DYING LIGHT: RUN THE ROOFTOPS BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN
8.5 of 10 bananas. The parkour zombie game that made climbing feel as good as fighting, and made night truly frightening. A classic with years of free updates behind it, but the story is forgettable and the early melee is clumsy.
By the Alpha. Steam listing. Updated Oct 25 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from launch reviews, critic consensus, update history, and what is known about the game today. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: PC on Steam, plus PS4, Xbox One, and later Switch and current consoles (Techland, released January 2015). The Steam page sells the Essentials Edition, which per the store page includes the base game, The Bozak Horde, Cuisine and Cargo, and a set of skin and weapon bundles, but not The Following expansion. It was 24.99 dollars at my Oct 25 check. On Amazon US the PS4 disc was 41.99 dollars from a third-party seller, so there is no Amazon button.
Get Dying Light on SteamSit with me a moment. A gorilla knows the value of high ground. Dying Light understands it better than any zombie game: up on the rooftops you are a king, and down in the street after dark you are dinner.
What It Wants To Be
You are Kyle Crane, an agent sent into the quarantined city of Harran to find a stolen file. You join the survivors, run and climb across rooftops, scavenge parts, and craft weapons. By day the infected are slow and you are strong. At night the Volatiles come out, fast and deadly, and the city turns into a chase. You can play the story with up to three friends in co-op.
What Works
Parkour is the soul of the game. Climbing, vaulting, and later the grappling hook make movement a joy on its own. The day and night cycle is brilliant: nights are truly scary, and surviving one feels earned. Co-op makes the whole city a playground. Techland supported the game for about seven years with free updates, including a free visual Retouched update, so it holds up well today.
What Breaks
Listen well. Early melee is weak and weapons break, so the first hours feel clumsy. The story and Crane are forgettable. Human enemies with guns are less fun than the infected. The Following expansion, which many players love, is not part of the Essentials Edition on Steam, so check what you buy.
Who Should Play
Play it if you love zombies, movement, and co-op, or want to see where Dying Light 2 and The Beast came from. Skip it if clumsy early combat or a weak story will stop you.
STRENGTHS
- Parkour that feels great
- Terrifying nights
- Great four player co-op
- Years of free updates
HONEST COSTS
- Clumsy early melee
- Forgettable story
- Weak gun fights
- The Following sold separately
Store note: the troop still needs an Amazon referral for this one. At my Oct 25 check the US PS4 disc on Amazon was 41.99 dollars from a third-party seller, which I will not push on the troop. Steam is the only button until a fair listing is real. This is not an affiliate link.