Why are there No Vehicles in Dying Light 2?
The absence of vehicles in Dying Light 2: Stay Human, a stark contrast to the buggy in the first game’s The Following DLC, isn’t due to oversight, but rather a deliberate design choice driven by several interconnected factors. These factors include the game’s urban environment, a focus on parkour and melee combat, lore considerations, and game balance. The developers, Techland, consciously prioritized a unique gameplay experience centred around free-running and close-quarters combat, rendering vehicles superfluous and even detrimental to their vision.
Understanding the Core Design Philosophy
Urban Environment and Parkour Focus
Villedor, the setting of Dying Light 2, is a densely packed urban metropolis. Unlike the vast, open countryside of The Following, Villedor is designed to be navigated vertically and horizontally through parkour. Vehicles would clash with this core gameplay loop. Imagine trying to weave a car through narrow, debris-filled streets and climb up buildings. It would feel clunky and detract from the fluid movement system that Dying Light 2 champions. The developers wanted players to feel like agile survivors, using their wit and athleticism to outmanoeuvre the infected, not relying on the relative safety of a vehicle.
Melee Combat and Immersion
Dying Light games are known for their brutal and visceral melee combat. The lack of firearms in Dying Light 2 further reinforces this focus, pushing players into direct confrontations with the infected. Adding vehicles would inevitably shift the gameplay balance, allowing players to easily run over enemies and avoid engaging in the challenging and rewarding combat the game offers. The immersion of being constantly vulnerable and having to rely on your skills and crafting to survive would be significantly diminished.
Lore and Worldbuilding
While not explicitly stated, the post-apocalyptic setting offers a plausible explanation for the lack of usable vehicles. The text provided notes, “… the vast majority of cars in the post-apocalyptic city of Villedor have been completely and utterly destroyed.” Two decades after the initial outbreak of Harran virus, usable vehicles would likely be a rare commodity. Fuel would be scarce, maintenance difficult, and spare parts virtually non-existent. The destroyed cars scattered throughout Villedor serve as a visual reminder of the world’s collapse and underscore the scarcity of resources. It supports that running and parkour would be the only options.
Game Balance and Challenge
Vehicles would trivialize many aspects of the game. Navigating the map would become much easier, escaping chases would be effortless, and combat encounters would lose their intensity. Dying Light 2 is designed to be challenging, with the threat of the infected constantly looming. Removing that element of danger would undermine the core gameplay experience. While some players might enjoy the convenience of vehicles, they would ultimately disrupt the carefully crafted balance of the game.
Why Didn’t Techland Include At Least Some Vehicles?
This is a valid question. Considering the time elapsed since the outbreak, one might expect some makeshift or jury-rigged vehicles to exist. However, the game’s design appears to favour a specific type of post-apocalyptic survival that puts the player’s physical capabilities, strategic decision-making, and resource management front and center. The addition of vehicles would mean that many of the game’s parkour elements, which took significant resources and development time to create, would be rendered obsolete.
In summary, the absence of vehicles in Dying Light 2 is not an omission, but a conscious design decision to enhance the parkour system, maintain the focus on melee combat, reinforce the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, and preserve the game’s challenge and balance.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Will Dying Light 2 ever add vehicles in future updates or DLCs?
While Techland has added new content and features post-launch, including firearms, there has been no official indication of plans to introduce drivable vehicles. Given the core design philosophy of the game, it’s unlikely that vehicles will be added, but they did add a buggy to the first game via DLC, so who knows.
2. Are there any mods that add vehicles to Dying Light 2?
Yes, the PC modding community is very active, and there are likely mods that introduce vehicles into Dying Light 2. However, using mods can sometimes lead to instability or glitches, and they are not officially supported by Techland. Be cautious when installing any mods.
3. Why did Dying Light 1 have vehicles in The Following DLC but Dying Light 2 doesn’t?
The Following DLC for Dying Light 1 took place in a vast, open countryside area. This landscape was ideal for vehicle use. Dying Light 2, set in a dense urban environment, doesn’t lend itself to vehicles in the same way.
4. What are some alternatives to vehicles for fast travel in Dying Light 2?
Dying Light 2 features a robust parkour system, zip lines, paragliders, and fast travel points (once unlocked) to help players navigate the map quickly. These options are designed to complement the game’s core mechanics.
5. Does the lack of vehicles make the game world feel smaller?
Some players may feel that the absence of vehicles makes the map feel smaller. However, the verticality of Villedor, combined with the intricate parkour system, provides a sense of scale and exploration that can rival that of a larger, but flatter, environment.
6. How does the absence of vehicles impact co-op gameplay?
In co-op, players must coordinate their movements and utilize parkour skills to travel together. This can enhance the sense of teamwork and create unique gameplay moments. The lack of vehicles encourages more direct interaction between players.
7. Are there any hints or easter eggs in the game referencing vehicles?
There might be some visual references to cars or other vehicles in the environment, but there are no drivable vehicles or specific lore elements directly addressing their absence beyond their destroyed state.
8. Could vehicles be added in a potential sequel or spin-off of Dying Light 2?
It’s possible. If a future Dying Light game were to take place in a more open or rural setting, vehicles could be a viable addition. However, Techland would need to carefully consider how to balance their inclusion with the game’s core mechanics.
9. Does the game lore explain why there are so few usable cars?
The provided text mentions that the cars in Villedor are “completely and utterly destroyed,” suggesting that the harsh conditions, lack of maintenance, and scavenging efforts have rendered most vehicles unusable. The lore implies resource scarcity.
10. Does the game world feel empty without vehicles?
The game world does not feel empty due to the high number of zombies and NPCs inhabiting Villedor. The city’s design and the ever-present threat of the infected create a sense of urgency and danger.
11. How does the parkour system compensate for the lack of vehicles?
The parkour system allows players to traverse rooftops, climb walls, and swing across gaps with fluidity and speed. This provides a unique and engaging method of transportation that is tailored to the urban environment. It’s a core part of the gameplay loop.
12. Are there any drivable objects in the game, like forklifts or construction equipment?
No, there are no drivable objects of any kind in Dying Light 2. The focus is entirely on parkour, melee combat, and resource management.
13. What are some of the challenges of implementing vehicles in a parkour-focused game?
One of the biggest challenges would be integrating vehicles seamlessly with the parkour system. The developers would need to ensure that vehicles don’t feel clunky or out of place in the urban environment. Balancing vehicle combat with melee combat would also be difficult.
14. Are there any community discussions or petitions calling for the addition of vehicles?
While there may be some players who would like to see vehicles added to Dying Light 2, the majority of the community seems to appreciate the game’s focus on parkour and melee combat. It is not a big topic on gaming forums.
15. What can game developers learn from the decision to exclude vehicles in Dying Light 2?
Techland’s decision highlights the importance of aligning gameplay mechanics with the game’s setting, lore, and core design philosophy. Sometimes, leaving out a common feature can enhance the unique identity of a game. The GamesLearningSociety.org could perform educational research on the success and failures of these types of design choices.