Looking for some Dead Island 2 tips? Dead Island 2’s campaign may look like a fun jaunt through a sun-drenched HELL-A, but there are actually a lot of complexities and hurdles to overcome. Our guide to the best items, locations, and mechanics will help you succeed in the action game
There are an incredible amount of collectibles and unlockables in Dead Island 2, and the many skill cards and blueprints are just the beginning. The more of these you find, the more you can customise your game play – and the easier it is to take down even the most threatening Dead Island 2 zombies. Sure, some can be found during main story quests, but others are more difficult to locate, so we cover where to find hidden items and much more in these Dead Island 2 tips and tricks that we wish we knew when we started.
Unlock areas and open boxes for the best loot
There are Dead Island 2 weapons scattered all around as you explore LA, from improvised weapons like scaffolding poles and golf clubs, to the more devastating superior weapons you can pick up later on. The best weapons, though, are often hidden in boxes and locked rooms, so be sure to take the time to look around you. Look out for red disaster relief crates which can contain some pretty decent weapons without the need for any keys or special items. Otherwise, be sure to check behind every door you can.
Stock up on fuses
That said, you’ll want to stock up on Dead Island 2 fuses. Fuse boxes that are missing a fuse are marked on your Dead Island 2 map, and while you can get through the whole story without using one, some of the best items in the game are locked in Zomproof Slayer Hoard boxes in these rooms. A limited number of fuses can be purchased from vendors, and even though they’re expensive, they’re one of the best things your money can buy.
Kill named zombies for special items
Named zombies offer up another way of finding special items and weapons since they can drop keys or other important resources. While it might feel bad killing a zombie with a name, at least you have a legitmate reason for doing so. Some of these zombies are part of the story, so you’ll have to take them down by default. Others, though, only spawn when you return to previous areas of the map, and while their special items aren’t essential to completing the game, they can provide you with excellent loot to take with you when you do so. One of these is Crystal the Lawyer, who will drop the Dead Island 2 Curtis safe key when killed.
Explore the world to find collectibles and blueprints
Still on the topic of keeping your eyes out for special items, don’t forget to look everywhere. HELL-A is a pretty big place, and while Dead Island 2 might be a pretty linear game for the most part, it is in some ways semi open-world. You’re free to explore the Venice Beach promenade, the side streets off Ocean Avenue, or the train cars in the metro for bonus items. Some of these things are just journal entries for the completionists out there, but don’t write it off if you’re not, as you might find Dead Island 2 weapon perks, skill cards, or blueprints lying around where you least expect them.
Use Alexa Game Control for multi-tasking
Alexa Game Control is a brand-new mechanic making its debut with Dead Island 2, and, as such, it’s not without its teething problems. However, it can still come in incredibly useful, especially if you sometimes find yourself overwhelmed with keybinds or want to save time and multi-task while you’re chopping off zombie noggins.
Enable Alexa Game Control in the settings menu and connect your game to your Alexa account to start using the feature, then you can start shouting commands into your microphone. Honestly, it adds a pretty good immersion value to the game, especially when you’re heckling zombies with a “hey, you, come and get me!”. Taunting zombies works well, and brings any otherwise distracted enemies to you when you’re ready for them, as long as you’re close enough for them to hear you. However, some of the other voice controls aren’t so great. According to the ‘Tutorial’ menu, you can use Alexa to set waypoints and switch weapons, which we’ve been struggling with so far, but this will be a game changer if this gets fixed in the coming days. In the meantime, we still recommend yelling at zombies just for fun, and you can also use voice commands to emote to co-op friends without having to stop what you’re doing.
Co-op progression saves for the lowest level player
Speaking of co-op, there’s something quite important to know before you delve into a multiplayer match with friends. Dead Island 2 co-op isn’t a separate mode, your progress in the campaign remains the same both solo and with other players. Instead, you take off from wherever the player with the least progression is.
We recommend not jumping headfirst into a game with friends unless you are in roughly the same place, or you are willing to lose some progress. You won’t lose any progress in your save game, but if you make it further in co-op than you were last at, you’ll go back to where you left off. For example, if you are at mission six when you join a game with a friend at mission four, and you progress together to the eighth quest, your friend keeps that progress, while you return to mission six.
Perhaps the best way to play with friends is to play together from the start, or jump in with someone who needs a helping hand – or use the time to look around for new items you might not have picked up yet, as these will be saved to your inventory.
Change the FOV if you’re sick of surprise attacks
As you wander past the pristine homes of Bel-Air or the stroll along the sun-drenched Santa Monica pier, zombies can attack you from any angle. A good tip to avoid a shock is to wear headphones, as you can hear directional moaning and groaning from nearby enemies. However, if that’s not enough to stop you being jump-scared by a zombie – which can be really frustrating with some of the stronger zombie variants – then try increasing your FOV. Okay, this technically won’t stop zombies from appearing behind you, but you will be able to see more in your peripheral view.
So there you have our Dead Island 2 tips and tricks for getting started in HELL-A. The biggest advice to take away from this is to pick up everything you see, it’ll come in handy down the line. For more of an idea of how the zombie game feels to play, check out our Dead Island 2 review, and while it might not be one of the best PC games, it’s certainly among the most fun.