Dying Light: The Beast delivers a pure, exhilarating dose of what makes Techland’s zombie-smashing franchise so compelling. The brutal, lethal combat is a core part of its charm, but one particular enemy type, the ‘biters,’ has emerged as a significant source of frustration for many players. Their tendency to instantly grab players, leaving minimal time for a response, has prompted the development team to announce crucial changes.
In a recent developer video, game director Nathan Lemaire candidly addressed the ongoing ‘biter problem’ in Dying Light: The Beast. He outlined the specific adjustments Techland plans to implement, aiming to balance their aggressive nature with a fairer gameplay experience.
Dying Light: The Beast has largely been a success, earning praise from many critics for delivering the best experience the series has offered, particularly highlighting the intense tension in measuring one’s capabilities. However, the biters have proven to be overly dominant, ensnaring players in an instant. Even with the best weapons in hand, getting caught by an over-eager flesh-muncher can quickly lead to an unfair death.
“Today, I would like to talk to you about our biters,” Lemaire stated in the developer update. “As you are aware, their primary reflex is to grab you, and while we want to make sure that we maintain their aggressiveness, we also want to make sure that we ensure fairness in that mechanic.”
Following extensive player feedback and internal testing over the weekend, Techland has decided to implement three key changes:
- Players will now have an extended window to escape from a biter’s grasp before taking damage.
- Biter animations for distant grabs have been adjusted, making their lunges more noticeable and predictable.
- Newly alerted biters will be less likely to immediately initiate a grab when players first engage in combat.
Lemaire confirmed that these fixes will be delivered in an upcoming hotfix. “We are currently playing with it in order to make sure that it maintains the quality we would like to deliver to you, and then we will keep monitoring your feedback,” he concluded, thanking players for their support and looking forward to seeing them in Castor Woods.
For those diving into the game, we offer guides on the complete Dying Light: The Beast map, highlighting all points of interest, and updated system requirements for optimal performance.
Are these biters ruining your experience in Dying Light: The Beast? Share your thoughts and connect with other fans in the PCGamesN community Discord server.