Cyberpunk 2077 vs Dying Light: The Beast
Night City's story-driven open world versus the Beast's linear parkour — pick based on how much freedom you need.
Updated 21d ago
Fixed since 2.0 and worth it at $18 — Night City and the writing carry it, but the build variety is thinner than the skill tree pretends.
Punches above its $40 price tag — Crane's Beast Mode and the return to DL1's horde-dense streets make this the series' best since the original.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 8; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 8.
| Measure | Cyberpunk 2077 | Dying Light: The Beast |
|---|---|---|
| Value Dying Light: The Beast wins on value | ||
| Price now | $59.99 Humble Store | $26.76 −55% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $17.99 | $26.76 |
| Cost / hour | $2.30/hr $59.99 · 26 h main story | $1.47/hr $26.76 · 18 h main story |
| Off its low | +233% low was Jun 2026 | At its low low was Sep 2026 |
| Main story | 26 h | 18 h |
| Health | ||
| Steam reviews | 87% 979k reviews | 87% 71k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 95% 9k votes · vs 87% lifetime · improving | 81% 710 votes · vs 87% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 82,779 Aug 2026 · ↓ 18% MoM | 4,009 Aug 2026 · ↓ 13% MoM |
| Launch peak | 10% of Dec 2020 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | 3% of Sep 2025 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 |
| All-time peak | 830,387 Dec 2020 | 120,949 Sep 2025 |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 13 months ago | 5 days ago |
| Patch cadence | 0 in last 90 days | 1 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Gold | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Cyberpunk 2077
Long-haul players credit Night City itself: 100-hour reviewers point to the density and the character writing as the reason they finished it twice.
Reviewers past 150 hours flag build sameness — different weapon specialisations end up playing alike, which flattens a second run.
from our July 2026 verdict
Dying Light: The Beast
Beast Mode's brutal strength-spree is the obvious highlight, letting Crane tear through hordes with a ferocity that feels like DL1 turned up to eleven.
The dodge mechanic's unreliability and forced weapon-slot swaps during cutscenes keep tripping up even veteran parkour players.
from our August 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Cyberpunk 2077 if
- You want a sprawling narrative set in a neon city with branching choices.
- You're comfortable with a linear-feeling open world and dialogue-heavy missions.
- You expect at least 26 hours of story for under $20.
Pick Dying Light: The Beast if
- You prefer a shorter, focused campaign, around 18 hours.
- You're a fan of Kyle Crane and want his return in the spotlight.
- You value high-speed parkour and melee flow over exploration freedom.
Bottom line
If you want cheap, story-rich sci-fi with a big city, pick Cyberpunk 2077 at $18; if you prefer tight, action-packed parkour and don't mind paying more, go with Dying Light: The Beast.