Dying Light is one of the very few games that did the zombie genre right. Of course, the franchise had its ups and downs, but the combination of parkour and killing zombies along the way just fits the theme so good. Dying Light: The Beast seems like a standalone type of game, but can it outrun the good reviews of Dying Light 2? Let’s get to the chase!
Like I said in the introduction… Techland was a pioneer with their game Dying Light due to its interesting features, like no other game ever created. Dying Light was a unique zombie game where crafting your weapons, parkour throughout abandoned cities, hacking and slashing through a horde of zombies, great graphics, … never felt so good. Not long ago, Dying Light 2 was released, and that game even heightened the standards for the franchise. There were some technical hiccups throughout the game, and the story might seem a bit doubtful, but when everything technical and mechanical clicked, the game was better than the previous one. This game, Dying Light: The Beast, is a standalone game that is still aiming for the stars, and it seems for the better. What previous game lacked in story content, Dying Light: The Beast seems to have a more streamlined story than before. It had to make some changes to the open world feeling, but the cinematic storytelling is worth the sacrifice!
“Now is the time to get information about your surroundings and plan an attack on the person who did this to you…”
Players of the first game in the franchise will know the protagonist of this story. You play as Kyle Crane, and the moment you start the game, you’re catapulted into a series of memories of scientists who are constantly pushing your body to the limits. The main character has been bitten by a zombie, but it seems that you’re body has a different reaction to it; it seems like your body can transform the protagonist into a killing machine under pressure. Eventually, the memories become more real, and you notice that you aren’t the only testing subject in the laboratory. However, this person seems to be just like you, but in a more heightened state. Unfortunately, the scientist made a mistake by not being too careful, and in the second person loses their composure and also transforms into this beast. He doesn’t seem to care for the protagonist because he’s going straight for the scientists who were performing tests on him. This change of scenery creates an opportunity for you to escape the laboratory! After escaping, you find yourself in the Alps full of flesh-eating zombies. Now is the time to get information about your surroundings and plan an attack on the person who did this to you…
The concept of the game feels a lot more familiar than you might think. Yes, you are still the trained professional Kyle that can parkour along the buildings and perform combat techniques to outwork the brain-searching species. However, it seems that your athletic abilities are enhanced due to the mutation of your DNA. Under pressure, you become this hulk-like phenomenon that boosts your speed, strength, and gives you access to a whole lot of undiscovered abilities. Thanks to a rebel leader in the Alps, you’ve gained the information that you can become stronger as The Beast by hunting down Chimeras and infusing your blood with theirs. Of course, this sounds a lot easier than it is because you have to kill the Chimera’s in order to inject their blood into yours. These Chimeras are also on the shy side, so you’ll have to explore the Alps by completing quests, killing zombies, and tracking down the Chimeras. If you feel like you’re strong enough to take on the person who ordered the scientists to perform tests on you, you can leave the Chimera’s and prepare for the battle of a lifetime. If you find the enemy, of course… But you’ll have plenty of time to level up your skills and search for the best items that can help you with crafting the ultimate weapon.
“It is a story that keeps your interest for a long time, and you keep coming back for more.”
You can already tell that the story is better than the previous game. It might be a bit more straightforward forward, but the cinematic storytelling helps in a major way. There is still a lot of freedom in the things that you want to do, but the story will point out the main story paths more clearly now. Also, the cinematic scenes are great and help with creating the story that Techland wants to tell. You can feel the direction they want to go with Kyle, and there will be some side characters that might not fit in perfectly, but neither story is perfect. In other words, storytelling is an important part of Dying Light: The Beast, and it shows… It is a story that keeps your interest for a long time, and you keep coming back for more.
The mechanics are also very familiar. You run around the abandoned buildings and villages very fluently thanks to one of the game’s best mechanics: the free-running feature. This feature is something that keeps getting better after every Dying Light release. The flow of creating your paths feels fluent and yet realistic. The game also helps create your pathways by implementing noticeable color schemes on walls or ledges. These color schemes are noticeable and yet so basic that they aren’t too much in the face. So even though the parkour skills feel fluent, the game doesn’t give the pathways that easily. There is also a lot of fun in dropkicking zombies from a certain height, but that’s a story for another one to tell.
“The game looks very good on the last generation consoles or high-end gaming PC’s.”
During your adventure as a freerunner, you’ll be able to look for items in abandoned houses or points of interest. These items allow you to create your own kind of weapon that can help clear the path. The system is the same; you can combine items with each other to create a very strong weapon with different attributes. Find the one you like and hold onto it as long as you can because weapons in this game aren’t forever. All weapons have a durability status, which eventually will break the weapon after a couple of uses. You are able to repair certain weapons, but these opportunities are very limited. So keep an eye out for the durability of a weapon because a broken-down weapon will often result in an unfortunate death. You will also be able to equip the weapon with a certain mod that gives the weapon some attribute damage, like poison or even electricity, that can stun the bigger zombies. You can also find long-range weapons that can change the battlefield in an instant; however, the ammunition of long-range weapons is very scarce, so you’ll have to be a bit more careful not to overuse a certain long-range weapon. Long-range weapons are you’re last resort; try to boost your melee capabilities over your long-range ones. Just like any zombie-type game, the golden rule also applies to this game: aim for the head/ skull before you tackle the body.
The game looks very good on the last generation consoles or high-end gaming PC’s. One of the other (more interesting) features of Dying Light: The Beast is the gore effects when you’re combating zombies. It won’t take long before you notice the deformation of the zombie’s body or the fountains of youth where blood is gushing out of our opponent. It’s definitely a sight to see, but probably not for everyone. I, for example, love the over-the-top kind of gore within this game because it truly gives you the feeling that you’re an unstoppable force when you transform into The Beast. And it also looks very good on the screen!
“Dying Light is all about the survival of the fittest mentality.”
One of the best features the game has to offer is the day and night cycle. You might say this is kinda basic for a game these days, and I agree with this statement… however, Techland’s day and night cycle shifts the way you play the game constantly. During the day, the zombies are the most easy targets you can have in Dying Light…unless they attack you in group, than the situation can become a bit more difficult because of the fact that a group of zombies can be overwhelming for you to handle. But during the night, Volatile zombies are also part of the group, and these maniacs will chase you literally all night long. These Volatile zombies are also the enemies that will chase you over the rooftops and through buildings. Be aware of your surroundings even more during the night, make sure you know your way to the closest safe house where zombies can hurt you, and where sleeping until dawn is available. Because people seem to forget that Dying Light is also a survival game where stamina ( that helps you run and fight) can deplete and put you in an exhausted state, or where looting helps with creating the best weapons for an upcoming fight. Dying Light is all about the survival of the fittest mentality.
Even though the game is better in almost every aspect of the previous one, the talent tree could be a bit more expansive and easier to accomplish the different bits on the talent tree. It feels like the talent tree is developed in a way that you need to grind your way through the fun bits. It is weird to see that specific long-range weapons are behind this “level up” wall. This blocks out the fun you could have at the beginning of the game. It’s also disappointing to feel the “grind” within the game because it takes you a long time before you get to the fun skills. This can scare off new players… and that’s truly a shame because the game is very good. Even the Beast skills feel a bit underwhelming. Some skills seem too far-fetched and should be instantly unlocked when you start the game. Its skill tree is limited to “smash into the ground” and “hurling boulders at your enemies”… I mean, is the Beast that “dumb” that he can’t figure this out? Don’t get me wrong, playing as the Beast is pretty sweet, but it could have been sweeter.
CONCLUSION
Dying Light: The Beast is definitely a great game and strengthens the franchise further down the line. Graphically speaking, the game looks tremendous with lots of autumn light brown colors and lighting effects. Even the gore models of defeated enemies are a big plus in this game. The game has never looked so sharp. Free running and combat feel fluent and spontaneous. The Beast mode is a fun addition to the world and prolongs the fun factor. However, the talent tree could have been a bit more complex instead of the simplicity it now is. If you haven’t played Dying Light 1 or 2, don’t be afraid to pick this game up. It’s a good game within the zombie genre, and it will definitely spark your survival instincts.
