Is Dying Light 1 or 2 the superior parkour zombie game?

If you forced me to choose just one, I‘d say Dying Light 1 is better for its narrative and horror atmosphere, while Dying Light 2 excels in gameplay freedom, exploration and co-op. But luckily, fans of the franchise don‘t have to pick only one. There‘s enjoyment to be found in both titles, so let‘s dive deeper into the key differences and why I recommend trying each game.

Storytelling – Where Dying Light 1 Slays

There‘s no debate for me here – Dying Light 1 executes far better on storytelling and creating a compelling, focused narrative. The writing and voice acting draw you into the struggle of undercover agent Kyle Crane as he navigates allegiances in the quarantined city of Harran. The likeable characters surrounding Crane, like survivor Jade Aldemir and the eccentric, brilliant Dr. Zere, leave strong impressions long after the 25 hour playthrough. Even side activities like collecting audio logs expand the background lore.

Dying Light 2 attempts more narrative branching through player choices but critics found the characters flat by comparison. As USGamer said in their review:

"None of them are given enough time to shine. They’re narrative devices more than characters."

There are certainly amazing environments and set-pieces in Dying Light 2, like the emergency flood warning sequence or the collapsed skyscraper hotel. But the moment-to-moment dialogue and plotting lacks the heart, wit and surprises that made Dying Light 1 consistently engaging. The voice acting ranges from decent to awkwardly stilted.

Dying Light 1 Main Story Length

• 17.5 hours (HowLongToBeat main story average)
• Highly focused narrative

Dying Light 2 Main Story Length

• 24 hours (HowLongToBeat main story average)
• More fractured narrative paths

Ultimately, Dying Light 1 has both a quality and quantity edge when it comes to memorable storytelling. If you mainly care about narrative, it‘s the clear winner here.

Nighttime Terror – Dying Light 1 Dials Up The Horror

One of my favorite aspects of Dying Light 1 was how nightfall completely shifted the tone from frantic zombie action to sheer terror. Roaming the darkened streets meant avoiding the deadly "volatile" zombies using stealth and parkour rather than brute force. I‘ll never forgot the clenching panic of desperately searching for a safe zone icon after getting stuck outside too late.

Compared to that consistently tense cat-and-mouse experience, nighttime in Dying Light 2 is far more subdued. Special infected like the banshee-esque ‘howlers‘ do emerge but can largely be evaded just by staying on rooftops. Techland intentionally designed Dying Light 2‘s nights to be lower-stress for players less interested in horror. But for creating palpable danger when the sun sets, the first game can‘t be matched.

Dying Light 1 Night

• Extremely lethal volatiles hunt you
• Forced to play carefully and strategically

Dying Light 2 Night

• Less dangerous enemies like howlers
• Mostly able to just evade foes
• Lower intensity and fear factor

From storytelling to its uncompromising nights, Dying Light 1 is simply a better pure horror experience compared to the more action-oriented sequel. Fans of scary zombie games should play it just for the nerve-wracking after-dark encounters alone.

Parkour Freedom – Dying Light 2‘s Key Strength

When it comes to traversing Dying Light‘s zombie-filled cities though, the second game clearly leapfrogs the first. Dying Light 2 adds exciting new mobility options like the paraglider and grappling hook while expanding parkour fundamentals. Vaulting over gaps, scaling walls and traversing terrain feels smoother and more versatile.

The greatly expanded urban map of ‘The City‘ is built to take advantage of the new parkour toolkit. Its larger buildings with vast interiors and plazas, not to mention a full countryside section, are a free-running playground. The first game‘s city now feels almost claustrophobic in comparison.

Dying Light 1 Parkour

• Solid foundation of mobility
• Map design complements movement

Dying Light 2 Parkour

• More versatility with glider, hook, wall-run
• Smoother, more polished locomotion
• Much larger map enables more creativity

Players have gushed over Dying Light 2 letting them feel like Spiderman crossed with Assassin‘s Creed. While the first game established the excellent core of mobility, the sequel perfects it and gives that sense of exploration back. It‘s the definitive Dying Light parkour experience.

Melee Combat – Satisfyingly Brutal In Both Games

Smashing, slicing and decapitating the infected hordes is visceral fun in both Dying Light games thanks to the solid melee combat foundations. Cleaving a zombie‘s head with a hatchet or sending them staggering with a electrified club feels appropriately gory and heavy.

Combat in the first game has a bit more crunch and weight to its animations and sound design though. Weapons truly feel like they thunk into flesh, sending zombies realistically ragdolling. By comparison, Dying Light 2‘s combat leans lighter and floatier, which some fans criticized. Ultimately, both deliver plenty of zombie-slaying action but Dying Light 1 edges out in raw brutal melee satisfaction.

Dying Light 1 Melee Combat

• Extremely crunchy, weighty impacts
• Satisfying ragdoll physics

Dying Light 2 Melee Combat

• Wider variety of fun weapons
• Flows faster and more smoothly
• Less realistically grounded effects

This one comes down to preference between realism versus flashiness but you can‘t go wrong with either game for slicing up the infected in style.

RPG Progression – Dying Light 2 Lets You Customize Your Playstyle

While Dying Light 1 has a solid XP system of unlocking skills across three trees, Dying Light 2 implements much deeper roleplaying progression. Its highlight is the ability to ally with different factions, each providing unique skill trees to unlock.

For example, siding with the militaristic Peacekeepers gives bonuses to one-handed weapons and firearms. The survivalist Scavengers provide bonuses to crafting and parkour like reduced fall damage. You can even mix-and-match abilities by allying with multiple factions. The loot system is also improved with more weapons and accessories to find.

Dying Light 1 Progression

• 3 straightforward skill trees
• Unlocks like bonus stamina and damage

Dying Light 2 Progression

• Faction perk trees let you specialize
• More gear to find and customize playstyle
• Mix and match unlocks from factions

The sequel‘s progression gives a great sense of choice in shaping your own abilities and gear loadout. Dying Light 1‘s systems get the job done but feel simple by comparison.

Map Size – Dying Light 2‘s True Next-Gen Scope

We‘ve touched on Dying Light 2‘s vastly larger map but it deserves its own section. The sprawling city of Villedor and surrounding countryside areas truly dwarf the first game‘s Harran in scope. Just look at these estimated comparisons of total land mass:

Game	Estimated Map Size
Dying Light 1	15 square km
Dying Light 2	Over 100 square km

And remember, verticality is just as important as horizontal space in these games. Dying Light 2 adds multi-layered skyscrapers, stadiums, chapels and other expansive interiors. The grappling hook alone enables scaling heights unseen in the first game. This amplified parkour canvas combined with the new mobility moves are why Dying Light 2 is such an incredible free-running achievement.

Dying Light 1 Map

• Dense, detailed city sectors
• Emphasis on verticality

Dying Light 2 Map

• Over 6X larger total land mass
• Sweeping urban, parkour areas
• Massive landmarks like metro station
• Countryside offers new parkour angles

Roaming the post-apocalyptic sprawl of Dying Light 2 shows what the franchise can achieve with modern hardware. This sequel represents a true next-gen leap in realizing a vibrant, vertically-inclined open world.

Co-op Multiplayer – Dying Light 2 Makes Playing With Friends a Breeze

Co-op has always been a big part of Dying Light‘s DNA and it‘s even easier and more rewarding in the sequel. While the first game had functional 2-4 player co-op, joining up could be a bit clunky at times. Only the host retained story progress too.

Dying Light 2 smooths out the multiplayer experience tremendously. Friends can easily drop-in/drop-out of your game through the seamless online integration. The story and map exploration progress for all players, not just the host. Side quests can be completed without repeating them too.

The vast open world provides endless co-op possibilities and encourages revisiting areas. Dying Light 1 is great in co-op too but the second game‘s quality-of-life upgrades take it to the next level.

Dying Light 1 Co-op

• 2-4 players supported
• Can feel a bit clunky at times
• Quest progress for host only

Dying Light 2 Co-op

• Drop-in online integration
• Shared story and world progress
• Massive map built for co-op exploration
• Side quests not repeated

If you plan on primarily playing with friends, Dying Light 2 is the easy recommendation thanks to its frictionless multiplayer experience. You‘ll have an absolute blast parkouring and slaying the infected together.

Post-Launch Support – Continual Content for Both Games

An underrated aspect of both Dying Light games is Techland‘s impressive post-launch support. The studio has committed to rolling out free expansions, events and updates for years after launch, greatly extending the content offering.

Since the original game‘s launch in 2015, Dying Light 1 has gotten substantial DLC like The Following expansion with a whole new countryside map area. Updates brought new enemies, gameplay tweaks based on feedback, and seasonal events like prison heists.

Dying Light 2 is set to receive 5+ years of post-launch support too. The first major story DLC is already out just 6 months after launch, with more to come. Events like volatility nights bring back the tense Dying Light 1 feel. Both games prove Techland‘s long-term engagement with the community.

Dying Light 1 Post-Launch Support

• Major expansion DLCs
• New enemies and gameplay modes
• Seasonal community events

Dying Light 2 Post-Launch Support

• 5+ years of planned updates
• Story expansions in the works
• Community events and challenges

The exciting evolution of both Dying Light games will continue for years making each an even better value proposition.

The Verdict – They Excel In Different Areas

Evaluating all these factors, Dying Light 1 is the pick if you prioritize narrative, characters and horror atmosphere. The original game remains one of the best zombie stories and its nighttime tension can‘t be matched.

However, for parkour freedom, next-gen open world scope and co-op, Dying Light 2 pushes the franchise forward immensely. Its expanded movement and sheer map scale enable an unparalleled sense of exploration. Playing with friends is also more enjoyable than ever.

So why choose? Each entry shines brightly in different areas. Fans of the franchise owe it to themselves to play both thanks to Techland supportively enhancing each game for years. The studio has avoided sequel-itis by not just reiterating the first game. For me, the dream scenario is Dying Light 3 combining the best of both worlds.

Until then, players can enjoy parkouring and slaying zombies across the outstanding combined maps and experiences of Dying Light 1 and 2. Both are easy recommendations for different reasons. Just be sure to play the original at night with the lights off for maximum scares!