Dying Light: Bad Blood Review

In a world filled with ever more battle royale games, Dying Light: Bad Blood describes itself as a “brutal royale.” It doesn’t operate in the same way as games like Fortnite or Apex Legends, even though it does borrow many elements from them.

Dying Light: Bad Blood sets itself apart from other battle royales with unique gameplay mechanics and lots of distinctive features. Perhaps this is not surprising, since it is based on a well-received singleplayer experience rather than a brand new property. Currently in Early Access on Steam, the final version is planned for release on consoles as well.

Gameplay

The best way to describe Dying Light: Bad Blood is to say it is something of a miniature battle royale game. It features just 12 players competing against each other to escape the level in a helicopter that only has room for one. Accordingly, there are plenty of differences to set this game apart from other similar titles on the market.

Firstly, there is no shrinking circle or gradually smaller playing area to travel around. The world of Dying Light: Bad Blood remains the same throughout a match and you are free to explore as you see fit. Also, there is a very noticeable lack of ranged weapons. Instead, you have to rely on (and eventually master) the melee weapons on offer.

The last major difference is that the ultimate goal is not to take out your opponents but rather to escape on that single helicopter seat. To do that, you need to collect blood samples that are located throughout the level. Gather enough and you reach level five, allowing you to leave the island for good.

Like the other games in this franchise, Dying Light: Bad Blood is often a claustrophobic experience where you are constantly fighting in close quarters and must utilize parkour-style skills to get around. If you’ve played any previous Dying Light game, it will all feel very familiar as this is essentially just a multiplayer version of them.