The original Dying Light brought something new to the zombie survival genre, with its open-world parkour-based gameplay proving to be a much-needed breath of fresh air. The sequel, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, is releasing this December and will hopefully further innovate on its unique brand of zombie-killing action. Fans will be hoping to see more of the game at E3, but there is already plenty of Dying Light 2 gameplay and information already available online.
Among the Dying Light 2 trailers was some interesting information about the curious Stay Human subtitle. This subtitle is not only curious because of the absence of any sort of subtitle in the original game, but also because of what it seems to imply. As a zombie game, the implication of a subtitle such as Stay Human is that there is an option for the player to not stay human. The original Dying Light had a Be the Zombie mode in which the player could, well, be the zombie. But the questions on the minds of many fans are what exactly the Stay Human title means and if this Be the Zombie mode returns, how effectively it will be implemented from launch.
Can You Become A Zombie In Dying Light 2?
The Stay Human tag could be a reference to another mechanic that allows the player to play as a zombie. It was revealed in earlier coverage of the game that everyone in the world of Dying Light 2 is infected and fighting a constant battle to keep the infection at bay. To stay human, the player must avoid the shadows and expose themselves to either sunlight or artificial UV light, but there's a catch in that the more a player becomes a zombie, the stronger they get.
This mechanic could create an interesting predicament for the player as they try to balance risking their playthrough with improving their ability to navigate the city and fight off their infected foes. Exactly what succumbing to the zombie infection could mean for the player is unclear. When asked, Marc Albinet, Dying Light 2 Game Director, was hesitant to confirm it would result in a game over screen, which could suggest an interesting post-game as a zombie. Perhaps there could be a Warzone Gulag type feature, where the player has to earn their way back into life as a human, or potentially there could simply be a way to raid other player's games in a similar way to Dying Light's Be the Zombie.
Whatever the implementation of the infected feature is to the main story, it seems as though the Stay Human in Dying Light 2 Stay Human isn't just there for effect. Instead, the player will be tasked with managing their infection, adding yet another gameplay innovation to the Dying Light franchise.
The Story Of Dying Light 2
The other possibility behind the meaning of Stay Human could be a bit more metaphorical. Player choice in Dying Light 2 appears to be vitally important to how the player experiences the game. This posits the interesting theory that Stay Human may be more in reference to moral quandaries rather than actual zombie infection. The narrative features of Dying Light 2 allow the player to shape not only the story of Dying Light 2 but the physical landscape as well. This type of story is referred to as a narrative sandbox, and it could throw up some difficult moral dilemmas.
For starters, as the characters of Dying Light 2 look to restore the world to its previous state, there will be some debate as to how exactly that can be achieved. With the ability to choose a faction and decide the landscape of Dying Light 2 comes questions surrounding what it is to be human. Is the perfection of survival the sole factor that decides the success of humanity, or should the survivors strive for more? A stricter, more ruthless faction may ensure a better chance of survival, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's what's best for humanity. This is a question the player will be forced to answer as they progress through the story of Dying Light 2.
It's likely that the player will be faced with both story and gameplay elements in Dying Light 2 that will challenge them to stay human as best they can. Both balancing the physical buffs that come with zombie infection, and the gameplay changes that come with picking a more ruthless faction will be in the back of the player's mind as they progress through Dying Light 2.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is launching December 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.