Ten Years On: Remembering Dying Light's Story, Because Bloody Hell, It Got Weird
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
Jeff takes us on a wild, decade-long ride through the convoluted and increasingly strange story of *Dying Light* and its *Following* expansion, refreshing our memories of Kyle Crane's journey from GRE agent to potential world-ending Volatile, all in anticipation of the upcoming (and equally mysterious) *Dying Light: The Beast*.
Right then, gather 'round, mates. I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared. With a decade having zipped by since the original *Dying Light* first dropped us into its chaotic, parkour-infused zombie apocalypse, it's totally understandable if the specifics of Kyle Crane's journey are a bit fuzzy in your brain-meat. But with *Dying Light: The Beast* – a continuation of Crane's tale, apparently – shambling onto our consoles and PCs sometime soon (according to the whispers), it's high time we dusted off those memories and prepped ourselves for more rooftop-sprinting, zombie-kicking shenanigans.
Fair warning: this whole yarn contains more twists than a drunken wizard's spell, and we're definitely diving into spoiler territory for *Dying Light* and its expansion, *The Following*. So if you're planning a fresh playthrough or just genuinely enjoy surprises, maybe bookmark this for later, eh?
Our story quite literally begins with a thud, as our man Kyle Crane, an undercover agent for the Global Relief Effort (GRE), gets dropped into the fictional Middle Eastern city of Harran. Picture this: ground zero for a devastating viral outbreak, turning folks into terrifying, flesh-eating creatures of darkness – affectionately known as 'zombies.' Crane's official mission? Humanitarian aid. His *actual* mission? Track down some dodgy political figure, Kadir Suleiman, who's pinched a file critical to the GRE. If your gut is already screaming 'these GRE types sound shifty as a goblin in a tax office,' well, you've got good instincts. Follow 'em.
Now, Crane, bless his cotton socks, immediately proves he's super good at his job by getting attacked by a warlord's goons, bitten by a zombie, and infected with the virus – all within his first few moments. Smooth, Kyle, real smooth. With his cover blown faster than a cheap tent in a hurricane and the tell-tale seizures kicking in, he hooks up with a survivor enclave called The Tower. Their leader? A parkour instructor named Harris Brecken. Because who else would you trust to run things during the literal end of the world than someone who can teach you to jump really well? Makes total sense. Here, Crane learns the ropes of free-running and gets a dose of Antizin, an experimental drug that keeps the zombification at bay. He also bumps into Jade Aldemir, a genuinely good egg who'd do anything for Dr. Imran Zere (the scientist trying to find a cure) and her brother, Rahim. Now, Rahim, I'm just gonna say it, had 'not making it to the credits' written all over him from the jump. You know the type.
**Rais Against The Machine**
With our band of weary survivors assembled, it's not long before we meet the main antagonist proper: Kadir 'Rais' Suleiman. This self-styled warlord is a proper nasty piece of work, known for ruthless tactics and screwing over anyone who deals with him – basically, everything you want in a baddie you're just itching to punch. His crew's been hoarding Antizin and running Harran's black market with intimidation, so naturally, Crane and co. start poking at his operations. Predictably, Rais bites back, killing off Rahim (told you!) and kidnapping Dr. Zere. Crane tries a rescue, gets caught, and ends up in a pit fighting off infected – a classic bad guy move, that. Surviving that little ordeal, Rais drops a bombshell: he knows Crane works for the GRE and has dirt on them. The twist? The GRE was actually complicit in the outbreak and plans to weaponize it. Yeah, see? Your bosses really weren't very nice people. Crane escapes, chops off Rais's hand (suddenly showing off some serious martial arts, because why not?), but Zere is tragically killed before rescue. His dying wish? Get his research to a Dr. Camden in old town, via Jade.
**GRE-AT at Doing War Crimes**
Now fully disillusioned with the GRE, Crane properly aligns himself with the people of Harran. Turns out, the GRE and the defense ministry plan to firebomb the entire city to cover their tracks. Classy. Crane and some new allies try to signal for help by blowing up a skyscraper into a giant frowny face. It gets shot down. Then they try a comms tower. That works, stalling the firebombing. The GRE, ever the opportunists, contacts Crane: bring them Zere's cure, and he'll be extracted. But wait! Rais, with his penchant for abducting people, has nabbed Jade. Crane finds her, but she's been bitten and is turning. Rais, the absolute charmer, gives Crane one dose of Antizin and makes him choose. Jade, ever the hero, insists Crane takes it. He's then forced to kill her after she turns. Grim, mate, absolutely grim.
After mourning and getting a bit of payback on Rais's goons, Crane gets the cure samples to Dr. Camden. But Rais still has Zere's remaining data. So, off Crane goes, learning Rais has, *of course*, made a deal with the GRE to be extracted in exchange for the data. This culminates in a classic rooftop confrontation where Crane stabs Rais in the neck and sends him plummeting to his death. Epic. The GRE shows up, wanting the data, but Crane heroically gives it to Camden instead, sacrificing his own extraction for Harran. A cure seems within reach, and that's where the main *Dying Light* story wraps up. But our man Kyle's journey isn't done. Oh no. Things take a turn for the **extremely weird** in *The Following*.
**The Following: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Zombie Werewolf**
Sticking around Harran to help out, Crane hears rumours of people in the countryside immune to infection. With Antizin running low and Camden's cure stalled, he naturally investigates. Turns out, the whole rural area is under the sway of 'The Children of the Sun,' a cult worshipping a mysterious figure called 'The Mother.' These folks perform bizarre rituals, get suspiciously cozy with zombies, and seem utterly fearless of the undead. Crane infiltrates, hoping to learn their secret, doing the bidding of their creepy masked officers, 'The Faceless.'
He eventually discovers Rais's thugs are also mucking about, trying to get their hands on this 'cure.' Crane tracks them to a dam where The Mother is supposedly hiding, but Rais's men are already dead. And this is where things get properly bonkers. Crane finally meets The Mother. She takes off her mask... and she's a full-blown Volatile. You know, the big, scary night-stalkers. But here's the kicker: she's *sentient*. She can talk! She explains her 'cure' isn't really a cure; she controls her zombie urges during the day but goes on killing sprees at night. Basically, she's a zombie werewolf. Yikes.
**The Bitter Ends (And the Even Bitterer Sequel Setup)**
The Mother's solution for the infection? Summon the Sun God. Which, and this is where my wizardly skepticism really kicks in, turns out to be a euphemism for a nuclear bomb. Definitely *a* cure, technically, if 'everyone dies' counts. This presents Crane with a choice: help this absolutely bonkers lich nuke Harran, or, you know, *not* do that. A tough call, wouldn't you say?
If you side with The Mother, you launch the missile, purging Harran of everyone, infected and survivor alike. It's certainly the more 'metal' option. However, given that *Dying Light: The Beast* (as our source puts it) will feature Kyle as its protagonist, my money's on this option probably not being the canon one. But hey, knock yourself out, king.
Alternatively, you tell the monster to take a hike. She then forces you to drink her 'elixir,' turning you into a sentient zombie too. You fight and kill her, grab the vials, and escape the dam. After a series of blackouts, you wake up outside Harran, stumble upon a family playing in a park, and realize you've fully transformed into a Volatile yourself. Cue an apocalyptic scream, hinting at a global outbreak. Whoops.
And that's where Kyle's story ends... until *Dying Light: The Beast* arrives. Now, if you're thinking, 'how in the heck do they make a sequel to *that*?' you're not alone. This upcoming game apparently picks up *years* after *The Following*, with Kyle Crane having been captured and experimented on for 13 years by a sociopath called The Baron. He's escaped and is out for revenge, with some 'non-human DNA' that's surely going to play a big part. How Techland plans to reconcile those wildly diverging endings from *The Following*, or fill in that 13-year gap, is anyone's guess. But I can't wait to see the undoubtedly weird direction it all takes. Here's to more bizarre zombie parkour adventures, eh?
Original Source: IGN South Africa
Tags: Dying Light, Zombie Games, Story Recap, Techland, Gaming Lore
Original article: IGN South Africa