Dying Light 2 Will Offer a "Common Thread" To Tie Everything Together

When Dying Light 2 was first unveiled during E3 2018, fans of the iconic zombie game were instantly enthralled by the much bigger map and decadent horror components. When Fallout: New Vegas' Chris Avellone took to the Xbox stage to show off his latest project to the world, we knew it was going to be good - but how it related to the first game was still a mystery. At least until now.

Both Avellone and Techland Creative Director Adrian Ciszewski recently sat down with VG247 to discuss the upcoming game and how it "ties everything together" within the open world.

"What's interesting about what we showed at E3 is that neither choice is a 'good' one," opened up Ciszewski about the choices in-game. "The Peacekeepers brutally punish any trivial misdemeanour, while the bandits use people for their own gain, but they have a different approach to punishing people."

He added, "You could choose to do nothing and walk away, and that itself is going to have a different outcome, because the bandits are not going to be able to build their empire without your help. Or you could try and actually change those factions' beliefs. For example, a new leader for the Peacekeepers may fundamentally change their entire legal system.

"Of course, what we've shown you is just one way this entire scenario could have played out – the protagonist enters the water tower with information about a Peacekeeper emissary. If the player had entered the tower with different information, the whole scenario could've taken a completely different course."

It seems that the sequel while be much heavier than its predecessor, but how does it "connect everything," exactly? Ciszewski explained, "There is a stream that runs through Dying Light 2; a common thread that ties together everything that we do. But I don't want to spell it out. I'd prefer players to experience it at a subconscious level."

Avellone also added that the challenges faced in-game will go far beyond that of just enemies, but of agendas as well. Dying Light 2 aims to challenge player philosophies while also adding strategy as to how to make it in this gritty future.

Dying Light 2 drops next year on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.