Dying Light 2 plays just the way Techland advertised it, but with some hitches. The open world is larger this time and has far more variety in terms of design. The streets are empty, with dilapidated structures, dry vegetation, and dull colour tones. Look to the rooftops though, and you’ll find greenery as far as the eye can see, with citizens growing crops, tending to their shops, and holding campfire parties – all interactive.
The sequel stays consistent with what you can expect from its freeform traversal system, though it is a bit more complex. The parkour, which we all fell in love with the first time, is equally crazy and exhilarating – provided you put in the time. What I mean by that is, most of the moves and abilities are locked behind a skill tree. You start as an inexperienced character and slowly work your way up by racking points and unlocking skills to get stronger and more agile.

I’d recommend you dump it all into stamina, as it helps with climbing tall towers and more precise leaps in the later stages. During co-op play, the parkour experience between you and a low-level friend will undoubtedly be different, as the game rewards those who spend more time in it.
Unfortunately, the way enemies react is quite weird, and I found the zombies to be smarter than the human AI. When warding off large groups, enemies have no idea how to gang up, letting you hack off their heads one at a time. It never pushes your skills to the limit and becomes more of an endurance test, even on the hardest difficulty. Zombies, however, pose greater threats – creeping up silently and grabbing you by surprise, as you brawl off the ones before you.

It’s at this point I decided to be more of a runner than a fighter. The choice-based system in this title changes the local environment to fit your playstyle. For instance, upon gaining access to the main water supply, Aiden has to pick between assigning control to the Peacekeepers or the Survivors. Depending on who you choose, you gain bonuses in that zone. Siding with the PKs gets you offensive perks, such as car traps that explode upon contact, while the Survivors lay out zip lines for smooth sailing across long distances.
The ambient music here is top-notch, especially the low-synth, steampunk tracks that play while you’re getting chased by hordes of zombies. It gives you that adrenaline rush to keep running around in circles and toy with them, as you flaunt your parkour skills. However, I found some of the main tracks in this game questionable, almost as if I have heard these before.

Verdict:
Dying Light 2 functions better as a standalone RPG (role-playing game) than a direct follow-up to Techland’s grittier, realistic take on the zombie-killing genre. The choice-based dialogue system adds some depth and engagement value to the otherwise cliche narrative, while the new combat mechanic is just inches away from being perfect. The parkour action continues to be the key highlight by a long shot, promising an overall solid, liberating experience that should come to fruition within the next patch or two.

Overall, it's really a fun game.

And Yes, 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.

Dying Light 2 plays just the way Techland advertised it, but with some hitches. The open world is larger this time and has far more variety in terms of design. The streets are empty, with dilapidated structures, dry vegetation, and dull colour tones. Look to the rooftops though, and you’ll find greenery as far as the eye can see, with citizens growing crops, tending to their shops, and holding campfire parties – all interactive. The sequel stays consistent with what you can expect from its freeform traversal system, though it is a bit more complex. The parkour, which we all fell in love with the first time, is equally crazy and exhilarating – provided you put in the time. What I mean by that is, most of the moves and abilities are locked behind a skill tree. You start as an inexperienced character and slowly work your way up by racking points and unlocking skills to get stronger and more agile. I’d recommend you dump it all into stamina, as it helps with climbing tall towers and more precise leaps in the later stages. During co-op play, the parkour experience between you and a low-level friend will undoubtedly be different, as the game rewards those who spend more time in it. Unfortunately, the way enemies react is quite weird, and I found the zombies to be smarter than the human AI. When warding off large groups, enemies have no idea how to gang up, letting you hack off their heads one at a time. It never pushes your skills to the limit and becomes more of an endurance test, even on the hardest difficulty. Zombies, however, pose greater threats – creeping up silently and grabbing you by surprise, as you brawl off the ones before you. It’s at this point I decided to be more of a runner than a fighter. The choice-based system in this title changes the local environment to fit your playstyle. For instance, upon gaining access to the main water supply, Aiden has to pick between assigning control to the Peacekeepers or the Survivors. Depending on who you choose, you gain bonuses in that zone. Siding with the PKs gets you offensive perks, such as car traps that explode upon contact, while the Survivors lay out zip lines for smooth sailing across long distances. The ambient music here is top-notch, especially the low-synth, steampunk tracks that play while you’re getting chased by hordes of zombies. It gives you that adrenaline rush to keep running around in circles and toy with them, as you flaunt your parkour skills. However, I found some of the main tracks in this game questionable, almost as if I have heard these before. Verdict: Dying Light 2 functions better as a standalone RPG (role-playing game) than a direct follow-up to Techland’s grittier, realistic take on the zombie-killing genre. The choice-based dialogue system adds some depth and engagement value to the otherwise cliche narrative, while the new combat mechanic is just inches away from being perfect. The parkour action continues to be the key highlight by a long shot, promising an overall solid, liberating experience that should come to fruition within the next patch or two. Overall, it's really a fun game. And Yes, 𝘞𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.