10 Best Games Like Dying Light 2: Stay Human

Set to release on February 4, 2022, Dying Light 2 represents the long-awaited return of the IP since its 2015 debut. Subtitled Stay Human, the game will feature a struggle between human factions amid a post-apocalyptic city suffocated by hordes of zombies.

Combining the open-world chaos of the Far Cry series with the undead mayhem of games like Left 4 Dead and Back 4 Blood and parkour-inspired movement ala the Mirror’s Edge games, Dying Light 2: Stay Human looks to be one of a kind. Of course, those looking to keep the fun going once the credits roll can check out these similar titles.

Days Gone (2019)

Initially released in 2019 as a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Days Gone became one of the first PS titles to arrive on the PC as part of Sony’s new initiative. An open-world third-person shooter with a brutal atmosphere reminiscent of The Last of Us, Days Gone combines side questing and item crafting with motorbike-bound exploration to create a post-apocalypse that’s as beautiful as it is lonesome.

Advancing a story of love, loss, grief, and redemption, Days Gone feels, in a way, like an alternate-universe take on Red Dead Redemption 2, and it seems like a natural fit for fans of the Dying Light games.

Far Cry 6 (2021)

Released in 2004, Far Cry was a graphical masterpiece at the time which greatly helped to advance and solidify open-world gaming. Expanded and set in multiple real-world-adjacent locations, the Far Cry series is now among Ubisoft’s most recognized.

Far Cry 6, which saw release in 2021, is the franchise’s most current entry. Upping the mayhem for which the Far Cry brand is known, the sixth mainline installment returned to tropical environs and included a sterling, villainous performance from Giancarlo Esposito. It may lack an undead threat, but Far Cry 6 and Dying Light 2 bear more than passing similarities.

Metro: Exodus (2019)

A continuation of the storyline set up in 2010’s Metro 2033 and 2013’s Metro: Last Light — the first of which was an adaptation of the 2002 novel by Russian author Dimitry Glukhovsky — Metro: Exodus sees the established characters embark on a train journey to reconnect with civilization after years spent in isolation in the ruins of the Moscow metro.

A drastic change when compared to the other entries in the series, Exodus features multiple explorable biomes and moves away from the linearity of the first two installments. It’s also famed for including all manner of mutant horrors with which Dying Light fans will be at least somewhat familiar.

Left 4 Dead (2008)

Turtle Rock Studios’ Back 4 Blood may be on the minds of most gamers at the moment, but Valve’s Left 4 Dead, the direct inspiration for the aforementioned title, may be of more interest to Dying Light fans. A seminal zombie shooter which came out during the height of the undead craze, it’s a veritable must-play for fans of developer Techland’s cadaverous outings.

Left 4 Dead may be a strictly linear experience that places a heavy emphasis on FPS combat, but, alongside titles like Day Z and No More Room In Hell, it’s what most will immediately think of when they pair the words “zombie” with “video game.”

Condemned: Criminal Origins (2005)

When a homicide detective is falsely accused of killing two police officers, he embarks on a mission to clear his name while simultaneously tracking down the real killer, an apex predator known for exterminating other serial killers.

While it may also draw fans of the hit crime drama series Dexter, the real draw of Condemned: Criminal Origins is its combat system. Featuring weighty, visceral melee combat mechanics, which turn each encounter into a brutal cage match, fans of Dying Light and its sequel are likely to enjoy the game’s emphasis on blunt weapons and close-quarters encounters.

State Of Decay (2013)

Though it’s often lumped in with more traditional first and third-person shooter experiences like Dead Island and the aforementioned Left 4 Dead, State of Decay combines zombie slaying with robust RPG and survival mechanics, which make it a clear cut above the rest.

The original release on the Xbox 360 may be a bit of a technical mess, but State of Decay‘s masterful combination of many disparate elements makes it a must-play. One part survival sim, one part post-apocalyptic management game, and one part open-world third-person shooter, it’s deeper than it may at first seem, something that could also be said about the Dying Light games.

ZombiU (2012)

Debuted in 2012, alongside the launch of Nintendo’s Wii U console, ZombiU was a Ubisoft-led attempt at introducing hardcore titles to the otherwise family-friendly platform. A zombie survival title that featured permadeath and an innovative real-time inventory mechanic, which made use of the console’s gamepad, it was an interesting if flawed experience.

It was subsequently released on PC years later under the name Zombi, though it again flew mostly under the radar. It’s not a particularly long game, but those who enjoyed dogging packs of undead in the streets of Harran in Dying Light may get a kick out of this title.

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst (2016)

Though it wasn’t met with the same acclaim received by the 2008 original, Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst was an interesting experiment that transplanted the frenetic movement mechanics of the first installment into an open-world environment. With a robust cityscape and a slew of sidequests to tackle and extras to discover, it was a fun enough romp for those willing to look past its technical flaws.

One of the game’s biggest sticking points was its underdeveloped combat system, but Dying Light fans may actually enjoy the melee mechanics on offer here. Plus, Dying Light and its sequel owe quite a bit to this parkour-heavy franchise.

Dead Island (2011)

Dead Island was controversial when it first released in 2011. A solid game with surprisingly engaging melee combat and RPG mechanics, it was let down by some glaring technical issues which served as a preview of sorts for the many blatantly unfinished games which would release in following years.

That said, Dead Island is still a blast for those willing to look past its many faults, and, much like Dying Light and Dying Light 2, there are dozens of hours of zombie-slaying content on offer for dedicated players.

Resident Evil Village (2021)

The follow-up to one of the most important games of the eighth console generation in Resident Evil 7, Village continues the first-person chaos of the original, taking things to new heights in an all-new eastern European setting.

From the intimidating Lady Dimitrescu to the devilish Heisenberg, Resident EvilVillage is full of great quotes and introduces some of the series’ most iconic villains — which, given its track record, is really saying something. Plus, it features some tactile combat against ghouls, werewolves, and, of course, zombies, and it all amounts to a memorable ride that any fan of the Dying Light games is bound to enjoy.