The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Dying Light: The Beast.
There’s no denying that, like its predecessors, Dying Light: The Beast offers one of gaming’s more authentic takes on a zombie apocalypse. With realistic physics, an immense amount of dread and terror at times, and demanding survival gameplay, Dying Light: The Beast truly does show players what it might actually be like to live in the middle of a post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak. However, it’s still not the only experience out there like it, though it does offer a darker, more serious take on the concept than others might.
Nevertheless, fortunately for fans of the series, Dying Light: The Beast‘s ending leaves things open for yet another entry that looks like it could end up being one of the most franchise-defining additions yet. Specifically, with Kyle Crane and Aiden Caldwell now united, there is massive potential for the next entry to feature multiple playable characters, both of whom have unique gameplay mechanics due to the horrible experiments performed on them by the Baron. But with such potential also comes the downside of making fans wait for the next installment to even come to fruition. Thankfully, Dying Light: The Beast at least makes the wait for another sequel not related at all to the Dying Light series a bit easier.
Dying Light: The Beast Is Both a Bridge and a Barrier for Zombie Fans
A Familiar Stand-In for Dead Island 3
Dambuster Studios’ Dead Island 2 was one of the biggest surprises of 2023, offering up one of the most satisfying zombie apocalypse games in years after experiencing multiple delays and consistent roadblocks during its almost decade-long development cycle. The title didn’t smash records or anything like that, but it was the unexpected factor of it all that allowed it to soar to the forefront of the industry, making a big name for itself, at the very least. In fact, it was successful enough to earn itself multiple expansions and major updates, and enough to create hope for the series’ future, after almost all hope was lost for it ahead of Dead Island 2‘s launch.
As such, all eyes are now on the next entry, especially after Dambuster recently teased Dead Island 3 on the series’ 14th anniversary when it said “the outbreak is far from over” in various social media posts. It’s not clear yet when the next Dead Island game will arrive, but it would make sense for it to launch sooner than Dying Light 3, as Dying Light: The Beast only just launched and Dead Island 2 is now over two years old. Fortunately, Dead Island fans who have been waiting for the next entry can find a familiar stand-in with Dying Light: The Beast, as its combat mechanics, physics, and crafting system are very similar to one another.
A Longer Road to the Next Dying Light
As far as the next Dying Light game goes, however, fans will likely be waiting a bit longer than they will be for Dead Island 3. It’s possible that Dying Light 3 could launch in 2028, considering the three-year gap between Dying Light 2: Stay Human and Dying Light: The Beast, but the seven-year gap between the first Dying Light game and the second is also worth noting. Plus, it would make sense for Dying Light 3 to spend more than three years in development if it truly does end up being starkly different from its predecessors in its gameplay.
Even with the wait, though, at least fans have a seesaw of sorts in effect, moving from Dying Light: The Beast and potentially on over to Dead Island 3 before finally getting Dying Light 3. It would be especially beneficial to those awaiting the release of more zombie games to get a New Game Plus mode for Dying Light: The Beast, as it would justify them spending more time in the game and give them a longer bridge between now and Dead Island 3. However, it remains to be seen whether Techland will even implement one. For now, players will have to stick with playing through Dying Light: The Beast on a harder difficulty and scouring Castor Woods for every collectible it holds.