The newest game J and I are playing is Dying Light: The Following. AKA parkour simulator. AKA lockpicking simulator.


First off, it meets the multiplayer criterion swimmingly: the full campaign is playable co-op.


In contrast to the classic zombie shoot-em-up, most of the game is spent avoiding zombies by using sweet freerunning skills. You can, of course, always take them on, but it's just a hinderance. The better strategy is to run on the tops of cars or use your grappling hook to dart about rooftops. The parkour is kind of like Assassin's Creed, but not as simple as mashing square to do cool things, so it's pretty rewarding when you get it dialed in.


Melee weapon creation is a big part of the inventory experience. It boils down to finding materials to, say, add electrical damage to your machete. Guns and throwables do eventually come on the scene, but melee weapons are always the close quarters/silent option.


It's an open world game with a lovely cityscape and Fallout-quality building interiors.


The plot makes it to video game bingo pretty quickly. Virus, government cover-up, tragic death of bright-eyed youth, tragic death of love interest, betrayal, betrayal, betrayal. There are some fun and quirky NPC interactions though.


There is inventory and item rarity, you level to gain new moves and buffs. It's enough to want to chase xp but it doesn't drown you in menus and micromanagement.


I think we're near the end of the campaign, but we'll definitely be jumping on that dlc that apparently introduces vehicles.

Right now, you're ranked fifty in the badass leaderboards, which puts you behind my grandma but ahead of a guy she gummed to death. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS.

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