The zombie apocalypse has always been a tough nut to crack for game developers, representing a genre that has, over the years, produced far more dreadful misses than successful hits.
As such, the positive critical response Dying Light received upon release in 2015 was a ray of hope for the abundance of publishers waiting in the wings. With other titles of a similar apocalyptic tilt, while allowing fans to heave a sigh of relief and bask in the momentary postponement, it brought about for the demise of the zombie genre as a whole.
Four years on, save for perhaps a few seasons of Telltale’s The Walking Dead, players have been made captive to another raft of sub-par zombie games, and Dying Light might be the savior yet again – through its sequel.
Developed by Techland and published by Square Enix, Dying Light 2 made its world premiere at E3 2019 and seeks to build upon the plaudits the franchise’s first installment received.
Players will take control of Aiden Caldwell – our infected protagonist – and traverse The City through means of parkour much like the first game, while also being additionally equipped with a grappling hook and para-glider, starter items which can be upgraded with reward points as the campaign continues to unfold.
At E3, lead designer Chris Avellone announced that Dying Light 2 would offer a plethora of in-game choices that would shape an individual’s experience based on their mode of action. Techland also claimed that the very map of The City would alter drastically from player-to-player, given that the narrative would be tailored according to which of the town’s seven districts one would choose to be at the time of asking.
To further capitalize on the in-game world’s flexibility, Dying Light 2 will feature a 2 to 4 player co-op campaign, letting you assess how your sandbox evolves compared to fellow users in real-time.
Techland has also emphasized the game’s replayability on multiple occasions, stating that only about 50% would be unlocked upon completion of its first walkthrough, with four or perhaps five shots at the campaign necessary to form a complete picture.
Set to release in early 2020, Dying Light 2 will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.