LIGHTS OUT

In the open-world post-apocalypse of DYING LIGHT 2: STAY HUMAN, the choices you make can change an entire city.

- Andy Kelly

Aiden Caldwell, enigmatic hero of Dying Light 2: Stay Human, is a member of the Pilgrims—a loose gathering of post-apocalyptic drifters wandering the ruins of the old world. He arrives in the City, the nameless metropolis where the game is set, looking for his sister, Mia. “Aiden is plagued by vague, disconnected memories of her,” says lead game designer Tymon SmektaÅ‚a. “When he learns the people responsible for what happened to her have been found there, he embarks on a mission to learn the truth.”

This open-world zombie game is going a step beyond the original, backing its free-running, undead swarms, and brutal melee combat up with an interactive, branching story you can have a real impact on. The City isn’t just home to countless numbers of aggressive infected, but warring factions of human survivors too. It’s a big old mess, but a compelling setting for a survival horror game. And one of the most interesting features in Dying Light 2 is how the City changes dramatically depending on the time of day.

When night falls, the streets are overrun with infected. The safe option is to stay on the rooftops and wait for the sun to send them scurrying back into their lairs. But if you’re feeling brave, venturing down into the depths of the city can net you some quality loot. Building interiors that are usually teeming with zombies are suddenly empty, with only a few stragglers remaining, letting you sneak in to grab gear and upgrades. Then you just have to worry about making it out and back to the relative safety of the rooftops.

NIGHT UNLIFE