Dying Light: Bad Blood Review Summary

A unique battle royale and extraction hybrid with impressive parkour and zombie integration, but extremely low player counts and developer abandonment make matchmaking painfully slow.

Unique battle royale and extraction mix: Multiple reviews praise the game's fresh blend of battle royale and extraction mechanics, alongside Dying Light-style parkour and zombies.

Parkour is impressive and fun: The parkour mechanics are consistently highlighted as a key, enjoyable feature that works well and remains impressive.

Great Dying Light and zombie integration: The combination of Dying Light's parkour, PvP, and PvE elements with zombies is seen as a brilliant and enjoyable concept.

Great graphics and animation: The game features great, beautiful graphics and good animation, often compared to Dying Light.

No pay-to-win mechanics: Players appreciate the absence of pay-to-win elements, calling the shop fair.

Extremely low player count: Players report consistently low online populations, with many stating only 2-10 players daily, leading to empty lobbies and inability to find matches. This is the most frequently cited issue across multiple clusters.

Game abandoned by developer: Multiple players explicitly state that Techland abandoned the game after release, with no updates, new content, or continued support. This is seen as the root cause of the game's decline.

Game feels dead overall: Many reviews describe the game as 'dead' due to the combination of low player counts, lack of support, and inability to find matches. Several players note the game died quickly after launch.

Matchmaking takes too long: Due to the low player base, matchmaking often takes 10-30 minutes or never completes, especially since matches require 12 players. Players frequently abandon queue due to excessive wait times.

Game removed from stores: The game was taken down from Steam and can no longer be purchased, effectively ending any possibility of new players joining. Players view this as a rugpull or closure of the game.

Battle Royale Mode Summary: The game features a battle royale mode set in the Dying Light universe, combining parkour, melee combat, and zombies with 12-player matches.

Extraction and Progression: Players must collect blood or virus samples by destroying zombie nests, level up to 5, and then extract via a helicopter.

PvPvE Hybrid Gameplay: The mode mixes PvP and PvE elements, with players fighting each other while also dealing with zombie threats and looting.

Melee Combat Focus: Combat emphasizes melee weapons with modifiers, parries, and tactical attacks, supplemented by limited firearms from airdrops.

Single Map Only: All matches take place on a single static map, which is the slums area from the original Dying Light.

Mixed performance feedback: Players report a wide range of performance experiences, from smooth 120-144 FPS on mid-range PCs (Cluster 23) to severe frame drops and 15 FPS (Cluster 1). Overall, performance appears highly dependent on hardware.

Optimization mixed reviews: Some players say optimization needs improvement (Cluster 13), while others call it great (Cluster 17) or good for early access (Cluster 22). Opinion is divided.

Frequent crashes: Multiple players report game crashes during solo mode and random crashes overall (Cluster 6, 10). This is a critical reliability issue.

FPS drops and frame loss: Frame drops and general FPS loss are commonly mentioned (Cluster 7, 16). This affects the smoothness of gameplay for many users.

Server disconnects and lag: Players experience server disconnects and slight server lag during combat (Cluster 11, 12). Network stability is a concern.

Do not recommend buying: Many reviewers strongly advise against purchasing the game, citing issues like low player count, lack of updates, and high price. Even free copies are sometimes considered not worth the time.

Wait for free release: Multiple reviews suggest waiting for the game to become free-to-play rather than buying it now. Some note it will be free at full release or is already available for free to Dying Light owners.

Recommended for Dying Light fans: Fans of the Dying Light franchise may enjoy the game for its unique parkour and PvP combat, though some say it is not good for casual fans. It's seen as a niche experience for hardcore enthusiasts.

Not recommended in current state: The game is unfinished, lacks updates, and has balance and player count issues. Many advise waiting for improvements or a full release.

Mixed personal recommendations: While some players strongly recommend the game for its unique combat, others give a negative vote. Personal preference varies widely.

Session length: 0.2h.

The game offers brief initial fun through character customization after the tutorial, but quickly becomes boring due to long loading, small lobbies, and repetitive content, especially when playing solo or in low-population matches.

Friction: long loading times; small lobby player count; repetitive gameplay after a few matches; lack of significant updates.

Unlock drivers: playing with friends in private or duo mode; character progression with perks and weapons; higher player count in lobbies.

Disappointed Original Fan: Prefers parkour exploration, zombie slaying, and avoiding forced PvP; plays for immersion and adventure. Motivation: Desire for the original Dying Light PvE experience and cooperative gameplay. Stance: no buy.

Competitive PvP Challenger: Aggressive, uses PvE to gain advantages, engages in player hunting, and adapts to fast-paced mechanics. Motivation: Competitive thrill and mastering parkour-based PvP combat. Stance: sale.

Disheartened Casual: Plays casually for fun, tries to engage with PvE elements, but is frustrated by empty lobbies and lack of casual-friendly content. Motivation: Enjoyment of parkour and zombie action with minimal competitive pressure. Stance: deep sale.

Monetization: Reviews explicitly mention no microtransactions.