The survival horror genre has a long history in the gaming industry, with a common setting being the zombie apocalypse. Throughout the years, several successful zombie titles have revolutionized the mechanics and concepts that we now see in other genres as well.

Among all these titles, two games are highlighted for their creativity and fun gameplay: Dead Island and Dying Light. Even though they take completely different approaches to the story, they also share a lot in common, making it challenging to choose which one to play next.

If you’re having this problem, don’t worry. This article is for you.

We will compare both the Dead Island game and Dying Light in different aspects to ensure you make the right choice. From the environments you’ll be exploring to the enemies you’ll have to beat, make sure to take a look at all categories for a better understanding of each title.

• Release Date: September, 2011

• Developer: Techland

• Platforms: Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows

The Dead Island series has always been famous for its semi-open worlds that mix brutal combat with fun dialogues and a crazy campaign that doesn’t care about deep storytelling. The main story of the first game lies around the main character being trapped on an island in the middle of a zombie outbreak. 

You’ll rely on numerous weapons you can use to defend yourself from the creatures. They go from fire weapons to melee options. Thanks to the crafting system, these options are almost endless, and you can create numerous combinations. This great variety has an enormous impact when exploring the island and its locations.

The franchise's success resulted in a definitive edition that can be played on more recent consoles and a sequence. Dead Island 2 generated a lot of hype thanks to its graphics and improved gameplay. It is a better game in every aspect, and the Unreal Engine really shines. However, the problem stays the same from the previous title. The semi-open world is full of small locales, making the “open-world” feeling not as organic as it should be. It’s a great game if you like to focus on combat and smashing zombies without caring about good storytelling. 

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• Release Date: January, 2015

• Developer: Techland

• Platforms: Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows

Dying Light is also developed by Techland but has some different mechanics that might please a different audience. Even though Dead Island has some parkour, it is a lot more fun and improved here.

Even though most of the time in Dying Light, you’ll kill zombies while exploring its vast map, it features excellent storytelling, with catchy characters and numerous plot twists. In this game, you’ll control Kyle Crane in his operation to infiltrate a quarantine zone in the Middle East.

During this operation, your team gets attacked, and you get rescued by members inside the zone. Now, you must use this opportunity to investigate everything and complete your mission.

Another great thing that makes Dying Light one of the genre's greatest games is its arsenal variety. You can create multiple combinations that increase replayability, like in DI. All those positive aspects also guaranteed a sequence to it.

Dying Light 2 also improves multiple aspects of the franchise, like a better parkour system and more weapons for the player to use. Now, you can use numerous gadgets to go from one place to another without touching the ground. It is very similar to titles like Mirror’s Edge. If this is what you’re looking for, don’t be afraid to try the game.

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Now it’s time to compare both titles in a series of aspects to see which one is the best pick for you. Make sure to take a look at each item to ensure you make the best choice.

Here are the main things you should consider when comparing Dead Island vs. Dying Light:

Open-World Exploration

One of the main aspects most gamers look at when comparing both titles is the open-world exploration. Here, Dying Light has a clear advantage over its opponent. 

As we mentioned, one problem Dead Island has is the small locales. Traveling from one to another doesn’t feel organic. Each place feels like a different “level” of the game, more than a big map that can be explored. 

On the other hand, the experience in Dying Light is much better, and you feel like you’re on a big map with tons of secrets to unveil and regions to explore. This, combined with the smooth parkour through the rooftops, makes DL the best option compared to Dead Island.

Combat Animations

Both games feature great combat animations, but the dismemberment in Dead Island is one step ahead of Dying Light. Depending on the weapon used, you can experience some brutal scenes, with every frame being incredibly animated. Everything is smooth, from the blood spilling to the skull being crushed, which is one of the main aspects that make Dead Island such a fun game.

Dying Light also boasts excellent animations and better graphics since it is fairly newer than the other option, but the animations don’t have such a volume of details. If you seek brutal combat and bloody executions, Dead Island is a clear winner. The stage and scenario are also interactive, so you can use them to kill the enemies.

Weapon Variety

Both games have an infinity of weapons that can be used to kill enemies and defeat any creature that appears in your way. But, once again, Dying Light takes the advantage over its competitor.

The game presents more weapons options, including melee and fire weapons. Moreover, the weapon crafting system expands this variety and makes it enjoyable even when playing for long periods.

Dead Island also has many weapons and a crafting system that allows you to create crazy inventions to destroy the zombies. I spent several hours just creating different weapons and trying them on the numerous zombies you can find at each corner of the game. The two IPs deserve mutual respect regarding weapon variety, but Dying Light wins thanks to a more extensive arsenal of options.

Storytelling

If you want a good story and catchy characters, make sure to go with Dying Light. It has a great pacing, and the character development is clearly seen throughout the campaign. Not only that, but your bonds with other characters and connections also make you feel immersed and part of the story.

On the other hand, Dead Island’s story doesn’t have any depth and is more of an explanation of why you’re doing what you’re doing. Fans usually love playing DI because of the brutal gameplay, so the storytelling isn’t Techland’s main focus.

After diving into Dead Island for countless hours, the absence of a gripping storyline was a bit of a downer at times. Yet, it surprisingly didn't derail my gaming voyage. Why? Because the gameplay is an absolute powerhouse! Not every game nails that like Dead Island does. It's like this game has a secret recipe for keeping players hooked through its gameplay.

On the other hand, Dying Light heavily invests in its narrative. I felt like part of that universe since the beginning of the gameplay and met some of the most charismatic characters ever seen in a zombie video game. Techland surely showed the players that they can do much more than just good gameplay.

Sequel

Both games got their sequence released close to each other, and it is a fair point to compare if you plan on digging into the franchises. Dying Light 2 was released a year before Dead Island 2 and improved some of the mechanics the players most love, like the parkour animations and their smoothness. It also brought new weapons to the arsenal and new enemies, diversifying the gameplay even more.

The problem with Dying Light 2 is that its story is far from being as good as the first one, and there are still lots of minor bugs in the game that can be annoying. It was not as welcomed as the developers thought the game would be, but it doesn’t mean that it’s not a good game. It has a better map and lots of incredible secondary objectives to do with great rewards.

Dead Island 2 is the sequence every fan dreamed of. It improved the already incredible animations, combined them with some of the most impressive graphics of the current generation, and added even more crazy weapons.

Storytelling is still not the main focus, and even though you’ll meet some cool characters along your journey, you won’t feel a connection with them. The main problem of DI2 is still the same. Each map part feels like a level from the game more than anything else, making the player feel like the world is not “open” as it should be.

Even considering this, Dead Island 2 is a better sequel and takes all the elements the fans love and takes them to a whole new level. Combat is even more fun and has an infinity of weapons and possibilities to pass through the streets of this new scenario.

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Overall Gameplay

Dying Light wins thanks to the wider variety of possibilities when considering the overall gameplay. Dead Island is an extremely fun title, but the gameplay can be repetitive for some players. You’ll spend most of your time just smashing zombies and planning new ways to do that.

On the other hand, Dying Light has a skill tree that gives the player an even bigger mechanics variety. There are also different activities you can do, like requests from NPCs, that increase even more the number of things you can do during the game.

If you want to keep crushing undead hordes for hours, Dead Island is a great title. But, overall, Dying Light offers better gameplay thanks to the mechanics and options variety.

The right game for you will depend on what you seek when looking for a survival horror game of this kind, but my recommendation definitely goes to Dying Light in this comparison. It offers a much wider variety of what you can do during your gameplay, and the parkour mechanics really make exploration more fun.

Moreover, the storytelling is well-structured, featuring many plot twists that kept me immersed and not knowing what to expect next. You’ll find numerous charismatic characters and great villains, making every moment of the campaign even more enjoyable.

Dead Island is also a great game and one of the most iconic franchises of the zombie genre. It has incredibly fun gameplay, perfect for casual players looking for brutal combat. The animations and scenarios are stunning, with some incredible graphics even for the time when it was launched. The two franchises are true masterpieces that won’t disappoint zombie fans.

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Zombie games will always have a special place in our hearts, and when it comes to open-world experiences, Dying Light and Dead Island are two of the most popular options. Even though they take different approaches in a series of aspects, there is also a lot in common between the two titles. This makes it a true challenge to choose the right game for you.

Even though Dying Light takes the best considering all aspects, both games are true masterpieces from Techland and will keep you entertained for hours.

Now it’s time to choose which zombie outbreak you’ll dive into first. Grab your weapon and make sure not to get bit by the horrendous creatures you’ll find.