Dying Light The Beast Brings New Energy Without Losing Identity

Techland’s zombie game series is now more about survival in Dying Light The Beast but it still keeps what made the original games fun.

Dying Light The Beast has parkour moves tough hand-to-hand fights and lots of zombies to kill. It feels like more of the same fun from the Dying Light games. Fans have loved the series for many years and the third big game is coming soon. It was first going to be extra content for Dying Light 2 with the main character from the first game Kyle Crane. But now The Beast has become a bigger, more exciting game. I played a short part of it at Summer Game Fest and it’s still like the old games but with some new changes. It feels more focused on surviving alone.

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Even though Dying Light The Beast happens in a quiet rural place called Castor Woods not a big city like in Dying Light 2 I start the game in a small town. The town is pretty but damaged with hills and buildings that let me run and jump around easily. There are no special tools like grappling hooks or gliders like in past games but the regular parkour running and jumping still feels smooth and fun just like you would expect from Techland.

You can grab onto any surface even small pipes or metal sticking out of a falling building as you climb walls and jump over rooftops. Staying up high is very important because it’s the safest way to move. Some zombies and enemies can still reach you but being above them helps you stay safe.

I leave the town and walk into the thick forest with the sun setting behind it. The game director Tymon Smektala said they wanted to make a beautiful zombie apocalypse. From what I’ve seen Techland is doing a great job with that.

In the wilderness Dying Light The Beast feels different. There are some buildings to explore like an industrial yard but the tall structures are less important for now. At night the zombies become more dangerous. You have to sneak carefully or run fast through the trees. Using your flashlight in the dark makes the game feel like a real horror experience.

I found a safehouse and solved a small puzzle to turn the power back on. Then I rested for the night. When I woke up it was raining very hard. The weather made everything look almost black and white which felt really cool. But I still had to finish my main mission to sneak into a lab nearby. I thought I would find a chimera there a super strong mutant zombie. This was my first fight in the game. I had to fight zombies and soldiers working for the Baron who is the main bad guy.

Dying Light’s fighting feels fun and strong in The Beast. Sharp weapons can cut and even chop off zombie parts while heavy weapons make big dents in zombie bodies. Guns are back like in Dying Light 2 and shooting feels powerful. My rifle kicks hard and my shotgun can hit many zombies at once. You can also dodge, block and do a cool flying kick that knocks enemies far away.

Kyle’s strongest power makes him go into a wild rage for a short time. During this he punches zombies down like bowling pins, slams the ground to throw enemies away and crushes heads easily. It’s fun and very powerful perfect for getting out of tough spots when you can’t run away fast.

I found out the chimera has escaped So I need to get it to come out by using a gas canister. I put the canister in the back of a pickup truck. Now I can try driving the truck which is one of The Beast’s cool new features. When I drive I can switch between first-person and third-person views. Since the game focuses on survival the vehicles don’t have much health or fuel so you can’t rely on them too much.

The rain has stopped but wet weather can still make your vehicle slip. Driving feels okay not amazing or very different from The Following’s buggy but it fits well in the countryside setting of The Beast.

My last job is to fight the escaped chimera in a scrapyard. The fight is not too hard but I still need to dodge hide and save ammo. At the end there is a cool and brutal finishing move. There will be many big enemies like this and beating them lets me use their blood to give Kyle new animal powers.

I was surprised to see so few people during the demo. You do meet some of the Baron's soldiers a few groups of raiders and some friendly survivors. But mostly Castor Woods feels empty like not many people have been there since the disaster happened. After playing Smektala told me that Dying Light The Beast focuses more on zombies than Dying Light 2 does.

The release of Dying Light: The Beast is coming soon and from what I’ve played it looks really good. There are more cars and guns compared to Dying Light 2 which might take away a little from the parkour and fighting. But Techland still kept the main things that make the game special. Also Kyle is back and ready for action. The best part is the new place Castor Woods. It feels fresh and is great for a survival-style zombie game where you feel more alone.