Did I mention that all of this can be done with up to 4 players in co-op? It’s easy to take the co-op for granted since the drop-in/drop-out is so seamlessly integrated into the game. I highly recommend playing at least a couple sessions with friends and see the dynamic of the game change. My time in co-op drifted away from objectives and more towards exploring and picking up drops or delving into random events. Mini co-opetitions will pop up everywhere in the vein of seeing who can kill the most infected or race to a certain mission point first. These add a fun element to some of the repetitive tasks and they are completely optional but net some extra experience for the winner. Plus, a little competition never hurt anyone.
Dying Light was built with co-op in mind, taking into all parties involved and not just the host. Mission progress will be saved across all players’ games, so keep this in mind when jumping into a session which has progressed further down the story. Anytime a dynamic drop hits the map all players get to raid the cache of medicine and supplies. This holds true for the loot you find, as it is unique to each player. True to its co-op nature, friends can help a downed ally with a helping hand and both can frantically run away from the creatures of the night. Unfortunately the customization options for character clothing isn’t as robust as say, Dead Rising, so don’t expect to be able to tell each other apart during the early stages of the game. Co-op is a really awesome way to experience Dying Light and I highly suggest you try it; because didn’t anyone tell you not to run around alone at night?
On the flip side, Be The Zombie mode is a nice addition. It gives players the opportunity to invade a multiplayer session (if the host has opted in) and become a Night Hunter special infected. The Night Hunter can terrorize the players, and the players must work together to stop the menace from wreaking havoc in their session. I didn’t spend a ton of time, as I was focused on the co-op for most of the game but Be The Zombie feels like an interesting mode for players who are fans of the Left 4 Dead versus mode.
I have had a ton of fun with Dying Light, and it only gets better when a couple friends hop into your game. The parkour aspect is the standout feature and allows players to traverse across the realized city of Harran. Yes it is another zombie game, but it has so much going on the theme is secondary. The volatiles are legit scary at night and will make you run faster than any zombie you have encountered in games before. There are many systems in place, yet Techland has managed to coordinate them well enough they balance each other out and don’t distract from one another. Dying Light is a fun game and does a lot well, it is a great start to the year and should definitely be played with some friends.
This review was based on the PC version of the game provided by the publisher
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Up to 4 players can work together to survive the zombie apocalypse.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.