Like the first Dying Light, Dying Light 2 will be a big open world game that you can play yourself if you want – but why is it so good to moan about zombies in co-op? I expect this is the way most people end up playing Dying Light 2 because brains just bring friendships closer together.
After playing about four hours of Dying Light 2 in a recent demo (solo, tragic), I interviewed lead designer Tymon Smektała and asked if Techland had thought about adding character classes to the co-op. I had Borderlands in mind, which shares some similarities in its lightweight RPG systems and piles of prey, but gives each character a specific role in combat. Dying Light 2 has a skill tree, but it’s more like the type you complete at the end of the game, rather than one designed to intervene in a particular style of play.
Could dedicated tanks and scouts work in Dying Light 2?
“It’s freeform when you start playing in co-op,” Smektała said. “This is something you have to find your own strategy for. But at some point, I think we will support something that you just mentioned.”
I’m fascinated. The first Dying Light has at this point received years of free and paid DLC and in-game events to keep players engaged, and Smektała told me that Techland hopes to support Dying Light 2 for just as long. Expanding co-op with a more involved class system acts as a shoo-in for an expansion.
You can read more about Dying Light 2 in my preview, where I dive into the combat and parkour that returns from the first game, and the branched story structure that is new to Dying Light 2. I enjoyed the action, especially the feel of Dying Light 2’s heavier melee weapons, but the story was a downturn. It reaches out for some impressive differences based on who you agree with, but I’m not convinced that the writing will actually make these choices (or characters) very interesting.
After several delays, Dying Light 2 will be released on February 4th.
