On September 18, the new Dying Light: The Beast was released. The latest installment of the popular series has been well received by players, with much praise. Originally, it wasn’t even supposed to be released as a standalone game.
What kind of game is this?
- Originally, The Beast was planned as a DLC for Dying Light 2: Stay Human and even given away for free to some owners. However, at some point, the scope became so large that the game turned into a standalone adventure.
- In Dying Light: The Beast, you play as Kyle Crane, the protagonist from the first game. After years of cruel experiments in a lab, you have gained special powers and are now seeking revenge on your captor.
- Unlike Dying Light 2, The Beast focuses more on survival elements. Survival is tougher, weapons don’t last long, and parkour options are limited. Overall, the game is significantly harder, which was a strong point in the review. The community loves it.
What makes The Beast so good: On Steam alone, Dying Light: The Beast already has a rating of 91%, making it “very positive,” although only with over 10,000 reviews. According to SteamDB, over 97,000 players played simultaneously – just on Steam. Dying Light: The Beast is also available on PS5 and Xbox.
Nevertheless, players who rated The Beast are absolutely thrilled. It is said that Techland has once again shown why they are the masters of the zombie genre. The Beast is visually stunning, the gameplay is polished, and the overall experience is extremely immersive. An enthusiastic player writes:
This is my first Dying Light game and I am surprised at how good it is. I recommend it. I played for 8 hours on release day […] The story is good so far, it always keeps you guessing what will happen next. […] The price of the game is fair, not too expensive, not too cheap, just right. All in all, a 9 out of 10.
The Dark Lord on Steam
For some players, Dying Light: The Beast even has the potential for Game of the Year. Criticism, however, is directed at bugs that have allegedly not been fixed since the tests, and occasionally at the skill system, where one notices that the game was originally a DLC. However, such comments are only occasional; many fans celebrate a return to the feel of the first game.
By the way: In Germany, there is a censored version of the game, as in the predecessor. There, the differences were hardly noticeable.
A harder Dying Light with less freedom of choice
Unlike Dying Light 2, in The Beast, you have no factions with various side quests and their own stories, but a linear story without decision-making opportunities. The ending is fixed with the goal of placing Kyle Crane exactly where he needs to be. Because story-wise, The Beast takes place between Part 1 and Part 2.
Especially in comparison to Dying Light 2: Stay Human, The Beast is significantly harder. Enemy groups are quickly deadly, elite zombies like Shadow Hunters usually force you to flee – which is already difficult.
Because the small location in Switzerland where The Beast takes place has fewer climbing options than you might be used to from Part 2. Escaping and parkour must be well planned, otherwise, you’ll find yourself quickly back at the last save point.
The focus is especially on isolated boss fights and survival elements like crafting. Your weapons break quickly, so you’re constantly busy building and improving new items to avoid suddenly finding yourself unarmed.
As a special innovation, there is the Beast Mode. Kyle transforms – initially unwillingly, later intentionally – into a kind of super-zombie and beats enemies to a pulp with his bare hands, sometimes with very… graphic scenes reminiscent of glory kills from Doom.
Thus, The Beast is less oriented towards the freedoms of Part 2, but rather returns to the oppressive atmosphere and sense of danger of Dying Light 1. MyMMO editor Jasmin Beverungen experienced this firsthand: A new zombie game took me in so much that after less than an hour, I was glad to see daylight again
