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Ready for the next adventure within Dying Light: The Beast? See you across the way of the map in about… Ten minutes? Maybe fifteen? Truthfully, however long it takes to reach it on foot or by car, as this intense game apparently hates simplicity and desires the main character to struggle even further than before.

The omission of fast travel in this first-person adventure, the newest installment to a popular lineup featuring action-packed survival titles, is undoubtedly intended to foster adventure, however, its effect from my perspective is to cause annoyance. Even after thoughtfully evaluating the justifications why this sandbox horror title shouldn’t include quick transport, every one fails — similar to Kyle Crane, as I push him over a building in haste.

Key Factors the Omission of Fast Travel Falls Short

As an instance, it’s possible to suggest that this game’s free-running is fantastic, and I fully concur, but that doesn’t mean I desire to run, jump, and climb nonstop. True, Dying Light: The Beast offers cars that are available, however, transport, route access, and fuel supplies are limited. And I accept that stumbling upon unseen places is what creates a sandbox title engaging, yet when you have journeyed through an area multiple times, there are few things to find.

Following my initial trip to the urban Old Town area, I got the feeling that this game was intentionally extending my transit period by spreading out mission spots inside identical missions.

When one of the side quests led me to an unsafe area in Old Town, I opened my map, looked for the nearest car, found it, headed for Old Town, exhausted my gasoline, checked my map once more, sprinted the remaining distance, and, eventually, had a lovely time with the undead in the hazardous area — merely to realize that the following task target directed me back to the place I originated, across the way of the game world.

The Argument in favor of Quick Transport

I must acknowledge that Dying Light: The Beast doesn’t have the largest map ever featured in an expansive adventure, but that is even more reason to support fast travel; if its absence annoys me in a more compact world, it would definitely annoy me on a bigger one.

Of course, it would be beneficial to organize task targets in a certain order, but are we really talking concerning “fostering adventure” when I feel forced to reduce my travel time? It sounds more like I would be “reducing hassle” as far as I can. Furthermore, if I am absorbed in a storyline and want to know the next development (which is a good thing, developers!), I cannot wish to accomplish other quest objectives first.

Potential Solutions for Fast Travel

There is a single point I can consider advocating for banning instant movement: You avoid a simple escape path. And I must confess, I would not wish to miss out on the momentary fear I experience whenever night falls – but surely there are solutions for that. For example, quick transport from hazardous areas might be banned, or fast travel points could be set beyond secure areas, obliging you to do a quick dash through the darkness before reaching safety. Possibly more suitably, Dying Light: The Beast could permit fast travel among quick transport spots only, thereby you minimize journey duration without the possibility of instant teleportation.

• Fast travel could be limited to car locations, for instance,
• cost in-game money,
• or be interrupted by unexpected events (the possibility to be attacked by surprise enemies).

Certainly, it is only logical to activate new quick transport spots after exploring their surroundings.

The Most Compelling Case in favor of Instant Movement

Perhaps the strongest argument advocating for quick transport, nevertheless, is choice: Although with an instant movement feature available, users who choose to move only via walking and vehicles would still possess that possibility, however, gamers with limited time to play, or with less desire for automobiles and climbing, could spend that duration on different game tasks. That, in my opinion, is the true feeling of liberty gamers should look for in a sandbox title.