Parkour zombie game Dying Light is getting a sequel. We don’t know much about Dying Light 2 but based on the trailer it looks like a colorful return to another violent undead world. And you thought the sustained flood of zombie games had ebbed. Advertisement Chris Avellone, one of the narrative masterminds Planescape: Torment and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2,who’s co-writing the game, came out on stage at the event to try and give some more context to the world the game will take place in. In particular, the player will be completing missions in a city being torn apart by swarms of undead in order to help make life better for the unfortunate living residents by improving things like running water. The idea will be to transform the city and try to bring it back from utter collapse and ruin. 2015's Dying Light tried to do something different with zombies by giving the usual whole kill decomposing corpses as they fling themselves at you thing a twist: kill decomposing corpses as they fling themselves at you by taking to the rooftops and doing cool stunts. The new game looks like it will go a little deeper into the management elements of the game and how they tie into story building in the world more generally. No release date has been announced yet, but when it does arrive it will be on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.<doc-sep>Multiplayer is a priority in Dying Light 2, but the game will not have a battle royale mode when it releases next year. At E3 2018, Techland lead designer Tymon Smektala told GameSpot the studio is watching what is happening in the battle royale-hungry marketplace, but that Dying Light 2 will focus on multiplayer in its own way and players should expect some "surprises" in the future. "Dying Light 2 doesn’t have a battle royale mode...that's not the thing we are focusing on. But of course we are looking at what is happening on the market, and I think we will have some surprises for people that like to play multiplayer," he said. While Dying Light 2 won't have battle royale, the Dying Light universe is already in the process of adding it via the upcoming DLC Bad Blood, which pits several players in a race against time and the zombies to acquire enough resources and make it out of Harran alive. Smektala said his team is working closely with the Bad Blood devs, and the game is shaping up nicely. "It is a very promising game, so I am keeping my fingers crossed for them because they are really doing a great thing in the Dying Light universe. Of course, since we are working almost door-to-door, in the same building, we share our experiences and ideas," he added. The DLC is due out later this year, with a free global playtest on PC coming in the near future. You can sign up here to take part. While multiplayer remains more of a mystery, we've gotten a better look at the game's single-player mode. Techland says the game will improve on almost every aspect of the first game, and will be a "narrative sandbox," where the decisions you make permanently shape the world around you. Smektala said choices and consequences will be a major focus of the game, shaping a unique path through the plot that will be different for all players. The game is taking Dying Light's parkour game mechanics up a notch; players will use their skills to navigate "parkour puzzles" that have you flying across rooftops and reaching new areas. Dying Light 2 is set 15 years after Dying Light, during a "modern dark age" following humanity's war against the Infected. Surviving factions of human beings are vying for control of what may be the last city on earth (which will be four times larger than all the levels in Dying Light). How you interact with those factions will have considerable long-term impacts on the physical world around you, and of course you'll contend with hordes of zombies, too. The game doesn't have a release date at the moment, but it is due out in 2019.<doc-sep>When is the Dying Light 2 release date? Techland announced Dying Light 2 at E3 2018 and we have all the latest trailers and gameplay details here, including the Dying Light 2 release date. Dying Light 2 was announced during Microsoft’s E3 2018 press conference and we’ve already seen more details of what to expect from the gameplay, setting, and story from the 2019 E3 trailer. Techland is massively expanding Dying Light 2’s parkour movement – it’s safe to say that this isn’t going to be your typical undead shooter. Dying Light 2 is set in a decaying city that is struggling to keep itself together amid competing factions, so you will have a lot more to deal with than undead monstrosities. Decisions you make and the groups you team up with will shape the world around you, allowing you to reap the ensuing rewards if you can stomach the consequences. Here are all the latest details about Dying Light 2, including the Dying Light 2 release date and the latest trailers. Dying Light 2 release date The Dying Light 2 release date is set for December 7, 2021, according to a new developer stream. Dying Light 2 previously had a release window of spring 2020, before Techland announced that the immensely anticipated sequel had been delayed indefinitely. Since then, Techland pushed back on reports that Dying Light 2 is in development hell. The delay was announced via the official Dying Light 2 Twitter account, take a look below: Hey Survivors! Here's the Dying Light 2 Development Update. pic.twitter.com/CKMkAe2eD7 — Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) January 20, 2020 Unfortunately, a precise launch day is still under wraps, but we’ll let you know when you can get back to sprinting away from the undead as soon as we hear more. Techland showed an impressively polished demo at both E3 2018 and E3 2019, so it would appear that Dying Light 2 is well past pre-production phase. Dying Light 2 trailer We’ll start with the Dying Light 2 E3 2019 trailer, which shows off a little more gameplay, provides some insight into the story of the game, and gives us a rough release window. Give it a watch above. Here are some additional Dying Light 2 trailers to trawl through for details. Above you’ll find the Dying Light 2 E3 2018 announcement trailer we saw during the Microsoft E3 2018 conference. This was unveiled on stage by gives us our first glimpse of the game world and some of the human enemies we’ll face during daylight. The other Dying Light 2 trailer is a gameplay demo and gives us a proper look at the gameplay, as well as a taste of how our decisions affect this decaying metropolis. There are some highlights to watch out for, like chaining parkour moves together with melee combat, not to mention the sheer number of uninfected humans inhabiting the city. Dying Light 2 setting The first Dying Light took place in the fictional Turkish city of Harran, but we will be moving west for the Dying Light 2 setting. More importantly, however, is that Dying Light 2’s map size is “four times larger” than all of the first game’s combined, Smektala says. That includes the Slums, Old Town, and the 2015 Following expansion. From the gameplay footage we have seen, we think we can spot monuments like the Arc de Triomphe and the Brandenburg Gate that reinforce that Western feel. It is, according to Smektala, a “fictional European metropolis, once prosperous , but now probably the last human settlement struggling to survive.” We don’t imagine you’ll want to do much tourism here. Dying Light 2 also features seven different regions for us to run and jump through. One of the biggest changes we’ll see from scene-to-scene, however, are different styles of parkour movement. One area, for example, is filled with rickety and crumbling buildings that will give way under your weight, meaning that you’ll need to be more responsive. Dying Light 2 multiplayer Dying Light might have had co-op but, Dying Light 2’s multiplayer does things differently. Four-player co-op returns but, this time, three players must join one host’s game due to the decision-based narrative. Central to Dying Light 2’s story is that of choices that have consequence for the world around you. Factions you side with might become dominant, painting the town red (or whatever colour they choose), as well as offering you new parkour routes and trading opportunities. That means your Dying Light 2 world will be unique to you, and the practicalities of that in co-op are still to be finalised. Dying Light 2 gameplay Techland is expanding the possibilities of story and choice in its upcoming zombie sequel and Dying Light 2’s core gameplay will also be seeing extensive changes. According to lead designer Tymon Smektala on YouTube Gaming’s post-show stream after Microsoft’s E3 briefing, the number of Dying Light 2’s parkour moves will be double that of the original. With the gangs, factions, and zombie baddies we’ll be up against in mind, more ways to run away from danger is a win in our book. The game will also feature vehicles, although not to the extent of Dying Light: The Following. Techland promises that vehicles will become more interesting as the game gets updated. During an E3 2019 demo, we see protagonist Aidan Caldwell take a break from parkour, forcing a grunt to drive him to his next destination. If you fancy a go on the wheel, you’ll also get a shot at some vehicle gameplay, Smektala tells us. “Let me be clear: this is not a game about driving,” he tells us. “Yes, you will be able to drive vehicles, yes you will be able to sit in the passenger seat while someone else is driving, but this will never be the core of the game. But yes, there are definitely missions where you can drive the car.” More like this: Keep the zeds at bay in the best zombie games You’ll also need to take a more thoughtful approach when it comes to combat. Smektala adds that first-person combat will be more tactical and requires you to constantly move and observe your enemies to respond to their attacks. The environment and returning day/night cycle will give you opportunities to get the jump on human tearaways as well as those pesky zeds. Dark Areas return to Dying Light 2 and they’re more terrifying than ever. Dark Areas are effectively nests of undead where they all hibernate to escape the sapping rays of sunshine à la I Am Legend’s Darkseekers. Venturing into these areas is incredibly treacherous due to the number and strength of resident zombies while they are hiding safely in the shadows. Of course there will be huge rewards buried in the heart of Dying Light 2 Dark Areas, so the horror is well worth it. DYING LIGHT 2 DLC Smektala confirmed plans for post-launch content for Dying Light 2, he says that plans have already been made for years of support – four years in fact. This comes as no surprise to Dying Light 1 players, as Techland continue to provide support since 2015, including The Following expansion pack in 2016. Although plans haven’t yet been specified for Dying Light 2 DLC, we are rest assured that Smektala knows we’re eager for content updates in his promise to deliver fans just that. Dying Light 2 factions The factions we know about so far are the Peacekeepers and the Scavengers, and there are many others. Comparisons to the totalitarian enforcers in The Hunger Games would not be misplaced when it comes to the former: the Peacekeepers will rule with an iron fist if given the opportunity. The Scavengers are adept freerunners, but this is all we know about the second faction. Survive and thrive: Our guide to the best apocalypse games on PC If you choose to side with them, they bring, well, peace to society – but you might regret that when it comes. Morale is boosted, survivors actually venture outside, and you have a reliable supply of resources. But if you fail to toe their strict line the punishments are severe.<doc-sep>
In 2015, “Dying Light” became a surprise critical and commercial hit. Its developers think they can do even better in the sequel. Announced on Sunday, “Dying Light 2” will continue in the same universe, 15 years after the events of the first apocalyptic action game. Previously, humankind fell to a viral infection that turned people into aggro zombies and things have only gotten worse. Where the original game was set in the fictional European city of Harran, “Dying Light 2’s” lead designer Tymon Smektala said that the new game will take place in a different location which is “possibly the last surviving human settlement.” There players will try to bring hope to the struggling remnants of humanity, and try to survive. In a closed door, hands-off demo at E3, Smektala described what makes the new game improve upon the original. “Every system is tweaked,” Smektala said, referring to the movement system, the crafting system, combat, skills, and more. “Dying Light” had a fluid system of parkour-like travel. It allowed you to climb, shimmy, jump, and navigate your way through a destroyed world. “Dying Light 2” will expand upon that, offering new moves and new ways to use your environment. It will also include a number of new parkour attacks. In the demo shown, the character launched himself at enemies through windows and over obstacles, using the layout around him as another weapon. “Dying Light 2” will also have what Smektala called “parkour puzzles.” These are scenarios in the game which demand players used their learned skills and the environment around them to get from point A to point B. Combat looks to be greatly improved as well, though it was pretty realistic and enjoyable in the first game. The combat shown in the demo seemed very dynamic, relaying on the player to anticipate attacks, find openings, and use whatever is laying around as an asset. The character in the demo had crafted a blade out of a now-useless street sign and the way it was used to block and parry looked complicated and satisfying. And at one point, the character threw a bucket at an adversary to distract them before rushing in for the killing blow. As with the first game, “Dying Light 2” looks great. It’s a squalid, lived in city that has some touches of color and personality added to the extensively brown color palette from the original. And the game will be a lot bigger as well. “The map is four times the size of the map of the first ‘Dying Light,’ Smektala said. Possibly the most interesting thing about “Dying Light 2” is the inclusion of choice and consequences. Calling it a “Narrative Sandbox,” Smektala said they were working with celebrated writer Chris Avellone (who worked on games like “Fallout: New Vegas” and “The Witcher 3”) to craft difficult, impactful choices for players. The example shown in the demo was the decision to work with the Peace Keepers, a force dedicated to imposing order and getting rid of the Infected. If you choose to side with them, you will earn benefits like free health stations and new traversal options. But they will enact a ruthless sense of justice on the world. If you choose to side against them, you’ll have to pay for health, but you’ll get a cut of the business that crops up. There will supposedly be hundreds of decisions like this that change a player’s unique game. The first “Dying Light” was marked by the differences in gameplay derived from its day/night cycle. The Infected are tamer and less of a threat when the sun is shining on them. At night they’re a different beast. The closed, hands-off demo that Techland hosted focused only on the day. He did say that the sequel would amp up the horror from the original game. “Things will get a lot scarier,” he said. “This isn’t just a zombie game. This is a game about humans and the horror they can cause. ‘Dying Light 2’ will give you more options to play with that horror.” “Dying Light” has had a long tail. Techland says that 500,000 people still log onto to play the three-year-old game every day. With “Dying Light 2,” Smektala hopes to continue that trend with a dynamic co-op system. Since every choice has consequences and changes the world in which your player lives, those changes will continue in co-op play.