To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Dying Light franchise, Techland delivers what many already consider its third main installment: Dying Light: The Beast. What initially began as a simple DLC for the second game evolved into a full-fledged title a trend that has become increasingly common in the industry when expansions grow beyond traditional add-ons.
This entry keeps the essence of the series intact: first-person combat, fluid parkour that lets you traverse rooftops, and the ever-tense day-and-night cycle. As always, the most dangerous and mutated zombies come alive after dark, turning each night into a fight for survival.
The standout addition is the new beast transformation mechanic. This power allows you to tear through hordes and bosses with ease, but it comes with a major drawback: it activates randomly, leaving you with little control. To fine-tune it, you must hunt a new type of zombie that grants special points to upgrade your skills and weapons.
Exploration is pushed to the forefront with the introduction of Castor Woods, one of the largest maps in the series. This open environment features caves, villages, and enemy strongholds, but fewer vertical escape points than past games, making survival even more brutal. Adding to the intensity, Techland incorporated a Souls-like system where dying can cause you to lose accumulated experience, making every encounter more stressful.
Still, not everything works perfectly. The resource system can feel overly punishing: ammo, repairs, and weapon durability constantly force you to scavenge, artificially extending playtime. The story starts strong by bringing back Kyle Crane, the protagonist of the first game, who escapes after 13 years of experimentation to wage war against his captor. Unfortunately, the narrative loses steam, with side quests often overshadowing the main story but falling into repetitive patterns like fetching items or killing a set number of zombies. Even the final boss feels so disconnected that the ending lacks emotional payoff.
Visually, the game doesn’t mark a major leap from Dying Light 2, though lighting and reflections remain impressive. A distracting white filter, however, lingers across the screen. On the brighter side, voice acting is excellent, with Roger Craig Smith once again delivering a standout performance that elevates the cast.
In the end, Dying Light: The Beast outshines its predecessor and reinvigorates the franchise with fresh mechanics and a demanding atmosphere. Still, shortcomings in storytelling, resource management, and mission design prevent it from reaching its full potential.
Final Score: 4/5
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