You Really Do Have To Play Dying Light 2 Twice

thegamer.com:

I never believe when a video game claims your choices will matter. I’ve been burnt too many times by branching paths that all lead back to the center, and karma systems that lead you to nothing but a good ending or bad ending. Very few games have ever managed to deliver on the promise of a choose-your-own-adventure experience, and Dying Light 2 is no exception. It’s promises of a non-linear RPG experience where the choices you make change the course of the story are mostly made of hot air, unfortunately. That said, it still manages to be a highly replayable game thanks to a unique faction system that is tied to narrative choice, but also weirdly separate from it. Dying Light 2 is a rare example of a game that actually does offer a totally unique experience on second playthrough - it’s just not because of the branching storyline.

Practically every RPG has some form of karma meter or choice-based system that allows you to influence the plot and, hopefully, inspire you to play the game again to see what happens when you make the opposite choice. This was a huge marketing tactic in games made during the mid to late ‘00s. Will your Cole MacGrath be a hero, or will he be infamous? Will your Commander Sheppard be a Paragon or a Renegade? Will you rescue the little sisters, or harvest them for their sweet, sweet ADAM?

Related: 500 Hours Might Have Been A Conservative Estimate For Dying Light 2

Morality systems like this eventually fell out of style once players realized that they only offered the illusion of choice, but instead railroaded you into choosing one style, then playing the game again and choosing the opposite style, without offering meaningful or satisfying differences between each playthrough. The first choice you