Dying Light: The Beast is finally here, continuing the story of Kyle Crane that was put in limbo after the first game's release in 2015. This time, the series takes players to the beautiful Castor Woods, where Crane ends up after escaping the clutches of the Baron and the awful experiments that were performed on him for 13 years. Now half human, half beast, Kyle Crane uses his newfound abilities to pursue his foe in a revenge story that is more than meets the eye.
For the most part, Dying Light: The Beast is still very much a Dying Light game at its core, with familiar combat, stealth, and parkour mechanics the series has always had. However, there are still plenty of unwritten rules for this particular entry that players might wish to know before heading out into Castor Woods in pursuit of the Baron — rules that will aid them in exploration, combat, and crafting.
The Unwritten Rules of Dying Light: The Beast's Exploration
Use Survivor Sense Often
One of the signature mechanics of the Dying Light series is Survivor Sense, which functions similarly to other "detection" abilities in games like Assassin's Creed and Dragon Age: Inquisition. As such, it remains an unwritten rule for Dying Light: The Beast if players want to be efficient with every trip they take out into the wilderness of Castor Woods. When it's used, items including resources, blueprints, gear, consumables, and other collectibles will be highlighted, ensuring players never leave a location empty-handed.
Note That Some Side Quests Send Kyle to Dark Zones
Dying Light: The Beast's Castor Woods is not only beautiful but also filled with opportunities for players to strengthen their arsenal, and one of the best ways to do that is by venturing into Dark Zones. These areas are host to plenty of infected and dangerous Volatiles, but they also have some of the best gear and items in the game. However, while it might be tempting to pursue each of these zones as soon as possible, players should note that some of Dying Light: The Beast's side quests will actually take them to Dark Zones. In light of that, it's best for players to tackle Dark Zones as they stumble upon them organically to avoid doing them more than once.
Running Is Faster, Driving Is Safer
Driving in Dying Light: The Beast isn't necessarily a new feature to the series, but it is more prevalent in this entry than it ever has been. Apart from parkouring across rooftops and mountains, players can hop in a truck and use it to cross the map instead, as long as they have the fuel required to do so. What players should be aware of, though, is that running is generally a quicker method for crossing the map, especially with Dash unlocked, as they can head for their target in a straight line. Driving is safer, though sometimes not as quick due to obstacles in the way, as players are usually protected from the zombie horde while they're in a vehicle.
The Unwritten Rules of Dying Light: The Beast's Combat
Keep Plenty of Throwing Knives on Hand
Dying Light: The Beast's combat is fairly straightforward, apart from Crane's new Beast Mode ability. Even so, there are still nuances to it that aren't immediately evident. Throwing Knives, for one thing, are one of the most overpowered weapons in the game, as they are incredibly inexpensive to craft and can kill most enemies in the game with a well-placed shot to the head. It's worth keeping plenty of these on hand at all times, especially for players looking to prioritize stealth and deal with enemies from afar before they're even noticed.
Unlock Crane's Beast Controlled Skill ASAP
Beast Mode is Dying Light: The Beast's signature combat mechanic — a gameplay manifestation of the horrible experiments performed on Kyle Crane for 13 years. However, when players begin the game, they will be somewhat unable to control when Beast Mode triggers. As players deal and take damage, Crane's Beast Mode Meter fills up, and once it is full, Beast Mode will automatically trigger. But once the skill "Beast Controlled" is unlocked, players can finally have control over when it activates. To unlock it, they'll need Beast skill points they acquire from defeating chimeras in the main story, so it's worth prioritizing the story until they have enough points to do so.
Note That Resting Resets Kyle's Beast Mode Meter
Speaking of the Beast Mode Meter, something Dying Light: The Beast doesn't tell players is that resting actually resets the meter entirely. It might be tempting to find a Safe Zone in the game and rest to either pass the time or replenish Kyle's health, but if players have a full or almost full Beast Mode Meter, they might prefer to wait and make use of it somehow first. It's not the easiest to fill it outside a boss fight or an encounter with a big mob of infected in Dying Light: The Beast, so resting only to wake up and find all of that hard work has gone down the drain can be a bit demoralizing.
The Unwritten Rules of Dying Light: The Beast's Crafting
Loot Absolutely Everything
Crafting is a core part of every Dying Light game, and that is also true of Dying Light: The Beast. As they explore Castor Woods, players will find plenty of resources for crafting, as well as the blueprints required to craft better weapons and items. After a while, though, it might feel a bit repetitive to keep on looting everything they come across, and they might feel tempted to ignore certain items. However, it's worth noting that crafting in Dying Light: The Beast gets very expensive later on and requires a multitude of resources, so it's always best to loot everything in the area before leaving, regardless of how much players already have.
Always Buy Out a Merchant's Entire Stock of Resources
With how expensive crafting can become in Dying Light: The Beast's late game, players will need even more resources than they can find organically out in the wild, and one of the best ways to get more of these resources is by purchasing them from merchants in the world. In fact, buying out a merchant's entire stock of resources every time they replenish is absolutely recommended, as it is immensely cheap to do so and will pay off in the long run. It should only require around $500 to $700 to buy a merchant's resources, and as long as players are looting everything they find, they'll have more than enough valuables to sell and make up for that expense.
Don't Worry Too Much About Enhancing Weapons
Finally, crafting in Dying Light: The Beast allows players to enhance a weapon's level at a workbench, but it's generally not worth doing. Firstly, there are more than enough weapons for players to cycle through as they make their way through the game, so getting stuck on one weapon isn't recommended. Secondly, as the player's level increases in Dying Light: The Beast, so too will the level of the loot that they find. So, spending resources to enhance a weapon's level might be a waste, should players organically find that same weapon at a higher level while simply playing the game.
Dying Light: The Beast
