Initially conceived as DLC for the second installment, Techland's new project has evolved into a full-fledged game over three years. After the mixed reaction to the sequel, the developers had to address their mistakes and take criticism into account. And after playing Dying Light: The Beast, it's safe to say — the beloved series has returned to its original vision.
The Dying Light series has always attracted attention with its spectacular action and unusual survival atmosphere. The first part was a breakthrough due to its unique mechanics: parkour, changing times of day, and the constant need to change weapons — all of this forced the player to constantly adapt to new conditions. The sequel improved the parkour and combat system, but added a non-linear plot with many similar endings, among which there are not so many significant differences — this was not to everyone's liking.
Therefore, Dying Light: The Beast was positioned by the developers as an appeal to fans: it took into account the shortcomings of previous parts, collected the best ideas of the series, and eliminated controversial elements. Initially, The Beast was conceived as an addition, but in the development process it turned into a full-fledged game, which can be called either a worthy sequel or a full-fledged third part.
Return to the Roots
Studio Techland worked through all the problems and shortcomings of Stay Human, returning to the formula of the first part: firearms reappeared in the game, they abandoned the non-linearity of the narrative and the colorful color scheme, and Kyle Crane — the protagonist of the first part — once again became the central figure of the plot.
Before the start of the game, it is explained where Crane disappeared after the events of The Following: he was captured by the VGM organization, and for 13 years the new main antagonist, known as the Baron, conducted experiments on him. Thanks to these experiments, Kyle acquired immunity to the virus and, along with it, the power of the Beast. One day he manages to escape from the laboratory and break free.
This time, the player will not have to make a moral choice — the plot is focused on the theme of revenge, and the main attention is paid to the gameplay and staging. The passage will take significantly less time than in the two previous parts. In a couple of dozen hours, you will be offered a dynamic action movie with predictable, but exciting plot twists: betrayal, loss of close characters, revealing the plan of the main villain, the appearance of a connecting link between the parts of the series, and a hint at the next game.
In addition to the main story, there are side missions with independent stories: helping an old ranger, hunting a dangerous mutant, and even fighting the hero's inner demons. These tasks reveal the world of the game, show how people adapt to new realities, and allow you to better understand the potential of the zombie virus.
New Location — Same Dynamics
The action takes place in the small town of Castor Woods, surrounded by mountains, forests, and rivers. There are no skyscrapers here: the buildings are no higher than two or three floors, and the tallest points are the towers of cathedrals and power lines. However, movement still requires verticality and ingenuity. The features of the terrain affect movement in each area.
In the plains there are fields and farms with minimal development, so it is optimal to use a car here — quickly and safely. Vertical gameplay is mainly implemented in the city. Castor Woods is built on a slope, which means that houses that look the same can be located on different levels. The roofs of the lower buildings can be reached from the slope, and ziplines and rolls are useful for a safe descent.
A significant part of the buildings are available for exploration: some of them are marked as "dark zones", where you can find resources and blueprints, others turn into strongholds, and still others are used as transit routes for free movement around the map.
As before, the player has access to a grappling hook to overcome heights, but the parachute has been removed — it turned out to be inconvenient in rocky terrain and in branched caves with areas for stealth parkour. Therefore, the risk of death from falling and loss of experience points has become relevant again.
Action Perfected
The most noticeable changes in The Beast concern the combat system — now it combines the best features of both previous parts. In addition to the return of Kyle Crane, the developers have updated firearms: ordinary zombies and mutants hardly react to shots, but human opponents fall after being hit in the head.
The main difficulty of firearms is the shortage of ammunition and the loudness of shots. Enemies are active, explosions and shots attract many new threats, so it is more profitable to fight stealthily. At the same time, it is impossible to eliminate the enemy in isolation without raising the alarm: if you are noticed, the entire base stands on its ears, as if everyone has a hive mind.
Shooting has always been a secondary mechanic in Techland games, while melee combat has been given special attention. The Beast adopted the main systems from the second part, supplementing them with the necessary elements from the first. All standard techniques are available in combat: dodges, blocks, parries, and finishers. Zombies are dangerous only by mass, because they cannot dodge your attacks. People, on the other hand, know how to defend themselves, and it is more effective to use throwing or shooting weapons against them, and leave melee combat for battles with the living dead.
Weapons and consumables can be created and improved on the workbench, as in the previous part, but there are only three levels. Melee weapons can be repaired again, but as they wear out, they completely fail, and they will have to be either replaced or duplicated.
The main innovation is Kyle's ability to turn into a Beast. Now, under the health bar, there is a rage indicator that fills up in collisions. In Beast mode, the hero restores health, takes less damage, and can deal with entire hordes of enemies. New special techniques of this mode will be opened in the story.
100% in 40 Hours
This part is worth noting the balanced amount of content: there are exactly as many tasks and points of interest as the game does not have time to get bored. The map contains:
- "Dark zones" with resources for pumping equipment;
- Military convoys with ammunition and medicines;
- Racing tracks where you can just earn experience points.
There is no "obligation" to clear points — supplies appear on them again after restarting the game. To increase the level, you can explore inactive safe zones and power substations, of which there are few, and they are all easily opened during the passage.
The last significant type of activity remains random events — for example, saving a wounded survivor, clearing a mini-outpost, or surviving an ambush. At the beginning of the game, they are useful, you can get weapons and experience, and later their significance almost disappears.
As for pumping, its formula remained the same: little experience is given for battles, so the main source of development is the completion of story and side tasks. When the character dies, the accumulated points are lost — as in the first part. However, by the end of the game, all three branches of development are usually open, as well as a new fourth one, associated with the skills of the Beast, which are pumped through arenas with zombie bosses.
Diagnosis
In general, Dying Light: The Beast leaves only positive emotions. This is a long-awaited return to the roots of the series: Techland managed to combine the best of the two previous games, introduce fresh ideas and get rid of controversial decisions.
The main campaign does not overload the player, leaving vivid impressions and confidently hinting at a continuation of the story. This is that rare case when a game started as an addition becomes a full-fledged sequel, justifying expectations and returning the series to the top of the genre.
