After being set back nearly two years through delays, it seems as though Dying Light 2 is finally releasing in next year. Despite the repeated and lengthy delays, the excitement for this release has been hardly affected, and fans are eager to get their hands on the game. By the time it has been released, it will have been seven years since the original came out and shook up the zombie shooter genre. While Dying Light 2 may struggle to bring the same level of innovation as its predecessor, it’s clear that it will look to improve upon the original in a number of ways.

For starters, it has been highlighted throughout the game’s numerous trailers that Dying Light 2 will introduce all-new zombie types to the series. These will be sure to provide a new threat and host of hair-raising encounters as fans play through the main story of the game. To match the increased difficulty of the new zombie types, players will have new tools to help them survive the brutal nights of Dying Light. However, the key changes to Dying Light 2 compared with the original game come from the game’s story, which seems as though it will be a big draw for many returning players.

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Dying Light 2’s Story

Dying Light 2 Lawan in the Story

Unfortunately, for fans of the original Dying Light who were hoping for more of the same, the story of Dying Light 2 is entirely separate from the original. It follows a new protagonist and is set in a new location named The City. The story of Dying Light 2 follows the game’s protagonist, Aiden Caldwell, who is searching for his sister that he was separated from prior to the game's events. The GRE, which was also present in the original Dying Light, was responsible for Aiden and his sister being separated, so it looks likely that the GRE will feature heavily in Dying Light 2.

The GRE's involvement in the narrative will occasionally take a backseat, allowing Dying Light 2’s Factions feature to rise to the surface. These Factions have been featured heavily in the game’s trailers, and it looks to be one of the major innovations made over the original game. Players will have three choices of Factions to ally themselves with, and each of these will have a different effect on the game world, due to their ideological differences. Whether the player’s choice of Faction could impact the fate of the GRE is yet to be seen, although it would make sense.

What Is The GRE's Involvement in Dying Light 2?

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So it appears clear that the GRE will feature heavily in Dying Light 2’s story, but players may not know exactly why they are fighting the GRE, and what threat it poses. Fortunately, there is plenty of information out there, allowing players to do a little bit of research before Dying Light 2 releases next year. Despite being named the Global Relief Effort, and despite distributing life-saving Antizin, the GRE is anything but charitable. The organization has its interests firmly on the side of continuing the virus that plagues the world of Dying Light.

In the original Dying Light, it is revealed that despite claiming to be searching for a cure, the GRE is actually working to weaponize the virus. This revelation prompts Kyle Crane to distance himself from the GRE, which he previously worked for. GRE is the big baddie of the Dying Light universe, and so if the main story of Dying Light 2 is not taking down the organization, it’s likely that it will remain an overhanging threat.

Both Aiden and his sister were experimented on by GRE in their youth, which may lead to a revenge plot of sorts in Dying Light 2. Fans of Dying Light should know of the threat that GRE poses, as it is tantamount to the continuation of the virus, and the story of the games.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is in development for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.

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