It took almost a decade for Dead Island 2 to surface, with the first trailer having been dropped way back in 2014. It had a rough development cycle and was passed from pillar to post, but now it’s here in all its zombie-slaying glory, and fans couldn’t be more excited.
It’s a remarkably polished product, and the post-apocalyptic recreation of Los Angeles is equal parts beautiful and massively entertaining – cracking zombie skulls has never been more enjoyable.
If you’re only just starting your journey or if you’re thinking about investing in the game, here are ten things that you simply need to know about Dead Island 2 that I’ve learned while playing the game.
10 Things to Know Before Getting Started
Don’t waltz into your zombie-ridden adventures blind – use these tips.
Keys, Keys, Keys
At one point, while playing as Jacob, I discovered that he ‘loves keys’, and it’s easy to see why. From toolboxes to doors and from lockers to cars, there are many containers locked tight across Los Angeles in Dead Island 2. However, the 146 keys to be uncovered in the game can be relatively easy to find, and in most cases, there will be a ‘named zombie’ close to the thing that you’re trying to open – or notes detailing where the keys may have disappeared to.
Hint: If you load the Inventory menu, you’ll see a ‘Keys’ section that’ll help you track what you still need to find.
What’s Gone Isn’t Lost
If you’re using a weapon in Dead Island 2 and you throw it a little too hard, curving it out of bounds or onto a location that you can’t access, don’t worry. Whenever you access the ‘Stash’ or ‘Storage’ in a safe zone, you’ll see that there’s a tab named ‘Unclaimed Property’, which contains every weapon you’ve used and lost since the dawn of time.
Hint: Sell the older weapons that you definitely won’t be using again for easy cash.
And On That Note – Money!
Money is very important in Dead Island 2, as it lets you upgrade and repair your weapons, as well as buy things from the store – because that’s kind of what money does. For instance, you’ll need cash to purchase one particularly pesky item that’s revealed further down this list. So, to make the most money, zero in on a few weapons that you like using and keep them levelled up, but sell absolutely everything else of value to a trader.
Hint: You can also break down weapons if you need crafting resources, but DI2 is so resource-thicc that you’ll likely find everything you need laying around.
Consider The Environment
No, I’m not talking about being eco-friendly… In Dead Island 2, it’s so easy to use the environment to your advantage. From setting up a trail of gasoline that you can light to pouring water strategically to rig up an electric trap, it’s so easy to get creative to take down large groups of zombies. Don’t just use your hand-to-hand or ranged combat skills, look around and see what’s nearby that can help you preserve a little effort.
Hint: Jerry Cans are absolutely everywhere and they’re almost always helpful. For instance, water jerry cans can be poured over caustic pools to clear them up – and they’ll also put out fires.
Read More: Learn how to get a pistol in Dead Island 2
Buy Fuses As Soon As Possible
It isn’t just locked containers that present a problem in Dead Island 2, but also electronic doors that require fuses to be installed before they’ll open. Unfortunately, you can only obtain fuses from traders – and that isn’t explained in DI2. They’ll run you back $1500 per fuse and you can only carry three at a time – and trust me, there are many more than three opportunities to use fuses to get somewhere special.
Hint: To get fuses in Dead Island 2, you can purchase them after the intro in Bel-Air, once you meet Carlos.
It’s a Challenging World
Dead Island 2 challenges aren’t just a heap of fun, they’re also rewarding – but some of them can be complex. From throwing melee weapons a certain distance to killing zombies in a certain way, there are 84 challenges to complete and almost all of them reward you and your character greatly. There are health, damage, and agility buffs to unlock, as well as stacks of in-game cash for the completion of tasks.
Hint: Some challenges will only have one tier, while others will have as many as four – check in the in-game menu to get a better picture of your challenges.
Don’t Scope Skope
When you start exploring Dead Island 2 – particularly if you’re an inquisitive kind of player – you’ll notice what looks like Bluetooth speakers around the map named ‘Skope’. However, you’ll also notice that they’re marked ‘server offline’. Don’t worry about what Skope does early on – all will be revealed later, and you don’t have a connection problem.
Hint: Skope’s true nature is revealed very far into the game, so don’t trouble yourself with it early on.
Education is Fun
As you kill more zombies (and variants), you’ll populate a ‘bestiary’ of sorts known as the ZomPedia. It’s here that you can learn everything you’d need to know about Dead Island 2’s zombie types and the challenging Apex Variants in the game. If you need to know about a zombie’s weaknesses or attacks, then simply keep killing them, and you’ll learn more as you go.
Hint: Almost every challenging zombie has a counter to its attacks or base nature – so get reading!
Everything Comes Back
It may be considered a fault, but everything respawns in Dead Island 2. If you kill a bunch of zombies in a certain area and then leave, only to return seconds later, you’ll see that those zombies have returned. It can be a little annoying, but it means that you can essentially farm things. This is true also for components and containers, which can be re-looted time and time again.
Hint: Try to avoid leaving a difficult area as much as possible – I personally fought two intense Crushers, went down a block to recover, came back, and they’d respawned.
Read More: Learn how to get your first gun in Dead Island 2
Medkits Cure What Ails You
It doesn’t matter if you’re burning to death or if you’ve just been slashed to pieces by a zombie, medkits will help you in every situation. In Dead Island 2, medkits provide instant healing, but they also remove any negative status effects. They’re super helpful but you’ll notice early in the game that you’re tearing through your limited supply with ease – try eating protein bars or drinking energy drinks where possible.
Hint: Medkits can be bought from traders or crafted at a bench, neither of which requires intense amounts of resources or cash.
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