Dying Light: The Beast Has Arrived
It's time once again to face hordes of zombies and test your parkour skills with the latest entry in the Dying Light series from Polish developer Techland. Released today, Dying Light: The Beast continues the story of Kyle Crane, the protagonist from the original Dying Light, as he breaks free from a brutal 13-year captivity.
During his imprisonment, Crane endured horrific torture, resulting in viral DNA being integrated into his body. Throughout this new journey, the hero must learn to control his inner beast and exact revenge on his tormentors. Players can expect dynamic first-person action in an open world, complete with challenging survival elements.
Early Reception and Player Engagement
Dying Light: The Beast has launched to a strong reception, achieving a “Very Positive” rating of 92% based on over a thousand reviews on Steam. The game's peak concurrent player count has already neared the 100,000 mark. Critics have also largely praised the new title, with an average score of 78 on Metacritic and 82 on OpenCritic, where it boasts a 91% recommendation rate. Below, we've gathered some notable reviews with varying scores:
- CGMagazine — 90/100
CGMagazine’s Marcus Kenneth hailed Dying Light: The Beast as an evolution for the series, bringing back the incredible parkour and brutal combat that felt missing after the divisive Dying Light 2. Kenneth noted that the game perfectly recaptures what made the original significant – movement, fear, and survival – while adding just enough new ideas. The return of Kyle Crane adds weight to the plot, and the antagonist, Baron, provides a genuine threat. The review praised the varied skills that make combat more dynamic, the endless exploration opportunities, and the captivating soundtrack, stating that the game stayed with him long after he stopped playing. - DualShockers — 90/100
Usama Mehmood from DualShockers highlighted the compelling character interactions and side quests that reveal Kyle Crane’s human side, advising players not to skip them. Mehmood found the second half of the game to be intense, culminating in a finale that sets the stage for a highly anticipated sequel. He celebrated the game as a return to form for the series, offering a darker, more ominous experience with a brutal and technical combat system, intense gore, and the thrill of free-running, all wrapped in a solid narrative. The review particularly enjoyed the freedom to mow down enemies with new firearms or tear them apart in Beast mode, making it accessible for both veterans and newcomers. - TheGamer — 80/100
George Foster of TheGamer acknowledged that while Dying Light: The Beast might repeat some past mistakes, it successfully brings back and focuses on what worked, delivering a more engaging story in a unique setting. Foster considered it more of the sequel fans desired than Dying Light 2 itself. However, he pointed out that some old issues persist, such as frustrating human enemies in melee, annoying loss of experience outside missions, and difficult enclosed spaces. The early hours were described as slow, but the game became much more enjoyable after unlocking powerful weapons, recapturing the feeling of playing the original Dying Light. - IGN — 70/100
Travis Northup from IGN found Dying Light: The Beast to be an engaging return to the series' parkour and zombie-filled world. He praised the concept of transforming into a monstrous beast to fight other monsters, which largely compensated for a somewhat generic plot and an uninspired map. While the game felt quite similar to previous entries, Northup appreciated the technical improvements, noting that it ran smoothly on his PC with minimal bugs, crashes, or glitches, even before the day-one patch. He did mention a few irritating instances of getting stuck in environmental geometry. - Dexerto — 60/100
Liam Mackay’s review for Dexerto described Dying Light: The Beast as enjoyable but ultimately not particularly memorable. Mackay praised the fun of fighting zombies, roof-hopping, and escaping the infected at night in a stunning open world. However, he felt that Kyle Crane was a straightforward protagonist in a bland, linear story, and the new Beast mode mechanics offered little value. He concluded that despite excellent parkour and melee combat, the uninspired plot and uninteresting Beast mechanics made it an engaging but not a standout title.
Availability and What This Means for Players
Dying Light: The Beast is now available on PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The game features full Russian localization and is compatible with Steam Deck. Owners of the Ultimate Edition of Dying Light 2: Stay Human received the new game for free.
Overall, Dying Light: The Beast appears to be a strong return to form for the franchise, emphasizing the brutal combat and fluid parkour that fans loved in the original. While opinions on the story and new 'Beast' mechanics are mixed, the game's solid technical performance and engaging gameplay loop make it a worthwhile experience for long-time fans and newcomers looking for a visceral zombie survival adventure.
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