To survive the zombie apocalypse, you’re going to need a metric ton of loot. However, not all pieces of gear are created equal, and while you’re liable to find the same weapon type quite often, there are unique options. Many weapons with their own name are the best in the whole game, and we know where to find them. Here is our full breakdown of the best weapons in Dead Island 2.
Best Dead Island 2 Weapons
Emma’s Wrath
This sledgehammer is likely the best weapon in the whole game. With the built-in superior impact mod and the shockwave feature on knockdowns, it is just about unbeatable. It is worth every single dollar to keep paying to match the level up to yours so it never becomes less effective against the undead. The pure force of this weapon is perfect even for taking down the strongest Inferno Crusher and even works well against Butchers. This weapon is especially good if you are playing as Ryan.
Emma’s Wrath is earned automatically by finishing the final story mission. The weapon’s status as a full completion reward makes sense considering how strong it is. You’ll want to use this almost exclusively when it comes to endgame quest cleanup.
Brutalizer
While Emma’s Wrath is great for that blunt force damage and flinging zombies around, the Brutalizer is for hacking them apart. This weapon has some top-tier built-in perks, especially considering the Bloodlust perk makes it much easier to maim zombies. When combined with The Limb Reaper skill card that regenerates health whenever you maim a zombie, this weapon provides a guaranteed way to keep your health up.
You earn the Brutalizer by completing all six of the Body Art side quests in Beverly Hills. This quest becomes available once you have earned the ability to collect zombie parts during The Giant-Slayer main quest. You’ll need a decent stock of Infected Flesh, Oversized Arm Bones, Chthonic Ichor, Infected Spines, Blade Arms, and Mutated Hearts. Everything except for Infected Flesh will need to be earned from special infected.
The One
Whereas the Brutalizer wants you to aim for limbs, The One is all about going for the head. Typically it’s the headhunter weaponry that asks for this playstyle that appropriately named perk makes it a necessity with this weapon. Anything you can do in the game to cause explosions/shockwaves is completely worth it because it buys you breathing room. That same explosion will also heal you in this case, so it pulls double duty.
The One is earned through the questline involving Sebastian and Sarah Sheppard. You will need to complete the It Came from Monarch Studios, The Terror of Sound Stage 7, and Beacon of Hope quests to earn it. The Beacon of Hope quest isn’t available until after you have beaten the game, and you will find Sebastian at the Hollywood Boulevard safe room.
Big Shot
While the Big Shot might look like a normal revolver, it’s actually a shotgun. Though, that’s not quite an accurate description either. Rather than shooting like a shotgun, it actually fires explosives that behave kind of like fireworks. These are great when aiming for enemy legs or other weak points. Even shooting the ground near a big cluster is great for crowd control. As it comes with the built-in perk Russian Roulette, which makes it stronger as the cylinder empties and only has three rounds, it gets stronger very quickly.
The Big Shot is earned through the side quest It’s Not Your Fault, which will have you journey back to the sewers into that massive section with Autophage covering all the walls. You will pick this quest up from Luciana at Emma’s Mansion either near or after the last story quest. This is a tricky quest due to all the Bursters spawning throughout the area, but it is worth it for this legendary reward.
Shark Tooth
One of the first weapons you upgrade in the campaign is a shock-based machete, and this is a powered-up version of that combination. However, the Static Charge built-in perk means that not only will your intended target be affected by electricity damage, but it can just as easily spread if you are getting outnumbered. Pair this weapon with the Slaughter perk to increase limb damage and its durability for more sustained combat usage.
The Shark Tooth is available as a reward for the questline involving the VCLA Bobcats. Once you have completed The Rav-Ages of Caustic-X, Boz Makes a Bang, and Dez and The Mother of Satan quests you will get a text regarding a special military box at the Lotusville Mall. Travel to the Serling Hotel safe area and walk out into the mall area. You’ll find the box on the left side of the top floor by the big window. It will be amongst a bunch of other military stuff and impossible to miss.
Extinction Event
The truth of Dead Island 2 is that there are very few zombies (special types included) that can withstand caustic damage. So not only does this revolver hit like a truck, you get the added benefit of caustic build-up. It even goes a step further with that Acid Rain perk and double down on the caustic damage.
Extinction Event is found in Beverly Hills after the Boardwalking Dead story quest introduces Butchers into the mix. While exploring the area, there is a chance you’ll run into a Butcher named Target Practice. Once defeated, this zombie will drop the key to Nikki’s Bounty Reward safe. Said safe is in the house of Nikki Gutte, where you got your first gun during the Justifiable Zombicide story quest.
Zom-B-Gon
Zom-B-Gon is great for a similar reason to Shark Tooth in that it’s also a status effect causing that can spread the status effect to nearby zombies. For this weapon, it can spread bleed, which is a very useful damage over time status effect that no zombie in the game has a resistance against. So, this weapon gives you a clear advantage against special zombies as long as they are flanked by weaker ones.
The Zom-B-Gon is earned at the end of the side questline involving Amanda Styles that consists of three quests, #Clickbait, Like and Follow, and Going Viral. The third quest is only available some time after the last story quest. You can find the radio that starts Going Viral in the Lifeguard HQ safe room at The Pier.
Peggy
While there are other rifles like it out there, Peggy is still quite unique. This is likely the first superior rarity weapon you get. Peggy does not only incredibly strong normal damage, but its ability to destroy legs at a distance is just about unbeaten by any other weapon. There’s no reason to add any additional element mod, and stick to perks that up the damage.
Of the list, Peggy is undoubtedly the first weapon you come across. When you first explore Bel-Air and head towards the Goat Pen house, you will hear a man yelling from a nearby rooftop. The Dead of the Party side quest will automatically appear to your quest list. We recomend you do it right then. Later in the game in Emma’s Mansion, you will follow a quest marker to Curtis Sinclair who gives you the Creature Comforts side quest. Complete that and you will get Peggy as the reward.
Wildstyle
The Wildstyle axe is another one of those unique weapons when it comes to great elemental damage. While we have already covered bleeding and caustic, this axe is there for burning. Those two previous weapons automatically spread the element, so the Wildstyle is a little different. Maiming a zombie with this axe is incredibly easy, and evey single time it crafs a pool of burning fuel. This makes it just as easily spread as the other weapons on this list.
After running through the Metro with Emma and Sam B in the End of the Line story quest, you will be contacted by Rosa and start the Art of War side quest. This will have you running back into the Metro, and the quest ends with you opening the DBD Chest that contains the Wildstyle, you can’t miss it.
This is our complete list of the best weapons in Dead Island 2. This should set you on the right path for arming yourself for any situation or fight. For more guides to assist in zombie fighting, take a look at our links below.
