There are hundreds of ways to kill zombies and Renegades alike in Dying Light 2. However, players want to know the best weapons in Dying Light 2, where to find them, and if they work with their build. Villedor is home to plenty of weapons to find, spanning type, tier, and damage output — but all of them break eventually. When it comes down to it, the best weapons in Dying Light 2 are those you can keep forever. How different are they, and how vital are weapon levels compared to weapon tier? What if we told you the best weapons in Dying Light 2 were under your nose the whole time?
- Dying Light 2 brings back zombie-killing mayhem — and humanity
- The best zombie games of all time
- Dying Light 2 PC performance: The best settings for high fps
Weapon tiers and levels in Dying Light 2
Before we start name-dropping artifact-tier axes and cleavers, let’s talk about how weapon levels work with Aiden’s overall rank. Dying Light 2 isn’t technically a looter-shooter, but it plays on similar mechanics. The first rule of looter-shooters is “there’s a better piece of gear around every mission.” Don’t get hung up on a particular weapon or piece of armor you found in the early game, as you’ll find a much better version of that weapon later on. Furthermore, weapons break pretty easily in Dying Light 2, so upgrading a level three walking stick only to snap it in half is a waste of recourses.
Weapons and gear operate on the same tier scale:
- Artifact (gold)
- Unique (purple)
- Rare (blue)
- Uncommon (green)
- Common (gray/white)
While a low-level artifact weapon may do more damage than a rare high-level weapon, there comes a time when you’re better off selling that artifact weapon for cash. Weapon tiers also determine how many perks a weapon comes with and how many upgrade slots it has available. In general, artifact weapons come with three passive perks, unique weapons have two, and rare weapons have one.
There’s little consistency when it comes to weapon upgrades. Some artifact weapons can’t be upgraded, while others allow all four slots (tip, shaft, grip, and charm). Unique weapons fall into the same situation, and you can’t upgrade rare and lesser weapons.
Staying in Weapon Range
As a rule of thumb, sell any weapons that aren’t within two levels of Aiden’s current level. For example, if you’re level six, sell any weapons level three or less. The only exceptions are level three artifact-tier weapons, since they’re on par with level four unique weapons (which we’re keeping anyway).
Match Weapons based on your Armor
Finally, before we get into the best weapons in Dying Light 2, it’s essential to understand how to match weapons with your armor set. Different armor sets give Aiden additional boosts to his damage output, among other passives:
- Tanks increase two-handed weapon damage
- Brawlers increase one-handed weapon damage
- Rangers increase ranged weapon damage
- Medics increase parkour attack damage
To get the full armor effect, it’s best to wear a full suit — all Brawler for max one-handed damage or all Tank for max two-handed damage. Don’t mix and match. Building out your weapons arsenal becomes easier once you’ve chosen an armor path. Because the best weapons in Dying Light 2 tie in with your preferred playstyle, it’s impossible to name-drop weapons like Motorhead, a two-handed artifact mace that deals 24% more damage at night. A Tank would love Motorhead, but a Brawler might not. So putting armor and playstyle preference aside, what are some of the best weapons in Dying Light 2 for everybody?
The Peacekeeper crossbow
In a game without guns, the PK Crossbow is one of the best weapons in Dying Light 2, if not the best. The amount of damage the PK Crossbow scales with Aiden’s level, from what we can tell. Ours (Aiden level six) is putting out 254 base damage. Paired with impact bolts, we’re one-shotting every normal enemy we come across. We’re not even wearing a full ranger set!
To unlock the PK Crossbow in Dying Light 2, you must assign at least four territories to the Peacekeepers. Assigning territories to the PKs gives Aiden access to more traps and means to kill zombies, where the Survivors build more parkour accessories. During our playthrough, we felt the PK perks sounded better. Trust us; they don’t disappoint. Unfortunately, if you went full Survivor, you’ll have missed your chance to wield one of the best weapons in Dying Light 2.
You will have to craft bolts for the crossbow, and you’re given several elemental blueprints upon unlocking it. We’re having a blast with impact bolts (pun intended), but toxic, lacerating, and stun have their benefits. Bolts require scraps and feathers to craft, with each elemental bolt costing an additional unique item. For example, impact bolts need 10 scrap, one feather, and three weights.
To equip different bolts, hold right on the D-pad to bring up your weapon wheel. Use L1 and R1 to cycle through your available ammo with the crossbow in hand.
One thing to keep in mind is how Dying Light 2’s strong aim assist affects your ranged weapons. Your turn speed will slow dramatically when near enemies, whether you’re holding the PK crossbow or any regular bow. The aim assist is excellent when you’re trying to shoot them, but if you’re trying to navigate through, it can hurt you more than help you. For that reason, don’t run around with a ranged weapon equipped. Instead, switch to it whenever you want to shoot. This strategy also helps conserve ammo, as you won’t be inclined to shoot every zombie you see. Just dropkick them instead.
The Paper Clip bow
Keeping a decent ranged weapon on Aiden’s person at all times is a viable strategy. Even though the Paper Clip Bow is a rare-tier, it still deals enough damage to make it one of the best weapons in Dying Light 2. It’s helpful for taking out Howlers when exploring at night and can put the finishing touches on boss enemies if Aiden’s low on health. If you went the Survivor route when assigning territories, the Paper Clip Bow is a decent substitute for the PK crossbow.
You’ll find the Paper Clip Bow during the main storyline while exploring Lawan’s apartment. Specifically, you’ll find it during a mission called “The Shoe.” Arrows are pretty easy to craft, requiring only scraps and feathers. While you won’t be running around Villedor like Hawkeye, the Paper Clip Bow plays a significant role in any zombie killer’s arsenal.
Environment weapons
With all the weapons Aiden can carry and equip, his environment is one of the best weapons in Dying Light 2. Spears, spike traps, exploding gas cans, car bombs, and gravity are perfect for killing everything in the game. Keep an eye out for any of these environmental hazards, as they’re a great way to deal with a group of enemies without breaking one of your favorite weapons.
Spears
You’ll find spears stuck in dead bodies all over Villedor. In most cases, green biomarkers mark their locations. Aiden can grab any spear he comes by but isn’t forced to throw it right away. In fact, you can keep the spear equipped like a primary weapon as you parkour all over the city. However, if you switch to another weapon or loot an item, you’ll drop the spear. Dying Light 2 features a pretty friendly aim-assist/lock-on mechanic, so don’t worry about making the perfect throw. We recommend using the spear to take out regular enemies so you can focus more on larger ones.
You’ll also find spears all over the battlefield when fighting GRE Anomalies. Since you’re fighting at night, keep an eye out for the bright green biomarkers highlighting their locations. The spears don’t respawn, so we recommend tossing them at the mini-boss instead of smaller enemies. Again, it’s a great way to conserve weapon durability.
Finally, spear-wielding Renegades will drop their weapons when killed. You can pick those spears up to chuck at other enemies. However, you can’t pick them up again.
Spike Traps
Like the first game, Dying Light 2 is riddled with spike traps. While they don’t damage Aiden, they’ll insta-kill any enemy that so much as grazes it. However, Aiden must play some role in them touching the spike trap. They can’t just roam willingly into it. That’s why combat skills like grapple and dropkick are so valuable, as Aiden can keep throwing zombies and human enemies alike into spike traps for easy kills. You can also utilize the kick by blocking and pressing the Right Trigger.
When we say insta-kill, we mean insta-kill. Even Renegade lieutenants and leaders die instantly if you knock them into a spike trap. Why break two or three weapons and burn through health packs if you can easily dropkick them into a barrel full of sharp spikes?
Exploding propane tanks
Villedor must have been big on grilling pre-fall. The city is stocked with full propane tanks. You’ll find these red cans all over the place, specifically in the back of delivery trucks near zombie-infested military convoys. You can shoot the can with a ranged weapon to blow it up. Alternatively, you can pick up a tank and hold the Square button to ignite it yourself. Either way, it explodes after a few seconds, giving Aiden plenty of time to run away.
The “hiss,” if you will, acts as an audio cue. If you can learn when the tanks explode, you can throw them like cooked grenades. This comes in handy when throwing exploding tanks at human enemies. They’re smart enough to run away once you throw the can.
Returning to Villedor are the fan-favorite “gas tank zombies” from the original Dying Light. Since there are no guns, it’s hard to shoot the tanks on their backs from a distance. Throwing knives and arrows still work, though. Aiden can run up behind them and begin the countdown with his melee weapon if all else fails.
Be careful when playing with these cans, though. The explosion attracts Viral zombies (the fast ones who don’t like the sun). However, they’re a good source of uncommon Infected Trophies if you’re looking to farm upgrades.
Car traps
At PK level one, you’ll unlock car traps. These traps set off the car alarm and attract nearby zombies to the sound. Then, they explode, killing everything nearby. If you’re in the middle of a nighttime chase, car traps are a great way to get zombies off your back as you make your way to a UV zone. Otherwise, they’re a fun way to rack up kills.
You’ll only find car traps inside PK territories, and they’re few and far between. The game, however, prompts you to activate one when you’re nearby.
Gravity
Gravity is Aiden’s best friend in Dying Light 2. Whenever you find enemies on a rooftop, your first inclination should be to kick them off. While you can’t loot their bodies (unless you climb down and find them), gravity is one of the best ways to conserve weapon durability in Dying Light 2.
Aiden’s feet
Of all the axes, crossbows, spears, spike traps, and exploding cars, Aiden’s feet are the best weapons in Dying Light 2. Specifically, the Air Kick, Dropkick, and Head Stomp combat skills are what make Aiden a lethal killing machine, even if all his weapons are broken (if only he could find a pair of cleats laying around).
In tandem with environmental weapons, Aiden can dropkick enemies into spike walls and barrels, killing them without ever touching his weapons. He can knock enemies off bridges and rooftops and stun Howlers before they scream. However, don’t dropkick into a swarm of enemies, as Aiden still takes damage while on the ground.
