Dying Light: The Beast

Parkour through Castor Woods by day, then tear infected apart as a beast by night.

Last reviewed: August 5, 2026 Patched 3mo ago

Released Sep 2025 Singleplayer / Horror / Multiplayer

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.

8.1 /10

Strong

Previously an Editor's pick

For you if

A playstyle that loves high-speed parkour and melee combos.
You missed Kyle Crane's snark and want him back as protagonist.
You bounced off DL2's stamina-heavy parkour and want flow back.

Not for you if

You're on a budget — waiting for a sale is the smarter play.
Open-world freedom is a must; this one is more linear by design.
Mild backtracking or getting caught on terrain will make you rage.

What players love

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.

What frustrates them

The dodge mechanic's unreliability and forced weapon-slot swaps during cutscenes keep tripping up even veteran parkour players.

See the reviews behind this →

Latest patch

Patched 3 months ago

Hotfix 1.6.3 - Restored Land Edition (1.6)

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