Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties DLC review: Lights, Camera, Action

The very first narrative DLC for Dying Light 2: Stay Human is finally here. Dubbed "Bloody Ties," it takes a break from the large-scale open-world of Villedor to focus on a smaller and more grounded quest. To put it simply, this is primarily a challenge-arena DLC that also follows a mission to stop a powerful new villain while attempting to address certain relationship problems between a son and father.

It will feel familiar to fans of the original Dying Light as Techland has done something similar to the Bozak Horde DLC, but with several new twists. However, this new formula results in somewhat of a mixed bag with commendable ideas bogged down by the nature of its content, at least from a design perspective.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties beckons the strongest fighters to test their mettle

The freak show begins (A screenshot from Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Tie)

The focus of this brand new Dying Light 2 DLC is the aptly titled Carnage Hall. This bustling spot in Villedor is a location of true blood sport, with all kinds of brave fighters coming here to test their brawn, wit, and luck as they participate in life-threatening scenarios to climb up the ladder towards fame, glory, and wealth. Simply put, challengers will have to face different scenarios where they must complete objectives while dealing with the undead in droves. Similar to the Bozak Horde from the original game, this is a challenging arena DLC, but with a larger focus on narrative than before.

Hearing rumors of a local tournament, protagonist Aiden Caldwell heads over to check it out. He ends up making a new friend Ciro, an enthusiastic but sly man who also wishes to partake in this 'circus of death.' After the death of his brother, Ciro wishes to avenge him by becoming the new champion. But in a conflict of interest, his father Ogar, a former champion, only wishes to see his remaining child safe and sound. As such, Aiden must balance their relationship while dealing with the current reigning champion, the powerful and malicious warrior Skullface.

Ciro has his own ideals to fight for (A screenshot from Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties)

Overseen by the event's powerful and charismatic founder Astrid, the Carnage Hall features many curious NPCs to meet and engage with. This makes for a new Dying Light 2 story that starts off pretty weak with clichéd dialog that's bound to make your eyes roll. Thankfully, it picks up as the narrative unfolds. Even though the core story is nothing particularly mind-blowing, it gets the job done for what it is. The series has never really been known to be strong in the plot department and this was true for the base game as well.

Thankfully, the gameplay is still the focus here. To participate in the actual event, players will first need to complete a series of challenges. Both of these set the basis for what's to come and are a foreshadowing of the cracks that appear when fighting for your life in the arena. Let's get this out of the way: this DLC can be pretty tough, even more so if you are playing at the hardest difficulty. However, there are equally worthy rewards here, including new weapons such as the brand new Carnage Manica shield glove.

Face your nightmares in Carnage Hall

Only those with hearts of steel can withstand the horrors within (A screenshot from Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties)

This new area in Dying Light 2 offers a sizable hub in and around which the DLC's events take place. The arena fights are intertwined with the story, so players will not be able to do them as they please. It works in such a way that players will be provided a series of challenges to complete by the masked NPC Severus. New ones are unlocked as they succeed in each one.

They are set across different difficulty tiers and also offer two kinds of points. One of these are Tokens that can be exchanged for gear, while the other is Fame Points that act as progression criteria as they help players climb up the ranks and meet the current champion Skullface.

Each challenge is governed by a strict time limit and has players complete objectives within the said time limit to win. Players will be awarded gold, silver, or bronze rank depending upon the time taken to complete. These are mostly unique and inspired by various themes, from the original game's setting of Harran to fairy tales and folklore. The Freak Fight arena challenge will see players face off against bosses, including new types of mutated enemies like the Gorilla Demolisher.

The waves of foes are unrelenting (A screenshot from Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties)

Some, like Rush, will see players parkour through highlighted checkpoints while avoiding enemies. Others, like Spectacles, combine combat and parkour dexterity for brutal, back-breaking encounters that have players complete objectives to proceed, generally enacting events as unfolded by the story script, almost like a play. For example, one scenario sees players steal "gold" from a "castle" and attempt to escape with it while fighting against both zombies and human enemies.

This is pretty refreshing to see amongst arena fighter DLCs. Earned token rewards can be exchanged for better gear at the Hall Vendor exchange shop, which has a sizable number of weapons and outfits to purchase, including new ones not present in the base game. No spoilers, but there are some surprising inclusions here, including those seen exclusively in challenges. Since the gear in the shop is tied to rankings, new stuff will be purchasable as players get closer to the number 1 spot (and of course, if they have the appropriate number of Tokens to purchase them).

However, players should note that these arena challenges will not allow players to use their own gear. That's right, you should expect to be stripped down to the bare essentials and be handed basic weapons to complete the rounds. These arenas will feature consumables and items scattered around for use, but they are limited in quantity. This further reiterates the reality of the harsh challenges provided by Bloody Ties and I found myself winning just by the skin of my teeth.

An exercise in frustration

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Even when playing through the intro challenges for the DLC, fans playing by themselves might realize that something doesn't feel right. To cut to the chase, a number of these challenges are a chore to complete, not just because they can get tiresome and repetitive fast, but also because the game drops the ball from a design and balance perspective. What I mean by that is, the game will quickly overwhelm solo players.

For example, one of the very first Spectacles sees Aiden setting up car traps and flipping electricity switches. However, this process first requires opening the fuse box for each trap and switch, which unfortunately takes a few seconds to accomplish. The same is true of the Prince of Thieves arena, which features a pulley that takes even longer to interact wth.

This generally leaves Aiden in a vulnerable state and is more than long enough for the constantly spawning infected to attack you and interrupt the animation from completing. The worst offenders are the electric goons, which are annoyingly placed right next to a few of these switches. As such, it is evident that Bloody Ties is not really meant to be played solo. Throw in the repetitive nature of these arenas, and it is easy to grow tired quick, especially if you are retrying for better ranks.

Or perhaps trouble will find you (A screenshot from Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties)

As with the base game, the DLC supports 2-4 player co-op which should make tackling objectives and hunting down fiends far more manageable and easier than doing it by yourself. Players can coordinate amongst themselves and split up the task of completing objectives. As such, one player can lure away the infected while the other gets the job done without distractions.

Players can also go back to the main open world at any time, which is recommended if your stats are lacking. Although players can start Bloody Ties after the Prologue, it is recommended to initiate it after the main campaign is complete and you have invested enough points into your character's skills as well as Immunity timer.

What else is on offer?

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Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties' main plot is decent, but don't expect it to wow you. As with the base game, there are different dialog choices to make during important junctures, although they don't really seem to make a difference in the overarching plot but rather only affect the associated characters.

There are also side missions outside of the main narrative and challenges. This is more akin to the base game, as Aiden will run errands for a new face and learn more about those around him. These include minor characters like the set-piece maker Rune, who helps him discover more about Astrid's past.

While the main story of Bloody Ties should take around 5-6 hours to beat, these side missions should double that time with the content on offer. Add in the fact that players will eventually be able to repeat completed challenges, and there is enough here to keep completionists occupied and hog all the gear from the exchange shop.

Graphics, performance, and sound

Are you ready to meet the puppet master Astrid? (A screenshot from Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties)

This is a DLC, so players can expect the same visual and technical makeup as the core Dying Light 2 experience. Unfortunately, there are still a few bugs.

One of these occurred early on, barring progression as the game did not seem to register that all the infected had been killed. Another one involved environmental animation during one of the Carnage Hall challenges. In this case, the fuse boxes with switches inside seemed to stay open during a retry of the run, and flipping the switch achieved nothing.

This was likely unintended as I had to retrigger the box-opening animation to get the switches finally working. However, this cost me precious time. Hopefully, these issues will be fixed with a day-one patch as they are detrimental to the experience. On the other hand, the sound elements of the game are alright, with nothing particularly memorable and falls more in line with the base Dying Light 2 game.

In conclusion

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Dying Light 2: Stay Human - Bloody Ties DLC is honestly a mixed bag. It is easily recommended to veterans of the original Dying Light 2 experience who have honed their parkour and combat skills to a tee and are looking for more of that. This DLC pulls no punches either. Those who are able to withstand the blows are still sadly subject to some frustration and repetition, which becomes a bigger problem if you are braving its brutal arenas solo.

Despite that, it is worth checking out for those who love the base game as it offers more of the same, especially with regards to story content and set pieces. Combat and parkour are the highlights of the Dying Light experience and this DLC also doubles down on that aspect despite feeling half-baked in some areas. Just make sure to indulge lightly so as not to wear yourself out from the hectic, and at times frustrating, action.

If nothing else, the new rewards and gear should be enough of a reason to visit Carnage Hall at least once, preferably with friends in tow.