“Techland’s boss claims that Dying Light 2 forgot what made the series special, while Dying Light: The Beast gets back on track: ‘For us, this really is Dying Light 3’.” The first demo at Summer Game Fest sparked renewed hope among fans, setting the stage for an exciting new direction. Moreover, the immersive gameplay experience confirmed that the original atmosphere of the series might be making a triumphant return.

The Beast leaves behind all the traits that characterized Dying Light 2—its crowded urban setting, diverse characters, and awkward dialogue choices—and serves as a direct sequel to the original Dying Light, with protagonist Kyle Crane making a comeback. In an interview with PC Gamer at Summer Game Fest, Dying Light series director Tymon Smektała modestly acknowledged the shortcomings of Dying Light 2.

“With [Dying Light 1], we truly managed to create a game where every element blended perfectly, even if we didn’t fully appreciate that harmony at the time,” he said. “Dying Light 1 was designed for our core audience—a hardcore survival horror, open-world action-adventure with robust survival elements. With Dying Light 2, we lost sight of that essence; although it was commercially successful, our most devoted fans felt that we had lost the edge, the threat, the horror, and the tension.”

Techland took that feedback and channeled it into The Beast, using the original Dying Light as its blueprint. “We use Dying Light 1 as the benchmark for comparing and balancing the experience because in that game, you truly felt alone in a vast, zombie-infested city,” he explained.

I noticed echoes of Dying Light 1 in The Beast even before Smektała mentioned them. The new setting is reminiscent of the original game’s first zone, and importantly, it isn’t cluttered with endless rooftops, allowing for more dynamic movement. I was constantly making split-second decisions about the next jump, grab, or roll, weighing whether to leap onto a car or risk a precarious beam jump. I even died four times from overly bold maneuvers—an experience seldom repeated in Dying Light 2.

The Beast turns out to be a much larger game than its non-numbered subtitle initially suggested. It features an entirely new map, characters, and storyline—with Smektała estimating that his most recent playthrough, including the main campaign and side quests, spanned roughly 37 hours. This isn’t merely a standalone expansion; it is the next installment in the Dying Light series.

“For us, this really is Dying Light 3,” he declared. “Although the project began with modest ambitions, the return of Kyle Crane filled us with unprecedented excitement. We’re eager to see what we can achieve with the new engine iteration and have complete confidence in the refined gameplay mechanics.”

It is true that certain aspects of The Beast remain largely unchanged—the UI is still a bit clunky—yet the game introduces several features absent from DL2 at launch, such as the reintroduction of guns and vehicle driving. In DL2, the focus on melee combat and a “medieval apocalypse” aesthetic had deliberately sidelined ranged combat.

The Beast reverses that trend by reintegrating firearms early on and even introducing new, highly lethal options like a flamethrower. Additionally, it introduces Kyle’s “Beast” form—a new upgradable stance triggered by receiving damage, allowing him to execute Glory Kills on any moving target.

Forrás: PC Gamer