Dying Light 2 isn’t about to get left behind by Dead Island 2

While Dead Island 2 has arrived as the shiny new zombie-slashing game on the block, last year’s Dying Light 2 isn’t taking the news lying down—that’s kind of the whole thing with zombies, isn’t it? There’s a big new update out now for Dying Light 2 that reenergizes combat, giving those sickening wet thuds and chomping sounds a bit more oomph, while simultaneously kicking off an in-game event that’s certain to provide plenty of virals on which to test out the updated mechanics.

Now I know what you’re thinking, and I agree, to a point: Dying Light 2 took some well-deserved stick when it came out due to technical issues, a goofy and sometimes nonsensical story that failed to live up to the high expectations set by the pre-launch hype-cycle, and a certain technicolor weirdness that cut against the thematic dust and grime of the first game. That’s all fair enough. All that said, I still liked it quite a bit, and it’s been fun coming back to it now that Techland has had the chance to address some of the initial problems and add loads more content.

The latest major patch for Dying Light 2 launched April 20, and it’s called the Gut Feeling Update for reasons that are about to become obvious. The big marquee change is an overhaul to the melee combat system that adds a whole new level of violence and brutality to what is already a gory game. Hitting infected with melee weapons now can trigger a variety of nasty new effects: Limbs can be severed in three different places, weapon strikes leave visible damage on enemy models, and large enemies like Demolishers can be sliced in half.

While I’m not sure it’s going to put Dying Light 2’s gore on the same level as Dead Island 2,  the change has certainly been noticeable as I’ve jumped back into the infected streets of Villedor. I’ve done plenty of fighting, since there’s a Viral Rush event going on right now that has groups of sprinting infected swarming out from under every truck and trap door in the city—even in broad daylight, when they’re theoretically supposed to be hiding from the sun.

That’s given me lots of time to experiment with the new gore system, which is disgusting and delightful. Dying Light 2’s “virals” aren’t major threats on their own; their main weapon is over-the-top aggression and sheer numbers. Having to deal with them during the day was disconcerting at first, but it’s forced me into a lot more combat encounters, and I’m finding that to be a huge improvement too.

One of the things that bummed me out about Dying Light 2 is that actually getting into fights feels like failure. When the game came out, it emphasized stealth and parkour: alerting a howler at night would start a chase, and I’d have to dash my way back to a safe zone before I was overwhelmed by the pursuing horde. It was fun for a while, but I did feel a bit shafted: I had all these neat weapons to use, and the game was actively discouraging me from ever having a chance to use them.

That’s certainly not the case now. Between the Viral Rush event, the Gut Feeling update, and the melee combat-focused Bloody Ties DLC, there’s plenty of fighting to do in Dying Light 2 these days. In fact, the Viral Rush comes close to pushing it overboard—although it stops just short of that, in my experience at least. I’ve been having a blast hacking them with makeshift machetes and sending them flying off the rooftops with mod-enhanced baseball bats.

Combat just feels better and more intentional now, I find. I’m not sure whether it’s the update, some increasing familiarity with the game, or a combination of both, but I find that my weapons follow the path I have for them in my head far more often than not, which makes fights more tactical and exciting.

I’ve only just started out in Dead Island 2, and judging from the early moments in Bel-Air, it’s going to be a very different kind of zombie game than Dying Light 2. For more, be sure to check out Kef’s Dead Island 2 review!

💬Are you still playing Dying Light 2, or are you interested in jumping in a year later? Let me know in the comments!