What Dying Light: The Beast means for the franchise’s narrative
Most people would write off the return of Kyle Crane in Dying Light: The Beast as fan service. They are partially right. Set years after the first game, Dying Light’s original protagonist is back with new powers and revenge on his mind. However, the presence of Kyle Crane is more than just Techland’s attempt at appeasing fans – it also answers many questions regarding the franchise’s lore. Note that spoilers follow for Dying Light, Dying Light: The Following, and Dying Light 2.
At the end of Dying Light: The Following, players have to choose between one of two options as Kyle Crane. The first option allows Crane to side with a sentient Volatile known as the Mother by nuking the city of Harran; thereby killing himself, the Mother, and the city’s inhabitants while containing the Harran Virus. The second option is to refuse to launch the nukes, defeat the Mother, and save the citizens of Harran. While the second choice is more noble, the Mother forcibly makes Crane drink a vial that causes him to become a sentient Volatile like herself.
The events of Dying Light 2 Stay Human reveal that Crane chose to save Harran at his own expense. The act of sacrifice didn’t count for much, because even though a vaccine for the Harran Virus was made, the Global Relief Effort (GRE) humanitarian organization secretly experimented on strains of the virus for militaristic purposes. The virus got out of the GRE’s labs and spread throughout the rest of the world, destroying civilization in an event known as the Fall.
This brings us to Dying Light: The Beast, where Crane is obviously not dead and is cursed with abilities similar to the franchise’s Infected. According to the standalone game’s official description, Crane was captured and subject to experiments before he broke free. These experiments most likely explain how Crane returned to his human form, as the now-canon The Following ending showed him with Volatile arms. He still retains the survival skills he learned from the first game, along with his new Infected powers.
Fans have long speculated about Kyle Crane’s fate. Some assumed he became a Volatile and got killed by survivors. Others thought he was a Dying Light 2 NPC called the Liquidator. These theories have now been put to rest, as Crane has now been shown to be alive and kicking.
Dying Light: The Beast will undoubtedly be playing catch-up to what Crane has been up to these past years. Crane’s angrier, more vengeful persona is a stark contrast to how people view him in Dying Light 2 Stay Human, which is strange considering Dying Light: The Beast is an interquel between Dying Light and its numbered sequel. Only time will tell how Crane’s story plays out, as Dying Light: The Beast continues the protagonist’s tale.
