How Long Is Dying Light 2?

Dying Light 2: Stay Human presents a significantly expanded time investment compared to its predecessor, particularly for players aiming to experience everything the post-apocalyptic world offers. The game’s scale requires careful planning if you want to manage your playtime effectively while still enjoying the rich content available.

Before launch, developer Techland generated considerable discussion by suggesting players could spend approximately 500 hours in their zombie-infested open world. This ambitious figure represents the cumulative time needed to explore every narrative branch, complete all side activities, discover hidden locations, and experience multiple playthroughs to witness different story outcomes based on your choices. For single-playthrough enthusiasts wondering about the actual time commitment, the answer varies dramatically based on your approach to gameplay.

Your actual completion time hinges entirely on how thoroughly you engage with Dying Light 2’s mechanics and content. GameSpot’s guides editor Mark Delaney completed his review playthrough in approximately 48 hours, blending main story progression with side quests that naturally appeared along his path. This balanced approach represents what most players will experience—neither rushing through critical path missions nor obsessively chasing every available activity.

For players focused exclusively on the central narrative, the critical path missions typically require 20-25 hours of dedicated play. This streamlined approach bypasses most optional content but delivers the core story experience efficiently. Speedrunners and story-focused gamers often adopt this method to experience the main plot without the time investment of exploration.

A comprehensive playthrough that includes substantial side content extends to approximately 80 hours or more. This completionist route involves liberating all facilities, completing every side quest, finding collectibles, mastering parkour challenges, and thoroughly exploring the expansive cityscape. According to Delaney’s assessment, even after finishing the main story, dozens of hours of additional content remain available for dedicated players.

Strategic time management can significantly impact your overall playthrough duration. Focus on main story missions during initial play, then return for side content post-completion. Utilize fast travel points once unlocked to minimize traversal time between objectives. Prioritize side quests that offer meaningful rewards or narrative depth over repetitive tasks.

Common time-wasting pitfalls include excessive wandering without clear objectives, repeatedly failing parkour challenges, and getting distracted by non-essential activities. Planning your route between objectives and mastering the movement system early will save considerable time throughout your playthrough.

When measured against the first Dying Light, the sequel offers substantially more content across all playstyles. According to How Long To Beat data, the original game’s campaign required approximately 17 hours for completion, while adding extra content pushed playtime to around 35 hours. A full completionist run of the first title reached about 55 hours, making Dying Light 2 approximately 45% longer for comprehensive playthroughs.

The expanded scope comes from several key factors: larger map size, more complex narrative branching, increased side quest variety, and enhanced parkour challenges. The sequel’s choice-driven storytelling also encourages multiple playthroughs to experience different outcomes, dramatically increasing total potential playtime.

For players familiar with the original game’s pacing, adjusting expectations is crucial. Dying Light 2’s main story alone exceeds the original’s campaign-plus-extras timeframe, making it essential to plan your gaming sessions accordingly if you have limited available time.

In GameSpot’s Dying Light 2: Stay Human review, Mark Delaney noted, “Dying Light 2 presents a complex gaming experience. While its narrative and character development may prove challenging, and certain areas show need for refinement, the core gameplay mechanics deliver substantial enjoyment. Even after completing the main story, I found myself returning repeatedly for additional parkour challenges, exploration of abandoned facilities, or simply testing movement capabilities between locations. The game has rough edges and demands significant investment in its less polished elements, but once you recognize that the narrative, much like gravity, tends to weigh down the experience, you can learn to overcome it and appreciate what Dying Light 2 executes effectively.”

To maximize your efficiency, consider these proven strategies: Master the paraglider and grapple hook early to reduce travel time; complete side quests in geographical clusters to minimize backtracking; utilize nighttime for specific missions that offer bonus rewards; and focus on upgrading essential skills before pursuing optional abilities.

For players concerned about the time commitment, focusing on the main story while selectively completing high-value side quests provides the most balanced experience. This approach typically results in 35-45 hours of gameplay while still experiencing the majority of what makes Dying Light 2 unique and enjoyable.

Understanding the game’s class systems can also help optimize your approach, as different playstyles naturally align with various content types more efficiently.

No reproduction without permission：SeeYouSoon Game Club » How Long Is Dying Light 2? Complete time breakdown for Dying Light 2's campaign, side content, and completionist runs