Dying Light 2 game reviews, release date, how to get Dying Light 2 on PS5 and Xbox, prices and post-launch DLC

The zombie-filled landscape of survival horror video game Dying Light returns in full force with the release of Dying Light 2, released today (Friday February 4).

Emerging in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Dying Light 2: Stay Human takes place in a world which has now been completely overwhelmed by the virus which ripped through the fictional Middle Eastern city of Harran in the first game, as the first person shooter series brings a new protagonist and challenges in The City.

With more zombies, more weapons and even more downloadable content revealed in Polish developer Techland’s latest teasers and post-launch roadmap, Dying Light 2 could well be one of this year’s biggest video game launches.

The City is the sprawling open world realised in Dying Light 2 Stay Human. (Image credit: IGDB/Techland)

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Here’s everything you need to know about Dying Light 2: Stay Human – including reviews so far, Dying Light 2’s release date, how to pre-order and more.

Dying Light 2 plot details and what to expect

Dying Light 2, set 15 years after Dying Light, places you in a world utterly transformed since the virus first began to spawn the infected zombies staggering through the streets of Harran.

Nightfall brings all manner of threats in Dying Light 2. (Image credit: IGDB/Techland)

In the wake of an apocalypse which saw the virus and hoards of the infected prevail over most of the world’s population, human civilisation stands on the brink of extinction.

Dying Light 2’s protagonist is survivor Aiden Caldwell, who, as one of the Pilgrims travelling across the world’s desolate landscapes, finds himself in one of the last human settlements in The City – which is overrun with the infected, desperate survivors in search of supplies and rival factions vying for control.

Playing as Caldwell, players will be tasked with using their combat skills, agility and intelligence to navigate The City’s human and infected threats – while confronting fragments of your indecipherable past.

As with Dying Light 2’s predecessor, the ultimate challenge of the game is to stay human as your surroundings make this task more difficult than ever before.

Only this time, you’re equipped with parkour and combat skills to make the most of the game’s massive open world, highly scalable environment and contend with the many mutated infected who emerge each nightfall.

There are also more than 200 weapons and 20 additional weapon mods to try.

Dying Light 2 once again lets users enjoy both role-playing first person and multiplayer modes with the return of Dying Light’s four person co-operative multiplayer.

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Dying Light 2: Stay Human release date

Dying Light 2: Stay Human is scheduled for release on Friday February 4 2022 at 12am UK time, with the game having been available to pre-order on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox and Playstation stores as well as for PC via Techland’s own store until today.

Those who purchase the game for Xbox One of PlayStation 4 consoles will be able to access the game for no added cost should they upgrade to next-gen consoles like the Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5.

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Dying Light 2 can be bought in standard, deluxe and ultimate editions across on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 consoles, Stadia, Steam, as well as for PC on Techland and Epic online stores.

While the cloud version of the game was set to be released for Nintendo Switch on February 4 also, Dying Light 2’s Switch release date has now been pushed back until later in 2022.

How to get Dying Light 2 and game deals

Standard editions of Dying Light 2 include the game only, priced at £54.99-£59.99, while the deluxe edition comes complete with access to a single story DLC, deluxe digital items including exclusive weapon charts, a legendary skins pack and a digital comic, artbook and soundtrack.

Standard copies of Dying Light 2 are now on sale at the PlayStation Store, with PS5 copies retailing at £54.99, Game, Currys – with Xbox copies priced at £49.99, PS4 copies at £54.99 and PS5 copies retailing at £59.99 – and more.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human deluxe edition is only available to buy in the UK at Game, who are selling the game and its deluxe package for £74.99 on Xbox Series X, PS4 and PS5.

However, PS5 copies of Stay Human’s deluxe edition appear to have already sold out at Game due to demand.

Meanwhile, Dying Light 2 Ultimate includes two story DLCs, set to become available in later months, all of the above and Ultimate digital items including crafting items and a two hour night xp boost, with prices starting at £87.99 on the PlayStation Store and £79.99 on Steam.

Dying Light 2 review round-up

With Techland’s review embargo on Dying Light 2 now ended, streamers and reviewers are rushing to get their reviews of Stay Human online today (Thursday February 3) in advance of the game’s full launch on Friday.

Reviews so far are decidedly mixed, with many calling the game a disappointment given its vast open world ambitions.

The Guardian’s Keith Stuart is among those disappointed with Dying Light 2.

In his 2/5 star review of Stay Human, Stuart wrote: “This is a graphically impressive, professionally constructed world that desperately wants to give you stuff to do.

“So it’s a pity that the narrative core of the experience is as dead as its stumbling zombie hordes.”

Joseph Yaden of Inverse, however, described Dying Light 2 as “the most alive the zombie genre has felt in years” in his positive 7/10 review.

Praising Techland’s open world in Stay Human, Yaden said: “Many open-world games feel bloated with little innovation upon the core formula.

"Dying Light 2 delivers a more lived-in, dynamic world than your typical sprawling realm full of fetch quests.

"Sure, it’s got a map littered with quest markers, but thanks to the day/night cycle and inhabitants that roam freely, there’s an element of realism that’s more surprisingly immersive.”

The Video Game Chronicle’s Jordan Middler gave the game 3/5 stars, with VGC’s Dying Light 2 review echoing others in saying that the game seemed let down by succumbing to a zombie-obsessed narrative.

“Dying Light 2: Stay Human feels like it lost its direction somewhere along the way,” Middler writes.

"It begins as an interesting zombie game wherein the threat feels tangible, your character feels weak, and the world feels primed for a dynamic story.

"However, the further you get into the game, a lot of its early ideas feel sidelined for a generic zombie plot, uninspiring combat, and the absence of any kind of danger.”

IGN’s Travis Northup gave Dying Light 2 a rating of 7/10 in his review, saying that the parkour elements of the game helped to offer a worthy gaming experience, but were let down by bugs.

“Another in a long series of big, ambitious games whose potential greatness is visible just beneath a grimey layer of bugs," Northup said, “Dying Light 2 Stay Human could very likely become the stellar zombie survival adventure it’s meant to be someday.”

So far, the bulk of reviews from games journalists have given Dying Light 2 a 3-3.5/5 or 7/10 rating.

Dying Light 2 post-launch roadmap

On Wednesday January 26, Techland delighted fans eagerly awaiting the release of Dying Light 2 with the reveal of its DLC roadmap – and when players can expect additional downloadable content and stories to arrive.

The developer studio has revealed that customers can expect additions to the game in the form of new DLCs, stories, challenges and more for at least five years after launch.

Factions-inspired free DLCs are due to arrive either with or shortly after Dying Light 2’s launch in February, with a first set of challenges arriving soon after in March 2022.

A mutated infected event series will begin in April 2022, with a second set of challenges arriving in May.

The first Story DLC 1 will arrive in June 2022, according to Techland’s post-launch roadmap.

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