The survival game Dying Light 2: Stay Human is released on February 4th. Before purchasing, you can find here a summary of some important things you should know.
What kind of game is this? The sequel to Dying Light continues the story and puts you back in the role of an infected person who must survive in a post-apocalyptic world swarming with zombies. Dying Light 2 offers the following features:
- Co-op with up to four players
- Parkour elements throughout the city
- Decisions with consequences
- Only one gun: the shotgun with a major disadvantage
Just before the release, we want to give you an overview of the most important information about Dying Light 2. We will provide you with info about the actual release and preload, the story, and the system requirements.
Before that, you can watch a gameplay video here:
Everything about Purchase – Release Times, Preload, Pre-Order and Prices
When does Dying Light 2 start? The release is on February 4th. We also know that there will be a preload. On consoles, you can start playing exactly at midnight, no matter where you are in the world.
For the PC, it’s a bit more complicated. Dying Light 2 will be available on our computers at 1 AM on February 4th, exactly one hour after the consoles. You can find a detailed overview of the start times on MeinMMO.
When does the preload start? Here, too, there are differences between the various consoles on which the game is released. On PC and PlayStation, you can download Dying Light 2 48 hours before release.
On Xbox, however, the preload is already available. The developers say they want to ensure that everyone can play on time at release.
On which platforms will the game be released? You can buy Dying Light 2 on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
How much does Dying Light 2 cost? The standard version for consoles costs 59.99 euros, while the PC version costs 49.99 euros. The deluxe edition is available for 89.99 (consoles) or 79.99 euros (PC).
What’s included in the Deluxe Edition:
- The game
- Steelbook
- Access to a story DLC that will be available a few months after the release
- Exclusive weapon charm
- ‘Legendary’ outfit,
- ‘Legendary’ weapon skin
- ‘Legendary’ glider skin
- Printable wallpapers
- Digital comic
- Digital artbook
- Digital soundtrack
In addition, there is the Collector’s Edition, which is now sold out. You can find the game in the respective stores and at all usual retailers.
- Dying Light 2 in the Xbox Store
- Dying Light 2 in the PlayStation Store
- Dying Light 2 on Steam
- Dying Light 2 in the Epic Games Store
- Dying Light 2 on Amazon
If you pre-order Dying Light 2, you will also receive some extras:
Dying Light 2 is released in two different editions
What you need to pay attention to: The survival game is unfortunately only released in a cut version in Germany. All other countries receive the original, uncut version.
This does not affect gameplay but does influence the brutality level of the game in some places. For example, in the German version, it is not possible to kill uninvolved NPCs or behead human enemies.
Moreover, the version decides which one you can use to play the co-op mode of Dying Light 2.
- Do not buy the wrong Dying Light 2: What co-op players should be aware of
- Dying Light 2: Cut vs. Uncut – These are the differences in Germany
Setting and Story
Where does Dying Light 2 take place? A large part of the main story takes place in a big city. It was formerly called Villedor and is now simply referred to as “The City”. After a zombie apocalypse caused by a virus, humanity fights for its survival.
After the collapse of the old world, the survivors scattered, formed new factions, and fought for their survival.
While the survivors huddle in various fortresses and habitats, zombie hordes and bandits make the rest of the city unsafe. Because of this, residents often seek refuge on the roofs of the city, as zombies typically cannot reach them there.
They are also primarily nocturnal, which is why most people do not dare to go outside after dark.
This is what the story is about: You are thrown into this world over 20 years after the zombies broke out and take on the role of Aiden Caldwell, a pilgrim. This is what wanderers are called who stay outside the cities and roam through the dangerous land. They are sometimes respected and appreciated by the population, and at other times feared or regarded with suspicion.
Aiden has a difficult and cruel past around which the story revolves. He is searching for his sister, from whom he was separated as a child. In his person, you come into contact with the local population, either working together or getting into conflicts with them.
The game repeatedly presents you with decisions that affect the course of the story. You often have to decide between the opposing factions.
Huge Game World, Extensive Campaign, and Co-op Mode
These contents await you in Dying Light 2: Primarily, this is a survival game with a story focus. Your character and all other characters are fully voiced.
There is a main story that you can follow, as well as numerous side missions of varying length and other side activities.
According to developer Techland, the game is said to provide around 500 hours of gameplay, not counting future DLCs. Whether this is really true is still uncertain.
This is how the co-op mode works: You can wreak havoc in the city with up to three friends. For this, a host must invite everyone to their session. However, the story progress is not shared; guest players can at least keep the loot they find.
New Features and Improvements in Dying Light 2
This is what makes it different from its predecessor: Dying Light 2 is a consistent continuation of the first part. Numerous features are found in the same or similar form in the game.
The second part mainly aims to sensibly expand the already good features while also bringing in some other elements meant to enhance the original experience of the first part. These include:
- More focus on the story through decisions and more dialogues
- Immunity mechanic that makes exploring in the dark even more dangerous
- Enhanced day-night cycle affecting zombie behavior
- The combat and parkour system has been expanded and improved
- Faction choice
- Improved crafting system
- Apparently twice as many skills to learn
- The map is four times larger than the world of the first part
- Improved human AI
One of the most notable features revolves around a new mechanic. Because early in the game, you become infected with the virus that turns people into zombies. You do not immediately transform, but from now on you have to pay attention to your immunity.
This decreases in the dark. Therefore, if you find yourself in the dark, a timer starts. If it runs out, you turn into a zombie and are thus (un)dead. This makes nighttime excursions very dangerous, and you need to plan carefully which routes you take and how much risk you are willing to take before time runs out.
However, you can recharge your immunity through daylight or through UV lamps distributed throughout the world. There are also items like immunity boosters and UV mushrooms that can restore your immunity. So, always stock up on these items.
Dying Light 2 – Moderate System Requirements, Unless You Want Ray Tracing
Your PC needs to be this strong: Dying Light 2 looks visually appealing but is not a high-end graphics powerhouse. However, if you want ray tracing, you will need a RTX card starting from 2070 upward.
Here are the official system requirements:
Minimum (Ray Tracing off, 1080p 30fps)
- CPU: Intel Core i3-9100 or AMD Ryzen 3 2300X
- RAM: 8 GB
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti/AMD Radeon RX 560 4 GB
- OS: Windows 7
- Disk Space: 60 GB HDD
Recommended (Ray Tracing off, 1080p 60fps)
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB or AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 8 GB
- OS: Windows 10
- Disk Space: 60 GB SSD
Ray Tracing On Minimum (1080p 30fps)
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB
- OS: Windows 10
- Disk Space: 60 GB SSD
Ray Tracing On Recommended (1080p 60fps)
- CPU: Intel Core i5-8600K or AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
- RAM: 16 GB
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 10 GB
- OS: Windows 10
- Disk Space: 60 GB SSD
Dying Light 2 plans more than 5 years of support
This is how it will continue after release: Although developer Techland already praises the incredible scope of 500 hours, they plan to add much more.
According to the creators of Dying Light 2 they plan to provide the open-world game with new content at least until 2027. This includes both paid story DLCs and free content. Here’s a small overview of future plans:
- Several story DLCs
- New challenges
- Community events
- New weapons and outfits
There is already a first roadmap until June 2022:
Dying Light 2 brings a ton of content post-release – the roadmap and DLCs at a glance
Are you interested in Dying Light 2? Or is the zombie survival title rather uninteresting to you?
