Dying Light Gets Major 10th Anniversary Graphics Upgrade – Not a Remaster
▼ Summary
– Dying Light celebrates its 10th anniversary with a “Retouched” update, featuring graphical improvements like higher resolution textures and remastered soundtrack.
– The update includes enhanced details like realistic wood grain and corrugated iron, plus sharper distant objects due to increased level of detail range.
– Techland clarifies the update is not a full remaster but rather optimizations to improve the existing game using their technical experience.
– The soundtrack was rerecorded on tape for a retro feel, despite the game’s modern 2015 setting, with a video explaining the creative choice.
– A new game, Dying Light: The Beast, is coming soon, featuring the original protagonist with superpowers and aiming to return to the first game’s style.
Techland has rolled out a significant visual overhaul for Dying Light as part of its 10th-anniversary celebrations, though the studio insists it’s not a full remaster. Dubbed the “Retouched” update, this free upgrade introduces higher-resolution textures, enhanced lighting, and a completely reworked soundtrack, breathing new life into the decade-old zombie survival hit.
The improvements focus on refining environmental details, leveraging the team’s experience with physically based rendering to make surfaces like wood and metal appear more realistic. 8K Ultra shadow settings add depth to cracked concrete and weathered floors, while upgraded level-of-detail ranges sharpen distant buildings in the fictional city of Harran. Even the clouds and skyboxes have been tweaked for a more immersive atmosphere.
One of the more unexpected changes is the soundtrack, which was rerecorded on analog tape for a retro vibe, a curious choice for a game set in 2015. Techland shared a behind-the-scenes video explaining the creative process, emphasizing the desire to preserve the original’s gritty tone while elevating its audio quality.
Despite the extensive upgrades, the developer clarified that this isn’t a remaster. “We’re pushing the existing game further, not rebuilding it from the ground up,” explained franchise director Tymon Smektała. The distinction matters, especially with terms like “remake” and “reboot” already muddying the waters in gaming discourse.
The update arrives alongside ongoing anniversary festivities, including January’s free DLC drop. Meanwhile, fans won’t have to wait long for fresh content: Dying Light: The Beast, a new installment starring returning protagonist Kyle Crane, launches later this year. Promising a return to the series’ roots with supernatural twists, it could reinvigorate a franchise that’s managed to stand out in an oversaturated genre.
For now, players can revisit Harran with sharper visuals and richer audio, proof that even a decade later, Dying Light still has some surprises left.
(Source: PC Gamer)
