Summary
- Ranged weapons in Dying Light 2 are crucial against tough zombies like Volatiles, Goons, and bosses.
- Staying on rooftops is key for survival, especially to outrun threats at night.
- Maintaining a well-balanced arsenal is essential for various encounters and bounties.
The Dying Light franchise is a parkour power fantasy like no other, combining the perfect mix of realism with good, old-fashioned video game fun. However, knowing the ins and outs of Dying Light 2’s parkour mechanics can only go so far in helping players survive the endless threat of zombies, so it’s also important to become familiar with the game’s combat to be able to come out on top of any sticky situation.
No matter what stage of the game players are at, whether it be a fresh playthrough or the endgame of a new game plus in Dying Light 2, there are some mannerisms and tricks that players would be wise to be familiar with. So, knowing the unwritten rules of Dying Light 2, including when to follow and break them, can help players stand the best chance for survival.
Dying Light 2's Post-Launch Support Can't Rest on its Laurels
It is clear that Techland has some huge plans for the post-launch life of Dying Light 2, but the title cannot wait much longer to pull the trigger.
The Unwritten Rules of Dying Light 2 Explained
Bringing a Throwing Knife to a Knife Fight
Ranged weapons can make short work of some of the toughest zombies in Dying Light 2, like Volatiles, Goons, and bosses at GRE Anomaly sites. Consequently, players should consider keeping at least one type of ranged weapon on hand in case things get ugly, such as a bow/crossbow, a gun, or throwing knives. Throwing knives are relatively cheap to craft compared to other ranged weapons' ammo, so upgrading the throwing knives’ blueprint to increase their damage very early on in the game is generally a major progression milestone.
The Floor Is Lava
Sticking to the rooftops not only provides better vantage points for discovering activities throughout the map, but more importantly, verticality is key to outrunning zombies. Staying on the street level is pretty much a death sentence, especially when the Virals and Volatiles come out at night in Dying Light 2, so it’s generally worth the effort of taking the time to reach the high ground if players ever need to distance themselves from a pursuing threat.
Keeping a Well-Balanced Arsenal
While it’s arguably important to keep at least one type of ranged weapon in the player’s inventory, it’s also just as important to maintain a well-balanced arsenal. This way, players will always have the right weapon for every occasion, which will be especially useful when taking on bounties in Dying Light 2, as these often require players to kill zombies in a specific way. It’s also worth mentioning that some weapons have subtle side effects that aren’t apparent until players encounter them firsthand.
- Explosives and guns in Dying Light 2 can draw the attention of additional zombies
- Status effects from Elemental weapons, weapon mods, and environmental hazards can spread easily, potentially causing friendly fire damage
An Item’s Most Important Stat Is its Level
Of all the different stats a weapon can roll with, a weapon's most important aspect is its level. This same rule applies to the player’s armor/outfit pieces in Dying Light 2 as well. Considering how frequently players will be leveling up throughout the early stages of the game, it’s arguably not worth hunting down the perfect, god-roll gear because players will soon after earn gear with much better stats. So, it’s arguably for the best to hold off on hunting down high stat rolls until players reach the Legend Levels in Dying Light 2 at max Survivor Rank.
However, some weapons will retroactively scale with the player’s current level, which makes these weapons worth obtaining regardless of the player's level. Guns, bows, crossbows, and crafted melee weapons will typically always scale to the player’s level, but it’s also possible to find random weapons in loot or as quest/activity rewards that also permanently scale to the player’s level.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 68%
WHERE TO PLAY
It’s been 20 years since the events of the original game. The virus won, and humanity is slowly dying. You play as Aiden Caldwell, a wandering Pilgrim who delivers goods, brings news, and connects the few remaining survivor settlements in barren lands devastated by the zombie virus. However, your true goal is to find your little sister Mia, who you left behind as a kid to escape Dr. Waltz's torturous experiments. Haunted by the past, you eventually make the decision to confront it when you learn that Mia may still be alive in Villedor — the last city standing on Earth.
You quickly find yourself in a settlement torn by conflict. You’ll need to engage in creative and gory combat, so hone your skills to defeat hordes of zombies and make allies. Roam the city, free run across Villedor’s buildings and rooftops in search of loot in remote areas, and be wary of the night. With every sunset, monsters take control of the streets.
- Engine
- C-Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Dying Light
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5
