Dying Light 2: Stay Human's Skill Tree System Explained

The main selling point of "Dying Light 2: Stay Human" is by far its gameplay. Using a mixture of responsive combat and a parkour traversal system, the second game in Techland's "Dying Light" series offers the player several methods of defeating or escaping the enemy human factions and various types of infected that the game has to offer. And in order for players to get the absolute best experience out of "Dying Light 2", it will require them to progressively hone their skills through both time spent with the product, as well as upgrading an extensive skill tree.

The skill tree in "Dying Light 2" is divided into two different sections: Combat and Parkour. This is fairly straightforward, as combat will aid the player in upgrading the fighting abilities of main character Aiden Caldwell, and parkour will enable him to do more complicated maneuvers when it comes to traversing the tattered town known as Villedor. Both of these skill trees are of equal importance if one wishes to make their experience as smooth as possible. Here's everything you need to know about each side of the skill tree.

First up, let's talk about combat. According to AdamHartGaming, the Combat section of the skill tree is made up of 24 different skills players can learn, divided into two side-by-side sections and 7 continuous branches. Independent of how you wish to upgrade Aiden's combat abilities, the Vault Kick at the top of the chart will be the first ability you unlock in the Combat skill tree. This ability allows the player to dropkick enemies and temporarily stagger them, giving Aiden space to either effectively attack or flee from conflict.

From there, each ability can be unlocked should the player have enough Skill Points to spend on them. In order to collect these Skill Points, players must consistently engage in combat situations with enemy variants in order to improve their combat proficiency (via FanByte). Points aren't unlocked by the virtue of playing alone. Instead, combat proficiency is gained through a progressive ranking system that ranges from Level 1 to 25. When the player levels up, they are awarded a Skill Point. Upon reaching Level 25, you will have enough Skill Points to unlock every ability in the Combat skill tree.

Let's say taking out foes one-on-one isn't exactly your thing, or that most of your playthrough of "Dying Light 2: Stay Human" will be taking place at night where survival is prioritized over one's ability to engage in effective fisticuffs. In that case, unlocking abilities in the Parkour section of the skill tree is paramount. Like Combat, the Parkour skill tree is made up of 24 abilities, but is divided into 6 main branches as opposed to 7. The first skill you will obtain in the Parkour skill tree is the High Jump, which will allow the player to jump higher distances and reach more difficult-to-reach areas. From there, skills such as wall running and a double jump are available to unlock for players wishing to optimize their experience (via GameRant).

Opposite the Combat tree's Skill Points, constantly jumping around and climbing great heights in "Dying Light 2" will earn you Parkour Points. Like the points necessary to upgrade Combat, Parkour Points are gained by leveling up on a progressive scale from 1 to 25. By Level 25, Aiden Caldwell will be a parkour virtuoso, capable of climbing nearly any object, car, or even enemy in front of him.

Obviously, the only way to accrue enough points to unlock various abilities in each respective skill tree is to play the game for as long as possible, doing as many different things as possible. But how should one go about their business in a way that is efficient? Well, ProGameGuides says there's only one answer to this — go out at night!

As mentioned before, the gameplay loop in "Dying Light 2" exists through a day-and-night cycle that both alter the experience entirely. During the day, things are more safe and manageable. But during the night, conditions are far more dangerous due to the various forms of infected enemy types that only come out when it's dark, though many current players view "Dying Light 2's" night cycle as less scary than the one in the first game. During the night cycle, however, the rewards are more plentiful and valuable when it comes to loot.

The same applies to combat and parkour proficiency levels. Should the player go out at night, everything they do receives a "Night Time bonus." This offers you plenty in the way of incentive to go out when the big baddies come out. If you wish to get through the skill tree as quickly as possible, this is by and large the best way to do it. But be careful, because if you die before morning comes all of that hard work is erased.