As the series name suggests, the most iconic element in someone Dying Games are its night experience. When the sun goes down, it is not only much harder for players to see what is in front of them, but even more dangerous infected called volatile walks the world that will chase players down if they are discovered. DYING LIGHT: The Beast Keeps that tradition alive with one of the most frightening night experiences yet for the franchise, thanks to its improved images, attention to detail, excellent sound design and increased risk. But in the last Dying Games, darkness is not the only reason to fear the night.
DYING LIGHT: The Beast is a unique item for the series, as it departs from the usual urban environments in previous payments and puts players in the middle of the large wilderness in Castor Woods. There is still plenty of city density for players to park around, but a large part of the map is devoted to a much more open environment than the series has ever seen before. In fact that is exactly what does DYING LIGHT: The BeastIteration of the series' iconic night experience so scary. Sure, players are still encouraged to avoid being discovered by violent volatile subjects, but it is Castor Woods himself who really makes darkness more unbearable than it has ever been.
DYING LIGHT: The Beast's Open World makes the nightfall really scary
Nowhere to hide in the open
DYING LIGHT: The Beast does not completely renounces the density for before Dying Open worlds, but it is less prominent this time because of the game's attitude. Instead of presenting an abundance of roofs that are useful for parkouring from one point to the next, for example, Castor Wood's players encourages vehicles when they do not move through the game's denser urban areas. There are still plenty of parkour opportunities in some parts of the valley, which climb mountains and temporary commercial and state buildings, but DYING LIGHT: The BeastSetting means that there is much more negative space than any of its predecessors has presented.
Due to the pure openness of Castor Woods, it is more difficult to try to move through the open world at night than it has ever been in a Dying game. When players venture beyond the urban areas of Castor Woods in the dark, the vulnerable are left, with the only real hope of security that is DYING LIGHT: The BeastS safe zones, which can still be difficult to reach at night without triggering a hunting sequence. This is where the true horror of the darkness feels – when players have nothing but wide open space that surrounds them, all while hungry volatile circles them as sharks.
Light as a risk, not a comfort
Of course, players have a flashlight that they can use to light themselves in the dark. The only question is that although volatile topics have always been able to discover the player's flashlight DyingTechland increased its sensory awareness in DYING LIGHT: The BeastWhich makes it double difficult for players to use their flashlight to navigate in the dark. As such, it is better used in short spurts, together with Survivor Sense, which will briefly highlight environmental objects, volatile substances and other infected. Even then, moving from one place to another in Castor Woods often leaves players exposed for a significant time, which means that the flashlight is still risky with few safe places to retreat to.
As if Pitch Black Darkness of Night and the threat that roaming volatile topics were not already enough, DYING LIGHT: The Beast Had to go and make his night experience even more scary with the openness of Castor Woods. Thankfully, the game just forces players to navigate in the dark a handful of times in main and side assignments, and the opportunities that Dark offers are not so rewarding for the effort they take. Still, DYING LIGHT: The BeastThe experience at night is still the most tense in the series and puts a standard forward.
- Published
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September 19, 2025
- ESRB
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M for mature 17+ // blood and gore, intense violence, language, use of drugs
- Multiple players
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Online co-op
