The initial thought in every Dying Light 2 player's mind after looking at the combat tree will be "Wow, I can't wait to unlock these and really escalate Aiden's combat prowess!" Unfortunately, most of these skills are negligible and some are downright liabilities. Many look cool but cause Aiden to do less damage than a swing of whatever melee weapon is in use.
The frustration with this is exponentially worse considering that these skill points are to be treasured. Gamers can play for an entire day and not get more than a single combat point. Knowing the best skills to select in Dying Light 2 isn't just good for fighting, it's a critical difference between loving the game and tossing it in the trash.
10 Smash
Getting the drop on opponents has surprisingly little advantage in Dying Light 2. Unless players outrank their enemies, takedowns actually end up doing more damage to Aiden than the target. Instant death abilities aren't ready for a while.
The wait is worth it, though, as Smash enables Aiden to instantly eliminate any opponents beneath him. The game needs some fixes, including stronger skills, but thankfully Smash is rewarding for those who like to pounce from the rooftops.
9 Perfect Dodge
Too many games feature a system that comes down to parrying and responding. That's how it starts in Dying Light 2, which makes the move even more difficult because healing is hard to come by and weapons will take damage.
Mercifully, an early skill also staggers enemies by simply dodging out of their way. Unlike a traditional parry, it won't hurt Aiden's weapons and, if gamers don't get the timing right, they'll still be out of harm's way for the strike.
8 Head Stomp
Players have mixed feelings about every facet of Dying Light 2 but the combat, in particular, has the community divided. It's astonishing that Aiden needs four or five swings with a machete to kill a completely downed and defenseless opponent when even out-of-shape individuals wouldn't require that many strikes.
Head Stomp fixes this problem by giving Aiden a one-hit finishing blow in this scenario. It saves weapon durability and finishes off enemies quicker so the hordes don't overwhelm the protagonist.
7 Block Projectiles
For the first part of the game, enemies will make some snide remark before throwing a dagger or shooting a bow. Aiden has to dodge these shots or hope that the thrower/shooter misses. Neither of these options is likely to be successful.
Block Projectiles allows Aiden to stare at a ranged enemy with his block up and deflect any incoming ammunition. It's a life-saver on health bars going forward, especially after these enemies get off a bunch of freebie attacks for most of the game.
6 Block Charge
It's interesting how the block ability transforms. Since it's not a bright idea to use it to parry after getting Perfect Dodge, the skill goes by the wayside until using it with Block Projectiles. Then it totally regains its relevancy after getting the Block Charge skill.
The skill mentions that it requires a running start, but even one step forward appears to count. It's a great safe way to go on offense and interrupt unblockable power attacks. Show it off to Aiden's friends at the Bazaar, they'll be impressed.
5 Stab
Smash helps out with enemies beneath Aiden, but what about all of those times Aiden sneaks up on someone? Is he forever doomed to be forced out of silence? Stab does for Aiden what he should have been able to do all along; instantly kill an opponent from behind.
The skill does require a knife, which is one of the easiest items to craft in the game, so unlimited Stab takedowns should be very achievable before the mid-game. Use it to rescue a hostage or in a room full of zombies to stay undetected.
4 Precise Aiming
The marks the beginning of several ranged skills, but Precise Aiming is needed for any of these skills to work properly. Frankly, Aiden is a novice at throwing and shooting weapons and his inaccuracy can cost him dearly.
With the Precise Aiming skill, Aiden immediately becomes a marksman sniper, capable of taking enemies out without being remotely in the area of detection. Even when running short on projectiles, eliminating a few enemies beforehand never hurts.
3 Power Shot
Unlike Power Attack, which can be exploited by opponents, Power Shot is a straight-up upgrade on every ranged shot. It adds damage to the shot and allows it to pierce targets. Piercing situations don't come up often, but against groups of zombies, it can make a single shot rack up three or more deaths.
The biggie here is the extra damage. Often, players get off a clean hit only to make the enemies angry. That's not worth the cost of the ammunition. With the extra damage, players can score kills without aggravating their targets.
2 Serial Shot
One big issue with taking a snipe from across the map is that it might kill one target, but both of that target's friends will be alerted to the danger. Serial Shot fixes this problem by allowing Aiden to fire off three shots at three targets at the same time.
In clusters of Peacekeepers with a hostage, Aiden can win the fight before it ever starts. Against zombies that love to wiggle and group up, this makes ranged combat possible.
1 Windmill
Many of the skills on this list are proactive. Players perform their best when they, and not the enemy, determine the nature of the battlefield. However, it's equally important to be realistic; not every fight is going to be pre-planned, expected, and executed to perfection.
When Aiden gets surrounded, there is really only one skill to get him out of it cleanly and that's the Windmill. It's a power attack that will hit everything in a circle around Aiden. It's unwise to seek situations in which to use Windmill, but when such an occasion comes up, it's better to have Windmill than to give up on living.
Dying Light 2 was released on February 4th, 2022, and is available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.