Dying Light earned a 74/100 Metascore from 58 critic reviews on Metacritic’s page as accessed in 2026, which labels its overall reception “Mixed or Average.” Critics praised its parkour, traversal and melee combat, but reviews also raised concerns about familiar design and uneven missions or storytelling. The score is a useful snapshot, not a universal verdict.
What is Dying Light’s critic score?
Metacritic lists Techland’s Dying Light as released on January 27, 2015, and reports an overall critic score of 74/100 from 58 reviews. Its displayed platform aggregates are close, but they are based on different review samples:
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Dying Light 2 Stay Human - PlayStation 5 | $25.51 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Dying Light - Xbox One (Renewed) | $15.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Dying Light - PlayStation 4 (Renewed) | $31.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition - PlayStation 4 | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Dying Light - Xbox One | $26.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| Platform | Metacritic score | Critic reviews |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 4 | 74/100 | 26 |
| Xbox One | 74/100 | 26 |
| PC | 75/100 | 40 |
These are the figures displayed on Metacritic’s Dying Light page when accessed in 2026; aggregate scores and review counts can change. The small difference between the listed PC and console scores does not establish how the game performs or feels on each platform. For that, consult reviews for the specific platform you plan to play.
What did critics like about Dying Light?
Parkour and movement
Free running across rooftops and navigating the city’s vertical spaces are among the game’s most consistent strengths in the review excerpts. A CGMagazine excerpt on Metacritic points to the variety in running, navigating heights and melee combat. GamesVillage.it’s excerpt singles out the appeal for players who enjoy parkour.
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- Includes: Dying Light 2 Stay Human and ‘Bloody Ties’ DLC. (DLC must be downloaded separately.)
- Enjoy the perks of more than 10 post-launch updates. Good luck out there, and stay human!
- VAST OPEN WORLD: Participate in the life of a city engulfed in a new dark era. Discover different paths and hidden passages, as you explore its multiple levels and locations.
- CREATIVE & BRUTAL COMBAT: Take advantage of your parkour skills to tip the scales of even the most brutal encounter. Clever thinking, traps and creative weapons will be your best friends.
- 2-4 PLAYER CO-OP GAMEPLAY: Play in up to four-player co-op. Host your own games or join others and see how their choices have played out differently than yours.
Combat and presentation
Critics also highlighted the mix of movement and close-quarters fighting, as well as the city’s visual detail and lighting. Cheat Code Central’s 94/100 excerpt praises the detailed city and lighting; that individual review score is not the overall Metascore.
What reservations did reviewers have?
Familiar ideas rather than a breakthrough
Some reviewers found the game enjoyable without considering it especially original. An IGN Spain excerpt on Metacritic describes it as “Fun and good looking, but hardly revolutionary.” The Jimquisition’s 50/100 excerpt argues that the game tries to be too many kinds of game rather than establishing a distinctive identity.
Rank #2
- At night, the world undergoes a deadly transformation: the hunter becomes the hunted as the infected grow more aggressive and numerous, and something far more sinister awakens to stalk its prey
- Free Running Movement – Whether tracking prey or escaping predators, Dying Light lets players swiftly navigate the world by seamlessly leaping between buildings, grappling up walls and pouncing on unsuspecting enemies
- Dying Light is set in a vast open world, delivering expansive and varied environments, a wide variety of enemy classes and a hopeless tale of survival where resources are scarce and the infected are not the only threat
- Get up-close using a variety of light and heavy weapons including knives, bats, axes, sledgehammers and more exotic weaponry or utilize guns and other firepower to take down enemies from a distance
- Why use a wrench when you can use a wrench wrapped in electrified barb wire Dying Light's sizeable crafting system enables players to create a slew of new, more potent weapons and equipment, as well as specialized ammunition
Uneven missions and storytelling
Review excerpts also point to inconsistency: the fun of gliding between buildings is not sustained throughout, according to GamingTrend’s 70/100 excerpt. VideoGamesCritic’s review synthesis likewise reflects a split between praise for traversal and combat and reservations about missions or storytelling. Its synthesized score follows that site’s own methodology, so it should not be treated as a replacement for Metacritic’s aggregate.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Dying Light worth playing?
Critics’ overall picture is a strong movement-and-combat core with frustrations around originality and consistency. It is a more natural fit if you want parkour-driven traversal, melee combat and a survival-horror setting than if your main priority is a distinctive story or consistently strong missions.
Rank #3
- At night, the world undergoes a deadly transformation: the hunter becomes the hunted as the infected grow more aggressive and numerous, and something far more sinister awakens to stalk its prey
- Free Running Movement – Whether tracking prey or escaping predators, Dying Light lets players swiftly navigate the world by seamlessly leaping between buildings, grappling up walls and pouncing on unsuspecting enemies
- Dying Light is set in a vast open world, delivering expansive and varied environments, a wide variety of enemy classes and a hopeless tale of survival where resources are scarce and the infected are not the only threat
- Get up-close using a variety of light and heavy weapons including knives, bats, axes, sledgehammers and more exotic weaponry or utilize guns and other firepower to take down enemies from a distance
- Why use a wrench when you can use a wrench wrapped in electrified barb wire Dying Light's sizeable crafting system enables players to create a slew of new, more potent weapons and equipment, as well as specialized ammunition
GameSpot’s review, published January 30, 2015, scored the game 7/10 and summed up its trade-off: “Dying Light has plenty of rewards to offer as long as you’re willing to overlook its frustrations.” Read the full GameSpot review alongside platform-specific coverage for the version you intend to play.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- At night, the world undergoes a deadly transformation: the hunter becomes the hunted as the infected grow more aggressive and numerous, and something far more sinister awakens to stalk its prey
- Free Running Movement – Whether tracking prey or escaping predators, Dying Light lets players swiftly navigate the world by seamlessly leaping between buildings, grappling up walls and pouncing on unsuspecting enemies
- Dying Light is set in a vast open world, delivering expansive and varied environments, a wide variety of enemy classes and a hopeless tale of survival where resources are scarce and the infected are not the only threat
- Get up-close using a variety of light and heavy weapons including knives, bats, axes, sledgehammers and more exotic weaponry or utilize guns and other firepower to take down enemies from a distance
- Why use a wrench when you can use a wrench wrapped in electrified barb wire Dying Light's sizeable crafting system enables players to create a slew of new, more potent weapons and equipment, as well as specialized ammunition
Rank #4
- Dying Light is now bigger, better and scarier than ever before.
- Discover the untold chapter of Kyle Crane's story. Investigate a mysterious cult as you leave the quarantine zone and travel to a region bigger than all areas of the original game combined!
- Dying Light: The Following introduces the drivable dirt buggy that you can freely customize and upgrade with special weapons, attachments and decals to create your most deadly weapon yet.
- Get all the additional content ever released for Dying Light in one go;Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Intense violence
- Content includes Be the Zombie multiplayer mode, the Cuisine&Cargo challenge missions, the Ultimate Survivor Bundle, The Bozak Horde game mode, and much more.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
