*Reviewed on Xbox One
High Intensity Zombie Training
Dying Light, without a silhouette of skepticism, is a remarkable inauguration for the video game industry in 2015. This brand new title from Polish developer Techland is a fanfare of jubilation; a delightful zombie-killing romp that contains far more than meets the initial glance. Dying Light deserves your attention, moreover so, your utmost and undying consideration. Despite delays, cancelations and more perilous postponements, Dying Light has emerged from all previous jeopardies as an astonishing game.
For those unfortunately unfamiliar, Dying Light is a first-person zombie survival game that takes place in a fictional version of Harran, Turkey. Players assume the role of Kyle Crane, an undercover operative sent to infiltrate the quarantined zone within Harran. While the zombie genre was well satiated by the time Techland released Dead Island: Riptide, I am thrilled to say that this new entry in the field is a promenade of advancement and inventiveness. While many fans lost interest following the aforementioned Dead Island sequel, myself included, Dying Light won me back in full force. Not only does this new title improve upon every single mechanic used previously by Techland, but also the bar for this category of game has been set a notch higher for all that follow in the months and years to come.
While Dying Light features a plethora of brand new freerunning mechanics that can and will be highlighted, and are in and of themselves a supreme feature, they are overshadowed by another aspect of Dying Light. While I enjoyed these mechanics, and I’ll get to them soon, I was more flabbergasted by the narrative threads within Dying Light more than anything else. Perhaps this is due to the underwhelming stories within Dead Island, or the Copy + Paste approach of Dead Island: Riptide, but it is transparent through and through. Kyle Crane, the city and inhabitants of Harran, every component coexists in an exquisite fashion that had me binging for hours on end, always coming back for more.
Dying Light features one of the more compelling protagonists in recent memory, a man convincingly cast and created by Roger Craig Smith. While Nolan North and Troy Baker both hold steadfast as two of the most recognizable voices in the video game industry, RCS is not a talent soon forgotten. While the role could have taken similar turns to the recent and lackluster protagonist in Far Cry 4, RCS does a stellar job making the role his own. While Far Cry 4’s Ajay Ghale became monotonous and far from relatable within the narrative of Far Cry 4, the transition and growth that RCS portrays is the polar opposite. Kyle Crane begins as a somewhat shady protagonist, a man with questionable methods and motives. Throughout the 31 hours I spent with Dying Light’s campaign, I saw the strife and friction that Crane faces, and furthermore, I felt it. Roger Craig Smith not only shines during these highlighted and poignant moments, but throughout the entirety of the campaign. He quips and wisecracks, but he still solidifies such intense passion and pain and so much more.
Also, to make a very important note and even they aren’t listed online or really featured anywhere online, both Nazneen Contractor as Jade and Jim Pirri as Rais gleam with budding potential. Relating again to Far Cry, Far Cry 3 specifically this time, Pirri could have approached the role of Rais as many have done, in attempt to capture the popular portrayal of protagonist Vaas. Of course, I’m in agreement that Vaas is one of the more memorable antagonists, but his approach and archetype has been beaten to death following the 2012 release. It would have been an easy way out, but the writing for Rais as a more precise and maniacal foil to Crane is far more interesting. Rais is exact, he is meticulous and he is a force not to be forgotten. He often does this from afar, plotting, planning and picking the exact right moment to strike. The balance in which he is used is an almost flawless design. Rais is never overused in Dying Light and he always shows up at just the right, or worst, moment. Nazneen Contractor takes a bit bigger slice of the cake, and shines as Jade. While Contractor has far more film and TV experience, including a role on Season 8 of 24, she has no problem with this role. Without going into details, she is a heroine that grows, develops and ultimately crescendos into a thrilling and climactic force. Both Rais and Jade are robust characters, both portrayed with brilliance.
Contractor and Pirri are both listed with additional voices, and the rest of the cast does a great job throughout Dying Light. Furthermore, the voice and character work done in the supporting quests is also surprisingly pronounced. I was legitimately surprised by these interactions. While many open world games feature a variety of side-quests that often lead to no much more than “fetch quests” Techland takes a few steps extra to set themselves apart. Yes, there are still many “go-here-do-that-go-here-kill-this” quests, but the narrative threads that tie these actions together are quite intrepid. No, not every side quest will stand out, but there are some exceptional highlights. Many of them touch on frequent topics that aren’t often addressed in similar genres, much less in video games overall. “Mother’s Day” is an early standout, and late in the campaign “Health Potion” is another superb example of the exceptional writing in Dying Light.
If you remember the initial cinematic trailer for Dead Island, you remember the emotion and poignancy that was featured. It was a twisted and withdrawn story that not only yanked on heartstrings but also punched in the gut. The promise of this type of narrative pacing was promised, but never really delivered in Dead Island. I was thrilled but heartbroken to finally see some of those narrative possibilities finally delivered throughout Dying Light.
Overall, I was stunned by the completeness and complexity presented within Dying Light’s narrative, both within the main campaign as well as the majority of the side quests. The main campaign consists of so many distinctive events to partake in, as well as so many differentiating areas to explore. One moment I could be gleefully slashing and hopping over zombies, bathed in golden sunlight enjoying every single second. The next, I found myself cowering inside of a structure, creeping around every curve, cautiously looting every cupboard and crevice in hope that a zombie wasn’t around the next corner. There are action sequences, platforming sections, zombie filled arenas, and honestly, so much more. Not one moment was wasted, never was a moment of boredom found during my unexplainable three-sitting playthrough, and that is such an accomplishment to revel in.
Of course, Dying Light wouldn’t be Dying Light without the freerunning mechanics. While these mechanics don’t reinvent the proverbial wheel, they sure as heck make traversal around the city of Harran a joy. The delightful progression system is a huge factor in this success as well. There are three separate XP bars, and three separate skill trees, consisting of Survivor, Agility, and Power. I wasn’t sure how to feel about it initially, but after a few hours, I fell in love with the variety. I could be dashing across the city in attempt to get to my next objective to earn Survivor XP, leveling up my Agility, and then notice my Power on the cusp of a new tier. So of course, I just had to stop and attempt to take out the next hoard of zombies I came across. Then an airdrop would pop up, or a civilian would be in need of assistance. By the time I’d finish the next thing, another would populate, all funneling into the three skill trees. Progression is finely tuned as well; each upgrade and higher level empowering Crane ever more so.
Syphoning into this progression, is the inclusion of the day and night cycle. Many games have included day and night cycles, but not nearly to the degree that Techland has in Dying Light. The first time darkness falls, and you’re left alone out in the world, it’s terrifying. Nighttime doesn’t just translate into prettier lighting effects and a change in scenery; Harran is an entirely different monster at night. Yes, pun intended. The Volatile, mutated forms of your average Joe Zombie, control Harran at night. They are faster than you, stronger than you, and they will kill you. It wasn’t until I was halfway through the game, around Level 12, that I remember being able to hold my own against the Volatile. That was, until a pack of four or five of them came and taught me a lesson, of course. This day and night cycle introduces a brand new aspect, because Dying Light also tempts you to stay out at night with the enticement of Double XP. Sometimes it’s worth it, other times it is entirely not, but that’s what makes Dying Light so addictive. Risk and reward is every present, challenging every decision and choice, and it’s a blast. Along with the Volatile, there are a handful of other enemy types, created through various mutations. While the Volatile is certainly the standout within Dying Light, there are a few more surprises, and enough variety to keep the combat fresh.
Combat is similar to the previous Dead Island titles, but a few tweaks have been made for the better. Hacking and slashing and shooting zombies is as good as it gets, and made all the easier in Dying Light. Gone are the days of having to craft items and weapons at workbenches, and the open world approach is all the better for it. Crafting and collecting is straightforward, and rewarding all the same. While there are a few ranged weapons, melee combat is still king, and more satisfying than ever. With over 100 weapons and numerous combinations, there is plenty to go around. While there are guns in Dying Light, they don’t quite feel as refined as the melee combat is. This was surprising to me, following the previously released and quite enjoyable FPS Call of Juarez: Gunslinger in 2013. While the FPS mechanics in Gunslinger were snappy, engaging and exciting, the gunplay in Dying Light never quite reaches the same glimmering plateau.
Technically, Dying Light runs mostly well. I played on Xbox One, and while I never ran into any major technical errors, there were a few minor issues. Occasionally you may encounter a zombie that ragdolls in ways that convince you that Dying Light is about demonic possession. On one occasion I was climbing through some vents, a Boomer exploded beneath me, and I clipped up through the ceiling, only to fall down through an abyss on the edge, finally spawning right back at the entrance of the building. Neither of the aforementioned events and happenings negatively changed the gameplay, but there were a few detrimental and diminishing moments during my playthrough. On more than a few occasions, Dying Light would have quite significant frame rate drops, most notably and understandably when slashing and crashing my way through a crowd of 10+ zombies. It never lasted more than 10 seconds after the previously mentioned gashing, but it was definitely noticeable during these bits. This occurrence also happened during my time spent in co-op as well.
While I did experience some sluggishness at some points in Dying Light’s co-op, that is the only caveat to the co-op option. Otherwise, I had a blast, and plan on continuing to do so in the coming weeks. Let it be known, that I think the main campaign story should be experienced solo. The option is there to complete the entire campaign with friends, but it is far more poignant to do so alone. Again, the story of Kyle Crane is one based around individuality and independence. Not that it’s a bad thing to run around dropkicking zombies with friends, but it does take away from the overall experience of the narrative-heavy campaign missions. Having to sneak through an abandoned building in the dark of night is far more terrifying when you don’t have a buddy tea bagging a zombie corpse. Just saying.
*As a minuscule side note, while I did play an hour or two of “Be the Zombie” mode, you are much better off playing the main campaign or co-op. While the concept is fun, it is a concept that is not fully fleshed out. I’d love to see the idea expanded upon, but for now, it’s unnecessary in relation to the rest of the package.
Dying Light is an exceptional lesson in trying, trying, and trying again. This not only rings true for developer Techland, but for the moment-to-moment gameplay within Dying Light. Whether you are attempting to survive another night cycle, or whether protagonist Kyle Crane is faced with another subjective confrontation, this thread weaves itself throughout Dying Light, in the best ways possible. While this new installment in a familiar genre doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it surely introduces robust and novel mechanics that I hope to see again soon. Back up those facts with a stellar narrative and additive progression, and well, ladies and gentleman, Dying Light emerges as an imposing experience. Although 2015 is shaping up to be a vibrant year for video games, don’t expect Dying Light to be put down so easily.
