The latest trailer for Techland's Dying Light: The Beast shows off some of Castor Woods, the game's brand-new rural setting. Doing away with the more urban environments used in the first two games, The Beast instead opts for an environment dense with forests and swamps. This should allow for a fresh take on Dying Light's usual parkour-heavy exploration, also opening up some interesting possibilities for the horror elements of the series.
In an interview with The Best War Games, franchise director Tymon Smektala discussed Dying Light: The Beast's new setting of Castor Woods. He talked about how the abundance of swamps and forests allowed the game to lean more heavily into aspects of horror. The right setting plays a huge part in making a game's atmosphere, and it seems Castor Woods will serve its purpose extremely well.
Dying Light: The Beast is Shaping Up to Be the Franchise's Scariest Entry So Far
Despite being a series that revolves around zombies, crafting resources, and ultimately staying alive, Dying Light has never been a pure horror franchise. Its emphasis on parkour, exploration of urban city landscapes, and brutal melee combat have seen it walk the line between horror and action adventure. The Beast's transition to a rural map, full of swamps and forests, has allowed developer Techland to flex its creative muscles when it comes to setting an altogether scarier tone. Smektala explained,
''We wanted to challenge ourselves a little and create an environment that is a lot different from the classic urban city environments that we usually create but, at the same time, allows us to create a different atmosphere and a different mood. I think I would point to this as the first benefit of having this environment, having a map that has so many forest areas and swamps, for example. This allows us to push the game a little bit more toward the survival horror vibe and the horror element of what we have always been doing. I think this makes it easier to express that, and we can express that in a stronger way.''
Dying Light: The Beast's Setting Will Allow for a Fresh Take on Parkour
Of course, a rural map presents new challenges for a series so focused on parkour. The lack of rooftops to jump between forced Techland to think differently about its approach to free-running, and Smektala conceded that, to a certain degree, The Beast's setting meant there needed to be a trade-off between parkour and atmosphere. He continued,
''We challenged ourselves a little bit more with the parkour elements because, in those swamp areas, it's harder for us to find the sort of geometry that allows you to do those very long sequences of parkour. I think we have allowed ourselves to not have parkour everywhere, to sometimes trade parkour for the atmosphere I mentioned earlier, instead of the rush of jumping over obstacles. But then, on the other hand, I think it also allowed us to find new ways to have parkour in places where it's not so obvious.''
Smektala went on to elaborate further that if a Dying Light: The Beast player comes across a building, it is very unlikely that they will be able to stroll through the front door. Instead, they will need to traverse the surrounding environment and look for a more spontaneous way in, such as an open window or a rooftop hatch. Some areas will be more atmospheric, focused on the franchise's horror elements, and other areas will be sure to tap into the parkour. Some areas may have a nice blend of the two. One thing is for sure, Castor Woods should give Dying Light fans something new and fresh to sink their teeth into when The Beast launches sometime in summer 2025.
Dying Light: The Beast
- Released
- September 19, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Publisher(s)
- Techland
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Dying Light
- PC Release Date
- September 19, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 19, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 19, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
