Dying Light: The Beast Review

A solid, well-made game that delivers a good experience. Techland brings Kyle Crane back for a tense, parkour-fueled zombie romp that’s equal parts nostalgic rush and frustrating grind. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but if you’re a series fan craving that day-night dread with a beastly twist, this hits the spot. Flaws and all, it’s worth the dive for the highs.

I clocked 70 hours solo on PC (Standard Edition via Steam), mainlining the story while dipping into side quests and Chimera hunts. No early access perks or publisher sway here. Just me, a machete, and a horde of undead. Launch was October 1, and by day 8, minor patches (like 1.2.1 for day/night tweaks) ironed out some jitters without touching the core rough edges.

🎮 Gameplay Mechanics

The loop is classic Dying Light: daytime parkour scavenging across Castor Woods’ rural ruins, flipping to heart-pounding night chases where one wrong jump means you’re zombie chow. Controls feel responsive once you’re in the rhythm. Fluid mantling and slides reward muscle memory. But the grappling hook and ledge grabs? Clunky as hell, and too slow at times. Parkour upgrades (longer jumps, momentum rolls) shine mid-game, turning rooftops into playgrounds I couldn’t get enough of.

Beast mode is the star: Shift from stealthy runner to claw-ripping monster for horde-clearing frenzies. Manual activation (eventually unlocked in the beast skill tree branch) fixes the auto-trigger nonsense, but the slow meter fill keeps it gated. I found myself holding on to a full beast meter just for boss encounters. Feels like a tease more than a power fantasy. Chimera hunts deliver: Unique bosses with wild attacks (one spews acid, another grapples like a nightmare), and extracting their blood for boosts ties neatly into progression. Too bad rewards are just generic skill points for a linear tree. No tailored powers, and I barely used half the perks and no special loot.

Zombies start tanky (head shots barely faze ’em even if they hit; demanding gadgets like molotovs, mines, and knives I spammed relentlessly. They’re a blast, purposeful without being overpowered. But two-handers? Slo-mo slugs with negligible damage bumps; skip ’em. Explosives rule crowds, though you can’t reclaim mines post-placement. Petty oversight.

Difficulty’s fair but brutal upfront: 750 XP lost on my first-night wipe stung like hell, but safe zones and adaptation mellow it. No fast travel? Criminal in an open world. Cleared zones turn into dead space, and parkouring everywhere (vehicles are visibility nightmares I ignored) wears thin. Water mechanics are the real immersion-killer: Knee-deep puddle? Felt like a full cliff-dive plunge every time. Side quests mostly weave into the story (nice touch), but outliers like a dumb racing bit or Iris’s random memento fetch feel tacked-on filler. Overall, fun factor’s high once you’re rolling. 70 hours vanished. But chores like revisits drag.

📖 Story & Narrative

Premise: Kyle Crane, zombified and beast-cursed, crashes into Castor Woods to hunt viral Chimeras while piecing together survivor factions amid betrayal and apocalypse grit. It’s engaging from the jump. Cinematics and tutorial hook you hard, with solid voice acting and development for mains like Crane and Olivia. Pacing balances well, blending main beats with tied-in sides, though the town-to-countryside shift (Town Hall hub to remote camp) feels disjointed. Almost like forgetting your roots until the finale yanks it back.

Twists land (double ones even), but I sniffed ’em a mile off. Could’ve used sharper misdirection for that gut-punch. Choices? Barely there; it’s linear as rails. Side quests further the arc smartly, but sparsity shows. Countryside’s less dense, almost an afterthought. No Volatiles showdown either; nights stay pants-shitting scary without empowerment. Solid B-tier tale for zombie lore fans, but it aches for deeper branches and more meat. Would have loved to be able to hunt down their nests as part of the story or after activity.

🎨 Graphics & Art Style

Tech holds up fine on PC: Zombie dismemberment and gore are visceral poetry. Chunks flying, blood spraying, bodies crumbling under swings. Environments nail post-apoc beauty: Overgrown sewers, vine-choked towers, that eerie rural suspense. UI’s clean (love the town hall Chimera map pins), but animations and faces? Stiff and dated. Crane’s mug emotes like cardboard.

🎵 Sound & Music

Sound design crushes immersion: Footsteps echoing in ruins, zombie gurgles ramping tension, impact crunches on every swing. Pure adrenaline. Soundtrack’s immersive backdrop, fitting the dread without stealing focus; no earworms, but zero complaints. Voice work’s issue-free. Crane growls convincingly, and allies banter naturally.

⚙️ Technical Performance

Ran buttery on my rig: Seamless open world, no crashes across 70 hours, loads only on rests (snappy seconds). Patches since launch nixed minor bugs like rain glitches, but holdovers bite. Borderless window ignores its own point (alt-tab hell), Steam hangs on exit (full restart needed), and Epic account pop-ups nag at startup/lobby like a bad subscription pitch. Accessibility’s basic (remaps work), but nothing fancy. Feels polished enough for a launch title, minus those PC port sins.

🔄 Replayability & Content

Low replay pull: Linear story, no endings or builds (skill tree unlocks everything, unused perks galore). Post-game’s cleanup without fast travel or procedural spice. I’ll dip for parkour highs, but not a full run. The content is story-solid (Chimera fights replay-worthy), but sides are thin, power restores add zilch (no dynamic changes), and vendor loot underwhelms (valuables sell for peanuts). Wish traps expanded to base defenses. Cool concept, but it’s half-baked.

💰 Value for Money

$59.99 base feels right: Complete package, no microtransactions or grind-for-paywalls. Ammo scarcity bites by design (survival cred), but craftables respect your time. Deluxe DLC ($10 upgrade) tosses cosmetics and soundtracks. Fair grab bag, not essential. Techland’s consumer-friendly (no exploits), but that Epic shove? Gives slimy cross-sell vibes.

🎉 Fun Factor

Hell yes. I had a blast. Parkour zips, gore pops, and the story grips; 70 hours of “one more Chimera” addiction. Chores aside (revisits, tankiness), it’s engaging tension without burnout. Would replay for mastery, not completion. Pure player joy.

✅ Pro/Con Summary

Pros:

• Parkour flow and day/night dread. Visceral traversal thrill.
• Zombie-smashing gore/visuals and sound. Immersion gold.
• Tied-in quests, Chimera hunts, craftables. Purposeful highs.
• Complete base game, no MTs. Straight value.
• Seamless performance; awesome story hooks for 70-hour binge.

Cons:

• No fast travel. Turns exploration into tedium.
• Early punishment and clunky bits (water, ledges, animations).
• Linear/underused skills; sparse, uneven sides.
• Underwhelming world changes/loot; disjointed pacing shifts.
• PC tech quirks (borderless fail, Epic nags).

📝 Raw Thoughts

Biggest takeaway: A heartfelt Crane comeback with beastly flair and survival soul, but sparse depth caps the highs. Feels like a bridge title begging for more. Subtle gem: That Chimera summary map and mementos found in base camp. Quiet nod to progress in a chaotic mess. Lived up to expectations? Mostly. It nailed the rush, but I craved denser world and bolder risks. Why is there no fast travel option?

If this scratches your zombie itch without the hype tax, grab it. Otherwise, wait for a sale. What’s your take. Series vet or fresh blood? Hit the comments.

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