[Photo] Dying Light: The Beast Demo Event, Welcomed by Beavers and the Director

[포토] 비버와 디렉터가 마중 나온, 더 비스트 시연회

gamemeca Ⅰ Shin Jae-yeon 게임메카 신재연 기자 2025.07.21 23:05 UTC+9

AI Summary

Dying Light: The Beast shifts from dark ruins to a deceptively serene tourist spot. Franchise Director Tymon Smektala showcased the new setting at a recent event. The title is set to launch on August 22, promising a fresh, vengeance-fueled narrative.

Dying Light: The Beast Image (Image Source: Steam) — ▲ Image of Dying Light: The Beast (Image Source: Steam)

Look, let's be honest: the zombie apocalypse genre is usually a grim, shadowy affair. The crushing weight of the atmosphere, paired with the grotesque squelching and shrieking of the undead, is designed to keep you on the edge of your seat. The Dying Light series has carved out its own niche in this space. You likely remember the 'Volatiles'—the series' iconic nocturnal terrors—whose piercing screeches and frantic movements have haunted many a player's dreams.

Given that pedigree, I fully expected the standalone title 'Dying Light: The Beast', arriving on August 22, to plunge us into even darker, more claustrophobic locales. After all, we were promised the return of Kyle Crane after a long hiatus, and a narrative supposedly inspired by the gritty vengeance of 'Oldboy'.

However, stepping into 'Castor Woods', the primary setting of 'Dying Light: The Beast', was a surprise. It’s a popular tourist destination—lush, verdant, and filled with charming architecture. I recently attended the 'Dying Light: The Beast' 2025 gameplay event, which recreated a slice of this world. Here is a look at what went down.

Hands-on event for Dying Light: The Beast at the Shanghai Game Museum (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The hands-on event for 'Dying Light: The Beast' held at the Shanghai Game Museum (Photo: Gamemeca)

Guests are welcomed by the beaver mascot of 'Castor Woods' (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Guests were welcomed by the beaver mascot of 'Castor Woods' (Photo: Gamemeca)

Attendees must receive a 'Castor Woods' entry ticket from staff before entering (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Before entering, attendees had to present their 'Castor Woods' entry ticket to the staff (Photo: Gamemeca)

Informational signage and postcards reminiscent of a national park are impressive (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The informational signage and postcards, reminiscent of a national park, were a nice touch (Photo: Gamemeca)

A nearby bulletin board is filled with environmental details and promotional material for Castor Woods (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ A nearby bulletin board was plastered with environmental details and promotional material for Castor Woods (Photo: Gamemeca)

A photo wall that stands in contrast to the peaceful, green surroundings of Castor Woods (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Upon entering, visitors were met with a photo wall that stood in stark contrast to the peaceful, green surroundings of Castor Woods (Photo: Gamemeca)

Tymon Smektala, Franchise Director for the Dying Light series, greets visitors (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Inside, Tymon Smektala, the Franchise Director for the Dying Light series, was there to greet the guests (Photo: Gamemeca)

The venue features a cafeteria reminiscent of a quiet, woodland shop (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The venue even featured a cafeteria reminiscent of a quiet, woodland shop (Photo: Gamemeca)

▲ The fruit-topped sponge cakes, offering a variety of flavours, were quite memorable (Photo: Gamemeca)

Unlike the bright exterior, the interior features eerie camping decor (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Unlike the bright, overgrown exterior, the interior leaned into eerie camping decor (Photo: Gamemeca)

A photo zone with barred cages for zombies creates a jarring contrast (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ It featured a photo zone with barred cages meant for zombies, creating a jarring contrast with the outside world (Photo: Gamemeca)

Tymon Smektala, Franchise Director, presents the Dying Light series (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The event included a presentation on the Dying Light series by Tymon Smektala, followed by interviews and a hands-on session (Photo: Gamemeca)

Survival kit for Castor Woods visitors (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ After the event, attendees received a 'survival kit' as a gift (Photo: Gamemeca)

The survival backpack is impressively large (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The first item to check out is the survival backpack. As you can see from the postcard, it’s impressively large (Photo: Gamemeca)

The bag contains various goodies like postcards, stickers, and bracelets (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Inside the bag, there was a collection of goodies including postcards, stickers, and bracelets depicting the environment of Castor Woods (Photo: Gamemeca)

Travel neck pillow and an eye patch featuring Kyle Crane's scar (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ It included a travel neck pillow for a comfortable nap anywhere, and an eye patch featuring the scar of the protagonist, Kyle Crane (Photo: Gamemeca)

Secret booklet for Castor Woods visitors (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ Along with a secret booklet containing key information for visitors to Castor Woods (Photo: Gamemeca)

Unique bracelet with a hidden USB drive (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The unique bracelet even opens up to reveal a hidden USB drive (Photo: Gamemeca)

Holographic stickers are durable and easy to apply (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ The stickers, which feature a striking holographic finish, are thin and durable enough to be applied and removed with ease (Photo: Gamemeca)

What trouble is brewing in Castor Woods? (Photo: Gamemeca) — ▲ What exactly is the trouble brewing in the seemingly adorable Castor Woods? We shall see this coming August (Photo: Gamemeca)

일반적으로 '좀비 아포칼립스'라는 장르는 대개 어둡고 으슥하며 음울한 분위기를 지니고 있다. 이 분위기에서 오는 압박감에 더해 곳곳에서 튀어나오는 좀비들의 기괴한 소리와 움직임은 그 분위기를 극대화하며 플레이어의 공포심을 자극한다. 다잉 라이트 시리즈 또한 이런 공포를 극대화 한 좀비 아포칼립스 배경의 게임 중 하나다. 특히 밤이 되면 등장하는 다잉라이트의 대표적인 좀비 '볼래틸'은 특유의 비명소리와 기민한 움직임으로 수많은 유저들을 공포에 내몰았다.

그렇기에 오는 8월 22일 출시 예정인 스탠드 얼론 타이틀 '다잉 라이트: 더 비스트'에서는 보다 더 어두컴컴하고 이국적인 공간에서 살아남기 위해 필사적인 모습을 만나게 될 것이라는 생각을 했다. 더구나 다잉 라이트 이후 오랜 시간이 지난 주인공 카일 크레인의 모습과 올드보이에서 영감을 받았다는 복수극 중심의 스토리가 된다고 했으니 말이다.

하지만 실제로 만나본 다잉 라이트: 더 비스트의 주요 무대 '캐스터 우즈'는 인기 관광지라는 이름이 헛되지 않게 녹음이 가득하고 아름다운 건축양식이 함께 했다. 그 일부를 현실에 구현한 다잉 라이트: 더 비스트 2025 게임플레이 이벤트 현장을 사진에 담았다.