“With more aggressive zombies, with the intense atmosphere, with the immersive visuals – players will really need to be cautious, resourceful, and strategic to survive,” says franchise director Tymon Smektala.

Dying Light games have always made survival horror elements an important part of the experience, and the upcoming Dying Light: The Beast is going to be no different. Even though the standalone sequel is set to be a smaller and more concise experience compared to previous Dying Light entries, where survival horror elements are concerned, you can expect a heavy emphasis.

That’s as per franchise director Tymon Smektala himself, who told GamingBolt in a recent interview that Dying Light: The Beast will “heavily” focus on survival horror. Of course, that will be primarily true when you’re out exploring the open world map at nighttime, when the undead will be at their most dangerous and active, but Smektala says the day part will also try and recapture the tension and atmosphere of the original Dying Light’s early hours.

“Dying Light: The Beast leans heavily into survival horror, particularly at night, when the danger and tension reach new levels,” Smektala told GamingBolt. “We focused quite some time on tweaking and upgrading the behavior of our apex predators, Volatiles, to make them scarier and more menacing. Additionally, in the day parts of the game, we wanted to recapture the feel (and fear!) of the early hours of the original Dying Light, where survival is uncertain, and every encounter, even with a simple enemy, could be your last. With more aggressive zombies, with the intense atmosphere, with the immersive visuals – players will really need to be cautious, resourceful, and strategic to survive.”

In the same interview, Smektala also spoke to us about the size and density of The Beast’s new map compared to Dying Light 2 Stay Human, as well as his perspective as a developer on the upcoming PS5 Pro’s PSSR. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for the full interview.

Dying Light: The Beast is in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A release date is currently unknown.