The upcoming survival game Dying Light 2 already impresses more players on Steam than almost all other upcoming games. But why are over a quarter million players waiting for it? MeinMMO explains what lies behind the fascination.
What kind of game is this? Dying Light 2 is the second part of the series, which tells a survival horror story. A virus has wiped out almost all of humanity and turned them into zombies. A classic post-apocalyptic setting.
You play as an infected individual who has not yet transformed. This grants you superhuman abilities, which you now use to help the survivors. Like the first part, Dying Light 2 focuses on parkour, combat, and above all, a lot of story.
You can read my first impression of the game in the preview playtest: In Dying Light 2, you have to constantly make difficult decisions, but that’s exactly what captivated me
How many people are waiting for Dying Light 2? Currently, the game is in 2nd place on the wishlist for the most anticipated games on Steam (via SteamDB). Throughout 2021, Dying Light 2 was in 1st place, until it was overtaken by Elden Ring at the beginning of 2022.
We can’t say exactly how many players have it on their wishlist. But at least 270,000 people are “following” the game on Steam alone, wanting to stay updated with information. The wishlist entries are likely even more, especially since Dying Light 2 is also being released on other platforms.
Where does the interest come from? Even though such a massive number of players are interested in the game, many gamers cannot quite comprehend where the interest comes from – especially in Germany.
This is partly because the first part ended up on the index here, meaning it wasn’t simply purchasable. Also, part 2 is only released censored in Germany. Nevertheless, the game managed to build a large fan base. This comes from its unique approach to the genre.
Surviving Without Combat – The Unique System of Dying Light
What makes Dying Light 2 so special: Normally, survival games are all about bare survival, and most representatives of the genre rely on combat and weapons. From improvised knives to swords to modern firearms, there’s everything here.
In Dying Light, you can also fight, but the system serves more as a “last resort”. The safer way is always to escape. The game has a unique, well-defined parkour feature:
- Like in Assassin’s Creed, you climb walls and traverse streets in the air.
- Roof tops are not only shortcuts but also your frequently used paths, especially at night when the zombies awaken.
- With zip lines and makeshift cushions made from trash bags, you ensure relatively safe and quick movement during the death-defying parkour.
You will even be rewarded for parkour in Dying Light 2 and can spend skill points to improve. If you support the factions in the game, they will even build more opportunities for you to move safely through the city.
Depending on which faction you choose, you get more traps to use against zombies or additional zip lines or fall cushions.
You can play Dying Light 2 solo or in co-op with up to 4 players. There is no crossplay at least at launch, and you need to pay attention to the version. The censored (German) and uncensored versions cannot play together.
What happens next? For the time after the release, the developers have already announced that they want to deliver new content until 2027 although it is likely to mainly involve DLCs, with some events already known.
Some DLCs will be released just a few days after the launch, while others may come months later. We cannot yet say the exact intervals for the new content to be released. At least for the beginning, though, there is already a roadmap:
Dying Light 2 brings a ton of content after release – the roadmap and DLCs at a glance
Unlike other survival games, exploration in Dying Light is therefore not just a feature but a necessity for survival. Only by knowing the city well can you take safe escape routes from zombie hordes.
Is there only parkour? No, in addition to the fast-paced racing segments, Dying Light 2 also relies on a combat system. With DIY melee weapons and a single firearm, you can heat things up for the opponents.
Partially literally, as with mods you can further customize your axes and machetes. Like with parkour, there are also different skills for combat. However, the environment here is also important.
Dying Light 2 has a “contextual combat system”. This means you can use nearby walls or cars to throw your opponents against them or propel yourself off of them. At least in theory – during the test, I was too dumb for that.
In any case, Dying Light 2 fully relies on its world. It is not just another feature but a tool that you can use and interact with. This gives the entire game world more depth and simultaneously emphasizes that humanity has reached a point where it must fight for bare survival – by any means necessary.
By the way, we discussed in the new MeinMMO podcast with editor-in-chief Leya Jankowski, editorial manager Gerd Schuhmann, and myself as a survival expert about Dying Light and other … shooters.
Release in February 2022, content for 5 years
When and where does Dying Light 2 come out? On Friday, February 4, 2022, Dying Light 2 will be released for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Switch version will be slightly delayed but should be delivered “within 6 months”.
You can play Dying Light 2 solo or in co-op with up to 4 players. There is no crossplay at least at launch, and you need to pay attention to the version. The censored (German) and uncensored versions cannot play together.
What happens next? For the time after the release, the developers have already announced that they want to deliver new content until 2027 although it is likely to mainly involve DLCs, with some events already known.
Some DLCs will be released just a few days after the launch, while others may come months later. We cannot yet say the exact intervals for the new content to be released. At least for the beginning, though, there is already a roadmap:
Dying Light 2 brings a ton of content after release – the roadmap and DLCs at a glance
