Summary

  • Dying Light: The Beast is a standalone adventure with 18 hours of content and new features
  • Kyle Crane returns as the main playable protagonist, sparking intrigue about his resurrection
  • The game takes place between Dying Light 1 and 2, 13 years after the events of The Following.

One of the biggest surprises from Gamescom Opening Night Live, Dying Light: The Beast is a brand new installment in Techland's open-world zombie franchise. Though it originally began life as a story DLC for Dying Light 2, Dying Light: The Beast is now a fully-fledged standalone adventure, apparently containing over 18 hours of content and a wealth of new features. But that isn't the most exciting aspect of Dying Light: The Beast.

By far the most exciting reveal from Dying Light: The Beast's announcement trailer was that Kyle Crane is back as the main playable protagonist. With the series' original protagonist having been presumed dead, it'll be interesting to see how Techland resurrects the fan-favorite character, though even the most die-hard Dying Light fans might now be wondering just how this new entry fits into the franchise's timeline.

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How Dying Light: The Beast Fits Into the Dying Light Timeline

The Current Dying Light Timeline

  • Dying Light - 2014
  • Dying Light: The Following - 2014
  • Dying Light 2 - 2036

In the Spring of 2014, Global Relief Effort agent Kyle Crane lands in the city of Harran to hunt down Rais, a criminal who holds sensitive information about the virus that's now wreaking havoc on the city. After weeks of turmoil, Crane eventually finds Rais, secures the information, and decides to stay in Harran to help his newfound allies and friends.

Just a few months later – in the events of Dying Light's The Following DLC – Crane heads out to the countryside outside Harran in an attempt to find a cure for the virus. Crane stumbles upon a cult that supposedly has this cure, and he attempts to gain their trust. Once ingratiated into the cult, Crane meets The Mother, a human-Volatile hybrid who forces Crane to drink a substance that will turn him into the same monster. Dying Light: The Following then gives the player two choices. One sees Crane siding with The Mother to destroy Harran with nuclear weapons. The other sees him kill The Mother, leave the countryside, and seemingly turn into a Volatile.

Dying Light 2 takes place 22 years after the events of the first game and its DLC. In Dying Light 2, Harran's fate is left rather ambiguous. While the intro cutscene to the game states that Harran was "wiped from the map," it's never specified if that was due to the original virus, due to Crane's actions, or due to something else entirely. Kyle Crane's fate is also left ambiguous in Dying Light 2, with some returning NPCs from the first game claiming he suffered a tragic end.

Dying Light: The Beast Takes Place Between Dying Light 1 and 2

  • Dying Light: The Beast - 2027

According to Dying Light: The Beast's official description, the game will take place 13 years after the events of Dying Light: The Following. While Techland is remaining fairly tight-lipped about Kyle Crane's current status, it has been confirmed that Crane has been the subject of brutal experiments for the last 13 years. It seems as though these experiments have given him some new beast-like abilities, as well as a strong desire for revenge on those who have kept him locked away. Being set in between Dying Light 1 and 2, it'll be interesting to see how much Dying Light: The Beast's story ties in with its predecessors.

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Dying Light 2 Stay Human Tag Page Cover Art

Dying Light 2 Stay Human
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Action
RPG
Survival Horror
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Systems
super greyscale 8-bit logo PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 68%
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Released
February 4, 2022
ESRB
M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
Developer(s)
Techland
Publisher(s)
Techland
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Player hanging off ledge in Dying Light 2
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Player hanging off ledge in Dying Light 2
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Dying Light 2 Volatile
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Dying-Light-2-Screenshots (2)
dying light 2 artwork of character fighting off zombies
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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It’s been 20 years since the events of the original game. The virus won, and humanity is slowly dying. You play as Aiden Caldwell, a wandering Pilgrim who delivers goods, brings news, and connects the few remaining survivor settlements in barren lands devastated by the zombie virus. However, your true goal is to find your little sister Mia, who you left behind as a kid to escape Dr. Waltz's torturous experiments. Haunted by the past, you eventually make the decision to confront it when you learn that Mia may still be alive in Villedor — the last city standing on Earth.

You quickly find yourself in a settlement torn by conflict. You’ll need to engage in creative and gory combat, so hone your skills to defeat hordes of zombies and make allies. Roam the city, free run across Villedor’s buildings and rooftops in search of loot in remote areas, and be wary of the night. With every sunset, monsters take control of the streets.

Engine
C-Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
Franchise
Dying Light
Genre(s)
Action, RPG, Survival Horror