Dying Light’s Tenth Anniversary Retouch Update

Ten years after the initial release of Dying Light, the game has received yet another major update that will be released on June 26th, according to the most recent developer blog released by Techland.

Techland emphasizes in the blog that the most recent update wasn’t intended to be a complete remaster of the game but rather graphical enhancements that will squeeze more out of the beloved game. They continued working with the developers Grzegorz Swistowski and Kryzstof Knefel. The game’s unique engine allowed for a large number of customizations and additions despite the aging technology.

Texture qualities were increased largely by hand tweaking assets in the game, which can be seen in the amount of detail present on wooden panels throughout the game. The new panels look much older and more rustic compared to the old version. Lighting throughout the game has also been readjusted based on physics-based rendering so that metallic surfaces now react differently with other metallic surfaces and with the physical world.

The maximum range in the setting for level of detail (LOD) has been raised from 260% to 340% so that players on newer systems can increase the visual fidelity of their experience based on their system rather than being limited by the software. Similarly, an 8k Ultra shadow quality option has also been added so that environments that previously appeared flat now pop out with depth.

The original composer, Pawl Blaszczak, also returned to record The Sound of Harran on a physical tape to recreate the retro-tape sound. He has also created entirely new tracks and ambient sounds that have been added throughout the game. Particularly, zombies were highlighted for having a much more satisfying sound. Dying Light’s official YouTube channel has also released a short behind-the-scenes video featuring Pawl Blaszczak explaining how the music was created. Importantly, the music was strongly inspired by zombie movies from the 80s.

All owners of Dying Light will receive the update for free on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Techland emphasized that experiencing the original game will serve as an amazing prequel to their sequel, Dying Light: The Beast, which already has a released gameplay trailer showcasing new content and modern graphics.