0.0 hours played
Written 6 days ago
[h1]Drive, slide, ram and splatter through zombies in this rural DLC![/h1]
[i]Dying Light: The Following is a new chapter of Kyle Crane's story and a vast expansion to the base game. Offering the amount of content fit for a stand-alone title. All this, coupled with numerous improvements to the original Dying Light gameplay.[/i]
[h2]Story & Quests[/h2]
Kyle Crane receives a message about survivors immune to the virus, living beyond Harran. He investigates a cult known as The Children of the Sun. Their enigmatic leader, the Mother, offers cryptic guidance. You must gain the cult's trust by completing missions and uncovering secrets about their immunity. This story builds toward a dramatic, choice-based ending. There are two different endings.
[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
The gameplay is similar to the main game, except The Following adds a new mechanic to the game - the dune buggy. It’s fully customizable and upgradable. Install weapons: flamethrowers, UV lights, spikes. Upgrade parts (suspension, traction, engine, brakes). Paint/customize with decals. Fuel and repair systems add resource management. The buggy has its own skill tree. New weapons are also added.
[h2]Enemies & Bosses[/h2]
There are new enemy types called Freaks of Nature which are mutated versions of already existing enemies. They are more like mini-bosses. There are also Alpha Volatiles, which are stronger versions of the regular Volatile
The Children of the Sun cult introduces new human enemies, distinct from Rais' men in the base game.
[h2]Environment[/h2]
The new map is larger than the base game maps combined. A rural countryside outside Harran with vast and open spaces full of farms, fields, tunnels, rocky terrain, winding roads, isolated compounds and small towns.
There is less vertical parkour; more vehicle-based traversal.
Volatile Hives are added to the new map, which are infested underground areas filled with extremely aggressive and numerous Volatiles, and sometimes include alpha-type Volatiles.
[h2]Visual Design & Sound Design[/h2]
The Following takes place in a different environment which changes the visual design. Instead of a decaying city, it is now a beautiful countryside with rolling wheat fields and wild vegetation. Dusty dirt roads lined with rusted wrecks. Dilapidated barns and farmhouses with overgrowth. Weathered fences, broken silos, burned-out tractors. Ritualistic aesthetics are also present because of the Children of the Sun cult, where you can find shrines with candles, bones, and symbolic paintings.
The sound design is the same as the base game, except for the sounds from the buggy. Engine sounds change depending on part upgrades, like if you have the nitro boost upgrade. Zombies thuds against the bumper when you hit them, etc.
[h2]Constructive Criticism[/h2]
While the buggy is cool and fun, it also removes some core mechanics of what makes Dying Light so fun; the parkour. It’s fun at first, but the buggy becomes too central. You just have to use it, since the map is so vast and to travel without it is tedious.
[h2]The Verdict[/h2]
The Following is a great addition to the game and almost a standalone sequel in its own right. You get a lot of content and new mechanics with this DLC. The large map and flat terrain makes the buggy feel mandatory, which limits foot-based play and parkour. The vehicle mechanics are good, but some might not like this approach. I prefer the base game even if it’s a good and ambitious DLC.
[h2]Rating: 7/10[/h2]