When we talk about the best zombie games of 2025, titles like Doom: The Dark Ages and upcoming releases such as The Sinking City 2, Cronos: The New Dawn, and Silent Hill f come to mind. However, for this blog, we will focus on the upcoming release in the Dying Light franchise, Dying Light: The Beast. Published and developed by Techland, it is a standalone adventure, making it perfect for both new and returning players of the series. Let’s explore more about this anticipated zombie game below.
Dying Light: The Beast Overview
Dying Light: The Beast was initially intended to be a DLC for the previous game in the series, but it has evolved into a completely distinct survival zombie game. The Beast is the next chapter in the popular zombie survival series. The game retains the intense parkour movement, brutal combat, and day-night cycle that fans cherish, while adding new layers of gameplay, emotion, and danger.
In The Beast, you play as Kyle Crane, who has been captured and experimented on by the Baron for years. He ultimately escapes, but the scars remain. His blood now contains both human and zombie DNA, causing him to struggle with losing control. Left on the edge of humanity, you assist Crane in seeking revenge against those who wronged him. The game allows you to experience both aspects of the protagonist, one of a survivor and another of the beast.
Dying Light: The Beast showcases a stunning zombie apocalypse set in the Swiss Alps, inspired by the Castor Woods valley, featuring various biomes including a tourist town, an industrial area, a national park, farmlands, and swamps. This zombie game brings breathtaking next-gen visuals to life, where every detail tells a story of survival. The features of the game include:
- Evolved Parkour System: Jump, vault, climb, and now grapple and wall-run from a first-person perspective.
- Brutal and Varied Combat: Use blades, blunt weapons, and even your fists with a new rage mode that transforms you into a nearly unstoppable force during fights.
- Smarter, Scarier, Infected: Zombies are more aggressive and react to noise, movement, and smells. Nights are more perilous, with zombies that can hunt you silently.
- 4-Player Co-op with Shared World Events: Drop-in/drop-out co-op lets friends join at any time. Unique world events like horde attacks or survivor rescues occur for all players.
The Best Zombie Game of 2025
Dying Light: The Beast has the potential to set a new standard for zombie games by combining a gripping story, innovative mechanics, and emotional depth in ways the genre rarely achieves. What truly sets it apart is the return of Kyle Crane, who is not just a hero, but also a beast. His infection has bestowed upon him terrifying strength, but it has also led him to question his humanity. This inner conflict adds a personal and layered aspect to the story, drawing the player into a narrative that’s as much about identity as it is about survival.
The game world itself feels more alive and deadly than ever before. Infected enemies no longer merely charge at you; they stalk, listen, and hunt with chilling precision. Nights feel genuinely dangerous again, compelling you to think carefully about every move. Combat and parkour have reached new heights, with a smoother and more aggressive movement system that allows you to wall-run, grapple, and dive into fights with brutal style.
What makes The Beast even more impressive is its response to your choices. Your actions affect the world, the people within it, and even how the story concludes. With its emotional storytelling, deep gameplay, and terrifying atmosphere, Dying Light: The Beast is not just aiming to be another good zombie game; it seeks to redefine what a zombie game can be. That emotional and mechanical depth could make it the best zombie game of 2025.
Dying Light: The Beast Release Date and Platforms
Dying Light: The Beast will be available on August 8, 2025. It’s coming in two editions: Standard and Deluxe. If you pre-order the Standard edition now, you can receive the exclusive items from the Hero of Harran Bundle, which include the Ultimate Survivor Outfit, Harran Combat Knife, The Follower Crossbow, In Jade’s Memory Pistol, and Castor Woods Patrol. The upcoming zombie game will be available on the following platforms:
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
- PC
Note: Currently, the game is only releasing on the platforms mentioned above. However, the developers have confirmed that the game will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One by the end of 2025.
Summary
We already have a gameplay premiere trailer and a full 30-minute gameplay walkthrough available, with the release date approaching for the upcoming survival horror game, Dying Light: The Beast. The game will take us through the storyline of Kyle Crane, set in an open world with new and enhanced gameplay mechanics and visuals. This installment in the Dying Light series will initially release on the new-gen consoles and later on the older ones by the end of this year.
Do you think that Dying Light: The Beast could be the best zombie game of 2025? Let us know in the comments below. And for more gaming news, guides, tips, and more, check out Driffle Blog.
