With Dying Light 2 releasing early 2022, it was a significant step-up from what came before. After work was completed on Dead Island, Techland took the fundamentals of the aforementioned series and did something new in 2015. What resulted was the first game in the Dying Light series, and the sequel improved upon the first in many ways. A more refined parkour system, engaging combat, and a seamless day/night cycle that radically changed players' approach to enemy encounters was just the start. Dying Light 2 is a huge step in the right direction, and will serve as a learning curve when the developer releases its next, more ambitious project.

Techland announced in May 2022 that it was working on a new fantasy RPG, which was met with much excitement from fans of the genre. It looks to be set in a sprawling open world and offer a thrilling journey, so comparisons will be made to the developer's previous works. This is both a gift and a curse, as it means that suitable anticipation can be garnered just from its mere announcement, though there are expectations that come from the company's past successes. Dying Light 2 set the bar high, but its flaws show that there is absolutely room for improvement.

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Dying Light's Movement is Monumental

Image from Dying Light 2 showing the player parachuting down from high up.

While the writing and character development has always been an issue with the series, Dying Light 2 gets one thing right from the get-go that other, more established developers still haven't figured out. Dying Light 2's parkour and other means of getting around make the game so much fun to play, and in a map that is quite a bit bigger than the one presented in 2015's Dying Light, it's crucial that getting around is enjoyable. It's the franchise's main source of entertainment, with combat being a secondary thought. With the company's new fantasy RPG also utilizing an open world, recapturing the fluidity of Dying Light 2's traversal would help keep players engaged.

Dying Light 2 shares the same strengths as the likes of Marvel's Spider-Man, Mirror's Edge, and Super Mario Odyssey, and its movement can offset some of its more pressing and obvious weaknesses. It's essential to so many games, even upcoming ones like Forspoken, but especially those that don't prioritize the cohesiveness of the main campaign. In any fantasy title, the world-building and writing is of paramount importance, but if Techland can make the open-world enjoyable to simply be in, it could be on to a winner.

The Fantasy Setting is a Lore-Driven Affair

Dwarven Centurion Elder Scrolls Skyrim

While movement is something that Techland has shown proficiency in, decent world-building and writing is something that has been absent from both Dying Light games. To learn from a game is to develop on its strengths and fix its issues, and the fantasy genre is so dependent on things that Techland often struggles with. So many open-wold games that utilize a medieval-inspired setting are steeped in well-developed and dense lore, and if the company's newest project has any hope of rivaling the likes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Dragon Age, then it has a significant mountain to climb.

In truth, there are plenty of games that are so very beloved specifically because of the world they create and the compelling characters that are dotted all around. Skyrim doesn't feel anywhere near as fun to play as Dying Light 2 and its combat leaves much to be desired, but its lofty legacy is earned because of its presentation and the wonderment of just existing in its world. From its re-imagining of dragons in gaming to its dense and varied side activities, it's far more narratively substantial than Dying Light 2, and it has enjoyed years of success because of it. If Techland can capture the essence of both the aforementioned titles, it could be something truly special.

Dying Light 2 is a game that showed promise, but Techland has the capability to do better. Setting its upcoming release in the fantasy genre allows so many possibilities and opportunities to learn, and what Dying Light 2 brought to the table was a clear indicator of how the company can, and should evolve. There's so much that's expected of any fantasy-set game thanks to many developers setting the bar so frightfully high, but Techland's previous work has demonstrated that it is up for the challenge.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

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