Dying Light: The Beast vs Dying Light 2 – Which Entry Dominates the Franchise?

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After finishing *Dying Light: The Beast* and seeing everything it offers, we started thinking about *Dying Light 2*. Seeing a character return from the second game may have sparked that, but it’s clear Techland built on what they learned before. *The Beast* really shows how the series has evolved and improved its core gameplay.

Despite all that, it’s still worth looking at how *The Beast* stacks up against the previous game. It’s interesting to see how Techland improved things this time, especially considering the compelling story they told, bringing Kyle Crane back into the fray.

Let’s dive into what made these two games so successful and compare their features to see which one is better.

The Franchise’s Formula

The original *Dying Light* is famous for its incredible parkour system. Players remember Kyle learning to navigate the city of Harran from Rahim, using the environment to find a cure for the virus. *Dying Light 2* also featured a skilled parkour runner, Aiden, but many wonder if his abilities were actually better than those of *The Beast*.

That’s a tough question! Both games offer excellent movement systems that make navigating the world smooth and enjoyable. While *Dying Light 2* was a step up from the original, *The Beast* further improves the experience with new animations and refinements. We found *The Beast’s* timing for tricky jumps felt a little more lenient than *Dying Light 2*, and its sequences of vaults and climbs were slightly more polished.

The difference in parkour between the two games is almost unnoticeable. Both games made parkour a central part of how you play, allowing their characters to move smoothly and naturally through the game worlds. Overall, we think the parkour is equally good in both titles.

Parkour isn’t the whole story when it comes to how characters move around in *Dying Light*. The grappling hook, paraglider, and UV tools in *DL2* were also crucial to the gameplay, and felt naturally integrated into the game’s world and story.

In *The Beast*, the grappling hook returns, but the paraglider from the previous game didn’t fit well with the new environment. Castor Woods is much more diverse than the city of Villedor, making a paraglider impractical. Plus, *The Beast* includes drivable vehicles, which provide a quick and easy way to explore and can even be used to defeat enemies.

When it comes to how you get around, *Dying Light 2* clearly offers more options. Its movement tools work together seamlessly and feel natural within the game’s story. *The Beast* has a good map and story, but it doesn’t need as many movement options, giving *Dying Light 2* the advantage in this aspect of gameplay.

Let’s talk about how well the games are designed for exploration. In this area, *The Beast* is better. Each level isn’t just as good as those in *DL2*, it actually improves on them. *The Beast* smartly hides useful items, story details, weapons, and secrets throughout every part of its world.

The level design in this game expertly builds suspense, almost matching the quality of *DL2*, but benefits from being made with more modern techniques. The rooftop areas of The Beast are particularly impressive – they’re densely packed, well-connected, mostly free of frustrating dead ends, and feature fluid parkour movement that really stands out.

A Night That’s Dark and Full Of Terrors

Now that we’ve discussed Techland’s distinctive approach to game design, let’s explore the combat and the famous day/night cycle that has been scaring players since the first game came out.

Let’s start by looking at how scary Villedor and the Castor Woods are in *The Beast*. The game’s improved enemy AI and the relentless Volatiles make the nighttime truly terrifying. While this is a strong point for the new game, *Dying Light 2* (*DL2*) does a better job using UV light to create safe zones and guide players.

In *The Beast*, you get a UV flashlight for Crane to temporarily disable the Infected. However, because Aiden is infected with the THV virus, he needs constant exposure to UV light to maintain his sanity and complete his goal of rescuing his sister. This added a strong sense of urgency to both missions and simply exploring the world, and it was a key reason we preferred *Dead Island 2*.

Both games excel in creating a chilling atmosphere, but *The Beast* stands out with its smart allusions and the deeply unsettling feeling of Castor Woods. The game effectively shows a world that was once full of life and happiness, now a bleak backdrop for Crane’s quest for revenge against The Baron. When it comes to atmosphere and horror, these two titles are very closely matched.

The way the world responds to you is also quite similar. It’s important to remember the story setting of *The Beast* right now. In this new adventure, very few humans are left because of the THV virus – far fewer than in Villedor, which was somewhat shielded from the worst effects.

In Villedor, Techland created a dynamic world with shifting populations, patrols, and random events, all influenced by player choices. However, *The Beast* tells a more linear story and didn’t need those complex systems for its core gameplay. In that regard, *Dying Light 2* simplifies things effectively.

The game becomes particularly noteworthy when the atmosphere turns intense. Players noticed in DL2 that enemies, including the Infected and Volatiles, didn’t always react to Aiden, even at night. Many felt this was a negative change compared to the first game, where being out in the dark and away from safe zones was genuinely dangerous for Crane.

The feeling of intense dread continues in *The Beast*, largely due to its frightening enemy AI. Once the Volatiles detect you, they relentlessly pursue you, and the overwhelming darkness becomes a bigger danger than any obstacle, even hindering the game’s otherwise great movement system.

The gameplay in *The Beast* is intentionally challenging, pushing you to make mistakes, and it generally feels better than in *DL2*. However, when it comes to actual fighting and the enemies themselves, the two games are fairly comparable.

Both games offered fantastic combat and a wide range of enemies determined to defeat the main characters. While *DL2*’s absence of guns slightly held it back, it was still a very enjoyable experience, especially because of how rewarding the close-quarters combat felt.

The Beast introduces a lot of exciting new features, including more realistic combat moves, a cool Drop Kick ability, vehicles you can use to smash into enemies, smarter and more challenging enemies, and the powerful Beast Mode. But it’s the addition of the Chimeras – enemies with a strong story connection and a tough gameplay challenge – that really set The Beast apart and give it the edge over the other game.

These characters are powerful and play a key role in the story, forcing Crane to use his own special abilities to stand a chance. They’re a major reason why *The Beast* surpasses *DL2* in terms of exciting fight scenes and ultimately comes out on top.

A Close Call But An Easy One

We’re big fans of Techland’s survival horror games, and it’s tough to choose a favorite between these two great titles – they both offer unique experiences. However, *Dying Light: The Beast* slightly edges out *Dying Light 2* by improving on what was already good and adding some interesting new features.

Okay, so this game basically does what you’d expect from the series – it takes the winning formula and runs with it. The gameplay and story are solid, which is why I think it’s the best one right now. Though, honestly, the last game *did* put up a good fight, making the choice a little tougher!

Sequels are fantastic when they surpass the original, and we’re hoping Techland can do just that with the next installment in the series – which might be the last one!

Please be aware that the opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2025-09-25 14:47