Even for those not familiar with the game developerTechland, most gamers will recognize at least one of the company’s series. The games in theDying LightandDead Islandfranchises are a few of the titles that the Polish video game developer is responsible for. Founded in 1991, the first Techland game to receive a high rating wasCrime Cities, the second game developed by the company.
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In 2011Dead Islandwas released and earned Techland accolades at the Cannes Lions International Festivity of Creativity.Dying Lightwas released in 2015 and instantly climbed the US charts, with 1.2 million people playing the game in the first week of its release.Dying LightandDead Islandare two of its most well-known and well-loved series, but several other great Techland games exist.
7Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood
TheCall of Juarezseries is a first-person shooter that’s set in thetime of the Old American West. The first of the series,Call of Juarez, came out in 2006 and is about a reverend named Ray McCall as he tries to track down his nephew Billy, thinking he killed his parents.
Call of Juarez: Bound in Bloodis a prequel to the first game, and it’s about Ray and his brother Thomas. The two become deserters during the American Civil War and cross paths with bandit Juan “Juarez” Mendoza. WithBound in Blood, Techland took out the stealth and platforming aspects of the first game as they weren’t well received. Though the controls for both brothers are the same, they each have a style that is unique to them.
6Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger
Call of Juarez: Gunslingeris the fourth game in theCall of Juarezseries.Gunslingersets itself apart from the others as it’s the first time that there is only one playable character, a bounty hunter named Silas Greaves. The game consists of Silas retelling his life as first an outlaw and then a bounty hunter, with the player in control of Silas.
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Set in the Wild West, the game blends together fact and fiction as Silas crosses paths and takes down legendary outlaws like Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, Billy the Kid, and the Sundance Kid, and more. The first-person shooter features more guns, more gun-fighting skills, and multiple types of Concentration Mode, a feature that is a vital gameplay mechanic in theCall of Juarezseries.
Dead Island: Riptide,the standalone sequel toDead Island, didn’t turn as many heads as its predecessor, but it is still a solid game. Gameplay is similar to the that inDead Island, though there are a few new features added. For example, there are side quests that have players fighting against “boss zombies” in Dead Zones, areas with a high concentration of zombies.
There’s also a new mission called a siege event where players have to fight off waves of zombies that invade their safe zones. There’s also a new Hero character named John Morgan, whose specialty is hand-to-hand combat. ThoughDead Island: Riptideis a standalone game, playerswho played and enjoyedDead Islandwill probably find it more enjoyable than a first-time player of the series. Especially sinceDead Islandgame data can be imported, so players can keep their skills and levels.
4Dying Light 2
Dying Light 2had very big shoes to fill with the success of the first game. It didn’t quite live up to all the expectations put on it, but it still featured enjoyable gameplay. Takingplace 22 years after the events of the first game,Dying Light 2has a new protagonist named Aiden Caldwell. A more deadly strain of the virus that hit Harran has reduced humanity to small scattered settlements across the world.
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The game is set in a city in Europe called Villedor that is split up by three different factions. The parkour system is more advanced to give things a smoother and more fluid feel, and the player can shape the state of the world and how NPCs view Aiden depending on the choices they make. The story and characters fall a little flat in comparison toDying Light, but the gameplay makesDying Light 2a game worth picking up.
3Dying Light: The Following
Dying Light: The Followingis an expansion pack forDying Light. It occurs after the events of the main game, where Crane ventures into the countryside of Harran after learning about a cult that could apparently control the virus. Despite it beingextra DLC, it feels like it’s a complete game on its own. It combines things from the main game that will make gameplay familiar to fans ofDying Lightwhile also including new things, like new weapons and the ability to drive.
The wide open spaces of the countryside allow players to drive the Buggy. The Buggy is an off-road vehicle that can be used for travel and combat. The Buggy ties in with the new Driver Skill tree, which allows players to customize and upgrade their vehicle.
Dead Islandis set in the tropical paradise of Banoi, an island that is off the coast of Papua New Guinea. One wouldn’t think that a violent zombie outbreak could happen in a place like Banoi, but they would be wrong, as players fight their way through crowds of zombies against an idyllic island environment.Dead Islandalso focuses on melee combat rather than firearms, though players can still find and purchase firearms.
The four Heroes that players can choose from all have different class types, making playing each of them a unique experience and specialties that range from performing “stun” moves on enemies to doing more damage to a specific type of enemy. Or, forpeople who enjoy playing co-op, they can pick which Hero suits their playing style and use each character’s skills and abilities together to fight through swarms of zombies.
1Dying Light
Not only isDying Lightthe best Techland game, but it also had the most sales for a new IP in the survival horror genre in its first month. When people think of great zombie games,Dying Lightis often around the top of the list, along with veteran series likeResident Evil,Dead Rising, andLeft 4 Dead.
Improving on the first-person zombie fighting action thatDead Islandgave players,Dying Lightimmerses players in the city of Harran after it was decimated by a viral outbreak. Players take on therole of undercover operative Kyle Crane. Gameplay is action-packed, and the parkour mechanics make the game stand out among other horror/zombie games. The story is engaging, and the visuals are breathtaking. It also has one of the most terrifying special infected in all of survival horror game history, Volatiles.
