"We want to tell people that, hey, this is quite different and this is bigger. "This is not just a zombie game where zombies are chasing you and that's it," Smektala explains. It feels odd that I've made it this far into a Dying Light 2 preview without talking about zombies, doesn't it? It's because the hordes of infected aren't really the focus in Dying Light 2. "So now you have a region that looks one way because of a choice you made, but then you have these people who appear who are chasing you," Smektala says. The Hunters, a faction that Smektala says is currently being worked on, will sometimes ambush the player and chase them if they piss them off. Though the demo didn't give me a sense of what other factions are out there, Smektala did tell me that these big choices with major factions are supplemented by much smaller moment-to-moment choices with "mini-factions." These smaller choices won't change an entire district, but they will still have an effect. And maybe you make that choice not just by a dialogue option but by achieving or failing one of the missions." "In one region you might make one choice between two factions and in another region you make a choice between three or four completely different ones. "We tried to avoid making this repetitive," Smektala says. And that's just one part of Dying Light 2's approach to layered consequence-driven choices. Walls are built, outposts stationed, and their blue banners drape lazily from buildings in the immediate area.
When the Peacekeepers move in, the entire district transforms. The Peacekeepers bring order, but at a certain cost. Dying Light 2 might look like an FPS, but there's an cRPG undercurrent running throughout its dilapidated European streets. No longer are you just picking option A or B based on an immediate reward but instead making decisions that have implications on the story, how you move around the city, and your relationship with its locals. It's these world-altering choices that form the backbone of Dying Light 2's striking new vision.
While you might not have access to free water or feel particularly safe, the Smugglers will cut you into their business and let you collect a handsome tribute every so often.
Siding with the smugglers, however, will turn the area into a dog-eat-dog den full of unsavory types-but at least they're not under the thumb of some ruthless government. That all sounds swell, but the Peacekeepers are also authoritarian assholes with a penchant for stringing people up by their necks. Doing so will transform this dangerous 'burb into a relatively safe place to be, with guards patrolling the streets, access to life-restoring water, and new infrastructure that makes parkouring around the immediate area a lot easier. When we find the smugglers, we can choose to eliminate them and let the Peacekeepers claim the district for themselves. Unfortunately, that emissary has gone missing, so now it's our job to find out what happened.ĭying Light 2 might look like an FPS, but there's an cRPG undercurrent running throughout its dilapidated European streets.Īs the reveal trailer shows, choices in these quests can have wildly different outcomes. The Peacekeepers, one of the few institutions of law and order left in the world, sent an emissary to negotiate with these lucky folks so that the water could be shared with all citizens. The specific premise for this demo was simple: Some minor characters managed to nab control of a water tower in one of the city's several districts. As a stranger in this European city, Smektala tells me that the player is looking for an object which can "change the future of humankind." But to find it, you'll need to involve yourself with the political goings on of the city's survivors and the various factions they belong to. The demo I saw was effectively a more detailed slice of the same walkthrough given during Dying Light 2's initial announcement. It sent a clear message that Dying Light 2 would emphasize story and setting in a way that the first game never did. Cyber Monday deals: see all the best offers right now!ĭuring Microsoft's press conference, it was celebrated RPG designer Chris Avellone who took the stage to reveal Dying Light 2 with a scripted demo that promised that our choices would have a dramatic impact on its world.We did a good job with gameplay, but we lacked the resources and expertise to create a narrative that was as good." We just had to focus on the things that we were comfortable and good with, and that was gameplay.
"But it was a new franchise so there were a lot of risks and a lot of uncertainty. "We also felt like the narrative in Dying Light wasn't as strong as it should or could be," Smektala says. During E3, I got an extended hands-off preview of Dying Light 2 and also spoke with Smektala about how this sequel plans to not only expand on the ideas of the first, but also fix one if its biggest weaknesses.