Dying Light: The Beast Brings More Zombie Mayhem—and Superpowers

Kyle Crane is back for vengeance in this spinoff born from leaked DLC.  

If you've been wondering what became of Dying Light’s protagonist Kyle Crane, the answer isn't pretty. For almost ten years, he’s been held captive, enduring the inhumane experiments of the ruthless Baron, who spliced Crane’s DNA with that of zombies. It’s no surprise that, now free, Crane is out for revenge.

Crane takes center stage in Dying Light: The Beast, an 18-hour standalone experience that originally began as downloadable content (DLC) for Dying Light 2. After hackers leaked this content last year, developers at Techland decided to expand the project, turning it into something even more ambitious. Set in the expansive new environment of Castor Woods—a once-popular vacation spot now overrun by the undead—Crane finds himself in a parkour-friendly nightmare. This vast area is filled with industrial ruins, plazas, hostile raiders, and the walking dead. However, Crane’s decade of torment has left him with new, powerful abilities, making him the ultimate predator in this deadly playground. These abilities will prove crucial as he battles the "Freaks," the remaining victims of the Baron’s twisted experiments.

Even though Dying Light: The Beast is part of the Dying Light universe, it’s designed to be a fresh starting point for new players. This focused adventure captures the addictive zombie-smashing gameplay of Dying Light 2 and adds an exciting twist with superpowers. A sneak peek at Gamescom showcased Crane navigating the decaying Old Town, with its dust-filled, abandoned apartments. As night fell, he moved stealthily through tall grass, setting decoys to distract unique enemies that only emerge after dark.

The game’s interiors are packed with relics of a lost world, creating a haunting atmosphere—though the effect is sometimes undercut by cheeky graffiti, like the phrase “Don’t Open Dead Inside” scrawled on walls. The key feature is the reactive environment, which offers creative combat options like explosive fuse boxes and pyres to light. The combat itself is gruesomely satisfying. Crane’s brutal melee strikes with a baseball bat carve deep wounds into zombies’ faces, leaving them barely recognizable. During the demo, Crane secured a shelter, revealing a mix of exploration and puzzle-solving, with tasks like following cables to power up generators, picking locks, and fending off attackers.

Outside, the ever-changing weather adds another layer of danger to the open world, creating unexpected scenarios, such as stumbling upon clueless raiders clustered around a loot box. Crane’s parkour skills allow him to traverse the interiors of a stone silo and reach strategic vantage points, which also offer stunning views. Whether sneaking around on foot or driving a pickup truck for a more straightforward approach to zombie management, Crane has plenty of options.

For those less inclined toward stealth, The Beast can be played like a traditional first-person shooter. Gunplay, while solid, is just one of many tools at your disposal, alongside throwing knives, propane tanks, and Crane’s new supernatural abilities. The game's visceral gore mechanics add to the thrill; a well-placed shotgun blast can rip enemies apart, sending intestines flying and leaving legs standing.

In between intense combat sequences, cutscenes show a hardened, sarcastic Crane—voiced by Roger Craig Smith—delivering gruff one-liners to his handler, Olivia. Crane’s abrasive personality and gravelly voice make him less than charming, but considering the decade of unethical experiments he’s endured, his detachment is understandable.

While the Baron himself wasn’t featured in the Gamescom demo, one of his monstrous creations, the Behemoth, was. This hulking beast, adorned with crude metal fixtures, faced off against Crane in a boss fight that saw Crane dodging and attacking with precision. At a pivotal moment, Crane entered “Beast Mode,” turning the screen a fiery orange. This mode forced him to fight barehanded but allowed him to use the environment to his advantage, hurling objects like stone bollards at unsuspecting zombies.

Overall, Dying Light: The Beast seems like a promising sequel to Dying Light 2, especially for fans of Crane’s original journey in Harran. While it may not reinvent the series, it offers exciting new features and the potential for multiplayer chaos in Castor Woods, reminiscent of the co-op fun of Dead Island. It’s crucial, though, that Crane’s sarcastic quips don’t detract from the game’s core appeal—its exhilarating blend of parkour and combat.

Dying Light: The Beast will be available on PlayStation, Windows PC, and Xbox. Although a release date hasn’t been announced, it will be free for those who own the Ultimate Edition of Dying Light 2, acknowledging the game’s evolving development journey.