Dying Light: Platinum Edition – Review

It has already been over six years since we reviewed Dying Light’s base game. We loved the game and found it an excellent release for that time. Soon after, a DLC was also released, introducing a new story and new mechanics, which we also enjoyed a lot. The game still has a reasonably large community, and there is still new content being dropped from time to time for those still playing the game. Now, the game has been released with all DLC content included for Nintendo’s hybrid console. We were quite curious to see how this massive game was ported to Nintendo’s handheld console. We were actually quite impressed. Players in the EU who want to buy a digital copy might find themselves out of luck as the Nintendo eShop is located in Germany, where Dying Light was banned for absolutely no reason. Physical copies are easy to find, but you’re also able to swap regions on your account for a while, allowing you to actually purchase a digital copy if you so desire. As we have reviewed this game and its most significant DLC, we’ll just be having a short look at how this massive game runs on the Switch.

Truth be told, we were quite unsure that a big game like Dying Light would properly run on Nintendo’s Switch. Even though the game is already a few years old, we thought it had to be chopped up to be able to run on a handheld device, and we were very skeptical as to what the end product would be. When we saw footage of the game, we still couldn’t shake the feeling that this early footage was too good to be true. Then, we actually got to try the game ourselves and we were blown away with how smooth this game runs and how good it looks. Even in handheld mode, the game runs smooth as butter and still looks extremely spiffy. The backdrops are great, the clutter that fills the environments is all still there and the big numbers of zombies still roam the streets. There were no cutbacks, safe for perhaps toning down a few details graphically. This port is a proper testament to how games can still look great when they are perfectly optimized for the Switch. We cannot give a single bad remark about this aspect of this port. In combination with the already interesting plot, the great atmosphere, and the added DLC, this is an impressive release.

Is everything great in Harran? Well, for the most part, it is (safe for the zombies roaming the streets). We found the game still fairly modern in the options it offers, the crafting is fun, and you’ll have a lot of content to explore. We only have to mention that the Joy-Con controls feel a bit off, especially when trying to sprint and jump at the same time. The latter is due to the small rim around the convex design of the Joy-Cons’ sticks. Due to this, you have a lot less grip when pressing down the sprint button to make long jumps. Overall, we’d recommend playing with a Pro Controller if you have the chance. Of course, when playing in handheld mode you’re pretty much stuck with Nintendo’s Joy-Cons.

As a whole, we loved the meaty package that we got here, and it’s fun that you’re able to switch between the different parts of the content. You can just boot up your adventure in Harran, or you can immediately opt to play The Following DLC. The latter replaces the city of Harran with a more open-world playing field, where you’ll have to rely on a buggy to get around, instead of the parkouring that made the first part of Dying Light so iconic. Outside of that, this bundle also includes a lot of costumes to pick from, which are of course mainly visible for those you play with, as you’ll be seeing everything from a first-person perspective anyway.

Conclusion

Dying Light: Platinum Edition for Switch is still a very good game. This six-year-old game still holds up surprisingly well and is a blast to play in handheld mode. If you’re planning to play this one on the big screen, you’re still getting a better experience on other platforms, but as far as an open-world zombie survival game for a handheld console goes, this one is easily the best one out there. Even though the price tag may look a bit high for an ‘old’ game, the content you’re getting with the Platinum Edition will keep you occupied for many weeks to come.

Ibuki

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Aspiring ninja.

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