Which is the best Dying Light game? Players still rate the 2015 original highest, with 94 percent positive reviews on Steam, while critics scored Dying Light: The Beast best, at 79 on Metacritic for PC, and Dying Light 2 Stay Human sits behind both with users. Our pick for most people in November 2026 is to start with the original Dying Light and its expansion The Following, then decide between Dying Light 2 and The Beast based on what you liked. Below is every entry in release order, the story order, and how each one holds up today.
We checked Steam's store pages, Metacritic scores as reported on Wikipedia, Techland's official site, PC Gamer, Push Square and AllThings.How in November 2026.
Every Dying Light Game in Release Order
The series is small, so the order is easy to follow. Here are the main games and expansions with their release dates.
- Dying Light (27 January 2015): PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Kyle Crane in the quarantined city of Harran.
- Dying Light: The Following (9 February 2016): a large story expansion set in Harran's countryside, released alongside the Enhanced Edition and the free Legendary Levels update.
- Dying Light: Bad Blood (September 2018): a 12-player battle royale spin-off that launched in paid early access, never found a large audience and was made free for Dying Light players in 2020.
- Dying Light 2 Stay Human (4 February 2022): a new hero, Aiden Caldwell, in the city of Villedor. Its first story DLC, Bloody Ties, followed in November 2022.
- Dying Light: The Beast (18 September 2025): PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Kyle Crane returns in the Castor Woods valley.
The original has also been re-released several times. The Platinum Edition arrived in May 2021 (and on Nintendo Switch that October), the Definitive Edition in June 2022, and PS5 and Xbox Series X|S upgrade patches in March 2022. Steam now sells a Definitive 10th Anniversary Edition bundling the base game, The Following and a long list of item bundles, 28 items in all.
The Story Order
Release order and story order are almost the same, with one twist at the end. The first game and The Following tell Kyle Crane's story in Harran. Dying Light 2 jumps forward to Villedor; Wikipedia's summary places it 22 years after the first game, in 2036, after the event the characters call the Fall. You do not need to have played the first game to follow it.
The Beast is the twist. It began life as a second story DLC for Dying Light 2 before Techland turned it into a standalone game, and it brings back Crane. Techland's official page says that after surviving Harran, Crane was captured by a villain called the Baron and spent thirteen years undergoing experiments in Castor Woods. AllThings.How, citing Techland's own developer write-up, places The Beast right after the events of Dying Light 2, which makes it the latest point in the timeline even though it stars the original hero.
So the story order is: Dying Light, The Following, Dying Light 2 Stay Human (with Bloody Ties), then The Beast. Bad Blood sits outside the main story.
How Critics and Players Rate Each Game
Here is where the "best" question gets interesting, because critics and players disagree.
| Game | Metacritic (PC) | Steam user reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Dying Light (2015) | 75 | 94% positive of about 100,000 English reviews |
| Dying Light 2 Stay Human | 77 | 77% positive of about 69,600 English reviews |
| Dying Light: The Beast | 79 | 87% positive of about 27,400 English reviews |
Critics have scored each new entry slightly higher on PC, and The Beast earned the series' best reception, with Wikipedia listing 79 on PC, 78 on PS5 and 75 on Xbox Series X|S, plus 80 percent of critics recommending it on OpenCritic. Players tell a different story. The original sits at 94 percent positive on Steam after a decade of updates, while Dying Light 2's 77 percent reflects a more divided reception among players.
Sales follow the players. The first game passed 20 million copies by April 2022, according to Wikipedia, while Dying Light 2 sold five million in its first month, a faster start, although the original has had seven more years on sale. Techland's franchise total passed 30 million copies by February 2023.
Why the Original Still Has the Edge
There are good reasons the 2015 game remains the fan favorite. Harran is dense, the night is genuinely frightening, and the parkour has a weight that the series has chased ever since. The Following then added a whole new area, the countryside outside Harran, where Crane investigates a mysterious cult, so the complete package is far bigger than the base game alone. It also had years of free support. The Legendary Levels update, released free on 9 February 2016 alongside The Following, added a 250-level Legendary skill tree that opens once you max out a skill tree, with new emblems, outfits and weapons every 25 levels, according to PC Gamer.
It has aged into a very good value too. Four-player co-op covers the whole campaign, and PC Gamer notes that Techland added crossplay between PC launchers to the first game in a 2022 update. Console players can play the PS5 and Xbox Series versions through the upgrade patches.
The trade-off is age. The 2015 visuals and some systems feel older than the sequels, and the story is more straightforward. If those things matter more to you than feel and atmosphere, look at the newer games first.
Dying Light 2 or The Beast: Who Each One Suits
Dying Light 2 is the biggest game in the series. Villedor is a huge, vertical city, the story is built around faction choices that change districts and endings, and Techland promised at least five years of updates after launch. It is still delivering them: Update 1.30 arrived in October 2026 with the Halloween Showdown 2026 event. The Reloaded Edition, released on 22 February 2024, bundles the game with Bloody Ties and the update that added guns to the open world. Choose it if you want scale, choices and a long tail of events. Our guide to the choices behind Dying Light 2's best ending and our full Inhibitor route are good companions.
The Beast is tighter and darker. It is a smaller, forested map with a more focused revenge story, and its post-launch updates added New Game Plus, Legend Levels, ray tracing on PC and the free Restored Land survival mode. Its latest patch, 1.7, landed on 17 September 2026. Choose it if you loved Crane and the first game's tone. Our breakdown of which edition of The Beast to buy covers the practical question of Standard, Deluxe or Definitive. One shortcut: Steam's Dying Light 2 page says owners of its Ultimate Edition get The Beast at no extra charge.
Co-op and Crossplay Across the Series
All three main games are built for co-op, which is a big part of why the series has lasted. The original supports four-player co-op across the whole campaign, and PC Gamer notes that Techland later added crossplay between PC launchers to it in a 2022 update. Dying Light 2's Steam page invites you to team up with up to three other players to play the story together or take on Pilgrim Outpost challenges.
The Beast keeps the four-player format, with Techland describing its co-op as shared progression. Its crossplay rules are the strictest of the three, though. Techland's support page says cross-platform co-op and save transfers between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC are not possible, with only Steam and Epic players on PC able to play together. If you are choosing a game to play with a specific friend, check that you are on the same platform first, and for The Beast, read our co-op and crossplay explainer for how sessions and progress work.
For solo players, the picture is just as friendly. Every entry can be played start to finish alone, and The Beast's Restored Land survival mode, added free in March 2026, is designed specifically as a solo experience.
Where to Start in November 2026
Our recommendation for a newcomer is simple.
- Start with Dying Light and The Following. It is the fan favorite, it sets up Crane for The Beast, and the Definitive 10th Anniversary Edition on Steam bundles the expansion with years of extra content.
- Then play The Beast if you want more Crane and a shorter, sharper campaign. It also runs on current hardware only, since its PS4 and Xbox One versions were cancelled on 14 July 2026.
- Play Dying Light 2 when you want the biggest world and story choices. It works as a fresh start, since it has a new protagonist.
If you only have time for one, our answer depends on what you value: the original for atmosphere and player love, The Beast for the best critical reception and modern polish, and Dying Light 2 for size and choice.
Jumping Into the Original Fully Equipped
Going back to Harran after a newer game can feel slow at first. If you want to skip straight to the fun, the store's Dying Light 1 All Modded Items and Legend Level 250 in-game transfer covers PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Its page lists every modded item category (weapons, clothing, gear, consumables and materials) crafted from gold-tier blueprints, stacks of up to 99 consumables, and Legend Level 250 progression. Items are dropped to you in a co-op session, so no account login is needed, and the page puts a typical transfer at about five to ten minutes.
Services for Dying Light 2 and The Beast are in the store's Dying Light section.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct order to play the Dying Light games?
Dying Light, then The Following, then Dying Light 2 Stay Human with Bloody Ties, then The Beast. Bad Blood is a separate multiplayer spin-off.
Is Dying Light: The Beast better than Dying Light 2?
Critics scored it higher (79 vs 77 on PC) and Steam players rate it 87 percent positive against 77 percent. Dying Light 2 is the larger game with more story choices.
Do I need to play Dying Light 1 before The Beast?
It helps, since The Beast continues Kyle Crane's story, but The Beast is a standalone game, so you can start there if you prefer.
Is The Beast set before or after Dying Light 2?
After. AllThings.How, citing Techland's developer write-up, places it right after the events of Dying Light 2.
How long has Kyle Crane been held captive in The Beast?
Thirteen years. Techland's official page says the Baron experimented on him in Castor Woods for that long.
Is Dying Light: The Beast on PS4?
No. The PS4 and Xbox One versions were cancelled on 14 July 2026, so it is only on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.