Dying Light: The Beast Tips - 11 Things To Know Before You Play

Date: 2025-09-18 19:47:00

Dying Light: The Beast is the latest in Techland's line of open-world zombie survival games, with a huge emphasis on first-person parkour moves. This game was once intended to be an expansion to Dying Light 2, but grew to be a standalone, 20-hour story of its own, with side missions taking the game to 30 or more hours for completionists. So you can rest assured there's plenty to know, whether this is your first time with a Dying Light game, or you're a seasoned zombie-dropkicker.Below we've laid out several tips you should know, based on our time playing for our Dying Light: The Beast review. From cracking safes to kicking faces, here's how to make the most of your time in Castor Woods. You don't need safe codes to crack safes openOne of my favorite features in video games shows up in The Beast: When you find a locked safe, you don't have to find the code if you play on a controller and pay very close attention. Turn the dial slowly and you'll feel a slight vibration difference when you pass the combination's unlock numbers. This way, you don't need to look for the code in the world, though it's usually not too far if you prefer that method.Be aware that it does seem like crossing over the number 50 also vibrates the controller in this unique way. In my experience, that sometimes threw me off when I was trying to figure out the code, but once I realized it does that, I just took it into account and kept on my safe-cracking adventures. Nighttime doubles your XP, but there's a catchWhen darkness falls in Dying Light: The Beast, things will likely feel more stressful than they ever have before. This sequel leans into the horror of the world and punishes you more. But if you decide to stay out after dark, you'll be rewarded handsomely with double XP for all actions every single night.I decided to skip doing actual quests in this time, but what I would do at night is things like Dark Zones and other scavenging missions--simple enough to complete even in the cover of darkness, without the strain of more story-driven missions forcing me into scenarios where I'd alert the relentless Volatiles. You can find gas for cars in many placesCars--trucks, really--play a bigger role in The Beast than most Dying Light experiences, but you'll need to maintain both their durability and, more pressingly, their gas levels. To find gas, you can search inside red gas cans strewn about the world, which you'll find in garages, shops, or even next to some cars at times.Be sure to scavenge all you can, because each "unit" of gas fills about a quarter of a vehicle's tank, so if you plan to drive around a lot, you'll need plenty of gas in your inventory. Don't waste money or resources to obtain ammoGuns also play a bigger role in The Beast than past Dying Light experiences, but there are a few things to know before you go in guns blazin'. For one, noise attracts zombies, especially the fast-moving Virals, who can be ferocious in small hordes. So be mindful not to use guns just because you can.Along with that note, it's also important to know that you shouldn't go buying ammo from traders unless you absolutely need some for the next thing you'll do. Whenever you encounter other enemies with guns, scavange their bodies after you defeat them. They'll always drop ammo to you.To be fair, I did love the shotgun in this game, so if I was taking on a bunch of guys with rifles, I probably still bought some shotgun shells just so I didn't run out, but usually you won't have a ton of ammo; you'll just have enough to get by without spending any money on more. Use your Survivor Sense to ping inside Dark ZonesDark Zones are the very best way to stock up on crafting supplies, and that's never more obvious than when you ping your Survivor Sense (click right stick) when you're inside one. Early in the game, when I was hitting up lots of Dark Zones, I always had ample resources to craft or upgrade whatever I needed. It was later on, when I'd pilfered fewer and farther between Dark Zone shops when I'd started to run dry on critical items like bandages and grenades. So make sure you get your shopping done across all portions of the game. And use that Survivor Sense so you don't miss a thing inside these resource-dense hubs. Manage your stamina wisely in combatYour stamina bar is not so plentiful in Dying Light, which will be especially noticeable if you're coming to this game following Dying Light 2. In The Beast, you need to manage it more wisely, which often means retreating from a horde, if only by a few steps, to catch your breath.If you go into every fight intending to just spam the melee swing button, you'll quickly realize this isn't viable. Instead, get in close, wallop the undead a bit, then backpedal with the right bumper button to regain your stamina and repeat the process. Always stop to unlock a new safe house nearbyThere are different kinds of safe zones in Dying Light: The Beast. There are safe zone hubs, like the Town Hall, where other survivors live, traders set up shops, and Kyle has a place to craft and rest his head. In "safe spots," you'll only have the bed and a blacklight to keep the monsters at bay. Think of these as emergency shelters at night.You never want to have to go too far to find safety, so ensure that, especially during the day, you're solving these platforming puzzles that make up these safe spots. This way, at night, you're never more than a quick dash through the woods away from your next rest area. When the Volatiles are on your heels, you'll be thankful your past self took the time to secure some territory. Don't get too attached to your favorite weaponsIn Dying Light 2, you can take your favorite weapons all the way through the game if you want to. In The Beast, they all have a finite number of repairs before they permanently break, so don't get too attached to any of them.Instead, focus on a few areas to improve your combat chances. For one, you can unlock the skill Efficient Fighting, on the left side of your skill tree, which improves the durability of all melee weapons. Secondly, you can focus on things like side missions, Dark Zones, and treasure maps, which will often reward you with great new weapons, or in some cases, blueprints to craft powerful weapons yourself. Enhance your arsenal with one specific skill tree branchThe skill tree goes off in four directions. One is reserved for Beast abilities and the other three are a good mix of survival, combat, and parkour abilities. One branch, however, the bottom one if you're looking in the skills tab, is loaded with new craftable weapons, including some never seen in the series until now. This skill tree branch includes stuff like a flamethrower, grenade launcher, and new types of grenades. These weapons are both a lot of fun and very powerful items to bring with you to face all Dying Light: The Beast bosses, so if you want the most bang for your skill points, spend them in the bottom branch. The fast-moving zombies, Virals, are best stunned with a quick kick to the gutMost zombies in the game are the classic Romero kind. They slowly stumble toward you and their teeth basically fall onto your shoulder or forearm. But the Virals, the zombies that can be found sprinting in daylight hours, charge at you like LeBron moving through the paint. They are a lot, and just two or three of them can quickly end your life if you're not careful.The best defense against them is to give them a quick kick to the gut with A (Xbox) or X (PlayStation). This staggers them for just a moment, letting you get in the first attack or two. They're normally weaker than the stumbling undead, so one or two hits ought to do it if your weapons are leveled up to meet the monsters where they are. Dropkick everythingLastly, I couldn't end this tips guide without highlighting one of Dying Light's long-time best features: the dropkick. Kyle, like Aiden before him, can launch his legs with incredible force at any zombie by pressing jump (right bumper), then quickly hitting A, A (Xbox) or X, X (PlayStation).This move does use a hefty bit of stamina, so you can't spam it too much, but it's great for clearing out a small horde of three or four enemies moving in on you. It's even better when you Roddy-Piper a lonesome rooftop zombie down to the streets below. The ragdoll effects of this move never get old, and thankfully each dropkick packs as much substance as it does style.

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