At the G-Star 2024 exhibition, Korean portal Inven interviewed Techland franchise director, Timon Smetkala. During the conversation, we discussed the details of the studio’s new project – Dying Light: The Beast, where Kyle Crane from the first part will again be the main character. We’ve compiled some of the highlights from the interview to share with you the details of how this project grew from Dying Light 2’s second DLC into its own game, and why Kyle is back at the center of the story.
Return of Kyle as the main character
The protagonist of the first Dying Light, Kyle Crane, returns in the new game Dying Light: The Beast. However, his appearance and condition have changed noticeably. After the events of the finale of the first part, he turned into the Jumper and wandered for a long time until he was captured by the GRE organization. For 13 years, biological experiments were carried out on him, as a result of which he became something between a human and a zombie – the so-called “half-zombie”. After escaping from captivity, Kyle decides to take revenge on GRE for his torment by embarking on a dangerous journey.
How DLC turned into its own game
Dying Light: The Beast was originally intended to be the second story DLC for Dying Light 2. However, the leak of key story elements led to a change in plans. The developers feared that the storyline, being in the public domain, might lose its meaning and appeal. To find a solution, all senior developers were gathered for brainstorming, where the idea was born to completely change the concept of the DLC, including its main character. Kyle’s return created great enthusiasm among the team, which ultimately led to the creation of a separate project.
At the same time, an important step was coordination with Roger Craig Smith, the voice of Kyle in the original. The actor was interested in the idea of voicing his character again, despite the ending of the first part. This step finally cemented the transition of the DLC to the status of an independent game.
Kyle’s new abilities
One of the key differences of the new game was the set of “animal” abilities of Kyle. The developers decided to give him more power from the very beginning in order to avoid traditional plots where the hero loses all his skills and must regain them again. These abilities allow Kyle to throw huge rocks, destroy enemies with his bare hands, and display incredible power.
At the same time, the developers emphasize that Kyle’s abilities are closely related to his backstory and the lore of the game. They wanted to show that he was no longer just a human, but also not a typical zombie.
Gameplay changes
The developers deliberately added locations to Dying Light: The Beast that require the player to change tactics. For example, at night in the forest, Kyle, despite his abilities, turns out to be more vulnerable than in urban conditions. This creates a contrast between intense moments of stealth and powerful attacks in open combat.
These changes help maintain the atmosphere of fear and danger that players have come to expect from the Dying Light series.
The influence of weather conditions on the game
Weather plays a significant role in gameplay. For example, rain enhances the effect of electrical attacks, and wet roads make driving difficult. The developers also added the ability to use cars for movement to compensate for the lack of the usual parkour in open spaces.
Kyle’s character change
Although Kyle underwent major changes after the experiments, his sarcastic manner of communication and ability to “speak for the player” remained unchanged. He continues to throw out one-liners and highlight obvious absurdities, which makes his character relatable to the audience.
Balance between weapons and melee
While the Gamescom demo focused on guns, the developers say that melee combat and parkour remain central to the game. Instead of shifting the focus to shooting, they expanded the choice of tools for solving problems so that players could combine different approaches.
Conclusion
The developers expressed gratitude to fans from Korea, noting their dedication to the series. They also shared their personal love for Korean culture and cuisine, emphasizing how honored they were to bring the game to the country.
Dying Light: The Beast promises to retain the core features of the original series, adding fresh mechanics and new aspects of the narrative, which, according to the developers, should meet the expectations of fans.
