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During your time in Dead Island 2’s Hell-A, you are going to be killing thousands of zombies. And like any good craftsman you are going to need the best tools for the job. So, we have assembled a list of the very best implements of destruction you’ll encounter in your encounters.
We are trying to judge these based on overall utility, potency, ease of use, and feel. Of course, you may find that other weapons are more your style, but we encourage you to give these implements of terror a try. Some of them are essential for an all-around arsenal.
The titles for each class of weapon isn't comprehensive. They are just common examples of each weapon type.
Updated May 9, 2023: We've updated this list to include a link to our own video that goes over the best weapons to use in Dead Island 2. Check out which instruments of zombie-destruction are the best to use as you make your way through Hell-A and its undead denizens!
9 One-Handed Sword: Katana And Sabers
The sword is likely to be one of your favorite early-game weapons. Especially since they are one of the first real weapons that you acquire. They are relatively fast, they do reasonably good damage, and they have decent range. They are your prototypical jack-of-all-trades weapon. They would rank higher for us, but while they have a bit more range and speed over hammers, their lack of force makes them worse for dealing with other, more resilient, enemies that the hammer is able to make quick work of.
Still, they do feel great, and they are cool enough to probably earn a space in most Slayer’s arsenal of weapons. With the right mods, a motivated Slayer could definitely make swords work as their primary weapon. And they are oh-so-satisfying to flay zombies with, so that has to be worth something.
8 Two-Handed Weapons: Large Clubs, Sledge Hammers, Giant Wrenches, And Claymores
These heavy, two-handed weapons are slow, sluggish, and generally feel a touch unwieldy. It certainly takes some adjusting to get the most out of these giant implements of destruction. However, in exchange for their awkwardness, you are given something that packs one hell of a punch.
There are some enemy types that these weapons quite simply handle better than any other weapon. A good two-handed weapon will absolutely obliterate the Slobbers, which are one of the most annoying zombies to fight in the game. They can also be extremely effective at taking care of crowds, as they have wide, sweeping attacks. Just gets used to swinging early. This is a weapon that every Slayer should have in their arsenal.
It is an extremely bad idea to equip a mod onto one of these weapons that make them slower. It isn't worth the extra impact, people.
7 Shotguns
Shotguns are powerful weapons and are great for clearing out zombies. Jumping full rounds into even the beefiest zombies will leave more than a dent. They are also great for dismemberment. While all guns are pretty good for removing limbs, the shotgun doesn't require as much accuracy.
Unfortunately, you need to get a little closer to get the maximum effect. And at that point, you could typically get a similar effect with a fully charged Critical Attack with most of your hefty melee weapons. And they don’t need to reload. This isn’t to say that the Shotgun is a bad weapon! But it does have certain limitations.
6 One-Handed Blunt Weapons: Mallets, Hammers, Bats, and Maces
These babies are one of the best middle-of-the-road options in the game. Despite their small form-factor, they make a big impact. These weapons share a lot of similarities with the one-handed sword. However, they tend to trade a small amount of range for damage and impact. Honestly, we feel like the trade-off is more than worth it.
They can't fully replace a double-handed club for encounters where you want the most impact possible, but for the majority of encounters, they are plenty impactful. For the mass-majority of the game, the single-handed bludgeon was on of our go-to weapons. It is hard to argue with its balance of power and speed.
5 Knives: Daggers And Knives
Sure, large, forceful weapons are going to always have an important place in your arsenal, but the dagger-class of weapon can be extremely formidable. They have very little in the way of force, but they are extremely fast, which means they can dish out immense damage in a short span of time. Once the Crushers arrive, you are going to need to have at least one of these on you at all times.
It should be noted that the Switness mod, which makes weapons quicker at the cost of force, is a perfect fit for these weapons, as they have little in the way of force in the first place. We feel like their range and lack of impact makes them a little worse when dealing with large groups (though they will do in a pinch), but for one on one they are fantastic at piling on damage. Their quickness also makes them great for inflicting status effects. You need at least one in your aresenal.
At first blush, you will probably think that the Tactical Knife would belong to this same group. However, once you equip it, and get stabbing, you will see that it is very different. Unlike the wide, quick swipes you get with the other knives, the Tactical Knife has an attack pattern that sees it thrust forward. This really hurts its utility, as it makes it much easier to miss with, and on top of that, it makes it much worse to use against groups of zombies.
4 Nail Guns, Pistols, Machine Guns, And Assault Rifles
That’s right, we are putting all the other guns in one category. You will unlock these weapons partway through the game, after completing the Justifiable Zombicide quest. And yes, these weapons are quite potent. Especially for dealing with the Screamer and Bloater type of zombie. However, their reliance on ammunition means you are going to be swapping them out all the time.
Of all the guns, the single-shot rifles are the best, as they bring that power. Fundamentally, they are like most other guns, but they are substantially more powerful. Most of the tough zombies just melt away when shot by one of these. Sure, they are much slower, but when you eradicate everything in a shot or two, speed just isn't that important.
3 Spears: Spears, Pikes, and Pole Saws
Of all the weapons in the game, a spear-type weapon is quite simply a necessity. There are absolutely certain zombie types that are easier to handle with a different weapon, but spears are able to handle more of the obnoxious zombie types than most weapons.
If a zombie is on fire, they can attack them from far enough away to not sustain any damage. And runners? Well, the spear can poke at them quickly as they charge in, stopping their offense before it even has a chance to get going. The Critical Attack to the head also loops into itself, as it leaves zombies stunned. You won’t use this for Crushers or Slobbers, but it is a great tool for dealing with most other types of zombies.
2 Brass Knuckles, Katars, Bladed Knuckles
Whoo boy, there isn’t anything quite as fun as blitzing into a crowd and flinging fists. These weapons are blindingly fast. Once you get a swiftness mod on these bad boys you can become a whirlwind of fists. The pure damage potential of these pugilistic implements of death is just absurd.
Obviously, they require you to get up close and personal, and that has some drawbacks, but the rate at which you can melt a health bar with the fist-based weapons is just too good to not sing their praises here. Throw a mod on that gives them the bleed effect and watch a Crusher turn into a pile of hamburger in seconds.
1 Bo Staff
The Bo Staff is typically a martial artist's implement, but in your hands, it will more of a brutal bludgeon for crushing skulls.You will probably note that we have been listing types of weapons, not individual weapons. Well, the Bo Staff is, as far as we have seen, its own thing. It does have the same Critical Attack as a spear, but its light attack is completely different from the spear-type weapons, and we feel like that makes feel like a fundamentally different weapon.
This is another all-rounder for the list. It doesn’t have quite the impact of those blunt single-handed weapons. However, it makes up for that by having a surprisingly fast light attack, while having a shockingly rangy Critical Attack. Ultimately, the Bo Staff is an incredible weapon that is both fantastic for taking care of crowds up-close and personal, while also being great for dealing with enemies you would probably prefer to not get too close to. This makes it a tremendously versatile weapon. In fact, we think it is probably the most versatile weapon in the game.