Dying Light 2 is the sequel to the original Dying Light and takes place nearly two decades later, but does Dying Light 1 need to be played beforehand?

Dying Light 2 is the sequel to Techland's Dying Light, and with any sequel, players may be wondering if they'll need to have played the first game to understand the second. Both Dying Light and Dying Light 2 have the same fundamental aspects of the series, with its trademark parkour movement and survival gameplay. Additionally, both Dying Light and Dying Light 2 take place in the same timeline, with the events of the first game happening before the second - but does that mean Dying Light needs to be played first?

There is no shortage of Dying Light 2 gameplay changes or improvement that players will find from the first to the second, and long-time fans of the first will undoubtedly notice the differences. In the first Dying Light, players may recall that Night Hunters were the absolute biggest threats at night, but much has changed in the timeline of the series that makes Dying Light 2 even more terrifying. Dying Light 2 takes place nearly two decades after the first, which has given all zombies plenty of time to mutate and adapt - making each encounter with the undead feel like a do-or-die situation.

Aside from the zombie enhancements, there are other changes made in Dying Light 2 that don't require players to have experienced the first. For example, Dying Light 2 has multiple endings that are determined by the player's choices, and which of the factions they choose to join. Dying Light sets up the backstory for the series' world at large, but Dying Light 2 adds a depth to the universe that can only be told through new characters and locations. As long as fans have a general understanding of the zombie-survival-RPG genre, newcomers are perfectly fine beginning with Dying Light 2.

Why Dying Light 2 Can Be Played First

Dying Light 2 can be played before playing the first game because everything that made Dying Light a success has been drastically changed in Dying Light 2. In addition to the new gear system of Dying Light 2, there are a plethora of changes and additions such as a new skill tree mechanic, weapons, tools, and even attacks. Dying Light 2 also features a whole new location for the story to unfold, as well as an entirely new protagonist to follow. Dying Light 2 is really its own game, but that doesn't mean there aren't connections between the first and second that fans will miss out on.

The story of Dying Light takes place in Harran, which is far from the European setting of Dying Light 2. References to Harran are made in Dying Light 2, but they aren't going to be details that are detrimental to the events unfolding in the highly anticipated sequel. Of course, players who miss out on playing the first Dying Light will miss out on some of the earlier influences of the virus, especially because the game takes place fifteen years before the Dying Light 2 story. Nonetheless, players can quickly catch up on the details of Dying Light before beginning Dying Light 2 through a short YouTube video recap, should they desire to. Since the details can be caught up, and there is a myriad of gameplay enhancements, players do not need to experience Dying Light before starting Dying Light 2 unless they want to.

Next: Does Dying Light 2 Have Crossplay