Developer Techland, (the same company that brought us 2011’s Dead Island) has presented us with a new survival horror game for the PC titled Dying Light.

While retaining much of the RPG elements of Dead Island, Techland manages to refine and expand upon the loot/skill based system of their previous franchise, making for a much more enjoyable open-world experience.

Perhaps the biggest new feature is the new parkour system.  Unlike Dead Island, where movement was fairly restricted, Dying Light gives the player the ability to go essentially anywhere they can see.  What sets the climbing and free running elements apart from similar games like Assassin’s Creed is its natural flow.  One of the biggest issues with Assassin’s Creed’s free running/climbing mechanic is the level design.  While it was a fairly great system, buildings clearly have things that you are supposed to climb on, be it weird wooden planks sticking out in nonsensical locations or the random bricks that just happen to be out of place in a perfect climbing line.  Dying Light’s level design is much more subtle, making the parkour elements of the game feel a lot more natural and realistic.

The world of Dying Light is massive.  Dozens of side quests and little distractions will keep any fan of games like Skyrim or Fallout occupied for hours.  Not only is this world huge, it is also pretty.  From the picturesque scenes of the resort town to the grittiness of the slums, Techland definitely spared no expense on creating the world of Dying Light.

One of the best features of Dying Light is the day/night cycle.  During the day, zombies and the various other infected – while tough, will eventually become more of a nuisance than a threat.  It isn’t until the sun goes down that the game gets really difficult, with the standard zombies getting a buff and the appearance of the vampire-like Volatiles( monstrous creatures that can easily chase you down and murder you, even across rooftops).  Going out at night, however, does have its benefits.  The player will receive a boost in all experience earned, as well as a chance to score some loot drops without having to deal with the dangerous uninfected enemies.

Overall, Dying Light is a breath of fresh air in the zombie survival genre.  From the in-depth crafting and loot system to the amazing free running/parkour, Dying Light has something for fans of both the RPG and action-adventure/platforming genres. Techland took the extra time to release Dying Light and it shows.  The amount of polishing put into the game is rare for most AAA releases these days, making Dying Light the proverbial god among insects in the current market.