DYING LIGHT 2
Making the leap of faith to next gen
It’s been the worst-kept secret in videogames that the graphically intensive sequel to Dying Light is heading to PS5 (as well as PS4). The game’s delay was disappointing but it has given the team time to finesse its open world parkour zombie adventure. Dying Light 2 is one of the more complex games heading to next gen, and it also has to work on PS4.
Lead producer Eugen Harton explains: “Delaying the game opened opportunities to nail down the story part of the game, choices our players can make, as well as up the level of open world opportunities that player will face. Building this world takes time and we want Dying Light 2 to be the evolution of what we started with in the first game.”
The developer is building a large, connected world where choices affect the story and change the spaces around you. “You get involved with different groups and characters and your choices influence the type of emergent gameplay you will see,” explains Harton, who says the team have been intent on mixing up the usual formulas for mission design to surprise. “Even a fetch quest might be a surprise in the end…”
Freedom has its drawbacks, and has made Dying Light 2 a testing game for the developer to get right. In connecting the story and the open world elements Techland is trying to do something original within this genre.
“The environment changes that happen with the player choices add more layers to the states that we have to test. It’s definitely one of the most challenging aspects of the game to create,” says Harton.
It’s a big space out there in Dying Light 2, “I think we can safely say that the world has grown significantly,” quips Harton, teasing:
“But it’s still being shaped so going to details at this moment would be too soon.”
What we do know is Techland has spent the five years since the original game launched developing new content for Dying Light, and behind the scenes using player feedback to help build the world of its sequel.
PARKOUR LIFE
“We focused on creating new technology that would enable us to build bigger worlds, and to do what we know best, parkour and zombies,” says Harton. “There are pros and cons to everything, but having an opportunity to be ambitious and have space to do so is good for the game.”
“YOUR CHOICES AFFECT THE STORY AND CHANGE THE WORLD.”
This could be where the sequel will stretch its legs on PS5, and embrace the tech of Sony’s nextgen console to offer a smoother experience. “There are the obvious ones like loading times,” says Harton as he considers the ways in which PS5’s SSD will improve the performance of the game, “but we still have time to explore the ways we want to use the power provided by new generation.”
CLIFF HANGER
For Techland, however, it feels as if the platform the game is on is less important than the ideas and gameplay it’s aiming for. After all, Dying Light 2 is still PS4-bound. Particularly Harton shares how creating a strong narrative within a shifting open world is challenging.
He says: “When you think about an emotional journey that you want to see in a story, the challenge will always be balancing the attractive story elements and open world gameplay. It’s much easier when you take control of the path a player takes.”
What’s helped immensely is having a strong foundation in the original game to build on, with the sequel developing the factions we already know of, and exploring how they have evolved over the years. Dying Light 2 is a world in which the infection that turns people into raging zombies has been accepted as part of life.
“The game is set in what we call ‘the Modern Dark Ages’, which can be seen in multiple ways from what the buildings look like, to how the weapons are constructed, and the new world order,” explains Harton.
Yet you still are a character that has a background and a backstory to lean on. Harton tells us, “we try to be open about the road that you can take,” he says, suggesting the game has a distinct story to tell even if you can choose to stray at any point.
“In the end you are a crucial element of changes to come in this world. You can also develop and adjust your character. But! Don’t forget The City is what you can influence, change whole regions, and build the world according to your choices,” says the dev.
Looking beyond the game’s release there are clues in how Techland has supported Dying
“YOU ARE A CRUCIAL ELEMENT OF CHANGES TO COME IN THIS WORLD.”
Light to how the sequel will play post-release.
The community around Dying Light and their support has taught the developer a lot, says Harton: “From how to build technology that is easy to expand with content quickly, what kind of content to add, how to communicate with our players, and what it is that makes them come back for more Dying Light.”
TEAM EFFORT
The game’s current community has become an integrated part of the sequel’s development, from planning to what ultimately will be in Dying Light 2. “I think it’s safe to say Dying Light wouldn’t be where it is currently if it wasn’t for them,” expresses Harton as he also says the “the support and longevity of our player base has surprised us.” It’s no surprise, then, that the sequel will continue embracing the series’ community, and that means, we’re surmising, post-release events and DLC. “We want to support the world of Dying Light 2 for as long as possible,” confirms Harton, adding: “We can’t wait to share more of this world with our players.”