Although fans will have to wait until next July for the next dose of live-action Spider-Man, his animated counterpart hits theaters much sooner–this December. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is a feature-length animated movie in which Spidey encounters many different versions of himself and has to save reality against the evil Kingpin.
While the previous trailer showed us three Spideys–Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Gwen Stacey–the latest reveals that there are no fewer than six within the Multiverse of the title. There’s also the 1940s hero Spider-Man Noir, Peni Parker (aka SP//dr), and, er Spider-Ham. It’s fast-moving, funny, spectacularly animated, and looks like a must-see this Christmas. Check it out above.
Into The Spider-Verse is produced by The Lego Movie‘s Phil Lord and Chris Miller, with a screenplay by Lord. The voice cast includes Shameik Moore (The Get Down) as Miles, Jake Johnson (Jurassic World) as Peter, Hailee Steinfeld (Bumblebee) as Gwen, plus Nicolas Cage (Mandy), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), and Mahershala Ali (Luke Cage).
In a recent interview, Miller spoke about the movie’s distinctive visuals. “This is a new, unique experience, and we are pushing the medium,” he said, via Indiewire. “We’re getting away with so much with this movie. It’s a pretty wild style.” Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse hits theaters on December 14.
In related news, the first images of the villain in next year’s live-action Marvel sequel Spider-Man: Far From Home were revealed this week. Jake Gyllenhall will play Mysterio, and new pictures show him on set in the Czech Republic.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 reveals are coming in thick and fast in the lead up to release. In September we finally got hands-on with the game, learned more about Red Dead Redemption 2’s online mode, and received confirmation that the game is going to require a healthy portion of your hard drive space. Now, developer Rockstar Games has released another gameplay trailer to keep the train rolling.
The video, which is being referred to as “Gameplay Video Part 2” shows how the world of Red Dead Redemption 2 throws players into adventures in a way that feels natural. These range from the grand events such as robbing trains and getting up to no good, to having smaller personal moments with members of your gang or random inhabitants of the world. In the video we’re also shown more of how the new Dead Eye system works. Interestingly, the special ability now progresses in stages and allows players to paint targets and see critical points, as well as slow time down to aim. We also get a look at some first-person gameplay.
There’s also a look at customization and the various smaller activities you can engage in, whether that’s dressing up, eating, keeping facial hair in check, bathing, or playing games. Of course, you can also duel, go bounty hunting–but through all this, your behavior is being tracked and will have consequences. Check out the gameplay trailer above, as well as our discussion of the opening hours of the game.
The first gameplay trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 made its debut in August and it delivered an in-depth look at the game. We got a little more acquainted with the harsh American landscape Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in, with peeks at the untamed swamplands, sweeping deserts, livestock towns, and cities in the midst of transformation. According to Rockstar, players will be able to travel around these distinct areas seamlessly, and each will serve up a plethora of missions and activities to engage with.
Other key aspects of the game it showed off included your relationship with other members of the Van der Linde gang, how players will be able to interact with characters outside of the gang, and horses, which now have personalities and, depending on their breed, will behave differently.
We have in-depth coverage Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay from our hands-on time with the game, which allowed us to dig into some of the many gameplay systems and explore some of the depth that the world provides us. We came away pretty impressed with the level of detail in the world and discussed this in our preview video. Since playing the game, Rockstar has released more screenshots and details on gameplay mechanics such as hunting and fishing.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It will be available in a number of special editions, and get the details on all of them in our Red Dead Redemption pre-order guide. A PS4 Pro bundle will also be available.
Red Dead Redemption 2’s online mode, meanwhile, will launch as a beta in November. As with all betas, Rockstar has warned players to expect “teething problems” as the mode may not roll out as smoothly as it intends it to.
From all that we’ve seen of Red Dead Redemption 2 thus far, it’s evident Rockstar Games has crafted a detailed and reactive world to explore in its much anticipated western sequel. Not only will the non-playable characters you encounter snitch on your crimes if they see you engaging in some shady activities, you’ll be able to interact with strangers you come across in various other ways, which can have some unexpected consequences.
During our most recent hands-on session with Red Dead Redemption 2, we were traveling leisurely down a dirt path that led to a crossroads. There, we encountered an older gentleman on the side of the road affixing a horseshoe to his horse. As we passed him, the game presented several different interaction prompts, giving us the option to Callout or Antagonize him. We chose to greet him, and in return, he stopped what he was doing and greeted us back.
However, our casual interaction had a completely unintended result. As he was returning our greeting, his horse was suddenly spooked and kicked the old man in the head, killing him instantly. The horse then ran away down the path as we went over to inspect the man’s body. Even when Arthur Morgan has the best of intentions, it seems interacting with strangers can turn deadly.
Later in the demo, we encountered a Mexican gunslinger shooting bottles off of a railroad bridge. We approached him, and he revealed that he crossed the border to find the “best marksman in America.” The man then challenged us to see who could shoot the most bottles off of the bridge in half a minute, with each of us wagering $5 or $10. We agreed to wager $5, and when the challenge ended, we saw that he has shot one more bottle than we were able to.
The man then asked if we’d like to double down on the wager. We declined, and just as we were about to leave, he reminded us that we had yet to pay him. It seems the game doesn’t automatically deduct the money from your wallet when you accept these kinds of challenges; rather, you have to manually interact with the man to give him the money. We were then presented with the option to either pay him or refuse. Naturally, we chose the latter, and the man responded by firing at us.
There are numerous other ways the world in Red Dead Redemption 2 will react to you. As previously mentioned, characters who witness your misdeeds will be able to rat you out to the law unless you’re able to intimidate them otherwise, and some characters will even begin avoiding you if you don’t keep up with Arthur’s personal hygiene.
Red Dead Redemption 2 releases for PS4 and Xbox One later this month, on October 26. The game will be available in various editions; you can learn more about what each one contains in our Red Dead Redemption 2 pre-order guide. Later in November, Rockstar will release Red Dead Redemption 2’s online mode as a beta for those who’ve purchased the game, much like it released GTA Online one month after Grand Theft Auto V launched.
The follow-up to Rockstar Games’ classic western game Red Dead Redemption is fast approaching. Set 12 years before the events of the original game, Red Dead Redemption 2 will explore an expansive region of the American wilderness, with Dutch Van der Linde’s gang on the run from lawmen during the last years of the wild west. Experiencing Rockstar’s take on the open-world western from a new perspective, you’ll uncover the history of the Van Der Linde gang, which has a young John Marston in its thralls.
We got the opportunity to play Red Dead Redemption 2, and suffice to say, it’s shaping up to be one of the most detailed open world games we’ve ever played. You can find out more in our preview below where you can read about our experiences completing story missions and exploring the game’s world. There’s also plenty of details below on the game’s narrative and all of its trailers. With its release date of October 26 approaching, we’re beginning to learn a lot more about the base game, as well as its Red Dead Online mode.
Set 12 years before the main events of the original game, the prequel focuses on the outlaw life of the Van der Linde gang, led by Red Dead Redemption’s main antagonists. After a robbery in Blackwater (one of the original game’s major towns) goes bad–the gang finds themselves on the run. Dutch, his right-hand man Arthur Morgan, and several members of the gang have to contend with a life on-the-run while confrontations with rival gangs and the law make their situation grow more desperate.
Rockstar also released a description of the plot:
America, 1899. The end of the wild west era has begun as lawmen hunt down the last remaining outlaw gangs. Those who will not surrender or succumb are killed. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him.
The First Reveal
Debuting on October 20, 2016, the first trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 was a bit of a mood piece that showcased many locales in the game, while also portraying the somber tone of the main narrative. In this trailer, we saw several towns and locales, many of which are teeming with life and activity–such as ranchers rustling up some cattle, huntsmen bringing back their haul, and a group of citizens hanging out in the general store.
Who Are You Playing As?
Though the central character of Red Dead Redemption, John Marston, plays some role in the story–the main protagonist of the prequel is Arthur Morgan. As Dutch’s right-hand man and enforcer for the gang, he’ll handle much of the daily duties of keeping the gang in-check–which includes a young and less-experienced John Marston. When it comes to keeping the gang and its community afloat, Morgan is quite handy with picking up various jobs to ensure everyone is well fed and in good spirits. But as the story progresses, he’ll begin to question his own resolve for Dutch’s way of life, and whether he still has a place in the gang.
The Second Trailer
On September 28, 2017, the second trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2 debuted. In the new footage, we got to see more of Arthur Morgan and how ruthless he can be while on the job. During some of the story cutscenes, Morgan will use coercion and physical threats to collect money and information, all for the “benefit” of the community. For more info on this particular trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.
Who’s In Dutch’s Gang?
In Red Dead Redemption 2, we’ll see Dutch’s gang and its key players in their prime. While the original game had John hunt down and kill the remaining members of the gang, we’ll see many of the familiar faces in relatively happier times. From the most recent trailer, we see Dutch Van der Linde, Arthur Morgan, Bill Williamson, Javier Esquela, Sadie Adler, Charles Smith, Micah Bell, Hosea Matthews, and of course John Marston in the roster. We’ll also interact with other characters who would have a key role in the gang and in the lives of both Arthur Morgan and John Marston.
The Third Trailer
In the new footage released on May 2, we saw a deeper look into the game’s narrative and how the gang functions. Along with the familiar activities like hunting, heists, and side-quests with the region’s citizens, rob trains and banks, and take in shows at theaters. For the most part, the trailer focuses on the many connections you’ll have with the members of the gang, as well as how your choices will affect them. For more info on the third trailer, check out our detailed breakdown.
First Gameplay Trailer
On August 9, Rockstar unveiled Red Dead Redemption 2’s first gameplay trailer. The new footage revealed that the core mechanics from the original game were still intact, but almost everything had received a facelift. Wildlife is smarter and lives within its own ecosystem. Arthur Morgan can interact with the people around him in ways John Marston never could.
Second Gameplay Trailer
On October 2, Rockstar finally showcased the second round of gameplay footage it promised. It dives more deeply into the game’s side-activities, as well as the nature of the world and its varying systems. In addition, there’s an in-depth look at how the sequel’s dead eye system works.
What’s New In Red Dead Redemption 2?
While the sequel is largely in the same vein as its predecessor, focusing on exploration, hunting, shoot-outs, heists, and other side-activities where you’ll interact with a number of unique characters–Red Dead Redemption 2 features a far more expansive world to dive into. There are a ton of new mechanics in Red Dead Redemption 2. Below you can find a bulleted list of many of the new features in the game, but for all the details on everything new, check out our comprehensive list of all the new features we’ve discovered so far.
You can play the whole game in first-person
You can disable the HUD
A new cinematic camera is utilized during missions where you’re traveling across the world during missions
You can inspect nearly all items in the world
Your weapons are always visible on your person
There’s a killcam that changes depending on your honor
You can break enemy weapons
Dead Eye has five levels now
Your guns can degrade and jam
You need to maintain and clean Arthur or else you’ll get dirty and disgust people around you
You can gain and lose weight
How It Plays: Our In-Depth Preview
We recently got a hands-on with a near final-build of Red Dead Redemption 2. It plays much like its predecessor, but with a bevy of new features and systems that enhance its storytelling, combat, and overall progression. We got to experience two story missions, as well as a chance to goof around freely in the open world. There’s a lot to unpack about how the upcoming sequel looks and feels, so be sure to read our in-depth preview detailing our impressions about how it plays.
How Will Online Multiplayer Work?
Currently, Rockstar hasn’t shared any info on how the online play will function. The original Red Dead Redemption featured online free-for-all and team deathmatch style gameplay in the open world, along with several co-op themed missions. While it’s safe to assume that these sorts of missions will return, another long-lingering rumor is the appearance of a battle royale mode. Rockstar has recently confirmed that a public beta for the online mode is scheduled for a month after the game’s launch.
How Can I Play RDR2? When Is Its Release Date?
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set for release on October 26 for PS4 and Xbox One. There are also plans for a collector’s edition of the game called the Special Edition. Priced at $80, the package includes a copy of the game along with special missions, weapons and a physical map of the game world for players to own. There are also two additional packs for Red Dead Redemption 2 for premium prices, The Ultimate Edition and The Collector’s Box–both priced at $100. While The Ultimate Edition has all items from the special edition–including additional DLC items to acquire–The Collector’s Box does not include any digital items. Instead, it offers special playing cards, artwork, a bandit’s bandana, a physical map of the game world, and a collector’s coin in the set.
It’s worth noting that the PS4 version will have special content that’s exclusive to that version for 30 days. There is still no word as to what the PlayStation-exclusive content is, but now we know it’s for Red Dead Online and that Xbox One owners will have to wait to check it out.
Though the original Red Dead Redemption never found its way to the PC, there’s been some rumors that its sequel might. A mention of Red Dead Redemption 2’s appearance on PC found its way online, but it has since been scrubbed.
PS4 Pro Bundle
Although the system itself doesn’t sport a unique design, there will be a Red Dead Redemption 2 PS4 Pro bundle. Priced at $400 in the US, you’re essentially getting a copy of the game for free. However, this doesn’t include any of the aforementioned special editions; it’s just a standard edition version of the game. The bundle is available for pre-order now.
There have been rumors that HBO was considering picking up a new version of the Watchmen series, adapted for TV, for some time. Now, the company has announced it has officially green lit the show, which is being written and produced by Damon Lindelof, the co-creator of Lost and films like Star Trek Into Darkness and Prometheus. There aren’t many details on the series yet, but we know it will debut in 2019.
“Set in an alternate history where ‘superheroes’ are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original groundbreaking graphic novel while attempting to break new ground of its own,” HBO wrote in a blog post, confirming the story will start at the beginning of the comic series, while introducing some new elements at the same time. Earlier this year, Lindelof took to Instagram explaining why the series wouldn’t be a sequel or a reboot.
“Those issues are sacred ground and will not be retread nor recreated nor reproduced nor rebooted,” he said. “They will however be remixed. We are not making a ‘sequel’ either. This story will be set in the world its creators painstakingly built… but in the tradition of the work that inspired it, this new story must be original. It has to vibrate with the seismic unpredictability of its own tectonic plates,” he continued.
“It must ask new questions and explore the world through a fresh lens. Most importantly, it must be contemporary. The Old Testament was specific to the Eighties of Reagan and Thatcher and Gorbachev. Ours needs to resonate with the frequency of Trump and May and Putin and the horse that he rides around on, shirtless. And speaking of Horsemen, The End of the World is off the table… which means the heroes and villains–as if the two are distinguishable–are playing for different stakes entirely.”
Watchmen first made it to the screen in 2009, when Zach Snyder adapted the graphic novel for film. HBO tried unsuccessfully to get a TV series based on the story off the ground in 2014. Lindelof has a history with HBO; his acclaimed drama The Leftovers was also shown on the network, recently ending with its third and final season.
First published by DC in 1986, Watchmen is a much-loved and celebrated 12-part graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. It’s credited with introducing a darker and more mature tone to the traditional superhero comic. In 2005, it was even featured on Time’s list of the 100 greatest novels of the 20th century.
God of War is easily one of the most popular and critically-acclaimed games of the past year, and while it has hit huge success post-release, it was not always so certain that the PS4 game would do the franchise justice. Speaking at Devcom 2018, the developer-focused event at Gamescom, creative director Cory Barlog got candid with the audience and told them about some of the challenges he and his team faced during development, including the time Shuhei Yoshida, the head of SIE Worldwide Studios, came in to play the game. It didn’t go well.
During playtesting of the game, much of God of War was still looking rough, reports Gameindustry.biz. “Part of it was that we were building the engine and tools, as we were building the mechanics, as we were designing the mechanics, as we were then designing the levels,” Barlog said. “All of those groups had to build everything at the same time.” He added that many playtesters had intense reactions to the game at this point, accusing his team of “ruining” Kratos after seeing certain cinematics and gameplay.
As the God of War team was about to release a demo of the game, with only six months to go until release, Shuhei Yoshida came to the studio for a playthrough. “I mean, the framerate was terrible, everything just felt bad. He’s playing, he’s got scrunched up shoulders, head shaking a little bit,” said Barlog.
“He kinda just shook his head and walked out the door…He never told me how he felt. In fact, he only told one of my friends, who he saw at a party. [Yoshida] said, ‘Oh, you’re working on God of War? I just gotta say, I played the game the other day. I was horrified.’” He added that this was a turning point in rallying his team to get the frame rate back up and work out some of God of War’s core issues.
In the end, Yoshida returned to play the game a second time. “He played it again, and you can see the two different poses of Shu. Horrified is much more rigid. The second time, he was not horrified. It was super good. Very exciting,” said Barlog. God of War released in April and received rave reviews, including GameSpot’s review, which gave the game a 9/10. Despite its rocky development, it turned into a “spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat,” according to reviewer Peter Brown.
“What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result,” he added. “Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come.”
In other God of War news, the game has just released an update and introduced the New Game Plus mode. It allows you to play through the game again, but with access to your unlocks, abilities, and weapons, meaning you’ll have them all right from the start.
CD Projekt Red, the Polish developer behind The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, has acquired a majority stake in another Polish developer, Spokko, that is making a new mobile game.
There is no word on exactly what Spokko is making for CD Projekt Red, but the Witcher studio teased that it is giving Spokko access to at least some of its intellectual properties.
In fact, Spokko came to CD Projekt Red to pitch an idea about one of the studio’s brands. “They approached us with an interesting idea based on one of our brands–an idea we decided to invest in,” CD Projekt boss Adam Kicinski said in a statement (via Gamasutra). “We want to expand our business with innovative concepts and solutions, and the vision presented to us by the Spokko team represents an entirely novel creative angle. The new studio will be largely independent. We intend to provide it with a distinct identity and creative autonomy, in line with the philosophy which has long guided the actions of the CD Projekt Group.”
Spokko co-founder Maciej Weiss said in his own statement that he is “elated” about CD Projekt’s decision to invest in Spokko. He also teased that Spokko’s new game for CD Projekt is “far more advanced and ambitious” as the more casual titles that the team made before. “
“This time around we want to work on a far more advanced and ambitious project, offering new possibilities for gamers,” Weiss said. “It’s a very exciting challenge.”
Spokko, which is based in Warsaw, is currently hiring for a number of positions. Whatever Spokko is making, it won’t be CD Projekt’s first mobile game, as the studio already released Gwent on mobile devices.
New details on The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red’s ambitious RPG Cyberpunk 2077 will be shared during Gamescom on Tuesday, August 21, the studio has announced.
This will be the first big update on the game since it was finally shown off in more detail at E3 2018 back in June. Gamescom is one of the biggest gaming shows on the planet, so it’s no surprise that Cyberpunk 2077 will have a presence there.
New system update available: gamescom version 2.18 > System update available > Update: Y/N > Updating, please wait… > System update successful! Welcome to gamescom v. 2.18! Next update scheduled for Tuesday, August 21st.#Cyberpunk2077#Gamescom2018pic.twitter.com/CLAfwYu24T
It’s not clear what time exactly the new information will be released, but keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest. As of yet, we don’t know the news will be.
At E3, CD Projekt Red showed a CG trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 during Microsoft’s briefing. The company then showed off gameplay behind closed doors; GameSpot was impressed by it.
Cyberpunk 2077 is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, but it doesn’t have a release date yet. For more, check out all of GameSpot’s previous coverage here.
With Lauren Cohan set to exitThe Walking Dead this season, alongside original star Andrew Lincoln, the actress has been careful to note this isn’t necessarily the last fans of her will see on the show. Instead, she says Maggie’s story is left “open-ended.” That’s a massive change of course, given that most departing characters on The Walking Dead wind up dead or turning into zombies.
Now, after wrapping her final scenes on the series, for now, Cohan opened up to GameSpot about saying goodbye to The Walking Dead. “I’ve been really busy, so I’ve been definitely distracted from getting too much into my thoughts about it,” she tells GameSpot while promoting her new film Mile 22. “But I had a lot of time to think about it before I came back to Walking Dead this season. And what the show means to me, what my family there means to me, what my time there has meant, and how this role has impacted my life which is immeasurable.”
As for the decision to keep Maggie’s fate on the series open-ended, she’s quick to note it doesn’t mean she’ll return to the show, though that is certainly a possibility. Instead, Cohan feels like this is the proper way to say goodbye to Maggie, as the show reaches the end of her story at this point.
“It feels like the greatest way to honor it is to keep it open-ended because whether it’s about me going back as Maggie or whether it’s about me just taking in, absorbing, and honoring everything I’ve learned there,” she says. “It never leaves me. It will never, ever leave me. And that is I think the greatest compliment you can give to anything and to any group of people because we all came together to make something that we didn’t know was going to have this success that it did.”
In many ways, she also grew up as an actor on the show. “It taught me to trust in such an important, creative way,” she explains. “I don’t think I can ever shake that. Once you have an experience like that, it really dictates the measure of how you want to connect with people going forward in my work.”
Now, as she looks to life after the zombie apocalypse, Cohan is stretching her acting wings. Whether it’s the espionage drama Whiskey Cavalier she’s starring in on ABC or her new action movie Mile 22, in which she stars alongside Mark Wahlberg and Ronda Rousey, she’s taking on projects a far cry from characters simply trying to survive in a dying world.
“I feel so honored that [director Peter Berg] wanted me to be involved in Mile 22 and that Mark wanted me to be involved in Mile 22,” she says. “It was a quick casting process. I made my tape and then I had a little bit of feedback that Pete liked it and wanted to meet me. And when I sat down to meet with him, he told me there on the spot that I had the part. I was so overwhelmed with pride that he wanted me to be involved in one of his projects. And somebody that I respect so much, I was just pinching myself.”
Dying Light 2 really ups the stakes when it comes to traversing a lawless open world where danger lurks around every corner. With the original Dying Light offering a clever blend of parkour exploration and brutal combat of a zombie-survival game, the follow up to Techland’s stellar open-world game plans to focus on offering its players more freedom in movement, while letting them decide the fate of one of humanity’s last stable cities. Revealed at the Microsoft Press Conference, the sequel plans to maintain the momentum gained by the original’s post-launch success, while offering a more reactive and living world to explore.
During E3 2018, we had the chance to see an extended demo presentation of Dying Light 2 in action, showcasing its broader scope and focus on a more ambitious, adaptive narrative. Sticking with many of the core features of the original game, such as freeform parkour traversal, melee combat, and gradual character growth, the sequel goes a bit further by making some tough choices in a far more dire and bleak circumstance.
Taking place 15 years after the events of the original game, the viral outbreak has spread across the world, causing mass societal collapse. Set in one of Europe’s last remaining cities, you’ll take on the role of an urban explorer who will traverse the expansive city while butting heads with the many factions vying for control. While the main character can go it alone and play each side against one another, there will come a time where you’ll have to choose a side to better your situation. But as one faction gains control of areas of the city, you’ll gradually see the impact of your previous decision, for better or worse.
Referred to as a “modern dark age” by the developers, the last vestiges of humanity stay within the walls of the city with sparse resources and poor infrastructure. To make matters worse, several dens of infected remain, and zombies walk the streets in long abandoned districts of town. With electrical technology being a luxury, and firearms being few and far between, you’ll have to rely on jerry-rigged close-range weapons and quick feet to stay on top of things. While the original game featured a largely standard storyline, the sequel offers a more interactive approach to storytelling. With Chris Avellone serving as narrative director, who’s past works including CRPG classics like Baldur’s Gate and the Fallout series, the player has a say regarding the direction of the story, and the impact it has on the world.
During the demo, we saw the player come into conflict with a group of bandits who have managed to take control of one of the town’s few water towers. Tasked by the neutral good faction known as the Peacekeepers, the main character had to make their way to deal with the situation. In this section, which was a pivotal moment for this particular district in town, we got to see more of the expanded melee and parkour gameplay. The new setting of the European metropolis is much larger than than the original game’s multiple areas, which required the devs to come up with a more expanded traversal system. In Dying Light 2, you’ll be able to slide under fences, use ropes swings, and round corners much easier while jumping over the rooftops of the city. There looks to be a far more freeform style of locomotion and platforming, which is impressive as the original game had some solid traversal mechanics. There are also a set of new platforming puzzle sequences that put you in more precarious situations.
Eventually, the player confronts the gang leader who controls the water tower. During important character interactions, you’ll be presented with several dialog options that can decide where you want things to go. In this case, the developers chose the more noble option and fought the gang leader and his henchmen. Melee combat has also seen an overhaul, with enemy AI and their tactics proving to be more cunning and resilient–using several parries and dodges to gang up on the protagonist. Action looks just as brutal as the original game, and there’s a focus on mixing up your parkour and combat skills to chain together attacks–such as using a hanging pipe to swing off and land a kick on an enemy.
After this sequence, the Peacekeepers gain control of the district and its water tower, turning the district into a safer place for citizens. While this seems like the “good” choice for a better community–and in some ways it is as there’s running water for all citizens–the Peacekeepers also keep their territories under an iron fist. Any form of dissent or pushback from the populace will result in public punishment, or even execution. The developers also took the time show a different path for players in this situation. Choosing to side with the gang leader instead, the player becomes to the silent partner for the gang, collecting tribute as the bandits charge money for clean water from the depressed citizens.
Dying Light 2 looks to advance upon many of the core pillars of the original, while also adding in a surprisingly dense, and varied approach to its core story. While you can expect to find many of the pulse-pounding action sequences, and fast-paced traversal mechanics, there’s definitely a more thoughtful approach to how it asks players to tackle the story. With the game being four-times larger than the original, Dying Light 2 could be a major upgrade from the original, and that in itself is a major accomplishment.
For more info on Dying Light 2, and all other games we had the chance to see during E3 2018, be sure to visit GameSpot’s E3 Hub page.
