Techland has outlined several improvements made to the Dying Light formula in the upcoming Dying Light: The Beast, from the parkour to the combat. But what about the night, a signature element and reminder of the series’ survival horror? In a new Steam post, the developer outlined everything done to deliver a “terrifying night experience with a heavy, nerve-wrecking tension that could rival the legendary after-hours moments of the first Dying Light.”
“We assembled a dedicated strike team of programmers, game designers, and level designers, iterating weekly, and continuing their work throughout the game’s entire production. Some weeks were focused on Volatile behavior, others on spawning rules and chase mechanics. The result is a night system that will, hopefully, feel unpredictable and frightening, resulting in an experience you will remember for a long time.”
Nights were made darker in general to “achieve the horror and scary feeling” of the time, but this can change depending on the location in Castor Woods. For example, Natural Reserve’s forests are “super dark”, but in the city, there are burning barrels (which could make it more difficult to sneak past).
The Volatiles have also been revamped to “more effectively” hunt players, either solo or in packs. “We iterated on our spawning technology to make you feel their presence, no matter where they are. On top of that, we also had to tweak the experience with our vehicle in mind, as well as account for the diversity of the map, which features many different areas, from narrow streets to open fields.”
Based on feedback from Gamescom and influencers who played its build, Techland implemented “significant” improvements to Volatile locomotion and run loop animations, and even changed their retreat behavior conditions so they’ll fight even harder. They also have more jump grabs and attacks, and can more easily detect players, so keep that flashlight holster when they’re around. If that wasn’t enough, Volatiles appear bloodier and have more variants, “each one of them scarier and more unique.”
Dying Light: The Beast launches on September 19th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. It’s also coming to Xbox One and PS4 later this year. Check out our feature for everything you need to know.
