Despite the two games coming from the same franchise, Dying Light and Dying Light 2 are very different in tone. The first Dying Light makes every day a fight for survival and every night a living nightmare. Dying Light 2, on the other hand, lets players feel almost superhuman as they traverse and fight through a worldwide zombie apocalypse. It's up for debate which of the two games is better, but it ultimately boils down to personal preference.
Those looking for a more thrilling and scary zombie experience might prefer the first Dying Light. The protagonist, Kyle Crane, is an everyman just trying to complete his covert mission for the Global Relief Effort (GRE) while making it through each crazed survivor and Infected-filled day. The Infected in Dying Light are some of the scariest enemies found in a zombie-based video game, particularly when they exhibit their more unusual behaviors.
Dying Light's Viral Infected Retain Part of Who They Were
At first glance, Dying Light's Infected zombies are nothing but standard zombie fare. Biters, the most common Infected, shamble their way around the city of Harran looking for prey to consume and turn into one of their own. They flail their arms and grab at players when they get too close and can easily overwhelm them with their numbers.
Things get interesting pretty quickly, however, as more types of Infected get introduced. Dying Light's Goons, Demolishers, and Volatiles are just some of the special Infected that differ in appearance and whose abilities make it harder to survive. One of the special Infected variants is called the Viral, which are recently infected humans that retain a lot of their physical prowess. Because they walk the line between normal humans and Infected, Virals are extremely fast and agile; they're able to quickly catch up to running humans and climb up hard-to-reach areas other Infected can't access. They may not be as numerous as Biters, but Virals can easily catch players with their speed and climbing abilities.
Aside from their physical attributes, Virals possess something most other Infected don't. They retain some of their mental functions, allowing them to speak and even trick players on occasion. The most common instance of Virals showing higher brain functions is when players hit them. Virals will always try to actively dodge attacks aimed at them, but they will also sometimes raise their hands and plead with their attackers. These sudden lines can catch players off guard the first time it happens and makes them think about the person trapped inside. While players are distracted, Virals take the moment of hesitation as an opening and resume their attacks.
Dying Light's Infected Speech Is Prime Psychological Horror
While not all players will find this behavior particularly scary when they are preoccupied with killing zombies, it is nice that Dying Light developer Techland put in the effort to connect the Infected to their past lives. Virals were recently turned humans, so there may still be some humanity left in them trying to get out. Sadly, the effects of the Harran Virus soon take over, reminding players that the person inside is lost for good.
Future Dying Light games (and even Dying Light 2) could use this subtle trick to increase their scare factor significantly. Zombie games like Days Gone and The Last of Us are always more terrifying when they delve into the identity of these fictional creatures and whether they are still human. Considering most of Dying Light's Infected look inhuman, it would be nice to see some more humanity injected into them.
Dying Light is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.
