Dying Light 2 - Release date, system requirements, trailers, gameplay, story, more

Announced at E3 2018 during the Xbox press conference, the parkour horror survival Dying Light 2 Stay Human is finally going to be released in 2022.

A sequel to 2015's action RPG Dying Light, Dying Light 2 will bring back many of the beloved features from the original game, but it is also a much more ambitious project compared to its predecessor, with a much bigger world, more mature themes, more complex gameplay mechanics, etc. 

Despite early 2021 rumours of the game being in development hell, Techland, Dying Light 2 developers, denied those rumours but admitted they have announced the game "too early" and that's why they were quiet about the development for several years.

But the promotion of the game ramped up in 2021, culminating with the release date announcement, and if you are ready to hone your parkour skills, here's everything you should know about Dying Light 2 Stay Human before playing it.

What is Dying Light 2's story?

Dying Light 2 is set 20 years following the events from the first game.

Unlike the original Dying Light, which is set in a fictional Middle-eastern city called Harran, in Dying Light 2 we're heading to central Europe, in a massive urban open-world environment simply known as the City.

We are playing a new protagonist named Aiden Caldwell. During our playthrough, we will encounter various factions, and our interaction with them will have far-reaching consequences, including major changes to the environment as well as opening up access to new areas or closing access to other parts of the City, which will encourage players to have multiple playthroughs in order to explore all areas.

The narrative is much more important than in the previous game, and as we explore the world we will make difficult choices, build complex relationships and learn about the world, the city, and its inhabitants.

As we've already mentioned, the developers aim to explore more mature themes, with a darker and more serious tone, intending to "invoke a sense of loss and dread" in players, to find out what happens when humanity is on the edge of extinction and enters a modern version of the Dark Ages.

The developers have also incorporated many real-world issues and political ideologies in order to make the game's world and story more relatable and authentic.

Dying Light 2 gameplay and features

Dying Light 2 builds upon gameplay mechanics that have made the first game a big hit but it will also introduce numerous new gameplay features.

The playable map of the City is four times bigger than the one in the original game, and it is divided into seven distinct regions with unique landmarks, objects, settlements, and other POIs.

The signature parkour gameplay is back, allowing players to quickly navigate the city by using moves such as sliding, leaping off from edges, wall running, climbing ledges, double-jumping, etc. According to the developers, Dying Light 2 features over 3000 parkour animations which will secure a seamless and fluid running experience.

Asides from your parkour skills, you will also be able to use gadgets like a grappling hook and a paraglider to efficiently traverse the vertical urban jungle of the City.

Combat is mostly melee-based, where you will use either your hands or various melee weapons. There will be ranged weapons as well, bust mostly primitive ones like bow, crossbow, and spear, with very few firearms available.

You will also have some superhuman powers, which Aiden has acquired due to infection, but we don't yet know much about them at this point.

Crafting, scavenging, and weapon upgrading will also be a huge part of the experience, and you will be able to get better equipment as you learn how to make more advanced gear and upgrade your weapons by using different blueprints and components.

Just like in the first game, the day/night cycle is back and it will play a pivotal role in zombies' behaviour, as they will be slow and oblivious during the day, but fast, aggressive, and hostile once the night falls.

Will Dying Light 2 feature co-op?

Yes, co-op is back! You will be able to play in up to four-player co-op by hosting games or joining other players' sessions!

Will Dying Light 2 be on Xbox Game Pass?

Dying Light 2 was revealed during the Xbox press conference at E3 2018, and the relationship between Xbox and Techland might indicate that we could see Dying Light 2 coming to Xbox Game Pass.

Techland's games Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide were both added to Xbox Game Pass previously,  but at the moment, there is no official announcement if Dying Light 2 will be available on Xbox Game Pass at launch.

Dying Light 2 system requirements

According to the official Dying Light 2 Steam page, the game is optimised quite well and it will not require a high-end PC in order to run properly.

But of course, you will need an RTX card if you plan to play with ray tracing turned on.

Minimum system requirements:

• OS: Windows 7
• Processor: Intel Core i3-9100 / AMD Ryzen 3 2300X
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1050 Ti / AMD Radeon™ RX 560 (4GB VRAM)
• Storage: 60 GB available space

Recommended system requirements:

• OS: Windows 10
• Processor: AMD / Intel CPU running at 3.6 GHz or higher: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Intel i5-8600K or newer
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6GB or AMD RX Vega 56 8GB or newer
• Storage: 60 GB available space

Dying Light 2 release date and platforms

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is set to be released on 4th February 2022 for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

It should be noted that the Nintendo Switch version will only be available as a Cloud version, as the console's hardware is not capable of running the game natively.

For more news about horror games, check out our dedicated Horror section filled with guides, news, and more.

Featured image courtesy of GSC Game World