Dying Light 2 Stay Human, the sequel to the critically-acclaimed 2015 title, launched in February 2022 with a bang. Taking players back into a world ravaged by the infected, Techland promised an ambitious open world, refined parkour mechanics, and a branching narrative with impactful choices. But how does Dying Light 2 hold up after the hype has settled? This review will delve into the good, the bad, and the infected, to help you decide if this zombie-filled adventure is your next great game.

A Sprawling Open World Begs to be Explored

The City, the game’s central location, is a massive open world divided into distinct districts. Each district boasts its own unique architecture, lore, and factions vying for control. Scaling these sprawling environments is where Dying Light 2 truly shines. The parkour system has been significantly improved over the first game, offering a wider range of moves and smoother traversal. Chaining together jumps, wall runs, and ziplines across rooftops feels incredibly satisfying, especially when narrowly escaping a horde of the undead.

Exploration is highly encouraged, with hidden caches, collectibles, and side quests scattered throughout the city. Whether you’re searching for inhibitors to upgrade your health or delving into GRE anomalies for valuable gear, there’s always something to discover. The day/night cycle adds another layer to exploration. While daytime allows for freer movement and resource gathering, nighttime transforms the City into a terrifying playground. The infected become far more aggressive, forcing you to rely on your parkour skills and strategic use of UV light to survive.

Choices and Consequences: Does Your Morality Matter?

Dying Light 2 boasts a branching narrative where your choices can have a significant impact on the world around you. Early decisions can alter which factions gain power in certain districts, leading to changes in available quests, vendors, and even the overall ending. While the core story itself can feel a bit predictable at times, the impact of your choices adds a layer of replayability and makes you genuinely invested in the fate of the City.

However, some reviewers have criticized the voice acting and dialogue as uneven. While certain characters deliver memorable performances, others can fall flat. Additionally, some have found the fetch quest structure of many side missions to be repetitive.

Combat Evolved: Facing the Infected and Human Threats

Combat in Dying Light 2 is a brutal ballet of parkour and weapon-based attacks. The parkour skills you acquire translate seamlessly into combat, allowing you to evade enemies and gain a tactical advantage. The game offers a variety of melee weapons, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Crafting and weapon maintenance are crucial, as weapons degrade over time.

While the infected remain a constant threat, human enemies pose a significant challenge as well. Factions vying for control of the City will readily attack you, forcing you to adapt your tactics based on the enemy type. The game provides a good arsenal of firearms and throwing weapons, but ammo scarcity encourages a focus on melee combat.

Technical Performance: A Bit Rough Around the Edges

Dying Light 2 launched with a number of technical issues, including bugs, glitches, and occasional performance drops. While Techland has released patches to address many of these issues, some players still report encountering problems. The experience can vary depending on your platform, with PC players generally reporting smoother performance compared to consoles.

The Verdict: A Worthy Successor with Room for Improvement

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is a solid sequel that builds upon the strengths of the first game. However, the story itself can be uneven, and technical issues can occasionally mar the experience.

Pros:

Expansive open world with diverse environments

Improved parkour mechanics offer unparalleled freedom of movement

Choices have a meaningful impact on the story and world

Brutal and satisfying combat system

Day/night cycle creates a distinct gameplay experience

Cons:

Uneven story with forgettable characters at times

Repetitive fetch quests can pad out the experience

Technical issues can disrupt gameplay (though patches have improved performance)

Overall, Dying Light 2 Stay Human is a fun and engaging open-world zombie survival game. If you enjoyed the first game and are looking for more thrilling parkour action in a sprawling world, then Dying Light 2 is definitely worth checking out. However, if you’re expecting a flawlessly polished narrative experience, you might want to temper your expectations.

FAQs

Is Dying Light 2 good?

Dying Light 2 offers a mixed bag of experiences. It excels in core gameplay, particularly its improved parkour system and the free-flowing combat. The open world “Villedor” is vast and detailed, filled with secrets to discover and challenges to overcome. However, the story and characters fall short, with some reviewers criticizing them as bland and lacking emotional impact. Additionally, bugs and technical issues can sometimes mar the experience.

What are the best aspects of Dying Light 2?

Parkour: Dying Light 2 boasts a significantly enhanced parkour system compared to its predecessor. Players have more freedom and fluidity in movement, allowing for creative traversal and stylish maneuvers.

Combat: The combat is brutal and satisfying. New weapons and skills add variety, and the day/night cycle significantly impacts gameplay. Facing hordes of infected at night becomes a thrilling test of survival.

Open World: Villedor is a sprawling open world with distinct districts, each offering unique challenges and opportunities. Exploration is highly rewarding, with side quests, collectibles, and hidden locations scattered throughout.

Co-op: Dying Light 2 shines in co-op, allowing you to team up with friends and tackle the challenges together. Progress carries over, making it a great way to experience the game with others.

What are some of the criticisms of Dying Light 2?

Story and Characters: The narrative and characters are considered weak points by many reviewers. The branching choices feel inconsequential, and the emotional stakes fail to resonate.

Bugs and Technical Issues: The game can suffer from bugs and performance issues, especially on launch. While patches have improved the situation, it’s something to consider.

Repetitive Activities: Some may find the side quests and open-world activities repetitive after a while.

Is Dying Light 2 worth getting?

If you’re looking for a fantastic open world with exceptional parkour and thrilling zombie combat, Dying Light 2 is worth considering. However, if a strong story and well-developed characters are crucial for you, you might be disappointed.

How long is Dying Light 2?

The main story of Dying Light 2 can take anywhere from 20 to 30 hours to complete. However, with a vast open world full of side activities and collectibles, completionists can easily double that playtime.

Does Dying Light 2 have co-op?

Yes, Dying Light 2 features full co-op functionality. You can team up with up to three friends and explore Villedor together.

Is there DLC available for Dying Light 2?

Yes, the first paid DLC for Dying Light 2, “Bloody Ties,” was released in November 2022. It offers a new story set in a combat arena, along with additional challenges and rewards.

Should I buy Dying Light 1 before playing Dying Light 2?

While not essential, playing Dying Light 1 will give you some context for the world and characters in the sequel. However, the story of Dying Light 2 is largely self-contained, and you can still enjoy it without prior experience.

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