Techland talks Dying Gentle: The Beast leak, DLC origins, and the franchise’s evolution
Gamers diving into Dying Gentle: The Beast later this yr shall be exploring a distinct surroundings to what you’ve got turn into accustomed to in Techland’s Xbox horror recreation collection. As a substitute of the built-up city streets of Harran or Villedor, you will as a substitute be in Castor Woods, a as soon as common vacationer vacation spot and woodland. Even the return of the primary recreation’s protagonist Kyle Crane will really feel considerably unfamiliar, because the hero of Harran now wields superhuman powers after a few years of experiments by the hands of the mysterious Baron. With that in thoughts, Tymon Smektala says this entry has given Techland “the chance to go deeper into the survival horror side,” and the staff has leaned proper into it. With “refined enemy AI” and “extra reactive environmental parts,” Techland used the sport’s tighter scope to “take extra inventive dangers that weren’t possible in a bigger open-world recreation like Dying Gentle 2: Keep Human.”
Stepping away from the city environments for a rural setting was a kind of inventive dangers, which Smektala says was one of many “largest leaps of religion” the staff has taken. Though the franchise director says, “Trying on the resolution now, I can confidently say it was a very good one.”
However this daring new route, and your entire third recreation, wasn’t initially the plan. Dying Gentle: The Beast began life as a second growth for 2022’s Dying Gentle 2, however after a large leak pressured Techland to reimagine what it was engaged on, the staff in the end determined to deliver again Kyle Crane, and an entire new recreation was born. Now, The Beast stands as a turning level for the franchise, as survival horror is on the forefront of the expertise.
“Trying again, the leak was positively irritating, nevertheless it pushed us to rethink what we had been making. What began as a DLC shortly grew into one thing a lot larger and extra formidable,” Smektala says. “The choice to deliver again Kyle Crane energized your entire staff, and now, with Dying Gentle: The Beast shaping as much as be its personal fully-fledged expertise, we really feel it was the appropriate name. It’s given us the arrogance to take daring inventive selections and the sport has really benefitted from it.”
Regardless of beginning life as DLC, Dying Gentle: The Beast stands to supply gamers an identical open-world expertise as its predecessors, though we will anticipate a extra linear, cinematic storyline to comply with this time round. Castor Woods will nonetheless be stuffed with facet missions, challenges, a plethora of contaminated variants to slaughter, the acquainted day/night time cycle, in addition to a “few surprises for completionists,” however Techland is worried gamers may underestimate the sport as a standalone title.
“To be sincere, we’re beginning to really feel that its DLC origins is perhaps a burden — some gamers may underestimate Dying Gentle: The Beast due to that,” Smektala stated. “However the mission has grown a lot over the previous few months that it absolutely deserves to be handled as a standalone title in its personal proper.”
Whereas Techland remains to be “dedicated to supporting Dying Gentle 2: Keep Human with updates and occasions,” followers of the second recreation will not have any new expansions to sit up for, because the staff is now trying on the franchise’s future. As a substitute, in case you bought the second recreation’s Final Version, you can declare The Beast at no cost when it launches this summer time.
Smektala advised us that Dying Gentle: The Beast is “an vital step” within the franchise’s evolution, “and we’re excited for what comes subsequent.”
We’re additionally excited to see what the staff’s subsequent recreation presents followers. In our full interview with Tymon Smektala, we mentioned the plethora of weapons coming to the sport, a car that may should be repaired and refueled, and the sport’s give attention to “survival, useful resource shortage, and the sheer horror of the night time.” Test it out for a extra in-depth have a look at what’s to come back.
For now, we would like to know your ideas on Techland’s upcoming Xbox zombie recreation. Are you excited for it? Drop a remark under and tell us!
