Dying Light: The Beast Reviews
Dying Light: The Beast is a goofy, bloody sequel with a monstrous twist, but doesn’t do much else to mix things up.
A more gritty survival horror experience than Stay Human, but Techland's new first-person parkour game still stumbles a bit.
Dying Light: The Beast might repeat some of the mistakes of previous games, but it also brings back everything that worked and focuses on them while delivering a more interesting story set in the series’ most unique location yet. The Beast might have started as DLC for the more ambitious Dying Light 2, but its contained success ends up being closer to the sequel we all asked for than that game ever was.
The amount of disgusting gore is an absolute delight.
Techland's expansion turned standalone sequel winds up being the most enjoyable Dying Light so far, because it dials back the power fantasy.
Much like Kyle Crane's return, the series has also returned to form with Dying Light: The Beast. Although not a true sequel, it's a meaningful entry that dials down the tone to a much more sinister and grimier one. It's a reminder from Techland of why fans love the series in the first place—a gnarly yet technical combat system, over-the-top gore, and the thrill of freerunning all composited with a decent enough story, one that's sure to invoke the hope to live and die another day. You can effortlessly mow down enemies with a barrage of new unhinged artillery or viciously tear them apart with Beast Mode—it's your playground here, and it all adds up to make it perfect for veterans to experience while offering a slice to newcomers of what makes Dying Light feel so special. The Beast is awake, and so is the franchise once again.
Dying Light The Beast doesn't reinvent the wheel or introduce changes that revolutionize the series, but it does polish many aspects, enrich others, and add enough new features (a new setting, increased vehicle weight, etc.) to make the experience feel fresh, and it succeeds. And, most importantly, it's still as fun as the first day.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A lot of the fun you can have with Dying Light: The Beast is what you make of it yourself. Exploring the world, unlocking the safe houses, finding cool new weapon modifications and crafting recipes, and generally getting lost. Nothing about the experience was groundbreaking, nor was it as enthralling or immersive as other open-world games. Instead, it was good fun you can enjoy in short or long bursts, whether you want to sink your teeth into zombie hunting or chilling as you wander the wilds and urban spaces of Castor Hills.
While the actual ‘Beast’ elements of the game are a slight let down from a pure gameplay perspective it still feels good to hulk out without fear of falling in among the undead hordes. This, combined with easily the most diverse setting Dying Light has ever offered in Castor Woods and an overall tighter scope, makes The Beast another solid zombie game worth chewing through.
The story won't win any awards, but thanks to well-rounded supporting characters and interesting missions, it makes the most of the revenge plot. The game world is smaller again, but offers plenty of variety with urban and rural areas. The nights feel truly dangerous again, even without a timer breathing down your neck.
Review in German | Read full review
Dying Light: The Beast is a serious gore-fest that, when you dig a little deeper, turns out to be a rather silly playground teeming with ingenius ways of dispatching the undead. The fun, for me, was finding them all, and while it may not stick with me for long, this is still the best that Dying Light has ever been.
If you're a zombie fanatic and your dream is to experience a believable, yet scenic, terrifying, and atmospheric undead apocalypse, Dying Light: The Beast is a title you shouldn't miss. Kyle Crane's story is a classic, at times a bit predictable, but there are many other survivors with more unique stories waiting to grip you in the numerous side missions hidden in Castor Woods.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dying Light: The Beast attempts to reconnect with the original DNA that many players believed was altered by the second instalment. It features violent and impactful fights, an oppressive soundscape enhanced by Olivier Derivière's compositions, and stressful day/night cycles. This new Dying Light game defies convention to create an even stronger sense of immersion.
Review in French | Read full review
And the best part: if you enjoy playing with others, co-op makes it an even greater experience. So if you're into zombies, open worlds full of action and gore, you can already write this name down: The Beast is here to stay.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dying Light: The Beast is everything I wanted from Techland's return to the series. The combat is brutal and fun, the sandbox world is massive and rewarding to explore, and Beast Mode is an absolute highlight. I feel that this is still the best entry in the franchise and a must-play for fans of Dying Light.
Dying Light: The Beast is an incredible evolution in the series by bringing back the movement and weapon feel, and evolving them to feel more brutal feels incredible.
Dying Light: The Beast is a polished, well-crafted experience that builds on the franchise's strengths while adding new creative flourishes to its formula.
The decision to transform Dying Light 2’s second DLC into a full game was a right one. Dying Light: The Beast is a big, new adventure that blends well all the best parts of DL, DL2 and The Following. This is a game for all the fans of the franchise, and one that has a surprisingly cool story to tell.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Dying Light: The Beast feels pure and almost nostalgic, like a compilation that fuses together the experiences of the first two games. Even a decade later, that experience remains unique and vibrant.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Even the side missions, while not always excellent, offer good variety and sometimes surprise with the quality of the writing, managing to construct small narrative arcs that broaden the context and give depth to the game world.
Review in Italian | Read full review