Techland has revealed how the Dying Light 2 parkour gameplay is different from reality, detailing the compromises made for the sake of gameplay and player comfort.
There's a little over two weeks to go before the launch of Dying Light 2. We've recently seen the final episode of its special Dying 2 Know series of videos which revealed that the entire game would be playable in 4-person co-op. Now, one of the developers has sat down for a discussion to explain how Dying Light 2 parkour works.
How Dying Light 2 Parkour Works (And How It's Different from Reality
A lot of work went into the Dying Light 2 parkour system, especially in light of the real-world challenges that emerge from players virtually experiencing the sport. Thus far, we've already seen some of these moves in action in gameplay videos, and we've also learned that parkour is going to get its own dedicated skill tree.
Techland went all-in for developing the parkour systems of Dying Light 2, even going as far as to consult with David Belle -- the man widely recognized as being the father of parkour. However, making this sport work well in a virtual environment has its challenges, and some sacrifices needed to be made for gameplay.
Lead Game Designer Tymon Smektała explains that video games introduce some unique challenges for making parkour playable. For example, you tend to have a narrower field of view (FOV) in a game, and that can make it difficult to take in all of the information you need while running around the world. That issue has resulted in some compromises being made for the sake of gameplay, most notably through slow-motion sequences at certain moments and slightly longer airtime compared to reality.
Smektała also noted that Aiden runs at a realistic speed (7 m/s, or 14 mph) and that gravity is accurately depicted, but Aiden jumps a little higher than a person would normally be able to -- again, for the sake of gameplay. Interestingly, he noted that the gravity in the first Dying Light and in Dead Island was actually twice as strong as it would be in the real world.
The issue of motion sickness (also known as "simulation sickness" within the context of games) was also addressed. Some of the diversions from reality (such as the slowdown during certain moves and slightly increased airtime) were made to avert players feeling dizzy or ill. While this issue only affects a small portion of players, it's something the developers have to consider; for example, the devs of Mirror's Edge did a lot of research to figure out a solution to this problem.
Ultimately, the Dying Light 2 parkour system is meant to be as realistic as possible while allowing players a little more leeway for landing that perfect jump and avoiding causing motion sickness in people who are playing (or even watching) the game
Techland Celebrates 3 Million Dying Light 2 Wishlists
Today's video aside, Techland had a nice bit of news to share -- there have been over 3 million Dying Light 2 wishlists to date.
"Over 3[,000,000] of you have added Dying Light 2 Stay Human to your wishlists on Steam!" read a tweet from Techland. "Thank you so much, each and every one of you. See you in The City on February 4th!"
Wishlists are typically a good indicator of a game's potential sales (although that's not always the case). It looks like Dying Light 2 is going to be fairly popular on launch -- you can experience the fun for yourself by pre-purchasing Dying Light 2 for PC and consoles starting at $59.99 or your regional equivalent.
What do you think of the changes made for the Dying Light 2 parkour system? What's your favorite game with parkour? Let us know in the comments below!
