Dying Light Platinum review: Worth buying on Nintendo Switch?

Title: Dying Light: Platinum Edition
Developer: Techland
Publishers: Techland
Platforms: Nintendo Switch (reviewed on)
Release Date: October 19, 2021

I love zombie games. I am one of those people and I’m not ashamed. I have played almost every zombie game released since…1996 and I have loved almost each and every one of them. Aside from the heavy hitters (aka all of the Resident Evil games) there have been a few standouts like Dead Island, Days Gone and the big burrito of them all…Dying Light. If I had a dollar for every time I replayed Dying Light on PS4 I’d have…like…$12 dollars and while that doesn’t seem like a lot, that’s a lot of gameplay. When Dying Light Platinum was released on Switch and I realized that I could play one of my favorite games literally anywhere I wanted, I knew that a good chunk of my life what going to be dedicated to that wee handheld.

For those of you most unfortunate to NOT have played Dying Light this 2015 release was FIRE. You play as Kyle Crane, a GRE (Global Relief Effort) agent who is going undercover in Harran, ground zero for a deadly outbreak that has ravaged the city. Harran is now quarantined and the GRE air drops supplies in for survivors. Crane is being dropped into Harran to find Kadir Suleiman, a man who stole some very important GRE documents and is holding them hostage in the quarantine zone. Immediately after landing, Crane gets attacked by the undead and is bitten. Thankfully for him, there is a medication called Antizin that can stall the virus’s progression from turning those afflicted into bald and vicious monsters.

Crane is taken to a survivors hub called the Tower where he learns that the supplies are running low and Antizin isn’t easy to come by anymore. Due to the change in plan, the GRE commands Crane to not only recover the stolen file from Suleiman but also to collect the data from a Dr. Zere, who is working on a cure for the Harran virus. Crane must do all of this while assisting survivors, fighting off dangerous dudes, letting the outside know that there are still survivors while trying to not let the virus take him out.

If Dying Light feels a lot like Dead Island, that’s because it was developed by Techland, one half of the creators of Dead Island. I always like to say that Dying Light is the Dead Island we wish we had always gotten. Dying Light is so special because not only can you create some of the craziest and most OP weapons you have ever seen, but you can parkour across the island like a spider monkey. On top of all that, the gameplay changed through the day/night cycle making the hours of darkness a lot more difficult to survive. Since its release in 2015, Techland has been really good about releasing DLCs and continuing special events each year to keep people playing Dying Light and now there’s even more of a reason because Dying Light 2 Stay Human is coming out next year and I am so excited that I could spit.

So, is playing Dying Light Platinum on the Switch worth it? Yes and no. Super clear answer, I know. For fans who already love the game, playing it on the Switch is a fun, new adventure. There’s nothing scarier than trying to jump across a large divide when you have big hands trying to manipulate itty bitty little buttons, inevitably falling to your death. The Switch’s tiny ass buttons are a nightmare and I hate them but that isn’t specific to this game. No one’s hands are that small, even children’s hands. That being said, I do love that I can play Dying Light anywhere and I just pretend that the small buttons are extra hard mode.

Another downside is the graphic quality. Dying Light isn’t a realistic looking game but that’s never been an issue. The facial motion capture has always been a little eerie but it’s part of the charm. On the Switch, however, when you stand to talk to an NPC, everyone has a fuzzy static quality about them. It reminds me of watching a movie on VHS. There’s just a lot of noise in the image that isn’t there on the console. While not a deal breaker, it can be a little distracting.

Outside of that, I would recommend Dying Light Platinum on Switch but ONLY to already established fans of the game. In terms of gameplay mechanic quality, graphic quality and just overall game enjoyment, I would recommend console or PC 100% of the time. But if you have already played Dying Light and want a chance to take Harran with you in your pocket, then this is definitely a game I would recommend adding to your library. The platinum edition includes all of the DLC from past releases and that’s a lot of content.

You can play Dying Light Platinum on the Switch now and get that under your belt before the new game comes.

Dying Light: Platinum Edition (Nintendo Switch) Score: 7.5

If you have never played Dying Light, this iteration isn’t the one I would recommend for you BUT if you are already a hardcore fan, then adding this to the Switch for playing on the go is a fun challenge and I definitely recommend it.

A copy of this game was provided to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click here to learn more about our Review Policy.