Dying Light 2 is only a few days away from the release. The second part of Techland’s apocalyptic open-world promises a new level of experience, taking up and improving on the formula that made the success of its first part. We summarize everything you need to know about it.
[Mis à jour le 26 janvier 2022 à 11h20] We have been waiting for the release of Dying Light 2 for more than three years. An impatience justified by the success of the first installment of this open-world survival RPG, which has left our mouths watering in anticipation. of a second episode. It is true that Dying Light deserved some small improvements and Techland understood it well. And after a little less than four years of development, the studio offers us Dying Light 2: Stay Human. This second installment of the franchise is one of the most ambitious projects of recent years, offering us a narrative RPG in an open world, fully playable in cooperation, and where the choices of the players impact the story and the landscape. from the city. More than 500 hours of content according to the studio, which intends to take us out of our gloomy winter days to immerse us in the sinister and ruthless universe of The City. Between parkour, zombies and moral choices, discover with us the universe of Dying Light 2.
An original concept and innovative features, Dying Light 2 Stay Human seems to be following in the footsteps of its elder. It is true that Techland has already proven its capabilities to us on many occasions, especially in the field of survival-horror games (We will think here of the excellent Dead Island). So there are good reasons to look forward to Dying Light 2. Unfortunately, Techland has announced the postponement of its release to February 4, 2022. The game will be released on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, allowing its fans to dive back into it from the Christmas holidays, alone or with others.
It was at Gamescom 2021 that we were able to see the last images of Dying Light 2. On August 24, Techland presented three minutes of a gameplay trailer during the Xbox conference. Where the previous trailers focused on the presentation of the universe of this second opus, this sequence adopts a more mechanical approach to the game, presenting in detail the parkour and combat systems, and their influence on each other. other. In line with its predecessor, Dying Light 2: Stay Human will offer the player the possibility of sliding, jumping, running, climbing and using gadgets for ever more dynamic movements. The fights, which fished slightly in Dying Light first of the name, have been revised and seem more intense than ever. In addition, this trailer also mentions the faction system that will push the player(s) to make decisions that will deeply impact the story. And all this in a colorful and detailed city of Villedor that seems to offer many possibilities for vertical and horizontal exploration.
On July 1, Techland released a new gameplay trailer for Dying Light 2: Stay Human. And this time around, the studio has chosen to show us a more sinister part of its upcoming title. Where the first part was a little closer to Dead Island, with many combat phases (well helped by a rather monstrous kick), Dying Light 2 seems to lean a little more towards the “horror” side that its universe implies. . Indeed this gameplay trailer revolves around the exploration of a hospital, during the day, teeming with infected. This hospital is one of the “Dark Zones”, sort of nests where the infected “sleep” during the day. A very distressing situation of infiltration, reinforcing a feeling of permanent danger that one could only find at night or in the quarantine zones of the first opus. The opportunity for players to think twice before exploring a “Dark zone” during the day, although Techland offers them new mechanics that greatly increase the possibilities of infiltration.
During these five minutes, we could also see some of the types of infected populating the streets of The City. These fifteen years of Apocalypse have offered our fellow cannibals the opportunity to evolve into a vast array of legged dangers. And in the lot, there is one that we already know: the Volatile. This one will stalk you relentlessly and with skill, and alert its comrades to your presence, it is also extremely powerful. We also got to see a huge Demolisher, a Revenant and some Banshees. As if the tension in this scene wasn’t enough, Techland also chose to show us one of Dying Light 2’s new mechanics. to transform. To avoid such an unfortunate end, the player must find light as soon as possible. An interesting mechanic, and we will see if the moments when it occurs are random or scripted. Another thing to note: the character who accompanies Ethan in this hospital is none other than David Belle, the Frenchman who literally created parkour. A very relevant collaboration and a nice nod to fans of the discipline.
In Dying Light 2 Stay Human, the player is plunged 15 years after the end of the world due to a virus which transformed most of humanity into zombies. We will play Aiden Caldwell, a stranger on the quest for his past, who finds himself walking the streets full of the undead of The City, one of the last inhabited cities on the planet. There he will meet the Nightrunners, a group of seasoned survivors with whom he will be forced to collaborate to survive, but not only. Three factions are vying for control of The City, the Survivors, the Peacekeepers, and the Renegades, and the player will have to choose a side in order to progress in the adventure.
Which brings us to a central element of the game: the dynamism of the environment. According to Techland, the player’s choices can influence the story, but also the world itself. The different factions, zombies, and brigands react differently depending on the day or the night, allowing very diversified gameplay phases and intense immersion. Likewise, NPCs (non-player characters) will be able to develop a complex relationship with the hero. Each will have its own personality and react to the player’s choices. As for parkour, an essential element of the success of the first Dying Light, it is making a comeback, allowing you to fully explore the verticality of the open world and to escape hordes of enemies of great diversity. Regarding combat, Techland claims that Dying Light 2 will offer many possibilities, whether one is a follower of speed, brute force, or ingenuity. We therefore expect a slightly more complex skill tree than in the first game.
As we have seen, the good news is that Dying Light will be released on all platforms. It is already available for pre-order. Additionally, players who pre-order the game on PS4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade their versions on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S for free. Three versions can already be pre-ordered, Normal, Deluxe and Ultimate, each including different bonuses. The pre-order bonus is an exclusive skin pack, while the Deluxe and Ultimate versions include access to one and two future scripted DLCs, respectively, and additional in-game skins and bonuses.