Dying Light 2 isn’t just a bigger, better version of Dying Light - it’s a dramatic overhaul that changes the core of the series in some pretty dramatic ways. While the original had some light RPG elements like skill trees and weapon crafting, Dying Light 2 aims to be a lot closer to a traditional open-world RPG like Fallout or Skyrim. It introduces a lot of role-playing mechanics like gear loadouts, enemy health bars, and dialogue trees while also retuning some of the more challenging aspects of the first game in order to be more approachable to new players. While it might turn out that these changes do make the game more attractive to newcomers, seasoned Dying Light players may find these changes difficult to swallow.

It’s been well-known that Dying Light 2 would have a non-linear story with dialogue trees and branching paths ever since the sequel was first announced at E3 2018. What may come as a surprise to people is just how much the rest of the game is leaning into RPG mechanics as well. Not only has crafting become more involved with the new mod upgrade system - which allows you to build and improve up to three mods in each weapon - but players will now be able to loot and equip armor into six gear slots. Armor pieces have individual stats and perks, and many of them even denote recommended class loadouts. A pair of pants that give bonus stats to bows may be labeled a Ranger piece, so players that want to build into a Ranger class will have an easier time picking out the best gear. Like any RPG, you’ll spend a lot of time in the menus crafting, comparing, and choosing what weapons and armor to use. It’s difficult to say how much of an impact loadouts will have on playstyle and the actual feel of the game, but min-maxers will definitely have a lot of crunchy stats to dig into. Conversely, this level of gear management could end up putting some players off, since there’s a lot more to think about here than in the original.

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One thing I’ve heard players complain about are the health and stagger bars that float over enemies heads - something the first game didn’t have. Dying Light 2 has a particularly busy HUD to accommodate all the new systems and mechanics, and enemy health meters only add to that clutter. There may be a way to disable the health bars for players that don’t want to see it, but this was an intentional design decision to emphasize the new RPG direction of the game and give players more information in combat so that they can fight more tactically, picking out weaker targets and moving strategically around the battlefield to whittle down the pack. In classic RPG fashion, enemies also have levels so you know comparatively how strong they are to you.

And then there are the changes that were made in order to make the game easier and more approachable to new players. One of the more controversial changes among the player base is new jump height and fall speed, which gives the game a floaty quality, almost as if it has moon gravity. This way, parkouring around The City is less punishing. You can jump away from danger easier and you have more time to decide your next move as you slowly descend after each jump. If you make a mistake, you can even change direction in the air and reposition yourself for a safe landing. It’s a far cry from Dying Light’s snappy, realistic physics that always made you feel like you are just barely scrambling away from danger. Later upgrades will definitely help you build momentum and may even raise the parkour skill ceiling higher than it was in the first game, but there’s no denying that running around in the sequel feels very different, and in my opinion, worse.

Exploring during the night has also gotten a lot easier now that you aren’t constantly trying to avoid contact with the superpowered Volatiles. Now, you can more-or-less freely explore during the night so long as you don’t stray away from UV lights for too long. In fact, night actually makes some activities easier in Dying Light 2. Dark Hollows and abandoned shops are packed with zombies during the day, but at night they clear out and are free to explore. Volatiles still show up in certain story missions, dark places, and if you make a big enough ruckus at night, but it’s not something you have to be constantly mindful of anymore.

All of these additions and changes serve a clear purpose, but they aren’t necessarily designed to appeal to Dying Light’s most dedicated and hardcore players. From my short time playing the game, I got the sense that a lot of the most seasoned players may want to go back to the first game after finishing Dying Light 2. Personally, I’m excited to explore The City, which is twice the size of the first game’s maps, and experience the non-linear story for myself. The things I didn’t enjoy at first, like the low gravity and lack of Volatiles at night, made more sense the longer I played, and even started to grow on me. Unlike a lot of sequels, Dying Light 2 is not just more Dying Light. How you feel about that largely comes down to what you think a sequel ought to be, but it’s clear that Techland has made the game it wanted to make.

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