It's not uncommon for two games to share DNA, but it is undoubtedly less common for two entirely different games to have such strong similarities. Borderlands 4 and Dying Light: The Beast are two of the most recent titles to achieve this phenomenon, and what makes the comparison so distinct is just how starkly contrasted each game is to the other in its art style, premise, and tone. In one corner is Borderlands 4, with its series' roots deeply embedded in chaos, comedy, and over-the-top personalities. In another corner is Dying Light: The Beast, whose premise is much darker, putting players into one of the most authentic zombie apocalypse experiences in gaming and having an overall more serious tone.
And yet, Borderlands 4 and Dying Light: The Beast find common ground in many ways that perhaps aren't readily noticeable. Most of these similarities lie in each game's narrative design, traversal mechanics, and world progression, even to the point that playing one might be considered decent training for the other — even if attempting to approach Dying Light: The Beast in the same way one approaches Borderlands 4 is a game over waiting to happen.
The Overlap Between Borderlands 4 and Dying Light: The Beast Runs Deeper Than Genre
Side Quests That Break From the Main Story
One of the main qualities Borderlands 4 and Dying Light: The Beast is in their side quest execution. Borderlands 4's side quests, for instance, are not only some of the best-written in the series, but they also offer a thematic break from the main story's darker tones. The latest Borderlands entry was intentionally designed to take things more seriously in its main narrative, and that naturally led to concern as to whether it would also find a way to maintain its iconic humor. But that's where the side quests come in. Where the main story for Borderlands 4 does have a far more serious tone than any campaign before it, its side quests help alleviate that with the humor the series has always been known for.
Dying Light: The Beast is similarly designed, with its side quests playing a role that its main story never embraces. At its core, Dying Light: The Beast is a story of revenge, with Kyle Crane, the first game's protagonist, having now escaped the clutches of the Baron after 13 years of experiments being performed on him. As such, the game's main story is fairly one-dimensional, revolving around Crane's desire for revenge. Its side quests, however, show a side of Crane that the main narrative never does. As he helps survivors around Castor Woods, his compassionate, more humanitic side is brought to light, leading to more character development for him in the long run.
Traversal, Vehicles, and Safe Zones
Dying Light: The Beast and Borderlands 4 share many gameplay similarities as well. As they progress through Dying Light: The Beast's Castor Woods, players will unlock safe zones where they can rest and be protected from infected, and silos and safe houses essentially serve the same purpose in Borderlands 4. There's also an emphasis on traversal and parkour mechanics in Dying Light: The Beast, just as there always has been in the series, and Borderlands 4 also emphasizes movement more than any entry before it.
Something else unique about Dying Light: The Beast is the prominence of vehicles within the game that complement its more open world, as the series has always relied more on parkour than vehicular travel. In the same way, players can now summon a vehicle from anywhere in the world in Borderlands 4, due in large part to its massive, seamless map. In all reality, these comparisons surface due to Borderlands 4 and Dying Light: The Beast arriving at around the same time, but it's still interesting just how much these two entirely different games have in common.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
