Dying Light: The Beast Reinvents the Night – Here’s Why That Matters

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We often discuss lighting in video games, particularly with new technologies like ray-tracing, but darkness is just as important. Nighttime isn’t just about a lack of sun; it’s about creating a specific mood. One moment you might feel completely free, wandering empty streets, and the next, you’re lost in deep darkness, desperately hoping to find a single light.

What’s always stood out about *Dying Light* is how overrun its cities are with zombies. These zombies become even more dangerous at night, turning into faster, more aggressive creatures called Night Walkers. While often described as a first-person survival horror game with parkour elements, the basic idea is simple: survive while you can, because night brings a whole new level of threat.

The most dangerous infected, called Volatiles, become active at night and will chase you relentlessly until you can find a safe place to hide. While you can usually find safehouses to wait out the night, you won’t always have that option, and exploring can be rewarding. With no other players to worry about, you have more time to collect valuable air drops and earn double experience points from every action. Just be careful – if you die, you’ll lose some experience, depending on the difficulty level (though this doesn’t affect every character build).

In *Dying Light 2*, the focus on choices and their consequences overshadowed the fear of nighttime. The ‘Good Night, Good Luck’ update tried to fix this by making Volatiles-the game’s most dangerous enemies-more threatening and able to chase you across rooftops, along with visual and audio improvements like better flashlight shadows and quieter music. However, the upcoming *Dying Light: The Beast* expansion seems poised to take nighttime encounters to an even more intense level.

The Volatiles are back and have been made more dangerous. They move and navigate better, making them much better at tracking you down. They now use more jump attacks, so their behavior is less predictable. Plus, their jumping has been refined, and they’re more likely to keep attacking rather than running away.

One of the scariest experiences is thinking you’ve gotten away in a vehicle, only to see enemies leap onto the hood, prepared to attack. It’s even worse if another one jumps on the trunk too. These enemies, called Volatiles, have become much better at working together to hunt, making chases even more frightening. Plus, there are now more different types of Volatiles than in earlier games.

Okay, so the nighttime in *Dying Light: The Beast* isn’t just about the darkness, it’s about how the whole world changes. Each area feels really different when the sun goes down. For example, when I’m trying to sneak through the dense forests of the Natural Reserve, visibility is super low, so I’m constantly using my flashlight. But that light can also attract Volatiles! That’s where the sound design really shines – I can often pinpoint where an infected is just by listening to their footsteps. It creates this intense feeling of carefully creeping around, then suddenly hearing that shuffling sound of a Volatile, and you’re left wondering if they’ve spotted me or not. It’s seriously nerve-wracking!

Moving around town is a little simpler because of the available lights, helping you see dangers. However, enemies can spot you just as easily, so stay cautious. Castor Woods isn’t as large an open world as *Dying Light 2*, but it’s still packed with things to navigate. You might be able to escape by quickly running and jumping across rooftops, using your agility to avoid most of the undead. Beast Mode can be particularly useful, letting you reach higher areas or gain speed to outrun the fast Volatiles, potentially giving Kyle Crane a better chance against a large group.

What I love most about *Dying Light* is that feeling of being truly hunted. It’s the rush of trying not to get caught by the infected, the pure terror when you *hear* them coming, and the adrenaline of a desperate chase. There’s a real risk of dying, but surviving feels amazing! You *can* just hide during the night if you want, and the game lets you, but honestly, that’s not the point. The rewards for braving the darkness are cool, but they’re just a bonus to the incredible experience of running for your life.

The new Dying Light: The Beast expansion boasts a huge world filled with side missions, hidden items, and secrets. However, what really excites me is the improved atmosphere of the night. It’s not just about brighter or darker lighting and new enemies that offer extra experience points; the night feels like a truly separate and dangerous environment. It can be a terrifying place where you’re constantly hunted, or a thrilling arena where you skillfully evade and outsmart the infected, almost becoming a creature of the night yourself.

It’s not just about staying alive anymore; it’s about becoming skilled at navigating a dangerous world, especially since your tactics need to shift with each new location. The enemies, known as Volatiles, are now even smarter and more skilled hunters, which makes every encounter more thrilling and unpredictable. Even the most carefully crafted plans can quickly fail, so being adaptable and thinking ahead is just as important – and as captivating – as simply trying to survive. The constant shift between day and night isn’t just a feature; it’s a fundamental part of what makes playing The Beast unique.

It’s easy to miss details with so much going on – the lengthy campaign (especially for what feels like a full game), the diverse environments, and over 100 weapons, from swords to flamethrowers. I’m excited to play as Kyle Crane again after so long and see how he’s doing after years of imprisonment and experimentation by the Baron. Whatever happens, the Baron won’t be getting any sympathy, unlike in *The Last of Us Part 2*.

Looking closer, everything ties back to what players loved about the original *Dying Light*. The new character, Kyle, is becoming increasingly monstrous, similar to the Volatiles – and that raises a lot of questions. Will he give in to the same destructive urges, or will his transformation be something else entirely? Considering how deadly the nights are, how are the other survivors coping, especially those who’ve faced the Baron? And even if Kyle gets his revenge, will things truly get better in a world where surviving the night is just as important as fearing it?

Good news for fans! The release of *Dying Light: The Beast* is happening a day earlier than expected – on September 18th – for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC. We won’t have to wait much longer to find out all the details.

Please be aware that the opinions shared in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2025-09-17 15:42