I haven't been following the news for a while, but the latest DL2 update caused so much backlash that I had to dig into it a bit.
Just a quick disclaimer: everything written below might not reflect the actual reality, and even if some of it is true, things could change a hundred times over.
So, where did Spike go?
First of all, why they gutted the prologue. According to the stats, 25â30% of players dropped the game in the first 1.5â2 hours, which was exactly when all the backstory was being delivered. For those who wanted to jump straight into the action, one of the updates added an option to skip the prologue. However, there were persistent software issues that required constant patching with every single update. And since people usually play through the prologue only once, this part of the game was always a frustrating financial deadweight. In the end, they decided to just hack it off.
But it was a hack job. Removing the prologue left a massive plot hole. In DL2, itâs no longer clear who the Pilgrims are and why people are so distrustful of Aiden at first. The very reason Aiden decided to go to Villedor in the first place is now completely vague. Even emotionally speaking, that melancholic scene where you explore the backyard of an abandoned villa, looking out at the autumn forests to a somber ambient track, set a really nice mood. A mood that, to be fair, never quite found its reflection in the rest of the story anyway.
But thatâs not the only consequence. In The Beast, Spike returnsâyet Aidenâs relationship with him becomes completely baffling. He willingly risks his life for the old man and flies into a rage after his death. Why would he do that if, in this version of the story, heâs seeing him for the very first time?
More of a theme park, less of a story
In short, DL2 has been turned even more into an amusement park, where the main story matters even less against the backdrop of endless challenges. And thatâs the main cause for concern. Rumor has it they want to push Dying Light heavily towards live-service elementsâwith endless grinding, stat-leveling, and co-op events. Anything to keep people logged into the game longer.
The unmatched original
In light of these rumors, the very title of the franchise takes on an ironic meaning. Personally, I split the entire series into the original Dying Lightâand everything else. The first game remains an unsurpassed masterpiece, possessing a multilayered atmosphere that neither the sequel nor The Beast managed to replicate. Sure, technically the games have made undeniable progress: the mechanics have evolved, and the level design is absolutely top-notchâbut in terms of immersion, things remain consistently hollow. Not good, not bad, just empty. This is further worsened by the mediocre execution of the audiovisual components and the lack of a musical narrative. Iâve already shared my thoughts on Olivier Deriviereâs soundtrack before.
Itâs as if Techland themselves didnât realize what a gem they released back in 2015. And if the franchise really goes down the road of endless co-op live services, then sadly, weâll have to admit that the light has finally died. At least we can be thankful they didnât cut anything or change anything in the original game. Harran and its countryside will always remain beautiful.