Techland's latest mainline installment in its Dying Light series, Dying Light: The Beast, is finally here, and players can leap into the infected-ridden resort town and forest area of Castor Woods with returning protagonist Kyle Crane back at the helm.
I reviewed Dying Light: The Beast for Wccftech, and it was my first time diving into the series, which means that everything that was old hat for series veterans was brand new to me.
It also means there were a few things I would've appreciated knowing about Dying Light: The Beast before jumping in, which is why this guide will aim to give you five things to know about diving into Techland's latest zombie-riddled adventure.
Dying Light: The Beast Starter Guide - 5 Things to Know About Leaping Into Castor Woods
Don't go out at night - at least not right away
A key part of the Dying Light series is its day-and-night cycle, and the terrors that you can face when the sun goes down, compared to when it's high in the sky. Going out at night is a core part of the Dying Light experience, and the tense moments you experience while being chased by one or multiple Volatile's on your way to a safe zone are where some of the best gameplay moments come from.
But they can also be the source of the most frustrating, if you're not prepared. That's why once you've reached the Town Hall and you're let loose in Old Town in Castor Woods, do yourself a favour and spend some time avoiding the night. Take advantage of not having to deal with Volatile's during the day and unlock the safe zones in Old Town before you start exploring the area at night.
Getting killed by Volatile's and losing a bunch of XP early on while you're trying to level up and gain some key skills, like being able to jump kick zombies isn't how you want to spend your early hours.
Craft your bow and keep it upgraded
The first ranged weapon you'll get in the game is the Hunting Bow, and getting it crafted and in your inventory is something you'll want to do as soon as possible. It'll be on the first workbench you find in the game, which is Techland basically signposting it to you as something to get in your inventory right away, but you probably won't have the materials for it.
Thankfully, that's an easy fix, as the required materials aren't too difficult to scavenge. Once you have it in your inventory, it's also worth keeping it upgraded as much as possible. Particularly when you're taking on human enemies throughout the game, your bow is key to ensuring stealth-focused scenarios go well.
Upgrade your bandage, flashlight, and throwing knife blueprints
You'll be upgrading your gear and swapping out weapons over the course of Dying Light: The Beast, but the upgrades you'll want to really prioritize are your blueprint upgrades. Specifically the blueprints for your bandages, UV flashlight, and throwing knives.
Upgrading the blueprints for each item makes them more effective, and in the case of throwing knives, lets you craft more of them without using as many resources.
These three items are the ones you will likely use more than any other during your time in Castor Woods, and upgrading their blueprints as quickly as you can will have you set up for the endgame well before you get there.
Mash that Survivor Sense at all times
Your Survivor Sense ability can be occasionally helpful for keeping track of enemies nearby, human and zombie alike, but what it's really key for is telling you where resources are near you. You'll want to keep mashing the survivor sense as much as you can, because you're otherwise liable to miss scores of resources that you'll need for upgrading your gear and for crafting the resources you need while out in the wilds of Castor Woods.
You don't need to fight everyone and everything
Particularly, if you're like me, you might feel like you need to wipe every zombie you see off the board when you see them. Absolutely not the case - it's good to keep your aggression meter up so that you can launch into Beast mode quickly when you do get into a big fight, so picking off a few zombies here and there isn't a bad idea.
But you absolutely don't need to fight every zombie you come across, and you're better off not trying to. Besides the fact that your weapons will deteriorate faster, you'll more than likely find yourself getting overwhelmed with all the noise you're making, and then you're back in the position of losing XP for no good reason.
If you're a Dying Light veteran, than most of this was probably old hat for you, but if you were like me and are playing The Beast without having checked out the previous games, than these tips will help you start off your journey through Castor Woods on the right foot.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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