Dying Light 2 Preview – Seven Big Takeaways After Playing For Four Hours

In my initial preview of Dying Light 2 from E3 2019, I gave my write-up the header of "Choice and Consequence is Everything." That conception was further confirmed done my archetypal hands-on league with the crippled past week. Throughout the communicative content, I not lone decided with whom I wanted to align myself but besides which benefits I wanted to confer upon the city. While I didn't impact the metropolis successful the sweeping benignant of ways I witnessed successful that 2019 demo, successful which an wholly caller country was made accessible and a caller zombie benignant emerged from a recently uncovered lakebed, my quality had a refreshing magnitude of accidental successful the mode some the communicative and metropolis progress.

According to Smektała, this was a directive delivered consecutive from originative manager Adrian Ciszewski arsenic the squad began enactment connected Dying Light 2. Ciszewski, who besides served arsenic a manager connected the archetypal Dying Light, noted that the crippled delivered players the tools and moves to attack in-game obstacles however they privation utilizing the parkour and combat mechanics. However, erstwhile players started interacting with the story, it was scripted and rigid, not allowing players to marque overmuch interaction connected however things really played out.

"Our extremity for the 2nd crippled is to effort to springiness players the aforesaid magnitude of state successful the communicative that they person successful the gameplay," Smektała says. "Of course, it's a antithetic beast with the narrative; you are ever constricted to branching narratives, but we took connected that challenge, and we truly tried hard to bash that. I deliberation we person achieved that, and we did a small spot much than conscionable branching narratives."

To execute this, Techland instilled prime and effect that enactment connected 3 levels. The archetypal level, according to Smektała, consists of each the large decisions you marque successful the main story. These decisions person an interaction connected the world, city, and characters, changing the precise people of the narrative. I don't privation to spoil thing for the main story, but I witnessed this firsthand arsenic I followed 1 questline done each the mode to the end, opting to broadside wholly with 1 of the main characters I encountered, bringing their arc to what feels similar a satisfying conclusion.

The 2nd level stems from the broadside content, wherever you marque decisions with characters and you volition aboriginal announcement thing related to that prime successful the future; Smektała gives the illustration of an opera vocalist you tin take to help, and if you do, she'll look successful 1 of The City's hubs, singing arias. 

The last furniture of choices comes into play with the metropolis alignment mechanics. Based connected the choices you make, you align your interests with those of 1 of the factions that inhabit The City. The 2 factions prominently featured successful my demo were the Survivors, a radical of characters conscionable trying to rebuild civilization, and the Peacekeepers, a well-armed militia that uses blunt unit implicit strategy. In my playthrough, I sided with the Survivors, which changed the alignment of that territory to springiness them much control. In doing so, I opened up much ziplines passim that country of The City, giving maine much traversal options for erstwhile I don't consciousness similar descending into the zombie-infested streets. Had I sided with the Peacekeepers, I would person unlocked car traps for helping to power the hordes, a little elegant solution than the ziplines, but inactive useful. 

According to Techland, players volition request to measurement the benefits successful each territory arsenic they marque their decisions. There are 7 zones successful which you tin marque these decisions, and determination are 7 levels of antithetic rewards for each faction. As you proceed to align with one, you tin unlock much benefits with them, portion making choices to align with the different volition unlock benefits for that faction. The effect is simply a metropolis that is reactive to your assorted choices, adjacent erstwhile you're acting extracurricular of the main narrative.

Of course, galore of the astir satisfying choices successful immoderate crippled is successful however you make your character. While I can't accidental excessively overmuch astir the accomplishment tree, Dying Light 2 gives you aggregate accomplishment trees to make based connected the play benignant you privation to use. In addition, you tin stitchery a benignant of collectible done exploration that allows you to upgrade either your wellness oregon stamina.