At this year’s Summer Game Fest, Techland’s latest release Dying Light: The Beast managed to amaze players, not as an easy add-on but as an evolution of the franchise. The demo was shown in a hands-on session and clearly distinguished itself from the previous game titled Dying Light 2: Stay Human. The last game was met with mixed reception as it felt like it took place in a slightly dense city. This was coupled with its dialogue system and departure from the experience that drew fans in earlier in the series. Many players looked for similar moments of tension when playing this game.
The Dying Light studio abandoned the urban sprawl of Dying Light 2 in the latest Dying Light adaptation, the Beast, steering back to survival horror roots. Read in News: Game brings back famous protagonist Kyle Crane and is being touted by the team as a spiritual success to the first game.
A Lesson Learned from the Past
Tymon Smektała, director of the franchise, discussed the development decisions that shaped The Beast. He accepted the first game balanced quite well – although, perhaps that wasn’t appreciated too much. Smektała said that Dying Light 2 may have done well commercially, but it strayed from the tension, danger, and mechanics players expected.
Taking the criticism very seriously, the team used the original Dying Light as the point of reference while creating The Beast. Smektała stated that the goal was to recreate the feeling of loneliness and eternal danger of traversing through a city full of zombies. An emotional impact, according to him, was lost in the sequel.
A More Grounded and Dynamic World
The Beast’s setting instantly brings to mind the early days of Dying Light, where you had to use parkour not merely to survive, but to survive. The game’s world feels more grounded and open, inviting players to consider every single move. The player’s instincts are always put to the test, be it judging a risky leap off a rooftop or deciding between jumping over cars or sneaking through alleyways.
During the preview event, it’s easy to die if you make a couple of daring parkour choices that turn out badly. Dying Light 2 is missing this edge, as rooftop locations often make danger easy to dodge. The return to calculated risk is a pleasing development for fans craving tension of survival.
A game of full length that is bigger than one might expect.
An Expansion or Add-on: Though it is called The Beast, it doesn’t behave like one. The game comes with an all-new map, new characters, and a new story. Smektała said that his last playthrough took about 37 hours, with the main story and side quests. This clearly puts the game alongside main-series entries for length.
Internally at Techland, it is being regarded as the third mainline entry-in-everything-but-name. The reason we do not call it Dying Light 3 is because what we have here is not a game-changing feature, which is what you would expect from a game with a number. No matter the situation, the crew still considers it a sturdy, premium-worthy title.
Enhanced Combat and New Powers
The reworked battle system is certainly one of the biggest changes in The Beast. Unlike Dying Light 2, which focused on melee combat and medieval apocalypse theme from the outset, this new game features guns. Gamers will be able to get their hands on weapons like a gun and flamethrower.
Moreover, Kyle has now obtained a new stance called the “Beast” stance. It is unlocked upon taking damage. When you take on this mode, he can perform brutal finishing moves to slice down enemies in a frenzy that feels ripped from a power fantasy.
A Polished Sequel That Embraces Its DNA
While some aspects such as the UI retain minor issues, The Beast is a confident return to a winning formula. The developers of Dying Light 2 might’ve been a little too ambitious and the end result didn’t quite hit the mark. This new game is not quite revolutionary but rather a refinement, a step up with lots of content. Smektała called it the strongest entry the team has created, a culmination of lessons learned, fan feedback, and course-correction.
Release Date and Final Thoughts
Dying Light: The Beast will launch on 22 August 2025. For fans who’ve been wanting a real sequel to the original’s survival horror, the game may just be the return they’ve been waiting for.