Zombie. Video game. Been there decapitated that. It is a given that zombies are overdone in the entertainment industry. Occasionally games like Telltale’s the Walking Dead or Naughty Dog’s the Last of US break the mold and reinvigorate the genre, but more often than not the industry has a tendency to regurgitate the same general formula.
Zombie’s aside, Techland’s Dying Light had me intrigued when I first saw their reveal trailer. There is nothing generic about a Mirror’s Edge(esque), survival horror, sandbox game—a enticing marriage of genres that begs to be explored. And after playing the game at PAX, that is exactly how I would describe it.
I was lucky enough to have one of Techland’s brand specialist, Przemyslaw Mróz, walk me through the entirety of my playtime, as this is a game that requires a solid knowledge of the controls to survive and the demo throws us right into the heat of things. Taking place in the city of Harran, I start off in a tutorial playground. It takes me some time to adjust to the controls, which feel a little chunky when moving slowly but immediately blossom into a ballet of natural reactions when running. And running—that’s what this game is all about.
After adjusting to the controls it was time to try my hand at playing in the real world. Nightfall is coming, and our mission is to set traps around the city to keep supply roots clear of zombies. Running on the rooftops, it becomes easy to see that the environment of the city is setup for freerunning. Slow moving zombies line the streets below, but the city blocks are lined with open alleys, large vehicles, fences, and even zip-lines allowing me to traverse the landscape without giving the living dead a second thought.
At one point, I jump on a wooden roof that collapses under my feet. I look to Mróz in concern, wondering if I had just placed myself in some sort of danger. He smiles and points out that this aspect of the game can actually save my life, especially when being chased by masses of zombies, as it cushions your fall and can provide an escape route. He then cautions me to continue with haste… daylight is beginning to fade.
Using the D-pad I scroll through my equipped weapons, which range from a small but swift hatchet to a slow two-handed axe, satisfyingly capable of slicing a zombie into two perfectly symmetrical pieces. Amidst the narrow alleyways I stumble upon a zombie with a gas tank on its back. When struck, the gas tank ruptures and bursts thunderously into the air, blowing the zombie into small grotesque pieces. Despite the chunky controls the combat is, for the most part, a rewarding experience. There are a plethora of ways to take out the zombies, and though some of them are annoying or overly difficult to achieve, seeing a zombie fly into the air or try to desperately crawl with one leg makes it worth it. During the day the undead are stupid and slow, allotting time for players to muster up creative ideas and use the environment, decoys, or even drop kicks to mutilate their decaying bodies.
On the way to set up some traps I come across a different breed of zombie. This fat beast is what Mróz called a Toad, and he points out that it is one of the many builds of zombie that can be found in the game. The Toad, while having low health, spews a vile green liquid that can kill in three strikes. The best way to take it out is by sprinting at him and using a strong melee attacks.
Once the Toad is dead I make my way to the trap car which is, unsurprisingly, surrounded by a swarm of zombies. To lure them away from the vehicle I throw a decoy, which draws in nearby the zombies using noise. Once everything is ready, I throw another decoy near the car to draw the group back before activating the trap, an action that kills a solid group of the undead. Traps like this exist all over the city, and some of them are even already set and ready to use thanks to a few of the NPCs that wander the city.
Of course, once all of the traps are set, the demo couldn’t be over—it wasn’t even twilight yet. Apparently setting all of these handy traps overloaded the power circuit, and it was up to me to go get the power back up and running. Right. All I had to do was get to the top of the power plant, flip the switch, and get back to camp before dark. Piece of cake.
And by piece of cake I mean really bloody piece that you would never want to eat. As the power turns back on, night begins to fall—from below, horrifying groans grow in volume and depth. The environment suddenly becomes tense and rigid. As I jump down from the tower I freeze, not really knowing what to do next.
