Dive Into Combat and Parkour Mechanics in New ‘Dying Light: The Beast’ Video [Watch]

Techland has released a brief new video on the road to the launch of Dying Light: The Beast, offering a glimpse into protagonist Kyle Crane’s emotional struggles. That short video is offset by a new developer diary video that offers a more detailed look at the open world of Castor Woods, parkour and traversal, and the game’s intense physical combat.

To make Dying Light: The Beast “the most realistic, challenging, and exciting game” in the series, Techland focused on the core gameplay mechanics appreciated by players. As a result, parkour in the game can be described as “immersive, grounded [and] realistic”.

For starters, players can go anywhere and climb anything, with grounded and realistic movement. This is coupled with over 100 new animations for Kyle Crane, including 17 unique edge climbing moves. The in-game physics have been tweaked for correct jump height/length, with the “floatiness” removed. Players now have total freedom to find multiple paths. Stamina does not limit climbing, but observation is needed to reach hard spots. Finally, there are also no longer any parkour helpers.

As for the combat, which Techland previewed in a gory trailer last month, things have also been amped up:

• Weapon strikes analyzed precisely; swing/stop timings balanced for impact

• The new physics engine applies hit impulses accurately; realistic reactions with active ragdoll + short animations

• Human enemies use advanced AI and cover mechanics, with up to 22 strategies for positioning

• Player feedback emphasized: Kyle stabilizes recoil quickly, melee hits feel heavy

• Damage model allows destruction of at least 12 enemy body parts; visible wounds doubled compared to previous games

The game casts players as Dying Light protagonist Kyle Crane (voiced once again by Roger Craig Smith), a man whose selflessness during the initial virus outbreak saved many, but his reward was being held captive for 13 years and subjected to various experiments. Now free, Kyle finds himself in a world that’s changed, and not for the better. Now, you’ll need to use the survival skills that kept you alive all those years ago to save even more innocent lives, as well as hunt down those responsible for your torture.

Dying Light: The Beast will launch September 19 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.