Following its first reveal at E3 2018, and in the wake of lengthy delays,Dying Light 2: Stay Humanfinally looks set to release this December. Developer Techland’s sequel to the 2015 survival horror gameDying Light, it has proven to be of great interest to gamers, with its multiple gameplay trailers garnering plenty of attention. While fans will be hoping for much of the same experience that the original offered,Dying Light 2looks to be bringing a number of changes to the table.
Dying Light 2’sgameplay trailershave highlighted everything from the game’s new choice and consequence mechanic to Aiden Caldwell’s wrist accessory, the biomarker. But what has been of particular interest toDying Lightfans is the recent monsters trailer. A number of horrific new infected types were shown off in this trailer, including a room full of zombies in an apparent hibernation. The new infected types have caused quite a buzz among survival horror fans, with similarities toResident Evil’sinfected clearly apparent. This is somethingDying Light 2should hone in on, as one of the most exciting elements of theResident Evilfranchise is its trademark diversity of enemy types.
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Dying Light 2’s Enemy Types
Dying Light 2has a number of infected typesfor fans to wrap their heads and their melee weapons around. These can be broken down into two different categories, including the regular infected types, and the special infected. In the first category is the standard evolution of the game’s infected: the ‘Viral’, the ‘Biter’, and the ‘Degenerate’. These follow the expected timeline of a zombie’s lifespan, similar to the infected fromThe Last of Usseries. it begins with the ‘Viral’, which is recently infected and is very strong and fast. Next up is the ‘Biter’, which is closer to the traditional image of a zombie seen in media: slow, ambling, yet dangerous. The final stage is the ‘Degenerate’ which is almost entirely harmless unless in large groups due to the massive amount of decay it has fallen victim to.
In the other category are some ofDying Light 2’sscariest zombie types. These are the zombies that have been affected in a different way bythe world ofDying Light 2, taking an alternative route of evolution. ‘Volatiles’ are a perfect example of this category, sporting armor-like skin with a weak point in the chest area. They are strong, fast, and an all-around pain to deal with in the original. Another returning special infected type is the ‘Demolisher’, a hulking goliath of an enemy for the player to worry about. A number of new infected types have also been introduced, however, which could add a new element to the gameplay.
First up, there are the ‘Sleeping Beauties’ that were heavily featured in the monster trailer. They appear to live in packs and occupy the inside of neglected buildings during the daytime. What can be gathered fromDying Light 2’strailersis the player must tiptoe around these zombie types to avoid waking them. Another new type is the ‘Banshee’, which sports talons and bears the resemblance of a witch in a tattered evening dress. The final two new types are the ‘Revenant’ and the ‘Drowner’, though little is known about either of these types. The ‘Revenant’, however, appears to be capable of organizing attacks against the player through the use of its mist, while the ‘Drowner’ is the series' first water-type infected.
Dying Light 2 Should Learn From Resident Evil
Resident Evilis one of the most popular and longstanding series in gaming. Its latest entry,Resident Evil Village, highlighted exactly why with the diversity of infected enemies on show. The werewolves andvampires ofResident Evil Villageare just the latest in a long line of mutations of the original virus. These mutations ensure that even after 8 mainline entries, fans are still eager to receive yet another, with plenty of excitement surrounding what new enemy types fans could be facing next.Dying Lightis still fairly early in its lifespan, withStay Humanbeing just the second entry in the series. However, taking a page fromResident Evil’sbook in this regard could be a good way to get fans on board.
The recent monsters trailer has shown the diversity of enemy types inDying Light 2appears to be growing quite substantially. Examples such as the ‘Demolisher’ stand out as an obvious homage toResident Evil’sTyrants. Likewise,Dying Light 2has followed inResident Evil’sexperimental footsteps with the ‘Banshee’ and ‘Drowner’ enemy types. Both appear quite unconventional when compared to the infected in the originalDying Light, just as the werewolf and vampire enemy types were something bold and new inVillage. These unconventional enemy types add to the feeling that anything is possible within the game world, retaining fans' interest and excitement about future content drops.
It will be fascinating to see how the gameplay ofDying Light 2will differ from the original given the new enemy types. Thestealth sections ofDying Light 2that deal with the ‘Sleeping Beauties’ seem particularly intriguing, and they indicated that some parts of the game could be unrecognizable from the previousDying Light. Early indications are that Techland is heading in a similar direction to theResident Evilfranchise in terms of the game’s infected. Judging from fan’s reactions online, this could be a good move for theDying Lightseries going forward.
Dying Light 2: Stay Humanlaunches December 7 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
