Dying Light: The Beast – Everything We Know

The first Dying Light game received an overwhelmingly positive reception, and the second instalment in the series did an excellent job of upping the ante. Now, the series is set to get a third instalment, Dying Light: The Beast, which promises to kick the action, adventure, and fun a notch higher.

The new Dying Light game was announced at Gamescom 2024 on August 20. The developer was very generous with the game’s details, clearly showing what’s to come. Here is our comprehensive preview of everything we know about Dying Light: The Beast.

What is Dying Light: The Beast?

Dying Light: The Beast is an action-adventure-horror zombie RPG. It is the third instalment in the Dying Light series. The game builds upon the earlier two games’ storylines and features, expanding the story and introducing new exciting features.

Interestingly, the game was initially designed as a DLC for Dying Light 2 Stay Human. However, it has become too big to be a DLC. As such, the developers have turned it into a standalone game, doubling as an expansion to the series’ second instalment.

Story

Kyle Crane, the first game’s starring character and the series’ legendary hero, makes a grand comeback in Dying Light: The Beast. The game’s storyline expands on the hero’s tragic past and his current quest for answers and revenge.

Kyle Crane has been in captivity for over a decade. During this time, he has endured strange scientific experiments conducted by a scientist known only as The Baron. The diabolical experiments caused his DNA to intertwine with the zombie DNA. As a result, he can turn into a beast-like creature at will, giving him incredible strength and abilities.

Fortunately, he escapes and finds himself in Castor Woods, a region in the game’s open world. Caster Woods was a popular tourist destination before the epidemic. However, it now has a decreasing population of survivors and is infested with a growing population of zombies.

On the one hand, Kyle Crane is understandably angry for being used like a lab rat and is determined to exact vengeance on his captors. On the other hand, his captors want him back dead or alive, and they send squads of soldiers to hunt him down. As such, he must fight and run for his life while investigating the evil corporation. Moreover, he must investigate and confront another mysterious beast roaming the woods and hunting anyone who dares venture there.

Gameplay

Dying Light: The Beast gameplay combines action, adventure, and storytelling. Action is the gameplay’s best aspect, and it is intense and bloody. Like the other two games, this game focuses more on melee combat, drawing on the beast’s incredible strength and rage. However, the game also features plenty of gunfights, mainly from the soldiers hunting Kyle Crane.

You must fight hordes of zombies attacking from all directions, which can be overwhelming. Moreover, you must fight the soldiers sent to hunt you down. Notably, the soldiers are armed with automatic rifles and other weapons that pose a greater danger than the zombies. Moreover, while at peak performance during the day, you are vulnerable at night and must run and hide more to survive.

However, no one is a match for your brute strength and other special abilities that you can unlock by unleashing the beast within. Notably, your unique abilities have their skill trees. Interestingly, you can use vehicles scattered around the open world to maw zombies down. However, cars can break down with limited fuel.

Exploration and adventure are also fun aspects of the gameplay. You can traverse anywhere you want across the open world. The map comprises diverse environments, including natural landmarks and human structures. You will come across human survivors with whom you can interact and help. The graphics are sharp, and the new game features a better lighting system and weather effects.

The game offers a single-player experience and an online co-op mode supporting up to four players. While playing solo can be enjoyable, teaming up with others significantly enhances your chances of survival.

Development

Dying Light: The Beast- Trailer

Techland released two videos for Dying Light: The Beast: an official trailer and a live-action teaser. The official trailer showcases in-game gameplay scenes, while the live-action teaser is quick and surreal and hints at the horrors to come.

The official trailer begins with spec-ops soldiers searching the woods for Kyle Crane. They come across a building in which horrific scenes of dead people are scattered everywhere. All the while, Kyle Crane appears to be tracking and monitoring them from the shadows. He waits for the opportune time to attack, taking the soldiers down individually. The rest of the trailer showcases attacking zombies, firefights with soldiers, and Kyle Crane moving around various environments.

The live-action teaser starts cheerfully but ends dreadfully. It begins with a beautiful woman in a white dress relaxing in the field. Someone who looks like her fiancé is filming her. However, things turn horrific quickly when she notices something stalking her, most likely the second beast in the woods. The following scenes showcase the woman running for her life and the mysterious beast dragging the man through the woods.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Techland hasn’t set a specific release date for Dying Light: The Beast. However, the developer’s website states the game is close to completion and may launch sooner than expected. The game will be available on multiple platforms, including PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. It will be the first edition of the series’ third instalment. Notably, players with the Dying Light 2 Stay Human Ultimate Edition will get the new game for free.

So, what’s your take on our preview of Dying Light: The Beast? Let us know on our socials here or in the comments below.