Dying Light Review, Zombie Apocalypse Video Game Review, PC Gaming

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Dying Light Review: A Zombie Apocalypse Video Game Not for the Weak of Heart.

Game Review Rating: 9 out of 10 Warrior Shields

Of all of the games I have played in the last…say three years, Dying Light is the most exciting, heart pounding, and skill taxing game to date. The graphics are just unbelievable as are the interaction of the zombies and humans. The sounds are real and come from every direction. Growls, screams, yells for help and enraged fast charging half zombies is as real as it can get. I like this game as it is set in a sandbox map. Sandbox meaning you can wonder all over the place. You don’t have to take the next assignment right then. You can check out another area and then come back. Both sections of Dying Light, Slums and Old Town have huge maps.

: Dying Light: Old Town map

You start out as an inexperienced newbie who could not beat up their grandmother let alone a zombie. When you run for your life, and you will, you run until you are winded and way too dizzy to fight. You can outrun the Biters zombies but the Screamers (half zombies) are way too fast to out run. You best “Newbie” defense is kicking the zombies back so you can run.

So what can a Newbie do to stay alive? You will climb over fences and up into buildings. You will jump from one building to the next. You look through every trash can, cupboard, refrigerator, cabinet, trunk and basket. Use the “Q” key to scan for objects. You will find things or objects to make weapons. I suggest the first three things you make are Medical Kits, Cocktail Molotov and Firecrackers. You will find lock-picks….guess what for? To pick locks for better items and weapons and to enter buildings, lockers and trunks. It is a skill to master. You will break many….many lock-picks.

The firecrackers will get the attention of most zombies. You can divert their attention while you run by or group them up to burn a bunch to the ground with a Molotov. Once you kill a zombie, you can raid their body to get money or items you can use to make more of the same.

: Dying Light: Slum map

Early in the game you will be assigned by HQ to go to a drop sight and recover some medicine. Medicine to counteract the zombie virus. This is when the first darkness sets in. So go in fast and get the hell out. Because when the night comes so do the very dangerous Volatiles. If they get close to you they can kill with one swipe or worse…bite. Until you are very fit and armed with serious weapons you hide and shiver with fear as the Volatiles walk by sniffing the air looking for your pathetic ass. Yes you can hear them and if you make noise they will hear you. Unlike the Biters zombies, the Volatiles, Screamers and Night Hunters can climb everywhere you can. If you get in a place where they cannot climb, they will spit some green loogies at you which will wipeout your health very quickly.

So in the first part of the game you run and hide and collect items and money. You ambush the biters with Molotov’s and electric traps found throughout. Your core items to make in order of most vital are, as previously stated, health, firecrackers and Molotov’s. You will find other ways to kill the biters. You will notice gasoline puddles here and there. Just throw firecrackers in or near the benzene puddle. If there is a red metal drum nearby, get back as it will explode. Propane bottles are everywhere and can be used to blow up biters as well. Long metal bottles which welders use also will blow. Strike them with a metal weapon and they will leak gas then blow. Shoot them and they will blow instantly. So if you give them a whack, run like hell.

To your dismay you will find the rusty pipe you found wears out quickly when thrashing a biter. I used them to give the biter one whack in order to get away. When you find duck-tape, and you will, this is used to repair all handheld striking weapons such as the trusty rusty pipe. You will notice in the on-screen HUD it will have a picture of the pipe and how many times you can repair said pipe. If you can cut, stab, slash, beat or sever with a weapon, you can repair them two or three times. With more advanced and stronger hand held weapons you can repair up to five time with customization.

As you advance along, you will find or buy better more advanced weapons. I hardly ever bought a weapon as they can be found. You will be able to make a bow and arrows. The arrows will kill with specialize tips which blow up on contact. Remember, loud noises cause screamers to come running at you. When they arrive they will beat you like a stepchild causing serious damage. So kick them back and give them a shellacking or a burn-job. The recurve bow is not too accurate. Have lots of arrows.

Firearms are found in this game. I rarely use them. But they are loud and ineffective unless you dump a whole magazine into the biter. A head shot will take them down……but try and hit a running and screaming zombie with an eight shot semi-auto pistol which recoils on every shot. Later in the game, you will find M-4 type rifles as well as double barrel, pump and semi-auto shotguns. In the south of this game, in a shack next to the bay a citizen has taken is life with a pistol. Find this shack and you will have your first pistol. If you use it there are no reloads till later in the game. Never the less you will have one. In Dying Light the Following you will find a crossbow which is 10 times better than the recurve bow.

Humans in this gamer are citizens who are hiding or “Forting Up” and hanging out at HQ. Others are bad-guys who attack citizens and take over the drops. The drops have supplies such as medial kits, flares and survival kits for HQ. If you boldly go against the bad-guys defending the drops, use Molotov’s on them. In a nose to nose and toes to toes fight, the three of them will kill you right there. Yes you will die many times. You come back quick losing no items. So burn the Dirt-bags down.

Now, I have just scratched the surface of this game. There is much more to learn. This game is much more complicated but much more fun. As you work your way through the assignments in the slums you will go to Old Town where you meet bigger and more dangerous monsters. Be crafty and take your time to take them down. If you get stuck, as I did, go to YouTube to get some help. Once you get a decent edged weapon like a sword, you can run and climb up on a vehicle. The slow zombies normally cannot climb upon vehicles. Squat and start your new barbering job of taking a little off the top. The Screamers can and will climb on the vehicle so kick them off and cut some off the top as they climb up.

Dying Light is a multiplayer game. To invite a friend, he who runs the fastest stays alive, in this game you must complete the first assignment of activating the first car trap. It was tough at first but I collected items, made my firecrackers and Molotov’s and burned some walking dead guys. I then easily completed the task.

So to I recommend if you are a warrior at heart and a decent PC Gamer you buy Dying Light and give it a go. If you buy the Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition you will have both Dying Light and Dying Light The Following. The Following is even better with dune buggies to drive.

IMPORTANT! Finish Dying Light first and then it will let you take your experience and items with you to The Following. To jump into The Following as a Newbie will make it very difficult. Enjoy and have fun with the game and adrenaline rushes.

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