When Dying Light 2 was revealed at E3 it was celebrated RPG designer Chris Avellone who took to the stage. As outlined in Steven's preview, this sent a clear message that the parkour horror sequel will emphasise story and setting. Now, lead designer Tymon Smektala has spoken more about Avellone's involvement.

In conversation with DigitalFoundry, Smektala says Techland has doubled down on character animations and facial expressions with storytelling in mind. AI behaviours can also change based on the situations individual NPCs find themselves in.

To this end, Chris Avellone has been involved since the beginning on the project, says Smektala, and has helped sculpt Dying Light 2's game world and its backstory.

"He was with us from the start," Smektala explains. "He helped us to define the idea for modern dark ages, a unique setting that we have in the game. It’s a setting that explains, presents a world where the civilisation has gone back to [the] dark ages. But everything that you see around is quite modern.

"Perhaps it's not working, but the things that we take for granted right now—the things that we see outside our window, are artefacts of a previous time. Right now, everything is brutal, primal and merciless. Chris Avellone helped us to define that world, define the rules that govern it, and [helped] define the factions that operate in the city."

Smektala adds that Techland is "aiming for 60 fps" because "the fluidity of movement is the most important thing" when designing an immersive world. Check out DigitalFoundry's full video report below.