Dying Light 2 for many has not been able to reach the expectations that the community had set itself, starting from a more solid foundation which is its predecessor, a title that has made millions and millions of players fall in love with it. This sentiment was not fully encountered in the second chapter, with a large number of users were very disappointed with the final product. Over time, however, Techland is committed to making the game what it should have been since day one, and this happens not only with a few fixes here and there, but also with the addition of new content.
A full nine months after the launch of Dying Light 2, the already immense story of the game expands further with the arrival of the first DLC of the title, Bloody Ties. The trailer for this new content already offers some interesting premises, showing new characters we'll have to deal with, enemies to take down, maps to complete and even weapons. The departure is therefore excellent, so all that remains is to return to the haunted land of Old Villedor and find out what awaits us.
The story begins with a call to our walkie-talkie from a stranger, who will seek our help in fighting an impending threat. The threat in question is the Theater of Massacres, a place where bloody tournaments between humans take place, where people are willing to risk their own lives to achieve glory. Our aim is therefore to reach this "hell" and put an end to it all, but for a very particular reason. In fact, it seems that the people behind all this have far more evil plans to make some people fight, and this is the reason why we were contacted.
The Theater of Massacres is located on a new map introduced in the game with the DLC, and all new missions, both primary and secondary, will take place within it. Yes, because with Bloody Ties we will have a huge amount of further content to explore after reaching the end game, and certainly not limited to just a few new missions, but I'll talk about this in the next paragraphs.
New levels, challenges and enemies: fun guaranteed
Once we enter the Theater of Massacres, we will have access to more than a dozen "shows", the main attraction of this DLC which are nothing more than timed challenges necessary to continue with the story. Each of them is different from the other, both in terms of the map and the objective: there will be complete courses by running and jumping from one point to another, take down mini bosses, survive endless hordes or carry certain items from one point to another. Each of these shows presented itself as a real challenge, making me have fun (and not a little) with each of them.
To continue with the story, in fact, it is necessary to complete these shows, but it is sufficient to participate only in about half of those available to get to the end of the story. Nonetheless, personally the challenges were so entertaining that I didn't need any specific motivation (which could be, in fact, the story) to complete them all on my own. What makes them difficult (but not too much), in addition to the design of each level, is also the fact that in each of them we will not have our inventory available and therefore the weapons we are most used to, but the equipment will come to us provided for each challenge, and often it is necessary to explore the map of the level to find other useful objects for our survival.
Once the main story and therefore the DLC are finished, the biggest prize will be the new weapon introduced with this very fresh content, namely the Slaughter Sleeve, which is presented to us during the missions as a very powerful defensive object. It is a weapon to be applied to the accessory slot, and its primary purpose is to block enemy attacks. Combined with the numerous modifications available exclusively to this new item, which can be purchased and upgraded via the DLC map shop, this weapon goes from defensive to offensive in seconds. The Slaughter Sleeve also gives an extra purpose to the perfect parries, which are now essential if we are to make the most of this important new piece of equipment.
Furthermore, through the new currency that we will be able to obtain by completing the shows, it is also possible to buy new clothes or masks, together with quite powerful weapons. It must be said, however, that once the end game is reached, the latter do not turn out to be who knows what a great godsend in terms of statistics, so this type of shop can also come in handy, but up to a certain point .
The new map itself, other than the main Theater structure, doesn't add many locations to explore, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, everything takes place almost exclusively within the main structure, which is very detailed and just the right size, so you simply don't even feel the need to explore what's outside the main attraction. For the more curious, however, it is still possible to find some parkour or combat challenges scattered here and there.
A story that leaves a bad taste in the mouth
We come to the main point of this DLC, as well as, unfortunately, also the weakest: the story. The premises are actually more than good: we are called to help defeat an alleged association that intends to create chemical elements created to strengthen the characteristics of human beings, but these turn out to be extremely harmful to the majority of the population. Despite this, this group of people still want to force these substances on the whole community, and therefore our aim is to stop these "ugly thugs".
It's certainly not something innovative, but it's not a bad concept either... if it weren't for the fact that it was introduced at the beginning of the DLC, only to be completely abandoned after a few minutes our adventure begins, literally. We assume that it is the element with which everything begins, so, as a rule, it should be an important factor in the story. The latter, on the other hand, takes this information and uses it on very few occasions as a mere background for a narrative that is practically completely detached from the original one; a maneuver that I didn't particularly like and that left me with many doubts that will never be answered.
But then we come to the story that has actually been told: in the first minutes of the game we will meet Ciro, a crazy boy who intends to beat Skullface, the executioner who took first place in the Theater of Slaughter rankings, a position obtained by killing dozens and dozens of other contenders, without any mercy. Among these is Ciro's brother, and it is the reason why the latter fights: revenge. We will then also meet Ogar, who seems to be connected to the death of his son, and who wants his other child not to end up like his brother.
We will therefore follow a narrative centered on these two characters, which is not very original, but not too bad either. The first problem, however, I encountered when at one point a piece of history from the main game is blatantly recycled, and when I found myself faced with a "certain situation" with Ciro, I couldn't help but think about the fact that I had already seen that exact same scene, but with a different character.
It is also true that we are talking about two different narratives anyway, so maybe we can make the effort to overlook this defect. Instead, what really leaves a bad taste in the mouth is the ending, which purpose is to conclude the whole story that we have just experienced, but it ends with perhaps too forced narrative turns and leaving the player with questions that cannot be answered. It gave me the impression that it was written too hastily, and I am convinced that this story, with all its flaws, would still have deserved a more complete and explanatory ending.
Let me explain: once we get to the final bossfight (point of merit for this part, which I found very fun and challenging) everything should be over. We find out who is behind Skullface's mask, and depending on the choices we have made during our adventure, we will see a different ending. Why yes, more narrative implications are also available, but it must be said that the final result is not that different. The point, though, is that once completed the story changes practically nothing: without making too many spoilers, the activities inside the Teatro dei Massacri will continue peacefully, and it is not even possible to understand if one of the most important characters inside this structure actually manages to survive or not (and with so few answers, such information could be very useful to clarify the matter a little). In short, after completing the whole story we find ourselves with a very confusing ending (regardless of what happens to us) and which has little or nothing of "finale".
Despite all these criticisms, I don't feel like labeling the narrative side as a completely negative note. He has his defects, and they are also important, so far it's not raining; overall, however, it is a story that managed to intrigue me until the end, and which allowed me to get to know the characters I was dealing with quite well, also giving me the opportunity to empathize with their choices.
We draw conclusions
Among the strengths and weaknesses that I have listed in my review it is necessary to add, unfortunately, another small note of demerit due to the many bugs and glitches I've encountered. I played the DLC on PC, and leaving aside the bugs of the original game, which are not valid in this review of the DLC, I also ran into some glitches related to the new map and levels. Nothing game breaking, mind you, but certainly not pleasant either.
That said, Do I recommend buying this DLC? Yes, if you're just looking for fun. In this Bloody Ties we got it right, because the gameplay side succeeds in its intent to refresh the gaming experience and entertain, as well as improve the basic experience through the addition of a brand new weapon. Furthermore, all the new challenges are unique and offer different levels of difficulty, so that anyone can find something for their teeth.
If, on the other hand, you are hoping to find a story that leaves you with something, then this DLC, in my opinion, is not for you, for all the reasons I have listed. Despite this, I think we all agree that Dying Light, both the first and second chapters, is a game where the story often takes a back seat and works as a side dish to what is the main attraction of these two bloody titles, i.e. the gameplay. From this point of view, therefore, and above all considering the more than accessible price (€ 9,99), it is a matter of all in all a good product, and which I would recommend hands down (or almost).
