Dying Light: The Beast drops you back into a world of zombies, haunting nights, and brutal melee combat – with familiar strengths and only a few new ideas. Here’s what early reviews are saying.
Is Techland delivering a sequel that deliberately returns to the roots of the series? The first reviews of Dying Light: The Beast suggest just that: a survival-horror experience focused on intense melee combat, a menacing day-night cycle, and new abilities – along with familiar weaknesses and few genuine innovations.
Horror at Night, Action by Day
According to Gamestar, the game succeeds with a convincing mix of alpine setting, atmospheric daylight, and dangerous darkness. Night once again plays a central role and is just as terrifying as in the original. The return of firearms is a welcome change for veterans. Both newcomers and longtime fans can expect constant thrills.
- Score: 84
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IGN calls the game technically solid, praising its melee combat and the familiar Dying Light feel. Controls are sharp and fights feel intense. At the same time, the outlet criticizes the lack of risk-taking and innovation. Still, the survival-horror elements shine, especially thanks to tense nights that heighten the suspense.
- Score: 7 / 10
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Brutal, Tactical, and Demanding
PC Gamer highlights combat as the standout feature: encounters feel dynamic and brutal, with enemies responding intelligently. Stamina management forces players to make tactical choices in battle. New abilities make you stronger, but also leave you vulnerable, keeping survival tense and challenging.
- Score: 70
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According to GamePro, the return of protagonist Kyle Crane delivers an engaging, if straightforward, story enhanced by interesting side quests and moral dilemmas. The new Castor Woods setting feels varied and detailed, even if the natural areas seem a bit underdeveloped. Gameplay stays true to the roots: parkour, melee weapons, and crafting take center stage, supported by co-op and the ever-threatening night cycle that provides some of the game’s most intense moments.
The transformation into “The Beast” adds a fresh twist but feels undercooked and frustrating, as you only gain real control over this form later in the game. Skill trees also feel basic and at times unnecessary. On the plus side, the game flows well, offers strong German voice acting, and includes flexible difficulty options ranging from action-focused to hardcore survival horror.
- Score: 82
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Review: What Do We Think of Dying Light: The Beast?
We also spent many hours with Dying Light: The Beast before release and came away divided. On one hand, the parkour elements and brutal melee combat are just as fun as in Dying Light 2. On the other hand, that’s exactly the problem: there’s little sense of progress. In many ways, The Beast doesn’t feel meaningfully different from earlier entries. While the return of Kyle Crane, the balanced combat system, and challenging AI deserve praise, the lack of innovation, minor mechanical flaws, and an uninspiring story hold it back.
What this means for you: If you enjoyed the series’ style, you’ll find plenty to like here — just don’t expect big surprises. For longtime fans, that may be exactly what they want. Still, we’d love to see Techland move on and explore new ground rather than staying in familiar territory.
