Absolutely amazing. From the creators of the Dead Island franchise, Techland parts ways with Deep Silver and team up with Warner Bros. The end result is truly the best zombie survivor game I have ever played. Fans of the original Dead Island and Riptide will notice similarities with some of the crafting, weapons and looting, but this is by no means a remaster of the original title.
The game boasts the best movement I have experienced in any modern day FPS. (I use the term FPS very loosely, firing weapons in the game draws unwanted attention). The parkour element brings an exilarating angle on exploration and evasion, and is incorporated into the game seamlessly. For me this was a huge selling point, the fact that it also contains multitudes of psycotic zombies is just a bonus!
The game itself is stunningly beautiful, the city just begs to be explored extensively. City design and layout is done well, so you can take full advantage of a fun playground to test your parkour skills on. You are also rewarded for creative thinking, in terms of combat and movement.
Okay, now a quick word on the zombies! With a plethora of titles on a very tired and clichéd genre, zombie games can find it hard to stand out from the mundane and mediocre. This title stands shoulders above the rest. In most zombie games, I am never really scared of dying, and just go about business as usual...hacking, slashing and shooting. Not so with Dying Light.
This was the only zombie game that was terrifying for me. Yes, you still get the slow, mindless shamblers in large numbers, plus a variety of other undead denizens. But the game transforms like some horrid nightmare, showing you it's true form, as soon as that sun sinks below the horizon. That is when the zombies show their unabated strength, speed and cunning as they run, jump and climb whilst alerting others to your presence. I advise doing as much as you can during the day when they are weakened by the sun. Going out at night does have its rewards, but at great risk.
It is also best to play this game solo for the first play-through for a solid horror experience.
Then team up with friends, as the terror level significatly drops when you have a buddy or two watching your back. The great thing is you not only get the blood racing from zombie encounters, you also have numerous heart-in-throat moments with the climbs and jumps you perform.
I highly recommend this game for any zombie or parkour lover. So let the heads and limbs fly, may your hands always find that precarious ledge...and venture forth into the night if you dare!