There are a lot of zombie games, but one of the most popular titles in this genre is Dying Light. A first-person action game with a heavy emphasis on parkour and momentum, this title had players running around the undead-infested slums of Harran. Developed by Techland, Dying Light received solid reviews from critics and players, along with lengthy post-launch support.
Three years later, Dying Light 2 was finally unveiled at last year’s E3 and it looks far superior to the original. However, the studio has been relatively silent since its initial reveal. This has many wondering: what should we expect to see from Dying Light 2 at E3 this year?
What We Know About Dying Light 2
Announced last year, Dying Light 2 received two trailers both of which introduced the world and the game’s core focus. Set it in a fiction western European city, players assume the role of an unknown protagonist. In the gameplay video, we see that Dying Light 2 will revolve heavily around player choice. Every narrative decision a user makes will reverberate throughout the world and change it forever.
One of the examples shown is whether to stop a group of bandits from hoarding the water. If you kill them then the water will help give more life and prosperity to the land. However, the militant faction known as the Peacekeepers will assume more control and become more ruthless. Inversely, if you decide to not free the water then the player will have access to better trade goods at the cost of more unruly enemies appearing.
Techland states that this is “one decision out of hundreds you will need to make.” This is a stark contrast to the original game, which had a fairly linear story. While a lot of games promise the freedom of choice, rarely do they appear so impactful in the long term. We also know that there will be four-player co-op, but how the world reacts to four users interacting within it is still unknown.
Dying Light 2’s gameplay consists of the same freerunning and melee-focused combat of the original. In the trailer, we get to see our hero easily traverse across the rooftops of the city. We also can slide down banners and jump onto moving trucks for a free ride. Vehicles also make a return, but you will need to use fuel. The game’s lead designer Tymon Smektala stated: “It’ll not be to the extent of The Following, which was basically a parkour-slash-vehicle-based zombie game.”
Will Dying Light 2 Be At E3 2019?
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Dying Light 2 is confirmed to be appearing at E3 this year. In a tweet posted on April 26, Techland commented that they will be showing their “most ambitious project.” Additionally, it was revealed on May 30 that Dying Light 2 will be distributed by publishing/development giant, Square Enix. This means that Dying Light 2 will be shown off during Square Enix’s E3 presentation on June 10 at 6 pm.m PT / 9 p.m. ET.
What to Expect
This is where the speculation begins. There is so much still unknown about Dying Light 2, which leads us to believe that Techland will focus on the infected and gameplay this time around. There’s a chance that Dying Light 2 gets a release date announced, but we would be surprised if it was released in early fall. Our best guess is sometime either late this year or early 2020. Its been three years since the original launched and we don’t know how long this title has been in development.
During the press conference, we only expect a short trailer or stage demo. Square Enix has a lot of games to get through, so viewers shouldn’t be hoping for a substantial reveal. Instead, look out for what happens after the press conferences as developers typically sit down and go in-depth about their upcoming games. Depending on far long the game is, we could also see it on the show floor, but this entirely depends on how much Techland wants to unveil.
With only a few days left until E3 starts, we cannot wait to see what new Dying Light 2 info will be unveiled. We will update this post as new information about Dying Light 2 during E3 is revealed.