As we steadily approach the release date of “Dying Light 2 Stay Human”, a number of social media users have been voicing their concerns about the slow and “floaty” parkour system.
In gameplay clips, it seems as though the main character Aiden is floating in the air for far too long.
To the human eye, it looks a bit unnatural. Especially when you compare it against the speed of the original Dying Light game.
However, this slowness is not a bug or some sort of silly oversight. Instead, it is by design.
According to Techland designer Tymon Smektala, they purposely added this “lag” so that players can make better decisions.
“First of all, when you run or parkour in the game, you need that extra time to make the correct decision about what you want to do next. This is the main reason why some of the animations in our game last a little longer in the final moment of their sequence. This is also the reason why Aiden stays in the air a little bit longer than a normal person would do.”
His rationale does makes sense, as Dying Light 2 will have a much more complex parkour system than the first game.
However, hardcore fans of the series are hesitant to accept this.
The first Dying Light game was quick to punish bad decisions.
Part of what made the original game so great was its unforgiving nature.
For instance, I still remember trying to run away from a Volatile during my first night in Harran. It was frantic, terrifying and confusing. If you made one bad decision during your escape, you were toast.
And that’s what made it so fun to play.
By reducing the player’s chances of making a mistake, Techland may inadvertently reduce the “fear factor” that made the game so enjoyable in the first place.
Of course, it is also possible that fans are overreacting and that they will quickly become accustomed to the new mechanics. In many cases, people hate change even if it is for the better.
If this new “feature” does become a major game-breaking issue, then hopefully Techland will be quick to address it.
In my own personal opinion, the perfect compromise would be a setting which allows the player to change how “floaty” Aiden is.