We've got some exclusive concept art for Dying Light 2 to share, and it's equal parts unnerving and informative.
The lead image features the Banshee, a special type of zombie variant that you'll meet in Techland's upcoming open-world zombie game. Like other variants such as the Revenant and Demolisher, the Banshee is the result of unique circumstances that accelerate the zombie mutation.
The Banshee is an especially fierce variant equipped with elongated arms and sharp claws which let it deal heavy melee damage at an extended range. Banshees are one of the new enemy types in Dying Light 2, and while they're easy to spot, they're much more difficult to defeat or escape than your average zombie, in large part because they behave very differently. They're fast and aggressive, and somewhat unpredictable since – tragically – they sometimes experience flashes of lucidity that remind them of the person they once were. Thankfully, Banshees aren't built for endurance like the Demolisher, and they bear the same glowing, bulbous weak spots as other variant zombies. This dimly lit variant of the above Banshee art highlights those weak spots more clearly.
Ordinarily, the zombie mutation spreads relatively slowly, progressively worsening the condition of the infected person over time even after their humanity is gone. Many characters in Dying Light 2, including protagonist Aiden Caldwell, have managed to live with the infection by dramatically slowing or totally halting its spread using sunlight and other treatments. This art shows what happens when you can't get treatment in time. It's a grisly transformation and a grim fate, and it really hammers home the zombie life cycle that Dying Light 2 has established. It's interesting to see how environmental, physical, and chemical factors influence the infection, and I like the idea that being infected is more of a lived experience rather than a guaranteed death sentence.
We got a very brief glimpse at the Banshee in action in the latest Dying Light 2 gameplay trailer, which walked us through an infested Dark Area. We'll get to explore plenty of these dungeon-esque challenges for ourselves once Dying Light 2 arrives on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on December 7.
Last month, we spoke to Techland about co-op, side quests, and individuality in Dying Light 2.
