I found my place in Dying Light. I battled my fear and was able to spend nights running around the city avoiding acutely aware monsters. I taunted them from rooftops and I bathed them in handmade fire.
As I near the end I felt I should give you my thoughts, announce my victory.
I’ve enjoyed the character work on the main protagonist. His vocalizations when things aren’t going his way, his expressions of annoyance or fatigue are excellent and justified. This is a man who spends days without a shower, hot meal or a comfy bed. In fact, when standing before one safe-house in particular he comments on how comfy a particular sleeping bag looks. As I near the end, yes.. that does in fact look comfy.
All of the quest and dialog work is rendered in voice, there’s no corner cut on what side quest is you staring at an animated goon while a wall of text is presented. No, this sniveling human who -needs- a candybar is telling you in his sniveling voice. I don’t know I’ll stick around much past plot-completion. As it is I’m already looking at my next project. In fact you’ll hear about it later this week.
That said, Dying Light is a fun game with well done acrobatics and an interesting position on the zombie genre. You’re not some lone-wolf stoic veteran of six campaigns lugging your every worldly possession into the wilderness. You’re an operative with ‘some skill’ and you get better as you progress. This isn’t plot-locked progression, you actively improve with every jump, climb and zombie you club.
I haven’t delved into the numbers but this looks like a 20-hour game outside of side content. There’s co-op so you and your pals can team up to punch zombies together.
Check it out and if you’re a fan of Far Cry, Batman: Arkham City, Assassin’s Creed and Fallout 3.. well, then there’s a little of something in Dying Light for you.