From consequential choices to elevated parkour movement, Dying Light 2 promises to deliver a more immersive sequel. Developer Techland has said playing the first game is not required to understand the second, but fans of the original will likely notice a multitude of upgrades to combat, skill trees, crafting, and world, as showcased in a recent Dying Light 2 gameplay trailer.
Unlike Dying Light, Dying Light 2 tells a branching story. Players will be able to side with any of three different factions throughout the game and ultimately have the fate of the city in their hands. These choices have consequences, so allying with a specific side will change the environment in various ways. Some factions will add traps to certain areas, introduce jump pads to launch over massive gaps, or provide different craftable weapons. Safe areas will differ depending on which faction controls each area. Major choices will even affect the layout of entire blocks of the city, as dams burst and water floods in - or the opposite, where water is drained to reveal new areas.
The Dying Light 2 parkour system is also getting a major update. Dying Light already had smooth parkour movement, but the sequel includes double the parkour animations - 3,000 in total. These cover wall-running, rope-swinging, diving through small holes in boarded-up windows, and parachuting. The grappling hook also looks to have changed; players can use it to swing with more realistic physics and wall-run across longer gaps, rather than just being yanked in a straight line to wherever they’re looking.
Dying Light 2's Gameplay Improvements Over The Original
Beyond story and parkour, zombie behaviors have also changed. During the day, humans run the streets, scavenging and looting supplies, with only basic zombie variants roaming around. The other zombies reside within their nests, avoiding daylight. At night, the zombies come out in scores. In Dying Light, Night Hunters were the worst thing to fear after sunset, but after 15 years in the apocalypse, Dying Light 2's zombies have mutated. Night Hunters are no longer the only thing to fear. Players who have the courage to explore in the dark can be rewarded with bonus loot, however, as the nests sit mostly empty while their frenzied inhabitants roam the city.
Luckily, there are new ways to deal with the upgraded zombies. Skill trees have been enhanced, taking advantage of more RPG elements. Players can focus on mobility, brute strength, or more technical builds that utilize the game's upgraded crafting system. Crafting has yet to be shown off, but it has promising implications, since Dying Light 2 has no modern weapons. These and everything else Techland revealed in the new "Stay Human" trailer seem like big improvements over the first game.
Dying Light 2 releases for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on December 7, 2021.