Dying Light: The Beast

An action-horror parkour game where you vault over rooftops, smash zombie skulls with crafted weapons, and transform into a beast to pulverize infected.

Last reviewed: May 1, 2026

Released Sep 2025 Singleplayer / Horror / Multiplayer

Techland brought Kyle Crane back for the right reasons — The Beast is Dying Light at its most focused since the original, with parkour, Crane, and a meaner map.

8.0 /10

Strong

Previously an Editor's pick

For you if

You loved original Dying Light's parkour-plus-zombies more than DL2's open-world bloat — The Beast is the course-correction.
Kyle Crane's return is the kind of fan-service that justifies a return to the franchise for you.
A 15-20 hour focused expansion beats a 60-hour open-world commitment in your current gaming life.

Not for you if

Dying Light 2's map fundamentals didn't click for you — The Beast still uses much of that base.
You wanted a new IP or a structural rethink — The Beast is iterative on the formula, not a reinvention.
Werewolf 'Beast Mode' as a major combat system sounds gimmicky to you — it's central, not optional.

What players love

Return to Dying Light 1's parkour and horror atmospherics is what 100-hour players praise most.

What frustrates them

Buggy co-op and a short story are the main frictions for long-hour players.

See the reviews behind this →

What critics say

3/5Eurogamer
Kyle Crane is back, and looking for revenge on the evil scientist who's spent 13 years experimenting on him in this enjoyable if sometimes uneven romp.
Graeme Mason Read review →
7/10IGN
Dying Light: The Beast is a goofy, bloody sequel with a monstrous twist, but doesn't do much else to mix things up.
Travis Northup Read review →
70/100PC Gamer
A more gritty survival horror experience than Stay Human, but Techland's new first-person parkour game still stumbles a bit.
Christopher Livingston Read review →

Before You Play

Refreshed monthly

What's the best build for new Dying Light: The Beast players?

Pair Beast Mode skills with Agility (Dash & Bash) and Power (Efficient Fighting) for a flexible hybrid first-playthrough build. Three Beast Mode mutation families — Predator, Juggernaut, Ravager — define your endgame playstyle; hybrid builds unlock once you max two trees. Predator + Juggernaut grants Cataclysm Leap (long-range dive ending in an explosive slam); Ravager + Juggernaut unlocks Blood Nova (radial bleed pulse that softens entire mobs). For first-time players, lean into Juggernaut early — its survivability lets you learn enemy patterns without dying repeatedly.

Source: DTGRE Build Guide

What difficulty should new Dying Light: The Beast players choose?

Three difficulty settings: Story, Survival, and Brutal. Survival is the intended baseline and the recommended starting point for most players. Drop to Story if you want a relaxed combat experience, especially for co-op runs where the focus is exploration and Kyle Crane's narrative. Brutal is for franchise veterans — it punishes lazy parries, makes infected swarms genuinely lethal, and forces resource management. You can change difficulty at any time from the menu.

Source: Deltia's Difficulty Guide

Are any side quests or content missable in Dying Light: The Beast?

Most main and side quests are accessible after credits in free-roam, so the standard quest list isn't time-gated. The exception: some Beast-specific side content tied to specific narrative beats can be bypassed mid-story and isn't recoverable in the same playthrough — these are also where the strongest character development happens. The standard rule: complete every available side quest in the current region before pushing the main story to avoid missing the Beast-line content.

Source: Game Rant Beast Missables

Do I need to play Dying Light 1 or 2 before The Beast?

No. The Beast includes a "Previously on Dying Light" recap that covers the relevant story beats from Dying Light 1, and the in-game dialogue handles necessary world context. You can safely skip Dying Light 2. That said: the game stars Kyle Crane, the protagonist of Dying Light 1, and his character arc resonates more if you've played the original. For full series context the recommended order is DL1 → The Following DLC → DL2 → The Beast, but newcomers can start here without missing core narrative.

Source: AllThings.how DL Prerequisites

Is there post-game content in Dying Light: The Beast?

Yes. New Game Plus returns, retuned for The Beast — you carry over XP, skills, and items between runs, and you can chain multiple NG+ playthroughs to fully max out the Beast Mode skill tree (which is too deep for a single run). After the credits, the world stays open for side quests and collectibles cleanup. Techland has also published an 11-week post-launch content roadmap with additional missions, weapons, and difficulty tuning patches.

Source: Techland 11-Week Roadmap