While it’s not the first time driving has been implemented in the Dying Light series, Dying Light: The Beast is the first to emphasize it to the degree that it does. This is, of course, due in large part to its sizable open world of Castor Woods, which has an unprecedented amount of open space and therefore requires players to travel across the map more efficiently. Rather than merely hopping across rooftops, players are often encouraged to hop into a nearby truck instead for a safer yet more expensive way of getting from one point to the next.
However, there is one setting change players should make once they finally do get behind the wheel in Dying Light: The Beast. It’s a setting that might not be immediately noticeable either, especially when players are surrounded by a horde of infected and simply trying to get away. But implementing this change could mean the difference between life and death, between the vehicle being damaged to the point of exploding and the player successfully making it to their destination.
Upon getting into a truck in Dying Light: The Beast, players might simply start the vehicle and begin driving in first-person without considering whether there’s an option to change the perspective. Again, some of this might be due to panic, but it also may be the fact that first-person is the most immersive way to drive in Dying Light: The Beast, in addition to the fact that it’s fun, fairly easy, and can still get players to where they’re going without too much trouble. In these moments, Techland’s history with racing games really shows itself, as driving here is intuitive, responsive, and all-around satisfying.
That being said, Dying Light: The Beast‘s first-person driving camera isn’t without the caveat of making the vehicle a bit more difficult to control. Firstly, players will encounter numerous zombies in Dying Light: The Beast as they make their way through Castor Woods from behind the wheel of a park ranger truck, and running over those infected will temporarily obstruct their view. Virals will also occasionally leap onto the hood of the truck, not only preventing players from seeing the road ahead but also attacking their windshield. Secondly, hitting any major bump while in first-person can really throw things off for players who are on a tight schedule, like when a quest has a time limit, or they’re participating in a race.
Fortunately, these limitations are preventable with the option to change the camera to third-person while driving in Dying Light: The Beast. Again, it’s not immediately noticeable, as players first need to pull up the controls once they get in a vehicle and then locate the option on the list. And while it’s not as immersive as driving in first-person can be, it’s still a much more efficient way of ensuring the vehicle and the player inside it make it to their destination in one piece.
Where players might benefit most from the third-person driving camera is during the game’s races. Initially, there are three races that unlock via a certain quest line in Dying Light: The Beast, but several more open up once that quest line is completed that are even more difficult. Attempting to complete those, in particular, with the first-person camera active can feel impossible at times, but with the click of a bumper or the press of a key, the third-person camera allows players to get a better view of their surroundings so they can not only complete those races but also achieve the best times.
September 19, 2025
M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Use of Drugs
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