Dying Light 2: A Thrilling Fusion of Parkour and Zombie Survival in a Dystopian World

Dying Light 2 Stay Human — currently available on PC and consoles — may carry a “2” in its title, but it doesn’t function strictly as a sequel. For newcomers to the Dying Light franchise, there’s no need to stress; playing the first game is not a prerequisite, as the connections to its predecessor are minimal in this installment. While you’ll hear some familiar names and recognize gameplay similarities in terms of combat and interaction, Dying Light 2 Stay Human can be enjoyed as a standalone experience. The narrative unfolds roughly 20 years after the virus outbreak in Harran (noted in the first game). Scientists developed a vaccine for the original virus but inadvertently created an even more lethal strain that led to a fresh wave of zombies.

The adventure kicks off with you sprinting through an unfamiliar jungle, evading relentless zombies, leaping over gaps, scaling surfaces, and desperately gasping for breath — the standard routine — until you encounter Spike, a helpful ally. He aids you in gathering honey and chamomile while sharing memories of his youth, highlighting the challenges he faced and reminding Aiden that he is growing older and slower for a pilgrim. Oh, let’s not forget to introduce the protagonist of Dying Light 2 Stay Human — Aiden Caldwell (voiced by Jonah Scott, famous for Legoshi in Beastars), a seasoned pilgrim accustomed to traversing from one city to the next. His journey is punctuated by encounters with zombies and a swift guide on how to combat them.

Aiden’s quest revolves around finding his younger sister Mia, whom he lost contact with after a sinister doctor began performing dreadful experiments on children in a confined facility. His journey leads him to a city named Villedor, filled to the brim with the undead and crumbling structures. The city is divided into factions vying for resources like water towers and power stations. Tensions are high between two groups, the Peacekeepers (PK) and the Survivors, who are on the brink of conflict as the former suspects that their leader, Lucas, was killed by the latter.

The citizens are wary of outsiders, and Aiden must prove himself to gain their trust. He quickly finds himself embroiled in what appears to be an unending conflict. Aiden’s primary objective is to uncover Mia’s location and exact revenge on the nefarious doctor, Waltz, who likely holds the key to her whereabouts. As he navigates the fractured city of Villedor, he experiences flashbacks of his time with Mia in the facility, making both enemies and friends along his perilous journey.

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Combat feels refined in Dying Light 2
Photo Credit: Techland

Dying Light 2 review: exciting dropkicks

Zombies games are typically associated with the use of firearms, swords, and other weaponry. While Dying Light encompasses all these elements, they aren’t its only allure — the emphasis is on parkour. Aiden adeptly travels between rooftops, though the stamina system can sometimes be frustrating — yet it aligns with the storytelling. The local populace has constructed safe havens on rooftops, outfitted with UV light, plants, and weapons for protection. As in the first Dying Light, it’s wiser to leap from rooftop to rooftop than to risk crossing streets unnaturally filled with the undead. As night descends, the zombies become more formidable, relentlessly seeking fresh prey. For the brave, undertaking nighttime missions can yield considerable XP rewards.

The initial hours of Dying Light 2 Stay Human can be tedious and unsteady, as Aiden grapples with limited stamina and basic climbing skills. Even ascending a mere four-foot ladder can completely deplete him. However, as time goes on, players unlock a range of abilities through the skill tree, which features both parkour and combat branches. There are various clever skills for use during combat or while evading hordes of zombies. Fancy drop-kicking a zombie off a rooftop? You’re encouraged to unlock that ability! Another skill allows you to utilize an enemy as a launch pad while you vault towards an unsuspecting foe, delivering a powerful strike.

These skills are acquired by completing both story and side quests, each yielding XP which accumulates into skill points. Executing various parkour maneuvers contributes to your parkour skill points, while dispatching enemies and infected foes accrues combat points.

Dying Light 2 review: gameplay mechanics

The original Dying Light presented an adequate narrative, but its combat often felt inconsistent. Techland appears to have refined this aspect significantly, enhancing the combat and parkour experience to feel much smoother. Attacking the infected or human enemies no longer feels awkward, and with some of the new combat skills, players can experience exhilarating action.

Conversely, human adversaries lack the intelligence of their zombie counterparts. During encounters, humans tend to strike separately rather than coordinating as a group, making confrontations easier — a dynamic reminiscent of a Bollywood action scene.

Zombies, in contrast, are constantly vigilant, ready to attack at any moment — there’s always a risk of being ambushed. There are approximately 10 different variations of zombies, each a threat. Starting with Biters, the most common, to Bolters, who carry rare loot. Spitters notably attack by launching acidic projectiles. The Volatiles represent the apex of zombies — your best bet against them is to run away.

Zombie pursuits are both thrilling and terrifying
Photo Credit: Techland

Crawling through pitch-black tunnels while the infected are snoozing can be an ominous experience and kept me at the edge of my seat. As you tiptoe past these dozing zombies, a bar like a meter appears below each, indicating their sensing capabilities. Additionally, some zombies feature a level indicator above their head. If their level increases while you remain undetected, it’s advisable to panic and flee before becoming their next meal.

In terms of fast approaching danger, a particular type of zombie known as Howlers will alert surrounding zombies upon spotting you. This initiates a chase sequence, which you must successfully navigate to evade the horde. Staying atop the rooftops is generally safer, as the streets are continually teeming with the undead.

During a chase, you can also make a run for one of the safe havens equipped with UV lights. The UV zone prevents zombies from entering as their skin burns upon contact with the light. Building safe houses is possible by completing specified tasks. Repairing windmills and water towers opens the door to safe spaces. These tasks often involve puzzles or boss encounters, such as connecting power wires or battling a devious duo.

Certain quests allow you to decide which faction (either the Peacekeepers or the Survivors) will control a water tower or electrical station. This choice impacts the types of quests and characters you will encounter thereafter. The factions reward successful choices with either zip lines or traps throughout the city.

Dying Light 2 review: arsenal and skills

Throwing enemies off rooftops isn’t the sole option at your disposal; you can amass a variety of melee weapons as you delve deeper into the game. The arsenal consists of items like two-handed axes, enhanced baseball bats, and many more. Unlike the original Dying Light, weapons cannot be repaired once broken. However, plenty of weapons can be collected throughout gameplay. Dying Light 2 Stay Human also permits weapon customization in a dazzling way — power-enhanced strikes emit visible electric waves that disorient opponents, allowing time for additional hits.

The most effective weapons feature three modification slots: grip, shaft, and tip. To apply a mod, you need a compatible weapon, its blueprint, and additional crafting components.

There are also several one-time-use weapons scattered around the city — for instance, spears can be obtained from the corpses left behind, allowing for powerful throws against enemies for a fatal strike. Throwing knives and other items can also be crafted, providing tactical options for silent eliminations from a distance.

The crafting system offers extensive opportunities to modify and create weapons and materials from scratch. You can scour the city for loot containing scraps, circuitry, weights, bottles, cigarettes, honey, chamomile, UV mushrooms, and more. These materials can be utilized to create health items or tools beneficial during combat.

UV lights serve as a barrier against zombies
Photo Credit: Techland

Aiden can effortlessly harvest honey from beehives without a worry. Honey mixed with chamomile aids healing. Electrical components become essential for quests, while UV mushrooms are vital at night, enhancing your immunity momentarily. Scrap pieces are useful in crafting lockpicks, unlocking doors and loot containers. Along your journey, you’ll discover temporary consumables like health and immunity inhalers.

As you progress through the story, you’ll unlock exciting tools, including a grappling hook and a paraglider. While the paraglider is somewhat challenging to manage and consumes stamina, the game cleverly incorporates fans to assist in gaining elevation and prolonging your aerial maneuvering.

Over 20 unique combat and parkour skills can be unlocked as you traverse the streets of Villedor. The parkour skills introduce new stunts that become invaluable during escapes or specific tasks. Upon maxing out the skill tree, Aiden will be capable of navigating the entire city without limits. Certain skills require specific health and stamina levels, obtainable through inhibitors provided by GRE. Approaching an inhibitor cache prompts an automated voice to alert you. Each cache contains three inhibitors used for boosting either health or stamina. While a balance is recommended, my focus leaned towards stamina, alleviating the tedious aspects of climbing.

Dying Light 2 review summary

The storyline in Dying Light 2 is relatively standard. Although the game integrates choice-driven dialogues that enhance the narrative slightly, it falls short of being engaging. Aiden frequently finds himself repeating tasks across the city for the factions, who often withhold critical information even after earning trust — a strategy that feels tedious. Fortunately, character interactions are relatively strong, with numerous personalities encountered during quests. Some remain recurring, while others only appear briefly.

Useful equipment like paraglider and grappling hooks facilitate city exploration
Photo Credit: Techland

Known for its day-night cycle, the first Dying Light set a precedent for its sequel, and Dying Light 2 Stay Human included exclusive nighttime missions that yield high rewards, despite the zombies’ increased strength in darkness.

Aiden’s “survivor sense” is a valuable addition for players like myself who occasionally become disoriented. The investigative mechanics cleverly highlight footprints and hidden collectibles in the dark.

The sound design excels, with the background music intricately woven into the gameplay. During chases or high-stakes parkour segments, the music shifts in intensity in line with stealth mechanics. This thoughtful audio design contributes positively to the overall gameplay experience.

The skill tree represents a commendable feature that invites players to invest hours to unlock every ability. Moreover, you can indulge in as much gameplay as you desire — Techland has noted on Twitter that Dying Light 2 Stay Human can potentially offer up to 500 hours of playtime if you explore every quest and decision path.

Pros:

• Seamless blend of parkour and combat
• Engaging skill progression system
• Diverse weapon modification options
• Immersive musical score

Cons:

• Storyline feels drawn out
• Human adversary AI can be underwhelming
• Some cutscenes feel overly lengthy

Rating (out of 10): 7

Dying Light 2 Stay Human launched on February 4 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. A release on Nintendo Switch (via cloud service) is anticipated later in 2022.

I played Dying Light 2 Stay Human using a modest PC gaming setup that includes an Nvidia GeForce 1660 Super, 16GB of RAM, AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor, and a 512GB SSD.

Pricing starts at Rs. 2,999 on Steam and Epic Games Store, and Rs. 3,999 on PlayStation Store and Xbox Store.

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