Dying Light: The Beast Set to Deliver Franchise's Most Terrifying Zombies
As the highly anticipated release of Dying Light: The Beast draws near, Techland is ramping up the excitement by pulling back the curtain on the game's updated infected. The Polish developer promises the most terrifying and human-like zombies in the franchise's history, aiming to create an experience that deeply unsettles players.
Infected Designed for Uncanny Dread
A core philosophy behind the new zombie design in Dying Light: The Beast is to make the infected feel more human, ensuring every encounter is fraught with anxiety. Concept Artist Charidimos Bitsakakis explained that the team actively avoided 'doll-like' faces and 'glassy' eyes. Instead, they focused on enhancing the 'uncanny valley' effect, making the undead appear disturbingly realistic – too real to be dismissed as mere monsters.
The most common infected, the Biters (known as Kusaki), have been completely overhauled. Gone are the dried-up husks; these new Biters appear decomposed, with moist, swollen skin. Lead Concept Artist Katarzyna Bech refers to this new style as the 'degraded human' – grotesque, yet disturbingly plausible. To ensure variety, over 110 Biter variants have been created, featuring different body types (thin, normal, obese) and special types, such as the classic Biter with a gas tank, creating unique gameplay situations.
Virals (Virusnye), newly turned infected who retain more human characteristics, are particularly chilling. They possess natural skin tones and recognizable faces, giving the impression of individuals who haven't 'fully left.' Developers emphasized their blood patterns, distorted expressions, and raging gazes to amplify their unsettling nature. Nearly 60 Viral variants exist, including the 'Laboratory Virals' encountered early in the game. These victims of the main antagonist Baron's cruel experiments bear torn skin and open wounds, hinting at surgical torture and serving as a transitional stage towards Baron's more monstrous creations.
Special Infected have also been re-imagined, with their appearances now directly tied to their past lives. For instance, the Screamer (Revun) is a former mental patient still bound by restraints, the Goon (Gromyly) was a construction worker, and the Spitter (Plevun) was a medic, now spewing the very chemicals he once used to heal. These details make the infected both recognizable and horrifying, reinforcing the fear of succumbing to the infection yourself.
Brutal Combat and Dynamic Damage
Combat with these new infected is designed to be as brutal and intense as their visual design suggests. Developers doubled the number of visible wounds and expanded damage zones – up to 12 on Biters and Virals, and even more on larger foes. This means that as you fight, the damage inflicted on enemies will be visibly apparent, turning every brawl into a visceral spectacle. Battling a Goon, for example, will see its skin tear, blood gush, and impacts leave lasting marks on its body.
The ultimate stars of Dying Light: The Beast are the Chimeras, colossal monstrosities born from Baron's grotesque experiments. He pushed various special infected types to their limits, transforming them into something new, stronger, more unpredictable, and extremely dangerous. Katarzyna Bech noted that the biggest challenge was balancing gameplay with visual authenticity, ensuring the Chimeras didn't just look like generic monsters.
The creation of Chimeras drew heavily from human anatomy, with artists studying medical illustrations to accurately depict muscles, tissues, and body structures. This rigorous approach proved to be a significant artistic challenge, helping the team grow professionally.
The Matriarch, one of Baron's Chimeras, embodies this vision perfectly. Inspired by anatomical diagrams and even raw meat, she appears as a skinless human, with exposed muscles and tissues. Concept Artist Marta Sokołowska aimed to create something truly disturbing and nightmarish, likening her to a 'witch from a nightmare.'
Enhanced Gameplay and Dynamic Reactions
Techland emphasized that their artistic vision only fully comes to life when translated into gameplay. In Dying Light: The Beast, two key aspects have been refined: zombie aggression and their reaction to player actions.
- Biters now react to hits almost instantly, keeping players on their toes and forcing tactical thinking before engaging in combat.
- Virals are even more dangerous, moving faster, thinking smarter, occupying advantageous positions, and actively dodging attacks, creating the sensation of fighting a truly live opponent.
- Jumpers are the true predators of Dying Light: The Beast. They are not only dangerous in combat but will also pursue players relentlessly across the map, easily overcoming obstacles alone or in packs.
The improved enemy movement led to a complete overhaul of animations and physics within the C-Engine. These seemingly small changes, according to the developers, are the most impactful for players. Enemies now utilize 'active ragdolls,' meaning their bodies react realistically to impulses even after being hit. For example, you can launch a zombie into the air with a two-handed weapon, and a co-op partner can then kick its airborne body, resulting in a believable reaction.
Subtle atmospheric details also add to the immersion. If a Biter's arm is severed, it won't just fall or continue attacking; it will momentarily glance at the detached limb, seemingly acknowledging its loss. As dusk falls, some Biters will even pause to gaze at the setting sun – a quiet, poignant reminder that night is approaching.
Immersive Sound Design
Sound design is the final touch in crafting the chilling experience of Dying Light: The Beast's zombies. Biters and Virals sound more human, ensuring players feel they are confronting infected people, not just fictional monsters. Their growls, screams, and movements convey an almost desperate energy, amplifying the horror of transformation and making every encounter intense and immersive. To achieve this, Techland recorded over 9,103 unique sounds, including screams, shrieks, and other terrifying vocalizations.
For these voices, the team collaborated with the Canadian studio The Monster Factory, specialists in creature sounds known for their work on titles like The Last of Us Part II, Baldur’s Gate III, and God of War: Ragnarök. A short video from Techland showcases how voice actors brought these zombies to life, adding subtle nuances of humanity and horror that make each encounter truly unforgettable.
Techland refers to Dying Light: The Beast as the 'ultimate zombie experience.' Every detail of the infected in the new game has been meticulously designed to provide players with an incredibly immersive and frightening journey. Each encounter is meant to reveal glimpses of who these creatures once were, and every scream, strike, and glance serves as a chilling reminder that danger lurks everywhere.
Release Date Moved Up!
In exciting news, Techland announced that due to over a million pre-orders, the release of Dying Light: The Beast has been moved up by a day. The game will now launch on September 18th, 2025, at 7:00 PM Moscow time (4:00 PM UTC).
Players will be able to confront these updated infected on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The developers have also confirmed that the game will include full Russian localization.
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