The zombie sequel “Dying Light 2” celebrates its release on February 4, 2022. There are already first reviews and ratings on Metacritic. We summarize the first impressions of Dying Light 2 here for you.
This is what the ratings say on Metacritic: Currently, Dying Light 2 receives slightly different scores depending on the platform.
- On PC, it currently stands at 79 out of 100 points, based on 23 critic reviews
- On Xbox Series X, it also has 79 points, with 26 critic reviews
- On PS5, it is currently at 77 points, based on 45 critic reviews
For PS4 and Xbox One, no Metascores are available yet.
Overall, the sequel has a slightly higher score compared to its predecessor “Dying Light”. The original had a Metascore of 75 on PC, and 74 on PS4 and Xbox One.
Important: In Germany, the game will be released in a cut version, the differences are shown here.
The ratings for Dying Light 2 at a glance
These are the scores for Dying Light 2: Even before the release, some critics and media were able to test the game. Their ratings will now be included in the Metascore.
In the following overview, you will find 15 ratings of the game organized by platform. The highest and lowest ratings are always included.
Dying Light 2 (PC) on Metacritic – The Points
- Gamegrin – 95
- CG Magazine – 90
- IGN France – 90
- MGG Spain – 87
- CD-Action – 85
- PC Gamer – 84
- MGG – 80
- God is a Geek – 80
- Dexerto – 75
- GameWatcher – 75
- PC Invasion – 70
- GamesRadar+ – 70
- Shacknews – 70
- NME – 60
- PCGamesN – 60
Dying Light 2 (PS5) on Metacritic – The Points
- Hobby Consoles – 95
- Trusted Reviews – 90
- Attack of the Fanboy – 90
- Dual Shockers – 90
- Atomix – 88
- Gamepressure – 85
- Gaming Trend – 85
- VG247 – 80
- Daily Star – 80
- Wccftech – 80
- Destructoid – 75
- Inverse – 70
- VideoGamer – 70
- VGC – 60
- Guardian – 40
Dying Light 2 (Xbox Series X) on Metacritic – The Points
- Xbox Tavern – 98
- Game Informer – 95
- GameSpew – 90
- Games.CH – 86
- LevelUp – 85
- Jeuxvideo.com – 85
- Windows Central – 80
- Eurogamer Italy – 80
- Gfinity – 70
- MMORPG.com – 70
- IGN – 70
- Screen Rant – 70
- EGM – 60
- Game Rant – 50
- Pure Xbox – 50
What do the critics say in the reviews?
Here we summarize some of the reviews on Metacritic for you.
Overall, Dying Light 2 seems to score in areas where its predecessor already received praise. This particularly applies to the fluid gameplay. The parkour elements are highlighted, which allow for quick and creative exploration of the post-apocalyptic open world. The combat elements, especially focused on melee combat, are also described positively.
However, criticism is directed at the story, which did not captivate some, as well as a lack of variety and innovation. Additionally, several testers reported encountering bugs that disturbed the gaming experience.
Praise for the open world and movement, criticism for bugs – IGN
Travis Northup wrote the review for IGN, giving it a 7 out of 10 and initially highlighting the exciting, well-designed open world that invites exploration. This is particularly enjoyable, just like the thrilling battles.
The clear highlight of Dying Light 2 is its liberating and smooth parkour system.
Travis Northup – IGN
You essentially play “the floor is lava”, as enemies constantly inhabit the ground below, away from the rooftops, which must be avoided. Various parkour skills unlocked during the game provide fun.
However, Northup expresses clear criticism of bugs that would hinder the gaming experience:
If your tolerance for bugs is low, I do not recommend jumping into Dying Light 2 on the first day. Or day 10. Maybe day 30? I managed to play it to the end, but only just. […] Techland is aware of all these issues and is reportedly working hard on patches to fix them, but if the story is any indication, it will take more than a few real day-night cycles to resolve these many problems.
Travis Northup – IGN
Interestingly, the developers have already emphasized that players should wait until the release to play, even if they have already gotten their hands on a retail version. Here, there are still fixes coming that will be included in a day-one patch.
“Great gameplay, surprisingly strong story, but open-world monotony” – GameStar
The colleagues at GameStar emphasize in the review that the story can be seen more as a plus point. The main storyline is well done, and the side quests are particularly exciting, featuring fantastically written characters. Moreover, the parkour gameplay is praised. You can find the GameStar review here (via GameStar).
However, criticism is directed at the fact that the decisions in Dying Light 2 do not have the significance one might hope for. Additionally, the open world is not quite as diverse as it initially seems:
In the first section of Dying Light 2, I did not notice this so clearly. But as the game world opens up further, one thing becomes particularly clear: The open world has a significant problem with variety.
Rémy Bournizel – Gamestar
Here you can also see Dying Light 2 in the video review by GameStar:
“It could have been so incredibly good” – GamePro
In the GamePro review, it sounds similar that especially the first 10 hours in Dying Light 2 would do everything right. However, the story would weaken as the game progresses, particularly towards the end. Especially the protagonist remains bland. Parkour and combat system are praised here as well, but monotony is criticized.
You can find the GamePro review here (via GamePro).
Worldbuilding, characters, decisions, impactful fights, and the parkour system initially convinced me. However, as the playtime lengthened, the framework began to crumble. Very little is made of the characters and the world. Fights lack variety to keep players engaged throughout the long playtime, and parkour became quite exhausting for me (as I assigned all areas to the Peacekeepers).
Stephan Zielke – GamePro
Familiarities in Bigger and Better – DualShockers
The review by Kyle Knight for DualShockers turns out very positively with a score of 90. Especially the combat system is convincing, as it has significantly improved compared to its predecessor. Fans of the first part would feel right at home in the new game.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a sequel of epic proportions. Everything that fans loved about the original title is still present, but now with a larger story, new features, and a massive open world full of areas to explore and loot.
Kyle Knight, Dual Shockers
“Not able to capitalize on the strengths of its excellent parkour and combat mechanics” – PCGamesN
One of the more critical reviews (60) comes from Dustin Bailey for PCGamesN, who highlights gameplay elements positively but feels there was overall too little to do in the game. He describes spending 30 hours with the game, of which he liked 10, tolerated 10, and had little patience with the last 10.
Bugs, repetitive side content, poor storytelling, and the unfulfilled promise of the choice and consequence system prevent Dying Light 2 from capitalizing on the strengths of its excellent parkour and combat mechanics.
Dustin Bailey – PCGamesN
What do you think of the new Dying Light 2? Are you excited about the game, or is it not for you? And if you grab it – which version will you choose? If you are still unsure about your purchase, check this out: Dying Light 2 in a brief check – Why you should play it and for whom it is worth
