Why Did The Zombie Cross The Road (Dying Light: The Following Review)

Mr. Groovy B (@Mr_Groovy_B)
Feb 22, 2016
4 min read

A horde caught me off guard so I pulled a Rick Grimes and sliced ‘n diced them until there were only two left. One got lucky enough to lunge at me but I managed to get it off and kill it quickly. While I walked up to the other I quickly healed myself, at this point I was fairly agitated. It turned to me with a groan and the protagonist, Kyle Crane, let off an angry yell as I pressed the attack button which sent my sword through the zombie’s neck and within an instant it was off with its head. I watched gleefully as the headless body stumbled past me, still in its momentum, while waving its arms around wildly before it slowly spun round and fell to the floor all while a fountain of blood spewed from its neck.

It’s moments like this that makes Dying Light a masterpiece. Before I start talking about The Following DLC, I would like to say a few things about the game in general. The zombies are very well done. They behave like you’d expect a zombie to behave. They fumble, they stumble, they grumble and they tumble…hell, I’ve seen a few Zombies smash their faces in by simply falling off a ledge. They react to getting hit in the face by a hammer like they should. Their heads bend backwards, you hear that gut wrenching sound of bone cracking and at times get a groovy X-Ray kind of view of their broken bones. The weapons are a zombie lover’s wet-dream and don’t even get me started on the nifty mods you can put on them (Flame sword anyone?). The pakour system is easy and simple yet amazing to watch and satisfying to pull off.

(Apparently zombies don’t like being electrocuted and hit in the head at the same time)

The Following DLC adds a stunning new map which is really, really big. So much so that they added a fully upgradeable/customizable buggy, that is a joy to drive. The driving is spot on. Hit too many undead and it slows you down. Go off road without proper tiers and you feel the drag of the sand under your wheels. I haven’t upgraded my buggy fully yet because you need to loot for parts and blueprints which takes time. The buggy isn’t just a fancy gimmick for the add-on. It’s the heart and soul of The Following, and is your baby. You need to keep her maintained and fueled. So you’re constantly looting. But that’s what makes it even more fun. I often find myself running off and going on a looting spree for parts for my buggy. This makes abandoned cars along the road a must needed pit stop when going on a road trip.

(This is what happens when a Zombie tries to cross the road)

And then there’s the crossbow…people, listen to me now! The crossbow is the ultimate Zombie killing weapon. You have a variety of bolts besides the regular steel bolt. They are the impact bolt, toxic bolt and stun bolt. So you can really mess around with the Biters or Bandits. The first time I got the crossbow I ran out to a zombie infested field to get use to it and I have never had so much fun with a weapon in a game before. Using Zombies as target practice is as relaxing as it is fun. Before I retrieve my bolts from an unfortunate Walker I always take a look at where my bolts hit them. There is nothing more satisfying than landing a headshot with a crossbow on a rotting, maggot infested meat-bag.

(For all you Daryl fans out there, this one is for you)

I do feel the story is a bit slow at first. You’re basically an errand boy helping the farm folk with their farm folk problems that you would usually expect farm folk to suffer from during the zombie apocalypse (The water supply is poisoned! If only we had someone brave and stupid enough to go into zombie territory and sort it out). However, the cult that everyone talks about brings an added element of mystery and I look forward to hearing more from them. I find myself running off from the story and ranking up XP and looting more than anything. That is where Dying Light really shines for me, especially in this beautiful countryside map. Talking about XP, all your gear and skills/progression carries over from the base game so you already start off as a badass. And there is a new legend system which lets you max out your character even more and gain special rewards. So the more you do, the more you gain.

(A bloody banana split right in the face!)

I have found that at times it would spawn me really far away from everything and I have to run long distances with a feeling of dread as I watch the sun slowly die. You do not want to be caught out in the open at night. It is terrifying and there aren’t many places to hide away from Volatiles out in the countryside. Safe houses are far and few in between and it’s very easy to get lost on this map which does get frustrating at times in the beginning, until you start feeling familiar with the map. Often I found myself pressing pause and checking the map to see where my waypoint was as there is no proper GPS in the zombie apocalypse.

(This is why you do not want to be caught out in the open at night)

(A face that only a blind mother could love)

The Following doesn’t feel like an add-on. It feels like a whole new game. There has also been some minor tweaks and adjustments made to the pakour and combat systems which makes everything feel more refined. Techland have really pulled out all the stops with this and it paid off.

I am having a blast with The Following DLC. Dying Light is the best zombie game that I have ever had the privilege of playing and it just got a whole lot better. This game gets a ‘Groovy Sticker’ as far as I’m concerned.