Dying Light 2 gives you complete control of the narrative

We recently spoke to Techland's Tymon Smektała at E3 about the new narrative elements they are bringing to Dying Light 2 and how that will affect gameplay in the sequel.

One of the biggest revelations from the E3 press demo was the fact legendary narrative designer Chris Avellone is working with the studio to help refine the game's world and characters. Best known for his work on classic RPGs such as Fallout and Planescape: Torment it should be interesting to see what Avellone brings to the project.

"I think what we wanted of Chris was his expertise and understanding of non-linear narratives because he really is a master of it," Smektała said.

Dying light 2 will be a narrative sandbox that actively changes the world around you based on the story choices you make. In a setting that is described as "the modern dark ages" players must engage with survivors and make choices that can drive the story in a variety of directions, some of which would require multiple playthroughs to see.

"When people think of medieval times they think of things like intrigue, betrayal, infidelity, all of the things you see in say Game of Thrones," Smektała told Gamereactor. "That's the inspiration for the narrative, so in this game you can be the Machiavelli of this world who tries to play with those people trying to feel in control and be the master of it and create the outcome in the end that he wants."

The frantic parkour-based gameplay of the original will return with similar weapon mechanics all framed by a deeper story. Of course, players can expect a host of new enemies and items, although details of these have not yet been shared.

Dying Light 2 is currently in the pre-alpha phase and will release in 2019 for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.