Overview
The guide is overall a take on educating new players on the functions and items in the game, as well as advice for success.
Introduction
Hi everybody! This is my attempt at creating a helpful overview for new players to this game. It will highlight gameplays basics and provide tips and helpful information for understanding the Dying Light campaign. I personally have completed the game on Game+ and wanted to help new players while this game is still in its beginning phases. It will include:
Gameplay Information
Infected
Weapons
Throwables
Crafting Materials
Skills
Night Time
Gameplay Tips
NOTE: I USE MY OWN NAMING FOR CERTAIN THINGS, AND MAY NOT PERTAIN DIRECTLY TO WHAT DYING LIGHT CALLS IT.
Pictures will be added at a later date.
Gameplay Basics
Gameplay Information
Welcome to Harran! You have been carefully selected by the GRE for a suicide mission into the infection hotzone. Lucky you!
While exploring in this game, you’re going to encounter many different types of items. The item rarity system in Dying light goes as such:
Most items you will find are crafting materials, cash, weapon modifications, valuables, or air drop contents that can be sold to the vendor or given to the quartermaster (Air drops). All items, except for weapons and throwables, can have infinite numbers in your inventory.
In any case you find anything that is locked, the chart below will tell you what items you will typically find. Remember that items of a lower grade can also be in the locked item and as far as I know the contents are randomly generated upon opening.
Next thing that we will talk about is the parkour system. Yes, you can pretty much grapple anything. It allows for free roam, and many things for you to explore. Always remember that if you miss a ledge, attempt to grapple on something lower to reduce fall damage.
Weapons and Throwables
Weapons
There are many weapons in this game, and they breakdown into two categories: Melee and Guns.
Up until blue weapons, each weapon can be reapired twice and allows for 1 weapon modification. These numbers increase by 1 per rarity starting with blue. (For instance, an orange weapon will have 5 repairs and 3 modification slots)
Melee Weapons
There are different types of weapons in this game for melee combat:
Bludgeon
Swords
Knifes
Axes
Two Handed
Bludgeon weapons aren’t the best but easy to find at lower levels. They aren’t the best for damage either.
Swords are what you want to have. Aim for the head, and you will decapitate. It is known.
Knifes are good at low levels. They attack very quickly and stagger opponents.
Axes (This includes climbing picks) Will also decapitate if aimed properly. They can be kept as back-up.
Guns
Guns are straight-forward. There are only three types (Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun) and all have set damage regardless of rarity. I do not know why they have a rarity system. I believe in the future there may be DLC to add modifications, which rarity dictates how many modifications. They do not require repairs, only ammo. If you have played any FPS game, these operate normally, with the exception of the orange pistol called Rais Gun, which is a pistol that fires in three round bursts.
Throwables
Throwables are handy for dealing with long range threats. Most are crafted with the exception of some that are picked up from Rais’s men. They are easy to use, but at long range do have drop. You will have to account for that.
Crafting Materials
Crafting Materials
These are anything used to craft items in the crafting menu. They also are used to repair weapons. Loot everything that you can to stock up. They also follow the rarity system with some items.
Infected
Infected
The infected. The enemy. The threat. There are many types of infected. I will list them below (NOTE: YOU WILL NOT ENCOUNTER ALL OF THEM UNTIL YOU PROGRESS WITH THE STORY QUESTS)
Zombies, Walkers, Biters. Etc.- These are your common infected. Easy to kill, easy to avoid. Large groups can be dispatched with a molotov or your fists, your choice. If you see a zombie that has a green cloud around him, beheading them is the best option. If you sever limbs or torso, they will explode and attract runners. Zombies in HAZMAT suits normally have air tanks on their back. They also can explode if hit and will attract runners.
Runners – These are fast zombies. Much like 28 days later. They are attracted by noise (explosions, gunshots) and will chase you until killed or evaded. They attack fast, and can be grappled easy if you have that skill. They show up on the minimap.
Boomers – Not your Left 4 Dead style ones. They walk at a moderate space and look green, except you can see all their insides outside their bodies. These will kill you up close, and you will take splash damage if you are in a 3 meter radius. Its best to use a throwable on these from distance (or shoot them) or run near them and run away quick so they explode. You can also outrun them easily. By the way, they explode, runners come running.
Spitters- They are green and annoying. They spit globs of bile that have a small explosion radius. The HUD will show when its incoming, and they show up on the minimap. You can bum rush these, but when you get close they rapid fire on you. Otherwise, molotovs work well, along with guns and throwables.
Goons- They are big. They have a big rebar mace. They hurt. You have to dodge their slow attacks to get hits in on them. They take a lot of damage, but they go down eventually. They also drop their rebar mace, which has a lot of damage and is great for a throwing weapon. NOTE: They will not catch on fire.
Demolisher – Dead Island fans will remember this guy. He throws rocks. He charges. He has more health than your whole party combined. The best way to kill these guys is to shoot them in the head. If you have to melee them (which you will at one point in the game) you have to dodge their charge and hit their back until the body armor falls off. When it does they are vulnerable to more damage. They will not light on fire. It’s best to avoid these guys unless you’re feeling ballsy. You have been warned.
Volatiles- Your favorite nightime treat. Just avoid them at night, and evade if they see you. Theres not much else to say, other than the fact the UV light will stun them. Killing them takes a lot.
Bolters- A nighttime treat. They do not attack you. Instead they run away very fast. Using a freezing throwing star against them is the best way to stop them. You will be rewarded with bolter flesh which sells for a lot and is used in crafting high level toxic weapon modifications.
Screamer – These are very few. You will hear a child crying, and then a little black thing runs up and disorients you and every enemy in an area. They also attract runners. Its best to either take them at range or power through the screm and use a finishing move (if you have the skill, i’m not 100% if you can without it. I had it by the time I encountered one)
Skills
There are three different Skill trees: Agility, Power, and Survivor.
Each skill tree gains experience independantly by what you do in the game. I enjoy this a lot.
Agility- Parkour and challenges.
Power – Killing stuff. Seriously, thats all you need to do for this. You gain experience whether you beat them or molotov them. The choice is yours.
Survivor – This is obtained by completing quests, saving survivors, and returning airdrops to the quartermaster.
Night Time
Night gameplay is tough. Hands down. Every volatile and runner is out to get you. Fortunately the UV light is your best friend, as well as traps. If you startle one enemy, a horde will fall down on you.
Fortunately, despite the extra enemies, extra experience is granted. Just by evading pursuits and surviving, you will gain extra experience for the things you do. So if you are caught out at night, use your UV flashlight and the UV flares. Firecrackers and traps are also great for distracting would be killers.
Gameplay Tips
Here’s the part where I give you advice for starting out on a new character.
If you want to have an easy advantage that will help you until you are around survivor level 12-14, there is a hidden easter egg a new player can seek out. It is called Korek’s Machete. I’m not going any furthur to reveal locations, but it is a legendary craftable machete that has a ton of damage.
If you see a police van, stay to lockpick it. They are very hard and have good weapons to help you out. Ambulances also carry medkits, if you see them.
Remember to break down all the weapons in your inventory rather than sell them (unless they are worth a lot) Metal parts arent hard to come by, but they can be used up quick with repairs and the crafting of lockpicks.
Alcohol is used for medkits and molotovs, so decide which is more important to you at the time.
Many rooftops and buildings have medium chests on or in them. They can be a good source of steady weapons for you.
Do not depend on one weapon. It will break quickly.
Do not be afraid to spam your survivor sense (Q). It will help you by identifying lootable objects in other rooms as well.
Avoid night time the best you can. You’ll stay alive a lot better that way.
Rais’s men are scattered across Harran. If you encounter them, they do quite a bit of damage. They can block and dodge. The one thing they cant block is a power attack (Power Skill Tree)
Boomers tend to lurk in doorways and tight spaces. Take caution once you have already discovered the first one (part of main story quest)
If you’re all about efficiency, don’t worry about looting every building you see. On your way to a quest objective, theres plenty of buildings you can pop in real quick and grab a few things and keep going.
Ammo is scarce, but vendors do stock it and refresh every day/night cycle.
Avoidance is your best weapon 95% of the time.
If you see an airdrop or survivor that needs help, detour to help them. Its a good way to get easy survivor experience. In Co-op games, heal your teammates, as that also grants survivor experience.
Conclusion
Hopefully this guide has given you some good information for you new players. If you have any questions, feel free to ask or add me over steam. Im regularly playing this game and dont mind helping people.