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Dying Light 2 is available to play on all platforms except for the Nintendo Switch. This is a title that I was excited for, and could not wait to get my hands on. After playing the first Dying Light I imagined what a sequel to the open-world zombie survival game would play like. Let’s just say I had rather modest expectations, as I never get my hopes up due to so many titles being plagued with issues upon release. Yes, I’m talking about you Cyberpunk 2077.
Dying Light 2 also had its share of promises. We were promised a much larger story with over 500 hours of playtime, co-op gameplay, and an overall improved experience over the first title. But did Dying Light 2 accomplish all of these goals and most importantly is it worth your money? I’m the resident gaming nerd at Nerdgenic and I’m here to answer all of these questions and more in my official review of Dying Light 2.
What Is Dying Light 2?
I tried to play Dying Light 2 for as many hours as possible to give you a sense of what you can expect in this title. In Dying Light 2, you’ll play as Alden, a ‘pilgrim’ that is on a journey to find his sister Mia. The two were separated at a young age, and Alden has been searching for her ever since.
As you explore the world of Dying Light 2, you’ll encounter numerous types of infected as well as human foes. The humans are adapting to this world, and have divided themselves into different factions. You’ll later choose what faction you’d like to become a part of and form alliances with many of the game’s characters.
Dying Light 2 is an open-world game and you can explore the world at your leisure while completing the many side missions. I’d like to emphasize the survival side of this game, because first-time players may not understand this. You will need to spend time exploring the world so you can find materials to craft health, weapon mods, and other tools that will help you in your journey. All of these materials and how you choose to play each encounter will help you move ahead in this game and survive the numerous enemies you’ll encounter.
What We Liked
Dying Lights 2 gameplay is both fun and slightly challenging. I say slightly as I really didn’t come across any encounters that I felt were a huge challenge. This could be due to my experience in the original title, but many encounters require you to use your wits. Just taking a step back to think about how you should defeat infected or whether you should defeat them at all makes all the difference.
I highly recommend playing this game with headphones on. There is nothing cooler than searching stealthily through an abandon house whilst not trying to alarm the infected sleeping in the halls. Even something as simple as picking a lock can be a heightened experience when you know there are infected walking around. The sound effects in this game really help make you feel immersed. You really feel like you are trying to survive, and every mission feels like there is an element of risk involved.
As you would expect in this world, there is both chaos and order. Character deaths will happen quite frequently and sometimes even unexpectedly. There is always a real threat lurking in every dark corner and as you become more experienced in the world your confidence will continue to grow no matter who or what you’re dealing with.
Story & Visuals
If you love story-driven games like Cyberpunk 2077 or The Witcher then you’ll love Dying Light 2. You can skip through many of the cut scenes but I don’t recommend it. The story is what makes Dying Light 2 such an enjoyable experience. Combating infected is enjoyable but it’s not the reason to play this game, as the infected are more of an obstacle to your overall objective.
As you work to find your sister you’ll meet a colorful cast, from people struggling with mental health and social issues such as a limited water supply or trying to survive alone. Characters won’t trust you at first and many of them will have you wondering if you should share any of your secrets. It’s these decisions that shape your story and it’s always a fun time with games like this.
Visually Dying Light 2 didn’t really impress me initially. The game feels polished and looks good, but I can’t say this is a huge overall visual improvement from its predecessor. I played this game on my Xbox Series X and on “performance” mode in order to have a smoother gameplay experience so this may have been the reason. I just didn’t feel like this title felt “next-gen”. I’m not saying that every title needs to be a visual spectacle to be enjoyable, but I just felt like something was missing visually as I played it.
What We Didn’t Like
I really have only one complaint with Dying Light 2 and this has to do with the co-op side of the game. Currently, the co-op side of the game is broken. A buddy of mine tried to join several times without success. We were finally able to play together and then the game reset for both of us. In my research, many other gamers have experienced similar issues, and the developer is aware of it. So I hope this is an issue that is resolved soon, as Dying Light 2 is a fun experience and one I’d hope to share with my online community.
Conclusion & Fun Factor
Dying Light 2 builds on the first game, and the developer lives up to most of their initial promises. I would recommend the co-op side of the game for now, but the single-player aspect is definitely worth your time. Even with some slight glitches, and technical mishaps I’d give Dying Light a fun factor of 8/10. Dying Light is enjoyable, and that is the most important part of gaming nowadays. Honestly, I haven’t been able to put this game down since release and if you play this too, I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
Now it’s time to hear from those in our community. How do you like Dying Light 2? Will you buy this game, or wait until there are more reviews out there? Let me know by leaving a comment down below.
