Dying Light 2 at E3 2021 mixes parkour with zombies

Dying Light 2: Stay Human screenshot of person attacking with weapon
(Image credit: Techland)

During the PC Gaming Show at E3 2021, Polish developer Techland gave an inside look into Dying Light 2: Stay Human, an upcoming survival horror game. 

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is set for release on December 7, 2021 for PC PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

Piotr Szymanek, narrative director for Dying Light 2, explained what players can expect from the game's story. 

He first offered a recap of the game's universe. It starts in the fictional middle eastern city of Harran where a virus breaks out. The virus turns people into zombie-like creatures, not motivated by bloodlust, but instead pain and anger which causes them to become violent. The epidemic quickly became a global pandemic, infecting the city in which Dying Light 2 takes place. The government tried to bomb the city with chemicals, but that only made the situation worse. 

In the game, players will take on the role of Aiden Caldwell, who, as a child, was being used for medical research along with her sister Mia. Eventually, he was separated from his sister, taken out of the facility and out of the city while she stayed.

Aiden eventually finds a clue as to where his sister might be, sending him on a journey to try and find her. 

Beyond the trailer and an explanation by Szymanek, not much else was revealed. Luckily, last month Techland did show off a gameplay reveal trailer which gave us a glimpse into what we can expect. 

Clearly, Aiden isn't a normal guy. Not only is he daring, willing to jump off buildings, but has excellent parkour skills. 

Aiden will choose a faction to join, with each taking a different approach to survival. At night, the monsters become far more aggressive, changing the how players must traverse. The game looks like Mirror's Edge with zombies. 

If Dying Light 2: Stay Human impresses us later this year, there's a chance it can land on our best PC games list. 

Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.