The jury is still out on whether Dying Light 2 has successfully outpaced its humongous predecessor, the original Dying Light. The really curious bit is that Dying Light 2 has slowly been inching closer to the sort of? experience th?e original game delivered back in 2015.

Now, it’s immediately important to understand and appreciate the fact that Dying Light 2 certainly did improve upon the original game in many ways. Simply by virtue of its setting, it’s a more interesting and fully realiz??ed experience: something that paves its own way, though clumsily at times, stu??mbling across the rooftops, not unlike a zombie of sorts.

Certainly, there’s a vision behind Dying Light 2. Here’s a game about a post-apocalyptic community of zombie pandemic survivor?s. Survivors who live on rooftops and parkour their way through life willy-nilly with a neo-medieval approach to community and society. It’s incredibly interesting stuff, even if only in concept, and it stands out even in a genre as overflowing as zombie FPS games are.

In comparison, the first Dying Light was far more generic. On paper, the gameplay is technically the same: first-person melee-centric parkour adventure. The difference is in the setting, as Dying Light ta??kes place in a roughly Istanbul and Wroclaw-inspired region in the mid-aughts, with fairly modern technology, gear, and broader societal sensibilities.

Is Dying Light 2 compromising on its vision to behave more like Dying Light?

The biggest practical difference between the games�respective gameplay loops isn’t something that could’ve necessarily been put into words early on. Both titles are action RPGs to some extent, with the engine crunching numbers and applying maths in the backend. The end result of swinging a machete at a zombie in Dying Light was subtly different from what you’d get by doing the same thing in Dying Light 2. This is hardly a scientific comparison, of course, but the physics of the experience o??ften didn’t feel right in the sequel.

Once again, this is not easy to convey if you haven’t spent hours playing both of these games, as we are talking about moment-to-moment combat behavior and minute changes in the feel of your avatar’s in-game actions. The one thing that paints a very clear picture, though, is the two games�respective update histories.

Notably, Dying Light enjoyed a very long and prosperous post-launch content schedule. The game received numerous substantial free and paid content updates up until the sequel’s release, but none o??f them introduce??d major new mechanical changes and revisions.

In comparison, Dying Light 2 has been getting big, game-changing updates on a very regular basis. The Good Night Good Luck update, for example, introduced a revised parkour mechanic that’s “designed to cater to seasoned veterans of Dying Light 1,�making the running and climbing substantially less floaty. It also made nights more dangerous - as th?ey were in the original game.

The Community Update #3, on the other hand, allowed players to repair their weapons, dismantle mods, and made it so that human enemies dropped their own gear after being taken down. All returning features from the first Dying Light, with a few notable novelties th?rown in?? for good measure as well.

Finally, underlining our argument is the latest Firearms Update, which does precisely what it says on the tin: introduces a variety of guns into Dying Light 2. Many of them are literally returning models from the first Dying Light, functioning in much the same way. Now, the really curious bit here is that pre-release Dying Light 2 developers went out of their way to explain why the game was almost entirely gun-free. This wasn’t a random omission but something entirely deliberate and meaningful: a key feature that separated Dying Light 2 from its predecessor. Now, you can take that same H&K USP expy you carried in the first Dying Light and continue blasting zombies in Dying Light 2’s previously gun-free post-apocalypse.

Now, it’s important to note that none of this is a critique, necessarily. Thanks to Techland’s continued work on Dying Light 2, the game now feels and plays better than ever, and it’s more kinetic and satisfying in moment-to-moment gameplay. It’s ?just that a substantial number of these improvements came about thanks to the developer looking back at the original Dying Light. The Gut Feeling update, for one, specifically added a variety of gore and violence features that were commonp?lace in the first game, such as the ability to cleave zombies into pieces.

More improvements are coming down the line, of course. Techland has a comprehensive plan i?n mind for Dying Light 2’s future updates, with the Firearms Update being the first major step forward in that regard. It just seems like Dying Light 2 might have given up on its brave, original vision of an experience that stands on its own two feet, choosing instead to look back on all the things its predecessor did oh-so-well.

The post Dying Light 2 is slowly morphing into the ori?ginal ??Dying Light appeared first on Destructoid.

Recent years have seen several ?billion-dollar acquisitions and mergers occur in the gaming industry, and it seems the t??rend isn't slowing down soon. Although the shake-up could lead to studios receiving the capital they need to execute more ambitious ideas, it also comes at the risk of creating anti-competitive monopolies.

Techland is one of the latest studios to make headlines, as it has recently been revealed that Tencent is in the process of becoming a majority stakeholder in the stud??io.

[caption id="attachment_372659" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Techland[/caption]

Tencent and Techland

Founded in 1991, Techland is a Polish studio most known for the first-person survival horror franchise Dying Light. On July 24, the studio announced that Tencent is in the pro??cess of becoming a majority stakeholder in? Techland. This move was motivated by the belief that "the best, ?boldest dreams can only be achieved while w?orking side-by-side with like-minded friends and strong partners".

Although it is a big step for Techland, the studio has assured players that it still has its sight on making Dying Light the "u?ltimate zombie game experience for players worldwide". Furthermore, Paweł Marchewka will continue to serve as CEO.

Tencent, a massive Chinese tech and entertainment conglomerate, has its fingers in quite a few pies. In addition to its 40% stake in Fortnite's Epic Games, it also has a 100% stake in Back 4 Blood's Turtle Rock Studios and a 9.99% stake in Ubisoft, to name but a few?? of its foreign investments.

Microsoft has also been growing its stable of gaming studios, with the Activision Blizzard acquisition having been recently approved by the European Union. This will have a massive impact on the gaming landscape, though Microsoft and Sony have agreed to keep Call of Duty a multiplatform title, at least for now.

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Get shapez while you’re at it

Hey everyone, are you ready to add another game to your pile of gifts from Tim Sweeney? I know I am, and I swear I’ll find the time to play everything in my expanding library of freebies. All I need to do is discover that pocket dimension where time ceases to exist and I am gold.

From now until April 14, Dying Light Enhanced Edition is available for free on the Epic Game Store. Originally released in 2015, Dying Light is occasionally considered Techland’s spiritual successor to Dead Island. Of course, given the impending release of Dead Island 2 as an Epic Games PC exclusive, the choice of Dying Light as a freebie is pretty funny. Perhaps they intend for you to see one co-op zombie game and remember there’s a new one coming in two weeks. After all, since Dying Light was originall??y released in 2015, fans of the genre have likely long since played it.

That said, let’s not bury the lede here; shapez is also free on the Epic Game Store. Though I joke a bit here, shapez is a legitimately well-loved? minimalistic base building game. It typically costs $10, but even a price as low as that can’t beat free. I can’t wait to finally play this one once I figure out where to find eight additional hours per day ??that don’t come from sleep.

Like Dying Light Enhanced Edition, shapez will be available for free until April 14. As usual, once you claim these games, they are yours to play even after the deadline. MORDHAU and Second Extinction are next ?on the freebie list, so make a reminder?? for ne??xt Friday if those interest you too.

The post Dying Light Enhanced Ed?ition is free on the Epic Game Store appeared first on Destructoid.

Including The Following and The Bozak Horde

While Dying Light 2 is out here talking about a years-long content roadmap, Techland has (at least) one more surprise for folks who are still into the original game. Dying Light 1's Enhanced Edition is a free upgrade tod?ay, an??d that'll be the case going forward.

The Enhanced Edition comes with a story expansion, The Following �that's the one with the buggy, pictured above, and it's the true highlight �plu?s a few assorted DLC packs: The Bozak Horde, Crash Test Skin Pack, Ultimate Survivor Bundle, and Cuisine & Cargo.

While its name might suggest otherwise, The Bozak Horde is a series of stadium challenges, with trials like defusing hidden bombs, fending off specialized infected, and completing parkour feats. Cuisine & Cargo adds a pair of "hardcor??e" Quarantine Zones (a restaurant and railyard), while the other packs are about cosmetics and weapons.

[caption id="attachment_320363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{An overview of what's included in Dying Light Enhanced Edition.}[/caption]

How do you claim this stuff for free? With update 1.49, boot up Dying Light, choose "DLC Packs" on t??he main menu, and download away. No season pass needed!

Alongside this upgrade news, the developers have prepped a new Dieselpunk Bundle; for three bucks, ??you'll get a? chainsaw, SMG, and a "Flesh Ripper" saw blade.

Techland has also updated the game's Be the Zombie PvP mode and demon-slaying Hellraid DLC, if you're tuned into either of those. This final update includes "Deathbringer �the one and only firearm available in Hellraid." It's a shotgun, naturally. If you still need a copy of Dying Light, it's $11.99 on Steam, and Hellraid is down to $4.99 right now.

With players sticking around for years, Dying Light?? has never drifted too far out of sight and mind �not even with a long-awaited sequel now in the picture. Setting the Enhanced Edition content free is the ideal way to cap things off. It's been a great run.

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The first zombie parkour game gets an update for newer consoles

Hot off its sequel's release last month, the first Dying Light is getting some next-gen updates. The Dying Light PlayStation 5 patch i??s o?ut now, with an Xbox Series X|S coming soon.

The PS5 Dying Light patch adds several new modes for playing. Performance will ta??rget 60 frames per second at 1080p resolution, while High-Resolution will go for 30 FPS at 4K. Balanced strikes the middle, with a 60 FPS target at 1440p.

The PS4 Pro also gets an update, bumping it up to a 30 FPS cap. As for Xbox, the patch? is "just a few days away" according to Techland. The Xbox Series X will target similar resolutions and frame rates to the PS5 with its modes,  while Series S and Xbox One will get a Performance mode (1080p and 30 FPS) and Resolution mode targeting 1440p and 30 FPS.

The full patch notes for the update are available on Techland's blog.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C9NFL6j44c

The first Dying Light launched back in 2015 for previous generation consoles, so it getting a next-gen patch is pretty interesting. The sequel, Dying Light 2: Stay Human, came out just last month.

Now it looks like both installments of the undead parkour adventure are both available and tuned for the newer generation of consoles. Between both, it sounds like there's a lot of game t??o play through if you're looking to maximize hour counts too. It's a b??usy spring, but there's at least another reason to jump back into the streets and rooftops of Harran.

The post Origina??l Dying Light gets next-gen PS5 patch, Xbox on the w??ay appeared first on Destructoid.

It's still alive!

After the success of the first Dead Island game, players expected and looked forward to a sequel relatively soon. Instead, we've gotten radio silence for the better part of ten years. Dead Island 2 was first announced at E3 in 2014, and has been in development hell for around a decade. We finally got an update last week though, bringing to a close the years-long silence we had been enduring from Deep Silver, the game's developer. At an earnings presentation last week from Deep Silver's parent company, Embracer Group, we finally got some information that could point to a launch for Dead Island 2 as early as 2023, as reported by VGC.

The comment in question came from the event's host: “It [Dead Island 2] very clearly is [still alive], and I at least expect the release this financial year, or sorry next financial year, I should say. So, is that reasonable, and what can we expect from a title that has been in development for probably ??10 years or so?"

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST262ZbNcos

Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors responded that the company does have an "unannounced AAA project" that the host thought might be Dead Island 2, but that he couldn't comment further. For context, the company's financial year ends on March 31, 2023. It's a cryptic commen??t at best, but it's also the first we've heard of anything about the game for years. I understand why Wingefors had to deflect, but he also can't blame us for wanting any bit of information we can get about a game we've been looking forward to for this long.

For a long time, fans had given up any hope for the game, and thought that plans for its release would slowly fizzle out. Techland developed the first Dead Island game, so naturally they planned to make the sequel. After deciding to focus their attention on Dying Light, however, Dead Island 2 was going to be helmed by Yager Development, who are best known for creating Spec Ops: The Line. Sumo Digital took over after a while, but Dead Island 2 f??inally landed with Da?mbuster in 2019, a studio owned by Deep Silver.

The post Dead Island 2 could launch next year appeared first on Destructoid.

Early copies now out in the wild

Like Beauty and The Beast, it's a tale as old as time. An expensive, brand new release is approaching its big launch day, but already copies of the game have found their way into the hands of lucky players the world over. 'Tis the way it has always been and always will be, and 'tis the way of Dying Light 2: Stay Human.

But while lucky survivors might already be gagging to leap into the long-awaited sequel's world of undead horrors and death-defying acrobatics, developer Techland, (who has been pretty finicky in its marketi??ng of the entire release) is respectfully asking players not to take a running jump into the new sequel until launch day, when they will receive the benefits of a day one patch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MD4gTitmzw

"Fellow survivors," wrote Techland on its official Twitter. "We see that some of you got access to the retail copies of Dying Light 2 before the release date... We understand you want to start exploring the City ASAP and we couldn't be ha??ppier!"

"That being said, we kindly ask you to wait until Feb 4th as by that time you’ll also get access to all improvements and fixes we’ve implemented within last weeks and will introduce with the day 1 patch. That’s the way to experience Dying Light 2 the way it’s meant to be played."

Frankly, it's pretty unlikely that anybody picking up a title pre-launch will be setting it aside until the big day rather than dive headfirst into the action. Hell, often the whole reason people want to grab these games pre-launch is for those sweet internet bragging rights. Patience is a virtue, but the world ain't too virtuous. Still, for those of you who DO have a copy of Techland's latest, be assured that the developer wants you to see Dying Light 2 in it??s most up-to-d?ate form, so perhaps hold tight for now.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human launches February 4 on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms. A Nintendo Switch edition is also in the works. You can check out Chris Carter's review right here.

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Stay Human, human

The City will be filled with zombies this holiday season. Techland announced today that Dying Light 2 Stay Human will arrive on Dec. 7, 2021.

Developer Techland showcased more gameplay of Dying Light 2 today during a previously teased livestream, featu?ring some hints of story and a whole lot of gameplay. The sequel will keep the first game's use of parkour for traversal, utilizing even more verticality in a city that builds up over the dangerous streets.

The first Dying Light also had this interesting mix of zombies and Mirror's Edge, though this new game seems to be taking things even further with more parkour options and tools like the glider that appeared in a previous gameplay preview. It also comes with the subtitle Stay Human, indicating the thin line between staying human and becoming infected, as well as more emphasis on choice and consequences. You can hear more from the Techland devs in today's panel segments here, where they talked about the world and?? mechanics of the new game.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human will be coming to PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S on Dec. 7 in three retail editio?ns—a? standard, deluxe, and Collector's Edition.

The post Dying Light 2 Stay Human arrives this December appeared first on Destructoid.

Keeping the light alive?

It's time to (hopefully) get some more details about the parkour zombie action game Dying Light 2.

Following a mysterious tease earlier this week that had me pointing a small UV flashlight all over my apartment, we're getting a new stream today at 3 p.m. ET that will hopefully give us a few more details about what's to come for Techland's zombie series. You can watch along here.

It's been quite a while since Dying Light 2 was first unveiled at E3 2018. Its E3 2019 gameplay demo was fairly impressive, but the studio went quiet for a while following an indefinite delay.

No doubt there are hopes for somethi?ng concrete here, but I'm personally eager to see more gameplay, and if the lofty ambitions of that 2019 preview are still holding strong in 2021. We'll find out together during today's stream, I suppose?

The post Let’s watch this mysterious Dying Light 2 stream appeared first on Destructoid.

They left us all the clues

There's more to come about Dying Light 2 l?ater this week. Developer Techland has teased a new Twitch stream with the catchphrase "Dying 2 Know More?"

The stream is currently set to air at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT on May 27, over on Techland's Twitch channel.

And how did we find out about this? ??Well, they—Techland—sent me a package with a poster, paper, letter, an??d what looked like a flashlight. The letter reads: 

Hello, survivor!

Remember Harran?

Of course you do. But ??all ?that—that was just the beginning... Now The City is our refuge, and it needs your help.

Want to know more?

You will, but you'll have to hunt. I had to hide the info—this place isn't safe. Track down the clues and ??remember, it's all for your eyes only. This message cannot fall into the wrong ha??nds.

You're our last chance, survivor!

So I grabbed the flashlight out of the tube, assuming it to be a little more than your average flashlight, and sure enough it didn't cast normal light—it's a little UV light, similar to the one in the original Dying Light. And by shining it on the poster, it showed a mes??sage:

That's the 27th of May, at 9 p.m. CEST—or 12:00 p.m. PDT. A neat little detective game to go with the announc?ement, though I'm really not sure what I'm going to do with this UV light now. I'm defi?nitely not taking it to any conventions.

The post A new Dying Light 2 stream is airing later ??this?? week appeared first on Destructoid.

Don't expect a ton of guns

Dying Light 2 recently resurfaced after a quiet spell, and with it, the devs behind the game are starting to answer some questions fans have had about t??he parkour-infused act?ion game.

In the first of a new AMA series, Dying Light 2's lead game designer Tymon Smektała addressed?? a n??umber of common inquiries, including the size of the game's map and the impact of choices on the narrative.

One point that's come up a few times before but is still pretty interesting is the lack of guns. As Smektała says, "There are no firearms in the world of Dying Light 2." While the zombie action game will have ranged weapons, like bo??ws, more modern or conventional weaponry looks to be out of the question.

He does describe an additional weapon the player can craft that's like a cobbled-together shotgun, which will offer a shotgun blast but with low durability. Basically, it sounds like traditional guns won't be littering the zombie-infested world of Dying Light 2.

The action sequel bounced back earlier this year with some new updates, following a reveal it determined was a little early. There have been some delays, as well as the departure of Chris Avellone over allegations last summer, but it sounds like Techland is now?? ramping up towards some more ne?ws. Here's hoping for a new look at the expansive game soon.

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Developer admits it announced sequel 'a little early'

[Update: Techland's March status update for Dying Light 2 showed a few game??play snippets, an unnecessary Mean Tweets-style bit, and a notice to "stay tuned" with a "2021" closer – you good?

"This is a huge and complex project, and we needed time to make sure it will live up to our vision," the team said in the video. "All of us here are putting our hearts into delivering a game that you will keep playing for months. We will be ready to start talking about Dying Light 2 very very soon."

It's tough to believe tha?t release window will stick, but we'll see.]

Techland is finally ready to offer new information on the development of Dying Light 2. The developer will release an update pertaining to the long-in-limbo sequel on Wednesday, March 17, giving patient fans a little more insight into the current state-of-play regarding the survival-horror release. The new info will be first announced via the official Dying Light Discord channel.

In a follow-up to Techland's update announcement on Twitter, the developer admitted that it had jumped the gun on Dying Light 2's reveal, which took place way back at E3 2018. However,? Techland said that production has been continuously moving forward since the initial reveal, and as such the sequel was not i?n any form of "development hell."

Originally announced for PS4, PC, and Xbox One, Dying Light 2 was initially scheduled for launch in spring 2020, before being pushed back to an as-yet-undisclosed release date. Hopefully this week's update will shed a little more (dying) light on the release, lest fans continue to ??consider the sequel dead and bur??ied.

We've got a few words to share with you about the Dying Light 2 development process.
Be sure to be with us next Wednesday.

Want to see it first? Join our discord server now at //t.co/Iyivc8uFWx pic.twitter.com/gkfcGLgsdV

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) March 12, 2021

The post (Update) We’ll finally get a fresh update on Dying Light 2 this week appeared first on Destructoid.

It's a symbiotic relationship

Techland is still having the time of its life with Dying Light. After hosting a cool but mostly weapon-focused Left 4 Dead crossover event last year, the team is back with something even better for Halloween 2020: an update that lets you play as Bill and use Gnome Chomp?ski as a skull-crusher.

Starting today on PC – and coming to Dying Light "a few weeks later" on consoles – this free in-game event also involves an "extremely challenging" Viral Rush survival mode and lots of incendiary shotgun ammo. If you take out 50 Virals, you'll pick up the ??Gold Gnome Gear. Consider it your civic duty.

Whether you have time to spare this week for the Halloween event or you're planning to get back into the game eventually, feel free to grab the L4D2 Bill & Gnome Chompski Pack just so you have it.

Claiming?? digital content that I realistically won't ever us??e is my favorite pastime.

Left 4 Dead 2 crossover event is back! [Steam]

The post Left 4 Dead’s Bill is back for a Dying Light cameo and he brought Gnome Chompski along for the ride appeared first on Destructoid.

For ten bucks, I see the appeal

Wait, what? Hellraid, an unreleased Techland game about slicing and dicing skeletons, is going to see the light of day in Dying Light, ?the studio's unstoppa?ble, still-hanging-in-there zombie title from 2015.

Dying Light - Hellraid releases July 23, 2020, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Folks who pre-order the DLC (it's $9.99) can try a weekend-long beta on Steam ??that'??s running from June 26 to June 29.

The maniacs actually did it!

After messing with a suspicious-as-hell arcade cabinet, players will? have to survive a "demon-infested dungeon." During runs, you'll be able to accept bounties for "additional prizes" and "improve your Hellraid rank to access new weapons you can also wield ??outside of the infernal realm."

Hellraid is a separate mode with its own progression system – playable alone or in co-op – and it lets you kick the shit ??outta skeletons, so that's pretty fantastic. Officially, this DLC is "based on Techland's currently-on-hold first-person dark fantasy slasher." Maybe i??t has a bright future ahead of it?

For now, I'm just glad the original concept work on Hellraid didn't go to waste.

The post Techland’s Hellraid will finally see the light of day on July 23 as Dying Light DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

Back from The Beyond

Techland has released a brief trailer teasing new DLC for zombie-smasher Dying Light. The new content, which will arrive this summer, seems to reference Hellraid, a first-person Techland title that never saw the light of day, ultimately being abandoned mid-development.

While the teaser doesn't show much in the way of gameplay, the accompanying blurb suggests that a possessed arcade machine will be bringing the underworld to Dying Light, offering a brand new dungeon, filled with brand new enemies, waiting for a howdy from your brand new weaponry. More information on Hellraid will be announced at a later date.

Dying Light is available now on PS4, PC, and Xbox One.

Dying Light DLC "Hellraid" announced [Gematsu]

The post Dying Light teases DLC based on ??abandoned game Hellraid appeared first on Destructoid.

Eggceptional

Which came first: The zombie or the egg? Or the chicken ninja? ????Or the katana? That headline is a lot to parse.

Dying Light??'s annual Harran Egg Hunt is live, and it's the same as it always is. Hunt down ?the bunny-skinned zombies, steal their Easter egg grenades, unlock rewards. Finding 10 eggs nets you a golden weapon, and finding 30 eggs gets you the Cock-a-Doodle-Do outfit, which is ostensibly some chicken ninja garb. If the community collectively gathers 1.5 million eggs, everyone gets three golden weapons.

The Harran Egg Hunt runs April 10 through April 13. Ge?t to scrambling some bunny zombie brains.

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Celebrating five years since launch

Five years after launch, Dying Light is still hanging in there (and then some). Techland is celebrating the parkour zombie survival game's fifth birthday with a month of in-game events including new weapon DLC, a new difficulty option below Normal called Story Mode, and a free weekend promo on Steam.

Dying Light is free to play on PC until 10:00 a.m. on February 23, 2020. It's also discounted.

Story Mode plays around with a ha?ndful of factors to make life easier. Zombies deal less damage, you deal more, the impact? of falls has been cut in half, and you won't run out of stamina nearly as much.

The best part? You'll lose 50% less XP if you die, days are 25% longer, nights are 25% shorter, and tr??aders will? pay 20% more for your wares. On the flip side, Story Mode dishes out 50% less Legend experience.

Out of curiosity, I checked today's most-played games list on Steam – Dying Light is in the top 50 with just over 15,000 concurrent players at the ?time?? of writing this post. The legs on this game!

I know Dying Light 2's production hasn't been the easiest – reminder: it slipped out of its spring 2020 launch window and no longer has an estimate – but Techland has to be feeling good about the sequel. This serie?s has done nothing but grow its fan base over the p??ast five years. It'll hit the ground running.

Dying Light's 5th Anniversary and Free Weekend [Techland]

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Dying Light x Left 4 Dead 2 teased

[Update: The Left 4 Dead 2 tie-in for Dying Light is a weapon pack, as expected. A four-day in-game event starting October 24 includes "an increased number of Virals,? waves of attacking hord??es, an intensifying fight for survival, along with an increased amount of guns and ammo at your disposal."

If you clear the L4D2 challenges, you'll get Gold blueprints for the ?electric guitar, ??frying pan, and golf club. Otherwise, if you miss the event, you can get standard blueprints for free with upcoming DLC.]

We could really go for a proper Left 4 Dead 3, but V??alve has other priorities these days. It's a shame!

I think we all have our own personal idea of what games the company should make in 2020 and beyond, and for me, it's that – I can just picture it, y'know? Let's get the gang back together. I wouldn't say that a straightforward Left 4 Dead crossover with Dying Light is the next best thing, but at least it's something.

Survivors!
Are you ready for some serious zombie slaying? #left4dead2 style is coming! pic.twitter.com/Lv4XXyf8Jn

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) October 23, 2019

Today on Twitter, Dying Light developer Techland teased Left 4 Dead 2 content. The crossover image shows survivors wielding familiar L4D2 melee weapons like the guitar, golf club, ??and frying pan.

At a glance, I bet this will be little more than a fun nod for Dying Light fans. That's fine. People love that game. People love Left 4 Dead 2, as well – enough that it's still popping up almost 10 years later.

If there's any silver lining, it's that Dying Light 2 exists and it looks super good.

The post At least someone still cares about Left 4 Dead appeared first on Destructoid.

Launching with around 100 hours of content

Dying Light 2, a video game that doesn't yet have a firm launch date, is already promising years and years worth of add-ons. Assuming it launches sometime in spring 2020, Techland's open-world zombie survival sequel will be supp?orted through 2024.

In an interview with Prankster101, Dying Light 2 lead designer Tymon Smektala shares Techland's DLC approach. ""Dying Light was supported for four years after its release, and the plan for Dying Light 2 is exactly the same," Smektala says. However, it's worth noting that Techland doesn't necessarily have an add-on roadmap ready to go. Th??e Polish developer just wants to stick to that level of support because it kept the community thriving through the life of the first game.

Besides, it doesn't sound as though Dying Light 2 will be hurting for content when?? it launches. Smektala estimates that it'd take around 100 hours to see everything in the sequel, even though the critical path tops out at 15 to 20 hours. This is a game that's designed to be big and to keep people playing, 

Interview with Tymon Smektala of Dying Light 2 [Prankster101]

The post Dying Light 2 already plans on four years of DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

New modes and even an egg hunt!

A batch of new DLC content has rolled out for Techland's roof-hopping zombie shoot??er Dying Light. Content Drop #4 has been made?? live on all formats, bringing a selection of fun additions to the 2015 release.

First up is new mode Prison Heist, where players, alone or with buddies, must bust into a new location, the originally titled "Prison Island" and tool themselves up with goodies from the penitentiary's over-stocked armory. Time is of the essence, ?as the speed in which you reach the loot will decides the quality of the rewards.

Sgt. Deathrow, and all-new Demolisher, has also been let loose in the game. This heavy-hitter is worth a chunk of XP if you take him down, so keep an eye out for him as he cuts a path of destruction th?rough Old Town.

The final additio?n is the Eater-themed Harran Egg Hunt, where players can bag themselves a miserable, garish yellow outfit by gathering up eggs strewn around the map while watching out for a zombified Easter Bunny. Should the entire community gather one million eggs by April 3, then a gold-tier weapon will be unlocked. Get cracking.

CRACKING LIKE AN EGG CRACKS. CRACKING.

Content Drop #4 is o??ut now for free on all platforms.

Introducing Prison Heist - a brand new game mode set in a never-before-seen location. Break through to the armory as fast as you can either in solo or in co-op. The faster your time, the better the rewards. pic.twitter.com/k4y0EiU1Zi

— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) March 29, 2018

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The light just keeps burning

It truly is surprising that Dying Light remains almost as popular today as it was when it launched in 2015. Most games die off relatively quickly in our current gaming landscape, but somehow developer Techland managed to retain its player base. The game, apparently, still draws in 500,000 active players each week, so to give those fans a treat for remaining so engaged, Techland will be releasing 10 pieces of free DLC for Dying Light over the next year.

As you can see from the video, there isn't really anything specific mentioned. Even without details, this is stil?l a really cool move. More developers should take note of actions like this, as smaller, free updates go a long way to building trust within a community and getting them on board for any potential sequels.

Dying Light st?ill? so popular it's getting another year of free DLC [Eurogamer]

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Be prepared

Technland has announced that come February 9, you won't be able to buy vanilla Dying Light digitally. Instead, it will be removed entirely, and replaced with the Enhanced Edition of the game on February 12.

This transition will happen instantly in the US on the February 9 launch date, but European users will have to go without it for three days. Discs are shipping now though, and "should" be readily available if you decide to go that route. Techland is noting that it is phasing out the old game, so if you want it at a discount (rather than paying full price for Enhanced), you should act within the next week or so.

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When the apocalypse isn't bad enough

No Easter egg weapons, longer nights, tougher zombies, and less survivor's sense. Sound like fun? No? Well, I guess that is kind of the point of Dying Light's Nightmare mode, part of the upcoming Enhanced Edition DLC. Don't worry though, you don't have to pony up the money for the DLC to "enjoy" the extra brutal difficulty level if you don't want to, as our resident tall, dark, and spooky Zack Furniss has already reported. 

It's not all bad, though. While dying in Nightmare mode will wipe all your currently earned XP towards the next level to zero, you build it at a faster rate. Bringing along co-op b??ud?dies adds an extra 10% boost per body as well, so while you run the risk of losing XP, successfully staying alive should mean speedy gains. You'll also see more frequent gold weapon drops to make up for the loss of your overpowered bonus gear.

You can check out all the details (and watch some zombies get mutilated) in the vid??eo below.&?nbsp;

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First 16 minutes of gameplay

Dying Light was one of the unexpected hits of 2015, with its parkour hook providing just enough to help stomach yet another zombie game. IGN has The Following expansion producer Tymon Smektała with a guided tour of the first 16 minutes as you leave the comfort of the building-filled city for a more open, natural environment.

The expansion pack, "is for people who are good at Dying Light," though it will scale to your individual skill level. There are also new additions like a crossbow and dune buggy. The Following releases February 9.

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An almost perfect 1:1 recreation

I know the original Mirror’s Edge like the back of my hand. That’s doubly true for the very first level, as it was in the demo, and is also the best level in the full release. I’ve probably played that level hundreds of times by now, so take it from me that this recreation with Dying Light’s mod tools is ridiculously faithful.

Developed by modder Elimina, this WIP map aims to be an exact 1:1 remake of Mirror’s Edge’s prologue, made using 108 different screenshots to make sure everything is in the right place. If you want to compare it to the original level, here is a speedrun. There are a few places where the proportions don't seem to be quite right, but I assume that's to ensure it's actually playable in Dying Light.

Right now, the level ends once you’ve escaped the building, which is just about the half-way point through the level. Unfortunately, while Elimina ?has a list of things that need doing to finish the map, the modder may be too busy for the time being to get it done.

Either way, this is super cool. Many games have tried first-person parkour since Mirror’s Edge, but Dying Light is the fir??st game I feel’s actually mana??ged to pull it off well. I’m definitely giving this a go as soon as I can!

Oh, and Elimina also did a 1:1 recreation of Assassin’s Creed 2 and Brotherhood’s Monteriggioni as well.

Someone Is Making Mirror's Edge In Dying Light [Kotaku]

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Coming next year

Techland's Dying Light is going to get a ton of enhancements next year, and now we have a final release date -- February 9, 2016. That goes for both the Enhanced Edition of the game on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, as well as the The Following DLC, which is a separate hub world complete with vehicles and new mech??anics.

The Enhanced Edition will be a free update for existing owners, and will entail all of the upgrades listed here. If you don't o??wn it ??yet, you can pick up the whole shebang for $60 in February.

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Will you be expanding?

Dying Light's next expansion, The Following, will release in Q?1 2016.

Producer ??Tymon Smetakla announced the news via? a "special video".

“So since Gamescom 2015, we revealed quite a bit about our upcoming expa??nsion: the vast countrys??ide map, the customizable dirt buggy, a new story and more," said Smetakla.

"What we couldn’t say before though, was the release date. Today we finally know that Dying Light: The Following&n??bsp;will launch within the first three months of 2016. This gives us enough time to put in all the content and surprises we have planned for you guys."

Techland promise to share the exact release date of Dying Light: The Following - which will be available fo??r $15 (and free to Season Pass holders) - "as soon as [they] get a final decision."

"Dying Light often boils down to "Zombies: The Videogame," we said in our review, "but it's fun to flip around like a ninja and cause havoc while you shuffle from one mission to the next. For ma??ny of you out the??re, that's basically all you'll need."

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Maybe not for Xbox One and PS4?

Dying Light was bloody brilliant. Sure, the main story was generic soldier wank that I mostly ignored, but the side missions were incredible and simply running around the city was so much fun. I’m not entirely sure about the new expansion (The Following) introducing vehicles, but I&rsqu??o;m re?maining optimistic there will be more parkour and grappling fun to be had.

Thankfully, abou?t five m??illion other people have bought the game too.

Talking to Videogamer, Techland has called this achievement a “tremendous success”.  The popularity of the game caused them to freeze work on Hellraid, a medieval hack-and-slash, to focus on making expansions and DLC for Dying Light.

Techland is even in the planning stages for a Dying Light 2, whi????????????????????????????ch it claims may be too ambitious for even current-gen consoles:

Of course, we're not talking about [Dying Light 2] just yet… but the reason for that is that it is too early. We have lots of very ambitious ideas so first we need to check if these ideas are even doable with the tech that the current consoles provide.

What improvements do you think need to be made for Dying Light 2?

Dying L??ight has sold ??5 million copies; The Following DLC to be 10+ hours long [Videogamer]
Dying Light 2 may be too ambiti??ous for PS4 & Xbox One [Videogamer]

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That's what the zombie said

While I didn't really think Dying Light was all?? that special, this upcomin?g expansion looks like it might have some more interesting concepts involved. Priced at $14.99, "The Following" (no relation to the cheesy yet entertaining show with Kevin Bacon -- it got better after Season 1 by the way), it will follow Kyle Crane as he travels outside of the boring city area into the wild.

Vehicles are featured, as is a new storyline, and it will be included in th??e Season Pass. It looks like the setting will cut ou?t a lot of the monotony I experienced with the base game.

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With dirt buggies and bows

Zombie free-running game Dying Light teased vehicles as a part of its DLC plan earlier this month. Indeed, Techland has confirmed that all-terrain dirt buggies are a big part of the, "feature-heavy, story-based expansion pack," The Following.

It will be available to purcha?se separately and come ?free for season pass owners.

"The new map alone is the same size as all the previous maps from Dying Light combined, so there is a lot we’re packing in here," The Following producer Tymon S??mektala said. "We also kept a close eye on player feedback to help tailor what we’ve created here. Hopefully people will see that this? new expansion is first and foremost, for the fans."

We'll have more details out of gamescom next we??ek.

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