Dead Island 2 weapons: Best guns, melee, legendary and early options
From electrified swords to firework-shooting flare guns.
You’ll be slaying hundreds (if not thousands) of zombies in Dead Island 2, and the development team has sprinkled a load of different weapon types into the game to make your time spent in HELL-A more enjoyable.
There are eight weapon types in total to find and equip, split across melee and ranged weapons. Each type comes with its own perk, including the ability to stun zombies and to cut off limbs.
Remember to complete side quests and unlock fuse boxes to find the best weapons in the game. You may even earn some trophies/achievements for your troubles.
With so many to choose from, it will be difficult to know which are the best weapons in the game. While it’ll ultimately come down to personal preference, there are a number of weapons we think will definitely be worth the effort of tracking down.
Read on to find out the full list of Dead Island 2 weapon types and to see our picks for the best early weapons, best guns, and best melee weapons in the game.
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Full list of Dead Island 2 weapon types
There are several weapon types in Dead Island 2 that you’ll need to be aware of. You’ll find different types of melee weapons and guns that specialise in attacking zombies in particular ways. In total, there are four types of melee weapons and four types of guns in the game.
You can find and equip many different weapons of each type. Here is the full list of Dead Island 2 weapon types and what each style is used for:
Melee weapon types in Dead Island 2
- Bulldozer Weapons | Stun zombies (can be thrown)
- Frenzy Weapons | Attack quickly and build up attacks for critical hits
- Headhunter Weapons | Target heads for critical hits
- Maiming Weapons | Cut limbs off of zombies
Gun types in Dead Island 2
- Demolition Weapons | Guaranteed critical hits on vulnerable zombies and provide a toughness boost when reloading
- Rapid Fire Weapons | Shoot quickly and build up shots for critical hits
- Sharpshooter Weapons | Using aim mode will increase damage and shoot the head and/or limbs of zombies for critical hits
- Tactical Weapons | Dodge or block attacks to activate critical hits, boost agility and reload speed
Best early weapons in Dead Island 2
The best early weapons in Dead Island 2 will give you an advantage over the zombie hordes with improved stats and decent mods installed.
One of the best early weapons in Dead Island 2 is the Electrocutor Officer’s Sword. This Rare Frenzy weapon has great damage stats and solid durability as well as electric powers that stun enemies and can be great fun in water.
To unlock the Electrocutor Officer’s Sword, you need to complete the Lost & Found quest The Clean and Snatch (in the pool of Roxanne’s house in Beverly Hills). Check out FP Good Game’s YouTube video below to find it:
Other good early-game weapons in Dead Island 2 are the Sporting Rifle (complete Avenge Ronnie quest) and the Slaughtering Claws (which you’ll find near the Halperin Hotel in a shipping container).
Best guns in Dead Island 2
One of the best guns in Dead Island 2 is Peggy. This Superior Sharpshooter can be found during the Creature Comforts side quest. Again, check out FP Good Game’s YouTube video below to find it:
The Big Shot is another excellent gun choice in Dead Island 2. This Legendary firework-shooting Demolition flare gun can be unlocked by completing the It’s Not Your Fault side quest. FP Good Game has another great YouTube video on how to unlock it:
Best melee weapons in Dead Island 2
Along with the Electrocutor Officer’s Sword, there are a couple more melee weapons in Dead Island 2 that’ll be worth unlocking. Emma’s Wrath is one such melee weapon. This powerful Legendary Bulldozer Sledgehammer is unlocked by completing the game’s final story mission Hollywood Ending.
Another one of the best melee weapons in Dead Island 2 is the Wildstyle Axe. You unlock this Superior Maiming Axe with a fire damage mod by completing the Art of War side quest. Check out this handy video guide by YouTuber Backseat Guides to find out how to unlock the quality weapon:
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Authors
Toby Saunders is a freelance writer specialising in Video Game journalism. He has a wealth of experience in the field and is published on many different websites including PCGamesN, Nintendo Life and Pocket Tactics. He has a degree in Film Studies (he gets to write about Film and TV occasionally, too).