Amidst a seemingly ever-expanding post-apocalyptic gaming genre, there is little margin for error for franchises like Dying Light to separate themselves from the chasing pack of competitors. Dying Light 2 had a hard time reaching the lofty standards set by its predecessor at launch, with technical issues, bugs, and a painfully thin plot largely to blame for its struggles. Similar franchises could hold the key to an improved gaming experience for Dying Light 2, and ​for its upcoming DLC, Techland could turn the title's fortunes around and recalibrate its elements by being less like The Last of Us 2 and taking a leaf out of Forspoken's book with regards to parkour mechanics.
At first glance, Forspoken might not jump off the page as an exemplary model for game development due to its plethora of well-publicized fundamental issues. A deeper look at the embattled release, however, reveals several important lessons for developers to take heed of. In the case of Dying Light 2, the Square Enix product's kinder concepts of weapon inventory and a multitude of support skills - magic included - could bring more success to the DLC than the continued adoption of The Last of Us 2's survival elements, which are too hardcore for the missions of Dying Light 2.
Introduction of Guns and Forspoken's Parkour Could Significantly Improve Dying Light 2
Many fans would have expected Forspoken to be one of the premier releases of the year, given the repeated developmental delays and hype surrounding its release window. Unfortunately, Forspoken got review bombed and underwhelmed in several aspects ranging from its generic and bland story buildup to a lack of flair in its visual design. Despite its numerous flaws, the title's concepts around its parkour and combat mechanics were executed in a manner that could be beneficial to Dying Light 2's cause, focusing more on skillful navigation and support skills. Dying Light has had a unique spin on combat in the zombie-fighting scene, with its first edition restricting access to guns - one of the most popular weapons of choice in post-apocalyptic gaming - until players had progressed past a significant portion of the game.
For Dying Light 2, Techland completely removed firearms from the game, and the decision was likely motivated by the developer's drive to focus more on its parkour and melee combat options. These mechanics had formed the cornerstones of the initial release's successes, and the ample presence of guns and ammo took away some of the shine Techland intended for combat scenarios and boss fights. However, the decision bristled feathers among its following, and teams of individual modders have had to step in to incorporate the weapons into the title. For Dying Light 2's DLC, Techland would do well to return to its winning formula from its The Following DLC for the original release, which included up to five firearm types.
Another area Dying Light 2's upcoming DLC could vastly improve upon is its parkour system. The parkour system consistently overcompensated for what it deemed mistakes by players, redirecting movements to land on specific obstacles instead of following players' commands. On the other hand, Forspoken's magic parkour was a rare bright spot for the title, as gamers glided across open spaces in the vast map with almost mindless execution. Free-flowing gameplay is an essential component in the gaming industry, and Dying Light 2's experience could be better off following Forspoken's blueprint of a streamlined mechanism.
Forspoken's parkour formula aligns perfectly with Dying Light 2's needs, and the implementation of its mechanism in the upcoming DLC would elevate the title's gameplay significantly. Similarly, the fan base's discontent with the omission of firearms calls upon Techland to bring back guns and ammo to the franchise's gameplay, and the dynamic of new weapons could flip combat on its head in Dying Light 2.
Dying Light 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
