Over the past 2 weeks, we’ve been playing Dying Light: The Beast – Techland’s newest installment into the beloved Dying Light franchise. With returning characters, a vibrant game-world and thousands of zombies; off the bat it is an excellent addition to the series. I played through the game on Brutal (that sweet sweet XP bonus)

Harran in the Woods

Set in Europe, Castor Woods serves as the newest playground (or hellscape) in Dying Light: The Beast. Once again we take control of the Hero of Harran, Kyle Crane. After being captured by a man nicknamed ‘The Baron’, Crane is tortured for years through experimentation. After a dangerous escape, Crane must gather new allies to take his revenge against the Baron.

Physics based Combat and Parkour

The game features a very impressive physics engine for combat. While not perfect, hits feel real and weighted. Connecting a sledgehammer to the side of a Biters head sends them cartwheeling in the direction of the swing, carving a Viral up with a Sword really feels like you’re wielding one; with each swing impacting differently and (potentially) taking off chunks of flesh, dismembering or even splitting them in half. It is great fun to fight the undead.

Human enemies return again, armed with a variety of weapons similar to Crane. Axes, clubs, bats, crowbars, bow & arrow, shotguns, rifles and DMRs. There is a nice variety of human enemies helping aid your immersion into the world. Their combat AI is relatively smart. They dodge attacks, kick when you hold a block, flank and work together to try to bring you down. They use consumables too; throwing knives, smoke bombs, grenades- all of it has you approach different groups with different tactics.

Stealth is a big part of the game. Tall grass, bushes and objects scattered around the world encourages you to take advantage of this system, rewarding you with an easier time taking out the undead and living alike.

Parkour bakes nicely into all of these variations of combat. Attacking from high above or from below; climbing trucks, busses or houses- the world is your playground when it comes to getting creative with how you kill something. Similar to previous titles, nearly everything can be climbed. Biters can’t climb objects higher than their shoulders, but humans, virals and volatiles (of course) can parkour nearly as well as Crane can. My one complaint is that the parkour can be very tentative at times- grabbing onto a ledge or poll will occasionally not register sending you plummeting to your death- which can prove very disruptive to the flow of gameplay, and actually punish you with an exp loss (if you’re on Brutal like me). Most of my deaths were from this. Climbing a tower for a new hideout or to check out if there is any loot up there? Be slow and methodical about your movement.

Vibrant Environment

Needless to say, on max graphics, the game looks stunning. The world they crafted is intricate and detailed. Old town, villages and the other POIs have a lot of visual noise; creating this feeling of a lived world and really enhancing the immersion. While the map isn’t as big as Stay Human, it feels like each area has plenty of its own treasure of secrets to uncover. Whether deep in a Dark Zone looking for upgrade books (or new shoes) or diving into a side mission; there is all the action you’re after.

When the Light is in-fact Dying

Night was an issue in the DL2 Stay Human. When the game came out, a lot of players thought the Night wasn’t as dangerous and terrifying as Harran. For good reason too. It wasn’t as dark, and you had so many tools at your disposal (like the glider) to make escape from a chase a fairly menial thing. Although they updated the game and rectified most of the complaints, the tone had stuck.

In this game though, the vibe of Harran is back. Deep in the woods, when night descends so does the anxious feeling of immediate danger. How far is the closest safehouse? What do I have to run through to get there? Is a car nearby? These are the questions I’d be posing to myself. Through the trees that orange glow would fade into a pitch black. Without your trusty flashlight, you’d be blind… and the night is teeming with volatiles.

Chases are super intense; just like back in Harran, the tight spaces of the city really made it an adrenaline pumping experience. Now in Castor Woods, the same feeling returns. If you’re caught out in the wilderness- it almost feels there is no where to run. The chases are incredible. For those looking for a real zombie horror experience, this new game has got it. Nightfall is a tense moment. Very quickly do things that outrun you appear in droves, and you’ve got limited resources to even attempt fighting back.

Beast Mode

One of the core features of this new title is Crane’s abilities. Not just parkour or his crack-shot aim, but tapping into his Volatile infection and becoming a near-unstoppable force of destruction. Ripping and tearing like the Doomslayer; Biters, Virals, Humans and Volatiles can be torn to shreds. This power (much like everything in the game) is a resource you have to manage. At first, it’s uncontrollable. You turn when Crane has battled enough. Eventually, you learn to control the power; and can turn at will. Although it is brief, the ability is incredibly strong. It fits nicely with the game and doesn’t feel too overpowered. Throughout the game you will gain more and more ways to utilise this power, but it is always bubbling beneath the surface in Crane as her enacts his vengeance.

Our Final Rating

A solid 8.5.

The game is visually stunning, the sound design is super immersive, the game world is vibrant and the systems it employs are great fun. Parkour is as good as it’s ever been and combat is intense as much as it is rewarding. The story is solid, without spoilers, it will have you explore and conquer the world around you- all while back in the shoes of good ol’ Crane.