According to Techland lead game designer Tymon Smektala, the team has no plans to bring their upcoming action survival-horror title Dying Light 2 to PS5 or Xbox Scarlett. The game builds upon the world and mechanics that were established in the first game which launched in early 2015. Dying Light 2 is launching in early 2020, just on the cusp of the eighth and ninth console generations.
The first Dying Light is one of the more underrated games of this console generation. Players were given access to fluid parkour mechanics to traverse the map. Additionally, the game relied more on melee combat that blended well with the game’s parkour movement options. Your physical weapons would also deteriorate over time after heavy usage. With Dying Light 2, many of these same mechanics carry over, however, the map is about four times bigger and takes place in a future where the zombie apocalypse has panned out a lot more.
The fact that the second title may not get a release on the upcoming consoles isn’t a huge deal as we already know Sony’s next console will have backward compatibility with all PS4 titles according to Mark Cerny. In the case of Xbox Scarlett, backward compatibility has not been announced just yet. However, when looking at Microsoft’s recent history adapting the Xbox One for both Xbox 360 titles and even older original Xbox games, it’s hard to imagine that the company isn’t planning on making their latest console compatible with Xbox One titles at the very least. In regard to a next-generation port of the game Smektala said:
Although Dying Light 2 isn’t coming to the PS5 or Xbox Scarlett, the game will still push the PS4 and Xbox One’s power. The storyline will encourage multiple playthroughs as players can go through each area and align themselves with various factions. Based on the choices that you make, the world around you will change as each faction gains more or less power on the map. You play as a character named Aiden who’s also mysteriously infected, giving him a variety of unique abilities that are sure to provide a lot of fun in the open world environment. Of course, there are also zombies involved, and like the first game, they’ll be stronger at night and weaker during the day.
“So what we’re saying right now, and since this game is releasing in spring 2020, (Dying Light 2) is a game that will be released on the current-gen, because that’s the only landscape we will know when the game is released. But the future is something you can shape with your own hands and with your decisions. So, for now, Dying Light 2, spring 2020 - on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.”
Techland already delivered an incredibly good game with the first Dying Light. We’ll likely see them deliver once again with Dying Light 2. Having a more lore-filled world than the first game as well as the chance to refine the game’s already fantastic mechanics could mean that Techland may very well have something special on the horizon.
Next: Dying Light 2 Interview: Lead Game Designer Tymon Smektala
