Dying Light: The Following Enhanced Edition Review Part 1

(Part 1 contains only the main game review, Part 2 contains Co-Op, Be the Zombie and The Following)

Dying Light has been one of my favorite gaming experiences of not just 2016 but of all time. I have never been a fan of the zombie genre of games. However I decided to take a chance a play Dying Light because it seemed like a promising way to enjoy this genre. This game blew all of my by expectations out of the water and I think the 70+ hours I put into the game and its expansion are a testament to its greatness.

Gameplay

Let me just start off by saying that this is one of the best sandboxes to just mess around in. The game starts off very difficult with zombies taking several hits to kill and often facing a horde of them is quite daunting. But once I got my first katana modified to set zombies on fire, everything changed. I was the hunter, I sliced and diced my way through the streets of Harran (The fictional city in which the game takes place) until my weapon broke. I had no metal parts to repair it so I frantically began scavenging as night rapidly approached. By the time I had found the parts I needed night had fallen. My hands shook as I stealthily crawled along the rooftops, hoping I wouldn't be seen by one of the nearly invincible "Volatile" zombies that come out at night. But one wrong parkour move and I was running for my life, sweaty palms gripping the controller as I sprinted towards the safe zone and then BAM! The creature pounced on me and the chase was over. The gameplay here is excellent and when you level up you actually feel more powerful with your new skills and gear. The skill trees add alot of customization and fun to the game. (The dropkick ability is hilarious.) The gameplay is what really makes this game so enjoyable and even for non zombie fans it is still alot of fun. The parkour is also spectacular and really adds a whole new element to not just this game, but the zombie genre in general.

Graphics, Design and Sound

The graphics in this game are gorgeus. The lighting engine does a great job of setting the mood and the models of both characters and zombies look amazing. It really adds a whole new level of immersion. The design of the 3 large open world maps that the player can access is also superb. They are built for parkour and really emphasize using the enviroment to your advantage, both in and out of combat. The aethstetics of each map are different from each other which gives the world a lived in feel as you traverse slums and beachs. The sound is also great here, the violent shrieks as zombies are sliced in half by a machete. The voice acting is also very good from the major characters to the nameless bandits that taunt you during combat.

Story

The story is cliche but I really enjoyed it. It follows Kyle Crane as he helps the survivors of The Tower to gain their trust and learn about the evil Rais. The story missions are fun and have alot of unique situations that provide new gameplay twists. A few cons are the cliche characters (even though they are likeable), and predictable plot. I do not want to spoil it but the story has a pretty anti-climactic final boss fight game-play wise, but story wise it is pretty epic. 

Is this game right for you?

If you are willing to deal with a cliche story and a very difficult first few hours then the game is a good match. However if you cannot deal with degrading weapons and controls that take a while to get used to then you might have trouble liking this game. I recommend this to a gamer looking for a fun and rewarding experience, regardless of if your a fan of the zombie genre.

Overall

The only downside I can think of to this game are the story cliches but otherwise this is one of my favorite games of all time. Stay tuned for the review of the expansion, co-op and multiplayer of this game.