This is the best Dying Light has ever been.
Disclosure: Techland provided a copy of the game for review.
Kyle Crane is back, and he’s angrier than ever. Dying Light: The Beast is Techland’s standalone return to the series, swapping city skylines for the ravaged valleys of Castor Woods and giving Crane a monster inside him to match the ones outside. It’s polished, brutal and beautiful, and this is the best Dying Light has ever been.
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Story
Years after the original game, Crane has spent a long stretch as the captive of a ruthless figure known as the Baron, enduring experiments that awakened a volatile beast inside him. After breaking free, he roams Castor Woods hunting his captors and grappling with what his new abilities cost him. It’s a beefy campaign that blends survival horror with a gripping revenge story, and dialogue options let you dig into characters’ backgrounds and motives. Some optional conversations even unlock flashbacks that deepen the lore and are easy to miss.
The supporting cast elevates it, with hardened survivors and adversaries who each have their own motives, and even minor characters feel fleshed out. Side quests range from standard fetch tasks to emotionally charged stories about helping families or uncovering lab conspiracies.
Gameplay
Techland has mastered first-person parkour. Wall running, grappling and vaulting are buttery smooth, and hopping rooftop to rooftop in the tourist town, then dropping into an off-road vehicle to plow through the horde below, never gets old. Driving is grounded yet forgiving, and you can switch to a third-person camera behind the wheel. Vehicles take damage, so you’ll scavenge abandoned cars for fuel, which is hit or miss and adds tension.
Combat is just as polished, and location-based damage is the highlight. Hit a zombie’s arm and it recoils clutching the wound, sweep the legs and it collapses, gut it and it slows down. Melee feels weighty, ammo is scarce, and Beast Mode turns Crane into a powerhouse that leaves gruesome scenes behind. The skill tree, crafting, blueprints for poison blades and explosive traps, and vehicle perks all feel rewarding.
Day versus night is where the tension lives. After dark the infected are far more aggressive, and your flashlight is a double-edged sword that lights the way but draws every horror to you. Clearing out and claiming safe houses lets you sleep until morning, and racing one against the sunset is immensely satisfying. Co-op supports up to four players, though I stuck to solo. My gripes: some Chimera boss fights are frustrating, with beefy health pools and extra zombies piling in, though they’re rare, and some side quest types get repetitive.
Visuals
The visuals are next-gen through and through. Lighting is fantastic, with vivid sunsets and sweeping vistas, wind blows leaves through the trees, and distant mountains stay sharp all the way to the horizon. Zombies show hyper-detailed decay with flesh that tears realistically, the rain effects are stunning, and even clothing creases and fabric textures hold up up close. Castor Woods is a diverse playground: an overgrown tourist town, a rusted industrial zone, national park trails patrolled by mutants and more.
Sound
Roger Craig Smith gives Crane grit and vulnerability, and the supporting cast brings nuance to every line. Combat audio makes fights hit hard, from the crunch of melee to the frightening sounds of the infected, while rain and distant howls build tension during chases. Composer Olivier Derivière absolutely crushes the soundtrack, blending haunting orchestral swells with industrial percussion that pulses like a heartbeat and erupts during Beast Mode frenzies.
Verdict
Dying Light: The Beast is a stellar evolution of the series, with refined parkour, visceral combat and a gripping story in a beautifully crafted world. A few repetitive side quests and some overwhelming Chimera fights are minor hiccups in an otherwise highly polished experience. If you’re a fan of open-world survival or Dying Light, this is well worth your time.
Image: Techland
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The verdict: Amazing
This is the best Dying Light has ever been.
Pros
- Best-in-class first-person parkour
- Visceral, location-based combat and a brutal Beast Mode
- Tense day and night cycle with safe houses
- Gorgeous, diverse Castor Woods
- Strong performances and an outstanding Olivier Derivière score
Cons
- Some Chimera boss fights feel overwhelming
- Some side quest types get repetitive
Platform played: PC (Steam)
Where to buy
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