Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Parkour, Choices, and the Undead Apocalypse

Fifteen years after the events of Harran, the Global Relief Effort failed, and the Harran Virus evolved, spreading across the world and collapsing civilization. Welcome to Dying Light 2 Stay Human, Techland's ambitious sequel that expands upon everything that made the original a cult hit. Set in a vast, post-apocalyptic European city known simply as "The City," you play as Aiden Caldwell, a Pilgrim—a roaming survivor with exceptional parkour skills searching for his lost sister. What unfolds is a brutal story of survival, where your choices literally reshape the city's landscape, factions, and the fate of its inhabitants, all while you navigate a world equally beautiful and deadly by day, and utterly terrifying by night.

A Living, Breathing (and Decaying) Open World

The City is the true star of Dying Light 2. It's divided into several distinct zones, from the cramped, classic European streets of "Old Villedor" to the more modern, dilapidated downtown areas. The verticality is staggering. Rooftops are the new highways for the surviving human factions—the peacekeeping but authoritarian "Peacekeepers" and the scrappy, anarchic "Survivors." Your parkour abilities turn the entire environment into a playground and a weapon. The day-night cycle remains a core, pulse-pounding mechanic. During the day, you'll explore, complete quests, and scavenge. When the sun sets, the most dangerous Infected—the Volatiles—emerge, and the streets become a zone of pure terror, but also high-risk, high-reward opportunities for the bravest runners.

The Art of Movement: Enhanced Parkour

Building on the first game's praised movement system, Dying Light 2's parkour is smoother, more fluid, and deeply integrated into exploration and combat. New tools like the Paraglider and the Grappling Hook (which functions more like a physics-based swing than a Batman-style winch) open up incredible aerial possibilities. The skill tree is heavily focused on movement, unlocking abilities like wall runs, directional jumps, and dropkicks. The feeling of flowing across the rooftops, leaping between gaps, and seamlessly transitioning into combat is unmatched in the genre.

Choice & Consequence: Your City, Your Rules

A major narrative advancement is the City Alignment System. Throughout the story, you'll face major decisions, often siding with one faction over another. These choices aren't just dialogue deep; they have tangible, physical effects on the world. Allocating a water tower or electrical station to a faction will transform entire city districts. Give it to the Peacekeepers, and you'll get heavy traps, crossbow bolt ziplines, and safe military outposts. Give it to the Survivors, and you'll unlock more parkour routes, airbags for safe falls, and community hideouts. These changes affect gameplay, side quest availability, and the lives of the people in the streets below.

Brutal, Improvisational Combat

Combat is a chaotic ballet of blood and creativity. Melee weapons—from crafted machetes to two-handed sledges—degrade with use, encouraging constant scavenging for parts. The combat skill tree unlocks brutal finishers, parries, and parkour-based attacks. Fights against human enemies are weighty and strategic, while encounters with the infected are desperate struggles for survival. The real thrill, however, comes from using the environment: kicking enemies off rooftops, dropping on them from great heights, or leading them into traps.

System Requirements (PC)

Dying Light 2 is a demanding title that showcases modern hardware. An SSD is highly recommended for fast traversal and loading of its dense open world.

Post-Launch Support & Co-Op

Techland has supported Dying Light 2 with a robust post-launch roadmap, including new story chapters (like "Bloody Ties"), challenges, weapons, events, and gameplay modes. The game features full 4-player cooperative play for the entire campaign. Exploring the city by night with friends is an experience equal parts hilarious and terrifying, as you work together to complete objectives or simply try to keep each other alive.