



I’m not as hardcore of a gamer as I was 10 years ago, but certain games stick with me. One of those games is Dying Light which is also one of my favorite games of all time.





Dying Light is an open world, first person action-horror game where you kill infected people (zombies) and has a really in-depth free running parkour element. Also the game takes place in an unknown middle eastern country which strongly resembles modern day Turkey.





The game came out in 2015 and I started playing it in January 2016. At the time I was briefly out of the job market living off of savings and with the help if my parents while in school. All I had to really do was study, and I was kick boxing at the time (the game, with it’s fast paced gameplay, actually inspired me to start kickboxing. I’ll make a post on kickboxing later).





I already gave an extremely brief description of the game but one important detail is it’s a pretty violent and bloody game and certain scenes (such as being chased at night by super enemies) could be unsettling to certain viewers.

"Volatiles" are some of the toughest enemies in the game.









With that being said... I’ll explain why I find the game extremely relaxing.





When I started playing the game it was during a very laid back period in my life which played a big factor in why I find it relaxing.





When you’re running around the open world map there’s danger all around. Zombies chasing you up and down buildings, infected crowds on the street, rogue militants running around, and the risk of falling off a building while climbing just to name a few risks.





There are enclosed “safezones” scattered throughout the map that offer barricaded entranceway’s and UV lighting to deter the powerful night time zombies. These safezones are especially cozy because in most cases danger is literally right around the corner and you have a bed and shelter right next to you to to keep you safe.





The first safehouse you encounter in the game is also the largest, it’s an approximately 30 story high skyscraper that you can get on top of and view practically the whole map. The sound of wind while up there is relaxing to me.





The music is also very unique for the type of game it is. The composer made a hybrid of modern and 80’s horror music that gives different vibes depending on what your doing in the game. Sometimes the music and ambient sounds really set the mood, during both frightening and somber moments.





The game has an expansion pack called “The Following” which is exactly like the original except you’re in the country side, there’s almost no urban area, and there’s more weapons for example. The environment is even more dangerous of a few reasons. One reason is that since there’s more open spaces like farms and fields, if you’re stuck out there at night there’s no place to hide. This goes back to my point that safezones provide a real sense of “safety” because danger is right around the corner and in many cases you can look out into the fields and feel lucky that you’re in the second story of a barn enclosed by gates with a community nearby.





There’s a lot of large levels that could include anything from creepy sewers, dark abandoned apartments, and abandoned construction zones that’s far away from safety and mission checkpoints. Once you finish the mission you may be thrown on the street at night which will test your survival skills (especially on higher difficulty settings and while playing solo). This makes going back to a safezone with supplies, shelter, and other people a welcomed change of place from the urban hell that is Dying Light.





This post was mainly a nostalgia trip for me, but I encourage you to give Dying Light a chance if you haven’t already. If you enjoyed that game Techland recently released the second trailer for Dying Light 2 at e3 2019.