Dying Light: The Beast – Everything We Know

Techland recently announced Dying Light: The Beast at The Game Awards 2024. Although initially intended to be a DLC to Dying Light 2 Stay Human, The Beast will launch as a standalone game. The game has been touted as having a tighter, more story-oriented action experience that could make it stand out from some of the best zombie games.

This upcoming game has been under the spotlight for some time now since its initial announcement as a DLC. The recent official announcement revealed more details about what the game has in store for Dying Light fans. Here is our comprehensive preview of Dying Light: The Beast.

What is Dying Light: The Beast?

Dying Light: The Beast is a zombie adventure game from Techland. It is the third instalment in the Dying Light series. This new game introduces several notable developments to the Dying Light series. Most notably, Kyle Crane, the game’s original hero, is back after more than a year in captivity. It also features The Baron, the diabolical antagonist behind the pandemic.

Story

Dying Light: The Beast is a story-rich, narrative-focused game. Moreover, the story ties into the first two games’ stories. The story also answers some of the questions left unanswered in Dying Light 2.

The story in Dying Light: The Beast is set 13 years after the events in the first Dying Light game. You are Kyle Crane, the hero who saved many people from getting infected with the terrible virus in the first game. You have been in captivity for the past 13 years. Your captors ran diabolical experiments on you during your time in captivity. The experiments caused your DNA to fuse with zombie DNA, which enables you to turn into a beastly creature with incredible strength and other abilities.

Fortunately, you found a way to escape. As a free man, you set off on a revenge mission to hunt and kill your captors. However, you realize that there is more at stake than just revenge. Your captors are developing stronger viruses. Will you become the hero who saves the few survivors in Castor Woods and stops The Baron and his family?

Gameplay

Dying Light: The Beast gameplay blends epic action, scary adventuring, and engaging storytelling. You explore what’s left of Castor Woods. The town features diverse environments, including a dark forest, an abandoned industrial station, a village, and more. Director Smektla says about the forest, “That’s something that scares a lot of people, being alone in the woods at night, and this is something you can experience as you play.”

There are diverse ways to traverse the game’s open world. The game’s parkour system lets you jump and leap across roofs and buildings. Moreover, you can use cars to cover long distances faster. Interestingly, you can also use the cars as weapons to maul down zombies and other hostiles. However, the cars are not indestructible.

Kyle is on a vengeance mission, setting the stage for epic action. You hunt and kill armed mercenaries in your quest for vengeance. Additionally, you must fight hordes of zombies scattered all over the town. Notably, you may need to run away from zombies when overwhelmed. Some of the human survivors are also hostile.

You can use diverse weapons to fight soldiers and zombies. Weapons include guns, machetes, crossbows, and more. However, the game mainly focuses on melee combat. You can engage in hand-to-hand combat or use anything you can handle as a weapon. Moreover, you can activate the Beast Mode to unlock new skills, abilities, and buffs. Notably, the Beast Mode is not limited to certain situations; you can activate it whenever you want.

The game features a day-and-night cycle. It is easier to explore during the day when there is sufficient light and fewer hostiles. However, the night is full of dangers, and you must fight to last till morning. The day-and-night system helps spruce things up, as noted by Director Smektala, “You use a flashlight and there are lots of shadows, and it’s not easy to understand what those shadows are. Is it a monster or is it just a shadow?”

Storytelling is an integral aspect of the gameplay. The story continues the events in the first two Dying Light games and unfolds over time, shedding light on the mysterious antagonist and his diabolical plans. Notably, the game features a single-player mode and a four-player co-op mode.

Development

Techland is the developer and publisher of Dying Light: The Beast. The game was initially designed as a DLC to the second Dying Light game. However, the original concept and scale evolved and expanded so much that the developers turned it into a standalone game.

Trailer

Dying Light: The Beast has two trailers. Both trailers are relevant and reveal crucial details about the game’s features, including the various biomes and the hero’s incredible abilities.

The first trailer debuted at Gamescom 2024 in August. It showcases armed mercenaries pursuing Kyle across diverse landscapes, including a dark forest and an abandoned warehouse. You can also see the heroes fleeing other environments while fighting zombies and soldiers. The trailer also showcases Kyle’s incredible abilities as he hacks, shoots, and tears his way through enemies. Moreover, you can also see the parkour style as Kyle leaps across roofs and walls. One scene also showcases Kyle driving a 4X4 truck, highlighting the game’s versatile traversal options.

The second trailer, “Meet the Baron,” debuted at The Games Award 2024. It introduces The Baron, the antagonist behind the virus outbreak and Kyle’s captivity. “Players will discover more about him and his family as they play the game, but I think he’s the biggest threat Kyle has ever faced,” says Director Tymon Smektala. The opening scenes showcase The Baron explaining his diabolical philosophy. He is addressing Kyle, who is still in captivity. You can see Kyle undergoing painful experiments before finally escaping. The next scenes showcase Kyle exploring while fighting soldiers and zombies.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Dying Light: The Beast will launch in the Summer of 2025 and will support various platforms, including PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

So, does our preview of Dying Light: The Beast answer your questions about the upcoming game? What are your thoughts on the upcoming game? Let us know on our socials here or in the comments below.