Greetings survivor! I‘ve slaughtered my way through the zombie hordes to the max level cap multiple times over in Dead Island 2. Call me a connoisseur on painting the streets red with shambler blood. I‘m here to condense all my insight on efficiently ascending to godhood down to a science.
We have a long leveling adventure ahead – let‘s get to it!
Sizing Up the Level 30 Summit
Bludgeoning your way up 30 levels is no mere stroll down the beach. As reference, only 10% of players on Playstation have earned the prestigious Max Headroom trophy for hitting the cap based on trophy data. Developer interviews revealed the campaign itself brings you to around level 26 organically. You‘ll need to go the extra mile with all the side content to touch the peak.
But climaxing your zombie-hunting journey at 30 offers quite the view…
Become an Unstoppable Shambler Slayer
The complete skill tree unleashes positively psychotic abilities when fully unlocked. I‘m fond of mixing Thrill of the Kill for health leeching blows with Hack N‘ Slash to spam my katana combos endlessly.
You‘ll cut through crowds like a chef diced tomatoes!
Wield Best-in-Slot Legendary Firepower
Much of Dead Island 2‘s most devastating arsenal is locked behind steep level requirements. I‘m talking orange-rarity boomsticks like Linda‘s Legacy assault rifle with health draining rounds or the Exterminator blade packing a rupturing AoE whirlwind special attack.
These melt elite enemies in seconds.
Conquer True Endgame Challenges
Thought the campaign was tough? The Avenue of Stars and Oil Fields ratchet enemy levels to 33+. You‘ll need min-maxed builds and top-tier gear to conquer their terrifying Apex Variant zombies and bosses.
But hey, no better place to flex your moxy as a max level god!
Let‘s get into exactly how to grind up there efficiently.
Optimizing Your Leveling Track
I want to shrink 100+ hours of playtime down to just the essentials…
Always Be Killing
Every single zombie you brutally smash nets worthwhile XP increments early on. Never pass up a chance to take out that aggression! Prioritize swarming battlegrounds over looting.
Mix Main and Side Quests
Stick to the critical main story path, but divert whenever lucrative side excursions like the Lost and Found missions enter orbit. This balancing act keeps the progress smooth while avoiding wasted back-tracking.
Master Workbench Fast Travel
By hopping between workbenches rather than manually hoofing it, you preserve more uptime slashing foes rather than touring the eerily vacant city streets. Take advantage!
Unlock XP Boosters ASAP
Once the leveling starts to slow past the 20 hump, buy up every +25% XP booster you can get your hands on from faction vendors. Considering even common zombies take nearly 100 strikes at that point, you desperately need any accelerator possible.
Now let‘s get into key milestones for keeping pace…
Leveling Roadmap to 30
| Level | Recommended Upgrades | Zombie Zone Progression |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | Melee Weapon to Green-tier | Beverly Hills |
| 11-15 | Blue Firearms Unlocked | Northeast LA |
| 16-20 | Full Blue Loadout Equipped | Santa Monica |
| 21-25 | Transition to Epic-tier Weapons, Max Core Stats | Central LA |
| 26-30 | Legendary Weapons, Post-Campaign Content | The Oil Fields, The Avenue of the Stars |
My suggestion is to tick off each recommendation as you approach those level ranges. That‘ll guarantee you enter each new neighborhood fully locked and loaded!
Ultimately by level 30, you‘ll boast a sexy ~9300 health bar to guzzle beer from, over 250 max stamina for infinite sprinting between hordes, and enough firepower in your arsenal for us survivors to retake LA proper.
Time to crush that victory lap!
Post Level 30 – The True Killing Fields
As the hero Los Angeles needs (but doesn‘t deserve?), your skills are required past the level cap where the real apocalyptic threat awaits…
Both the Oil Fields and Avenue of the Stars contain Apex elite zombies tuned for teams of level 33+ cooperators. I highly suggest matchmaking for backup here unless you enjoy having your face bashed inside out regularly. My point – even with the best solo builds, bringing friends is key.
In terms of rewards, these uber-strongholds offer unique Legendary weapon drops not found anywhere else. Ever fired a multi-elemental SMG with lifestealing rounds before? I have – it felt exquisite watching entire crowds of walkers rot before my eyes.
So come take a swing at the true final challenges awaiting in Dead Island 2‘s awe-inspiring endgame alongside me! At least with my expertise, I can assure we‘ll crush those odds and look damn sexy doing it.
Let me know what questions you still have on the ascent to level 30 glory! I‘m happy to elaborate on any aspect of mastering this bloody, thrilling grind.
Stay deadly out there,
James
