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<\/p>\nDying Light is a game that, for its time, was able to surprise us. With its approach to the zombie genre that blends parkour, sandbox gameplay, and a varied campaign, Techland managed to deliver a fun and challenging game, especially when played cooperatively.<\/p>\n
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Post-launch support was truly commendable, with frequent free updates and a huge DLC. Now, a few years later, we've finally gotten a closer look at Dying Light 2, and it looks like Techland has decided to push things even further.<\/p>\n
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This new Dying Light is set in a fictional European town a few years after the events of the first game. For this reason, there will be no connections to the plot or past characters, but only a few nods for fans, according to Tymon Smektala, the game's lead designer, who accompanied us during the hands-on demo at the Polish developer's booth. The demo we were able to see was an extended version of the video shown during the Xbox conference, but much more in-depth and, most importantly, played directly by a developer. We began by taking a look at the parkour system, a hallmark of the series. The city offers countless possibilities for rapid movement, and virtually every visible element can be climbed and used to traverse the environment while staying safe from zombies. Indeed, during the day, the creatures aren't particularly dangerous; the real danger is the humans. And indeed, we almost immediately come across a group of heavily armed people, whom we decide to avoid by sneaking into a building. In the world of Dying Light, the most dangerous monsters hide inside, awaiting nightfall, when they are most active and especially hungriest. To avoid the armed patrol, the only solution is to enter a building filled with zombies. The risk is calculated, because if we can reach the upper floor without waking the enemies, avoiding shining a light in their faces or making any noise, we'll be able to access the rooftops, avoiding a potentially deadly confrontation.<\/p>\n
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The parkour system seemed quite versatile to us, as the developer at Techland allowed us to climb a bookcase, leap onto a chandelier, and dash out a window while chaos ensued inside following the chandelier's disastrous fall. All this without any special highlighting of the climbable elements, as if to emphasize that there's no need since we can interact with any game element. Once on the roof, we move upward, climbing ever higher in search of a water tower. Using binoculars on the surrounding buildings, we easily spot the objective: it's not very far away but certainly not easy to access. Parkour is a deeply ingrained component of Dying Light's DNA, and the climb up the water tower was a testament to these mechanics. Between wall-running, calculated jumps, climbing, and a constantly decreasing stamina bar, it's clear that this mechanic is once again a focal point of Techland's production. The path to the top of the water tower mixes familiar elements with new ones, especially because the acrobatics and movements have been expanded compared to the first game. But for now, it's all a bit tricky, as even the developer has worked up a sweat preparing for a rather spectacular leap, leaving the safety of the tower for a sort of elevator dangling from the top. Once we finally reach the top, we meet two characters. It's a turning point, not just for us but for the entire city.<\/p>\n
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We can choose whether to kill the two and grant access to the water tower to one of the city's factions, or to reach an agreement with them. If we choose one faction, several things will happen. First, since it's a paramilitary faction obsessed with order and respect for the rules, access to the water will be strictly regulated. Access is free, but only if you obey the established laws. Settlements and human activity will rapidly develop around the water tower, and the presence of zombies will be drastically reduced thanks to frequent cleanups by the armed forces. However, our activities will be somewhat limited and we will be subject to the established authorities: greater security in this case means less freedom. But we can also choose to reach an agreement with the two men atop the tower and take advantage of the city's other inhabitants' plight. The water will be sold to the highest bidder, and there will be a sharp increase in crime around the water tower. The environments won't be safer or better maintained, but no one will care if we leave a few corpses in the streets, and we'll earn a little extra cash. According to Smektala, the choice at the water tower is just one of many we'll be called upon to make, which will have a significant impact not only on the story but also on the composition of the city, its status, and available resources.<\/p>\n
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Such a mechanic is certainly intriguing, but since Dying Light is a title heavily focused on co-op, we wondered how these choices are shared between players. The developers revealed that the choices we make will be saved for the host of the game. This means that every decision made by the host will apply to their version of the city, while XP and resources will be shared among all players. This also means we can visit other versions of the city, based on other choices made by our friends. It won't be necessary to restart the game to make different choices; just visit other players' cities.<\/p>\n
Dying Light 2 isn't content to simply replicate the same gameplay as the first game, but rather tries to shake things up. Much has certainly been done to the story, which many considered a bit lackluster in Dying Light 1. It remains to be seen whether these changes, both in gameplay and storytelling, will resonate with fans.<\/p>\n