Dying Light: The Beast, first impressions of an experience full of terror and survival

A few days ago, thanks to an invitation by Techland to the city of Los Angeles, California, we had the opportunity to play for four hours Dying Light: The Beast, the new installment that promises to be the definitive experience of terror and survival, as well as the culmination of a decade of learning of the studio within the genre. Below, we share with you our first impressions of this ambitious adventure.

Kyle Crane’s return

In this new installment we reprise the role of Kyle Crane, the iconic protagonist of the first Dying Light, again played by Roger Craig Smith. Dying Light: The Beast begins just after the events of Dying Light: The Following, when Crane is captured by the Baron, a brilliant but sinister scientist who subjects him to brutal experiments for more than a decade. These experiments give him special abilities that we will discover throughout the game.

Bestial gameplay

One of the pillars of this game is to control a half-human, half-beast Crane, since, by defeating certain main enemies, we will be able to absorb part of his DNA and unlock his abilities. One of the most striking moves is a rage mode that makes Crane practically invincible for a short period of time. To activate it, you just need to eliminate a certain number of enemies.

The parkour system maintains the essence of the previous game, but feels more agile. In our session, we unlocked zones, completed submissions and had total freedom to decide how to tackle them. The game offers a good variety of enemies, but also allows us to opt for a more stealthy approach if we prefer.

Crane’s evolution is based on a skill tree that allows you to customize your play style freely. However, there are still details to be polished: for example, the wall climbing system needs improvement, as on more than one occasion it was difficult to identify routes to climb.

The day and night cycle is still present, generating changes in real time that directly affect the difficulty. At night, the danger increases considerably, although it is always possible to return to a camp or safe area to sleep and advance with the light of day.

We will also be able to drive an all-terrain vehicle to make our way through hordes of zombies, thus taking advantage of the multiple possibilities of the open world.

An out-of-the-ordinary zombie apocalypse

Visually, the game presents remarkable graphical improvements, although some animations still need adjustments. The main scenario, Castor Woods, inspired by the Swiss Alps, is one of the great successes: a huge and varied valley that includes different biomes such as:

All these elements are full of contrast between the beauty of nature and the decadence of what has happened.

Compared to previous installments, this one feels much more visceral: combats are brutal and explicit, with enemies that literally fall apart blow-by-blow. Each attack leaves a physical mark on bodies, raising the intensity of combat to another level.

Multiplayer adventure

The game will feature cooperative mode for up to four players, with a shared progression option. This will allow you to experience the entire campaign with friends, a great addition for those who enjoy group experiences.

Launch

Dying Light: The Beast will be released on August 22, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S.

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