Gameplay}--- X Very good ☐ Good ☐ It‘s just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{Audio}--- ☐ Eargasm X Very good ☐ Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{Audience}--- ☐ Kids X Teens X Adults ☐ All    ---{Graphics}---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful
    X Good
    ☐ Decent
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ Don‘t look too long at it
    ☐ MS-DOS

    ---{Gameplay}---
    X Very good
    ☐ Good
    ☐ It‘s just gameplay
    ☐ Mehh
    ☐ Watch paint dry instead
    ☐ Just don't

    ---{Audio}---
    ☐ Eargasm
    X Very good
    ☐ Good
    ☐ Not too bad
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ I'm now deaf

    ---{Audience}---
    ☐ Kids
    X Teens
    X Adults
    ☐ All

    ---{Difficulity}---
    ☐ Just press 'W'
    ☐ Easy
    X Significant brain usage
    ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
    ☐ Difficult
    ☐ Dark Souls

    ---{Story}---
    ☐ No Story
    ☐ Some lore
    X Average
    ☐ Good
    ☐ Lovely
    ☐ It‘ll replace your life

    ---{Game Time}---
    ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
    ☐ Short
    X Average ☐ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond ---{Price}--- ☐ It’s free! X Worth the price ☐ If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money ---{Bugs}--- ☐ Never heard of X Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ ARK: Survival Evolved ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs    … Expand
  20. Mehrab4K
    Jun 1, 2020
    10
    This is amazing game !! Great graphic and great story
  21. djevis94
    Jun 27, 2019
    10
    the best game of zombies of this generation without a doubt. An open world with its main and secondary missions with creation of zombie weapons of different types and quite parkour.
    this game is much better than the first two dead island and I'm waiting for the sequel
  22. ONEEX
    Feb 12, 2022
    10
    •Самая лучшая мясорубка про зомбаков )
    •Хорошая графика
    •Не самя худшая физика
    •Разнообразие оружия + авто )
    •Хорошая поддержка разработчиков + нормальная оптимизация.
  23. SenorKoquonfaes
    Mar 22, 2020
    8
    Gameplay-wise, Dying Light is what would happen if you combined Dead Island’s combat, crafting, environment design and overall art direction with the parkour/free-running mechanics and level verticality of Mirror’s Edge. This makes traversing Dying Light’s open world incredibly fast, smooth and fun. You can bound from one rooftop to another effectively playing a giant game of “The Floor isGameplay-wise, Dying Light is what would happen if you combined Dead Island’s combat, crafting, environment design and overall art direction with the parkour/free-running mechanics and level verticality of Mirror’s Edge. This makes traversing Dying Light’s open world incredibly fast, smooth and fun. You can bound from one rooftop to another effectively playing a giant game of “The Floor is Lava”. This also provides a pretty effective alternative to combat encounters. If you draw more than 3-4 standard enemies at once, you’re better off just pulling back and parkour-ing your way onto a rooftop for some relief. The parkour elements are what really stood out to me while playing through Dying Light.

    Dying Light’s combat mechanics are comparable to Dead Island’s considering it’s the same developer, that’s not really a surprise nor an indictment on the game. It’s melee-centric combat that features a variety of blade and blunt weapons. There are some options for guns, like a pistol, military rifle, police rifle, shotgun and bow. There’s also stamina management and stun locking enemies with kicks and weapon strikes. Weapons and item crafting is also very similar to Dead Island; you scavenge and loot buildings and vehicles for crafting materials, which can then be used for weapon upgrades such as “durability’ or “handling”. You can also acquire blueprints that require specific materials in order give your weapons elemental damage upgrades. You can also craft Medkits, grenades, boosters and lock picks, among others. I personally got more use out of blade weapons than blunt ones, slicing off limbs and heads was never not satisfying and watching the geyser of blood shoot out of the stumps was equally parts gory and delightful. I tried to limit my use of firearms to when I was fighting thugs in isolated environments such as the insides of buildings as part of a mission objective. They can block and dodge your attacks with melee weapons, making them a bastard to try and kill. If more of them gang up on you, it’s game over. They can also shoot you with assault rifles and they can tank more shots than Crane can. Unless you have throwable weapons, this can prove to be a bit of challenge without a gun. The gunplay itself feels great; firearms sound powerful and punchy and while it’s not Call of Duty or Battlefield good, it holds up well enough.

    Dying Light features a dynamic day and night cycle. During the day, the zombies are mostly non-threatening, unless you come across a fairly sized horde or a few “Virals” that’ll chase you. During the night time, however, is where Dying Light really shines and borders on being a horror game. Along with environments going incredibly dark, the game also introduces a new kind of zombie. Referred to as “Volatiles”, you get a glimpse of one during an early game cutscene, they are bigger, faster and more aggressive than another zombie in the game. Get spotted by one and it immediately becomes the most dangerous enemy in Dying Light. Avoiding it means using all your precision parkour techniques as getting caught or trying to stand and fight results in almost instant death. The night time atmosphere can provide some genuinely terrifying and tense moments. The game also provides you with more XP if you’re playing at night, as well as provide you with a bulk of bonus XP when you decide to take refuge in a safe house and sleep. If that’s not your thing, however, you can skip the night time altogether and go back out in the relative safety of day time.

    Dying Light features a skill tree that you can sink XP into and grab upgrades, such as crafting twice as many Medkits using the same amount of material, unlocking the ability to drop kick and grapple with zombies, among many others. It’s broken down into 4 categories: Survivor, Agility, Power and Legendary. Your play style will dictate which skill tree you’ll be levelling up the quickest; mine was the Power skill tree which is essentially combat, followed closely by the “Agility” skill tree, which is essentially parkour-ing. The Legendary skill tree only unlocks once you’ve maxed out your other three: Survivor skill-tree 25, Agility 24 and Power 24. Gameplay tip: Try and get the grappling hook upgrade as quickly as you can. This makes traversing the environments even faster and will be a huge quality of life improvement during the second half of the game.

    Graphically, Dying Light is great. The open world is beautifully rendered and the gore effects are awesome. The game is also well-optimized, even on vanilla Xbox One. Load screens are incredibly short for an open world game and I didn’t run into many issues with texture pop-ins, screen tearing or draw distance.

    Overall, I can certainly recommend Dying Light for it’s beautiful open world environments, dynamic day and night cycles, it’s fast, fluid parkour mechanics and it’s tried and true zombie slaying combat.    … Expand
  24. mmarko433
    Oct 15, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best game ever made, i love Dying Light. Thanks a lot. I want the remake game… Expand
  25. Soguys
    Dec 25, 2019
    8
    so guys we did it we reached a quater of a million subscribers, 250,000 subscribers and still growing
  26. Caldan
    Nov 15, 2020
    8
    ✅81%
    I would have never thought parkour an zombies would be mixed into an actual good game. Glad I played this.
  27. DadkaMitka
    Jul 7, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Пэздато, охуенный паркур, клёвый открытый мир, жаль только сюжет средний… Expand
  28. CriticFromHell
    Jul 15, 2020
    8
    This game is what i have to say one of the best games in the history of modern gaming. Its an action packed thriller survival game where you fight to survive against the zombie outbreak in Haran. Use knifes, guns, and the world around you to mutilate the undead. Not only is the game play fun it has an awesome story to it as well. The lore often times makes you want to beat the next missionThis game is what i have to say one of the best games in the history of modern gaming. Its an action packed thriller survival game where you fight to survive against the zombie outbreak in Haran. Use knifes, guns, and the world around you to mutilate the undead. Not only is the game play fun it has an awesome story to it as well. The lore often times makes you want to beat the next mission even more to unlock more of the intriguing story. The only issues that i have with the game is that once you beat the game 1 or 2 times it starts to not be as fun. The zombie mode isn't that great either i feel that it could have been better.… Expand
  29. Lifelover4ever
    Aug 28, 2020
    9
    this game is just fantastic! I never play games in first person but decided to try this out off a whim and boy was I pleasantly surprised. Dying light will sink it's teeth in you and not release until the wild ride is over. Don't cheat yourself from this grade A experience.
  30. iSnow96
    Nov 30, 2022
    9
    One of the best games i've ever played,maybe a little bit too hard in the beginning.
    wish we could see more dlcs
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Awards & Rankings

75
#75 Best Xbox One Game of 2015
13
#13 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2015
24
#24 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 14 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Games Master UK
    Apr 9, 2015
    73
    This is a sure shank redemption for Techland, and a big step up from previous Dead Islands. [April 2015, p.65]
  2. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Mar 10, 2015
    70
    A lot of fun in small bursts, but not amount of polish, parkour or persistence can plaster over the cracks of the aging Dead Island mechanics and systems. [Issue#121, p.72]
  3. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Mar 4, 2015
    60
    Though not entirely soul-destroying, Dying Light will leave you feeling like you've just eaten a box of budget chocolates - unsatisfied, underwhelmed and unsure if it was worth the money. [March 2015, p.72]
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