Developer: Techland
Publisher: Techland
ReleaseDate: 4th February 2022
Platforms: Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4 & PC
Reviewed on: Xbox Series X
▫️ Code provided by the publisher ▫️
Back when the original Dying Light was released in 2015 fans were sceptical if developer Techland could pull off integrating Mirrors Edge style parkour with their previous work on Dead Island. I remember the lead up to launch lacking the excitement I felt the trailers we had been shown deserved, but the proof was in the pudding. What we ended up with was one of the best zombie games of the last generation and one that was given an incredible amount of post-launch content as well. The goodwill that Techland built up was needed, as fans have had to be very patient. The wait is finally over though and Dying Light 2: Stay Human has arrived.
The story is set 20 years after the event of Dying Light and follows protagonist Aiden as he searches for his sister. He is what characters in the game refer to as a Pilgrim, which is essentially a courier who delivers packages between the last human settlements. You find yourself surrounded by warring factions who are hell-bent on taking control of the city and forming allegiances is key as you progress. The branching narrative works well throughout, giving you pause before some key decisions. Main character Aiden can feel a little bland at times, but the story itself was an improvement on Techland’s previous outing.
The wonderful mix of parkour and brutal combat, which was a revelation back in 2015, returns better than ever. Traversing the world is an absolute joy, with a feeling of weight that really elevates it beyond both the previous game and the likes of Mirrors Edge. This is in large part thanks to the excellent world design which so often offers you multiple viable paths. I found myself actively exploring more than I normally would because I just enjoyed the movement so much.
Combat is tense and immensely satisfying. You have no shortage of weapons at your disposal and I loved the variation of melee and ranged instruments of death. Stealth is also an option, allowing you to try to slip past enemies without creating a stir. While this was definitely a viable option I prefer the gung ho approach whenever possible due to the added excitement of hacking off limbs and being a one-man wrecking machine.
Techland offers upgrades aplenty in Dying Light 2, but unlocking the majority of the parkour and combat skill takes a serious time sync, so if you are the type who bounces after completing the story you may find yourself only getting the benefit of all the new features the game has to offer towards the end of your journey. Players who want to see and do everything will be able to lose a serious amount of time to the game though, with support promised for the next five years, including free updates and story DLC.
Unfortunately similar to the 2015 release, this game isn’t without its fair share of bugs too. One of the Pure Dead team has been having constant issues with the sound completely cutting out. Thankfully, turning the game off and back on fixes the problem, although it has happened multiple times now. Another potential game-breaking bug we have seen first-hand is obtaining a key to reach a required area but the door just refuses to open. This was fixed by loading a previous manual save, which I would encourage everyone to make at regular intervals.
The achievement list is detailed and time-consuming. It is possible to grab everything in one playthrough, but it requires hoarding 81 Inhibitors and then using some save manipulation to unlock the achievements for maxing out everything. There are also ways to lock yourself out of obtaining collectables if you don’t do some side quests before certain points in the story. If you plan to get all the achievements or the platinum I would strongly recommend having a guide on hand.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a worthy successor to the 2015 original. It builds on what made the first game great and expands on it in almost every way. Seamless parkour, brutal combat, a dense open-world and while nothing to write home about, a stronger narrative. The supporting cast is also more fleshed out, like Lawan, voiced by Rosario Dawson. Gaming is filled with zombie adventures these days, but Techland has enough special sauce in their games to make this stand out. Just beware of lingering bugs and glitches at the time of publishing this review.
-Terry 🦊