It wouldn’t be a Dead Island game without some wacky and crazy weapons to hunt down and use. And, thankfully, Dambuster have delivered as Dead Island 2 has some insane unique weaponry in both ranged and melee form. These can be easily grabbed and often don’t require too much work.
So, below, you can find a deeper dive into the top Dead Island 2 weapons to keep in your arsenal and repair. These were decided during our Dead Island 2 review, where we got to test out a number of different tools in our arsenal as we took down bosses, Apex variants of zombies, and hordes.
Dead Island 2 best weapons – ranged and melee options ranked
The best Dead Island 2 weapons are:
- 1. Bo Staff
- 2. Brass Knuckles
- 3. Emma’s Wrath
- 4. Wildstyle
- 5. Contagious Weapons
- 6. Big Shot
- 7. Revolvers
- 8. Electrified Officer’s Sword
Bo Staff
The Bo Staff is the strongest category of weapons in the entire game. These pinpoint precision weapons offer a sharp, damaging charged hit, but can also be spammed non-stop with sideswipes and spammy hits that can completely obliterate a zombie.
Alongside some flashy animations, they appear throughout the game so you can constantly add a new one to your arsenal and upgrade them with new mods and perks. You really should make them a core part of your arsenal.
Brass Knuckles
Like with the previous weapon category, next up we have the Brass Knuckles. There isn’t anything quite as satisfying as tearing the flesh off a zombie with these. If you equip them with elemental damage, you can have more fun than with any of the other weapons in the game.
They are the fastest weapons in the game but have great, wide sweeps which mean that they don’t suffer in the same ways some of the knives do.
Emma’s Wrath
Unlocked upon completing the story, Emma’s Wrath is a beefy, bulldozing sledgehammer. As one of the first legendary weapon pickups you can get, during the main story, it is incredibly unique with a significant amount of potential to launch zombies due to its force and traumatise boosts.
The weapon even comes with a mini shotgun blast courtesy of the Overkill perk when you counter or skull stomp. While it might not take too much work to get, you shouldn’t gloss over the potential Emma’s Wrath has.
Wildstyle
This Firefighter’s Axe is earned during the “The Art of War” side mission. It is one of the coolest weapons in the game, with flames, and the ability to set enemies on fire, completely closing down chokepoints and clearing hordes.
With this functionality, you also won’t need to be worry about swinging a lot and repairing it as you can just let the burning do its job.
Contagious Weapons
While not a weapon category in itself, contagious weapons that have the perk are well worth using. This perk allows elemental effects to spread from zombie to zombie, creating a wave of free damage that circulates amongst your enemies.
With durability or bullets being a precious resource, this perk on any weapon can be a great way to save some of your cash for purchasing items. It is also very easy to earn, requiring just 100 heavy attack hits.
Big Shot
Like Emma’s Wrath, the Big Shot is unlike anything else in the game. This flare gun is packed with explosive fireworks that will fire in bursts of three, clearing entire confined areas, rooms, and corridors with an almighty explosion.
Unlocked via the “It’s Not Your Fault” side quest, the Big Shot is a great tool when you are in a pinch, or if you need to clear a path as you are being swarmed. It isn’t too great for general damage against bosses and Apex zombies, but for crowd control, you can’t find much better.
Revolvers
Revolvers are also a solid choice. Especially when you get later in the game, they can be quite powerful and big damage dealers for bosses and the Apex Dead Island 2 zombie types. While weapons aren’t as effective as the legendary unique ones above, including the Big Shot, they are still worth keeping an eye out for while exploring.
You never know when you might need something with a bit more range and precision than you can find with a melee weapon.
Electrified Officer’s Sword
Finally on this list is the Electrified Officer’s Sword. Unlocked in ‘The Clean And Snatch’ quest in Beverly Hills, this weapon is a great early-game option. The swords are pretty strong overall in Dead Island 2 and in the early game your elemental damage will mostly be limited to electricity, so this offers some great combinations with the Curveballs and the amount of water lying around.
It doesn’t hold up as much later in the game, but it’s a strong mid-game option.
That covers our suggestions for the best Dead Island 2 weapons. As you can see, there is a lot for you here that can really help you out in the late game, so be sure to spend time hunting them down as you explore the map. For even more help while doing so, and with other aspects of the game, check out our Dead Island 2 walkthrough article.