It's been a long and winding road leading up to Dying Light 2, the sequel to the zombie game that launched all the way back in 2015. While the first game was well-received, a series of delays and rumors of a tumultuous development cycle have given Dying Light 2 something of an image issue. However, Dying Light 2 previews have painted a brighter picture, and a new trailer released during The Game Awards has reinforced that picture.
During the show, Dying Light 2 revealed a new CGI trailer running about 2 minutes long. The trailer shows off much of what fans have come to expect from the franchise, including the hack and slash combat that the series is now known for along with heaps of parkour, zombies, and hostile human enemies. It's not necessarily outside of what fans were expecting, though more frequent updates on the project are a good thing. And, thankfully, Dying Light 2 has been getting a lot of new updates lately.
Dying Light 2 is in an interesting position leading up to its launch in February. While it's by no means a small game, the launch window is full of competition right now, with the likes of Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Horizon Forbidden West, and more launching near it. With such massive contenders, some have questioned whether an additional delay could be worth it, though it might not instill much confidence in the project. That leaves Dying Light 2 in a bit of a sticky situation, but it's certainly too early to cry doom.
In fact, just last month hands-on Dying Light 2 previews, which The Best War Games was a part of, began circulating the internet. For the most part, early impressions about Dying Light 2 seem to be positive, which will come as a relief to those that were expecting another Cyberpunk 2077 situation. There are still some questions about the final project, but it's definitely good to see Dying Light 2 earn some pre-release praise.
As for The Game Awards as a whole, the show is one of the biggest the games industry has seen this year, offering tons of new reveals and updates on projects. Plus, it's the best chance that game developers get to toast to their own accomplishments throughout the year, a well-earned spotlight for an industry that's infamous for grueling work conditions and under-appreciated labor. Luckily, the pot is sweetened for gamers themselves with reveals like these.
Dying Light 2 releases February 4, 2022, for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.