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Ready for your upcoming mission in the new parkour game? Catch you on the other side of the game world in roughly… Ten minutes of travel? Maybe fifteen? Really, however long it takes to arrive on foot or by car, as Dying Light: The Beast seems to despise convenience and desires Kyle Crane to suffer even further than before.

The omission of instant travel within Dying Light: The Beast, the recent addition in a popular lineup with zombie-slaying first-person games, is clearly meant to foster adventure, however, its effect in my experience is to breed irritation. Despite meticulously examining the justifications why this open-world zombie survival game ought not to have a fast travel option, they each fall flat — just like the main character, if I leap him from a structure quickly.

Why the Absence of Instant Movement Disappoints

As an instance, you might argue that the title’s movement system is superb, and I fully concur, but that doesn’t mean I want to sprint, leap, and scale nonstop. True, this adventure offers cars I can use, yet cars, road access, and energy stocks are limited. And I would agree that stumbling upon unseen places is what defines an open-world game engaging, yet when you’ve traversed an area multiple times, there are few things to explore.

Subsequent to the first time I went to the urban Old Town area, I felt that the title was intentionally extending my transit period by spreading out mission spots within the same quests.

When an optional task directed me to an unsafe area in Old Town, I opened my map, searched for the closest vehicle, discovered it, traveled to Old Town, ran out of fuel, opened my map again, sprinted the remaining distance, and, eventually, experienced an enjoyable moment with the undead in the hazardous area — just to discover that the following task target returned me to the place I originated, across the way of the game world.

The Argument in favor of Fast Travel

I must acknowledge that this game does not feature the biggest world ever featured in a sandbox title, but that’s all the more reason to argue in favor of quick transport; if not having it bothers me on a smaller map, it would surely annoy me in a more vast one.

Naturally, it would help to arrange mission goals in a specific sequence, but is it truly about concerning “fostering adventure” if I feel compelled to reduce my travel time? It sounds more like I’d be “decreasing inconvenience” as much as possible. Moreover, if I feel invested in a plot and want to know the subsequent events (which is a good thing, designers!), I don’t desire to finish further task targets initially.

Workable Alternatives for Quick Transport

There is just one argument I can consider supporting preventing fast travel: You avoid a straightforward way out. And I must confess, I would not wish to lose the brief panic I experience as soon as the night arrives – but undoubtedly there are workarounds for that. For example, instant movement from unsafe zones can be restricted, or fast travel points could be positioned away from protected zones, compelling you to do a quick dash through the darkness before reaching safety. Maybe even more effectively, this title could permit fast travel via instant movement points solely, thus you reduce travel time without the possibility of instant teleportation.

• Fast travel could be restricted to vehicle spawn points, for example,
• involve game funds,
• or be interrupted by unexpected events (the risk to get assaulted by surprise enemies).

Naturally, it is just reasonable to enable new quick transport spots after investigating the nearby area.

The Strongest Argument for Instant Movement

Possibly the best reason advocating for fast travel, though, is choice: Although with a fast travel system available, gamers who like to travel solely via walking and vehicles would still possess that option, whereas players with less time to play, or with less thirst for driving and parkour, could spend that period on additional virtual pursuits. It, in my opinion, is the genuine experience of liberty players should anticipate in a sandbox title.