Techland’s recently announced parkour-infused zombie/plague victim game Dying Light has got itself a debut trailer. It’s a pre-rendered affair but hints at the tone of the final game, as well as just how it will differentiate itself from their last game, Dead Island.
Dying Light puts you into the trainers of a survivor eking out a living in a South American town that’s fallen victim to a mysterious plague. The infection’s turned the majority of its inhabitants into flesh-eating creatures. Those that are left alive are either grouping together or clubbing each other over the back of the head to get at supplies.
The trailer suggests that you’ll be acting as the eyes on the ground for outside forces. Running through the city to intercept equipment and supplies air dropped in from unseen allies. We never do learn what’s in the air dropped crate, it could be anything from medical supplies to surveillance gear.
The similarities to Techland’s previous game, Dead Island, are clear: melee weapons will be a focus, as will the ability to upgrade them with everyday goods like car batteries, turning them into more violent bits of kit. Also, the infected, while looking more like the creatures in I am Legend (what with the more mobile lower jaw) are still very much akin to the speedy zombies of Dead Island.
Where the two games diverge is in the player’s mobility, Dying Light displays significantly more agile humans, ones able to leap over low obstacles, climb up walls, and spring from surface to surface to avoid the hordes of undead.
There’s still no word of a release date but we’ll likely be hearing more of the game during E3 next week.