The Dying Light series has made a mark for several reasons: its heavy mode support, being important in multiple genres, and being quite terrifying. Dying Light allowed itself to be different from other first-person games, forcing players to attack with melee weapons. While Dying Light had guns, it emphasized the use of melee weapons because ammo was so scarce.
Finally, after being delayed, Dying Light 2: Stay Human has been released. It builds on that element of the first game and makes players experiment with different play styles. Dying Light 2 allows players to get good early on, and it does that by introducing perfect weapons almost immediately after the tutorial at the start. One of the best parts about the game is that players can get good weapons in several ways, including doing missions, going to the store, looting, or even unlocking things like hideouts and windmills. The following weapons are excellent, and are available early on.
5 The Chopper
While somewhat slow in the speed department (which can be fixed when players upgrade Aiden's attacks stats), the Chopper can still be useful. One of the earlier weapons players gets, it can hit multiple enemies with one swing, meaning if players are facing a bunch of zombies, it can offer breathing room to either run away or fight back. The crafting system in Dying Light 2 has been reworked to benefit the player regardless of playstyle, and since the Chopper is heavily customizable, players can easily attach mods like fire damage or poison damage to enhance the weapon's abilities.
However, early on in Dying Light 2, the Chopper will cost more stamina. For each swing, even if players haven't leveled up the attack skill tree, they can find a temporary fix with clothing. Paying attention to the stamina cost on the stats of each piece of clothing will reflect how much stamina will be used. Thus, if players have clothing that has less stamina cost overall, their attacks will be more frequent and cost less. This allows for more damage output, which the Chopper does very well.
4 Gangrene Machete
This machete is considered a slashing weapon in Dying Light 2, which means the player can slash away at limbs of both the infected and enemies, bringing them down faster. As a one-handed weapon, the player will be able to swing the Gangrene Machete more often and with less stamina. Plus if players are playing with friends and go into Dark Zones at night, two or three of them can easily clear out these areas with the Gangrene Machete. It does more when more than one player is using it.
It's good a weapon to stop enemies in their tracks as well, by taking them apart quickly. Since it's a lighter weapon, players can block efficiently, allowing them to vault over an enemy and get the next one. However, since it's a light weapon and a smaller one for that, its durability is questionable. Players should pay attention to that bar as they attack, because it'll go down much quicker. However, players can upgrade it, allowing for more use and more damage.
3 Reinforced Stick
While not as strong as the other early-game blunt weapons, the Reinforced Stick does what players need: it deals high amount of damage that costs a normal amount of stamina for a two-handed weapon. Since it's on the lighter side, players will probably be using it the most when they find it, and for good reason. It's a well-balanced bat from the start, and upgrading it makes it even better. Much like other blunt weapons, it has the feel of a light weapon but has the stats of a heavy one. This means that the durability is high, and its damage output is high without any compromise.
Additionally, players can find more of these Reinforced Sticks throughout the world. If they break it, another one is sure to be nearby. On top of that, it has mod slots, which allows players to get even more aggressive when facing zombies or other enemies.
2 Bolted Bludgeon
Those who want to play Dying Light 2 with a high-risk high-reward playstyle will find comfort in this two-handed mace. It does a lot of damage, but at the cost of a lot of stamina. The trade-off is that the Bolted Bludgeon is good for crowd control. Like most blunt weapons, it knocks down enemies for several seconds, allowing the player to use or switch to a different weapon and follow up those attacks. Being very sturdy, it can keep its durability for a long time. However, players should note each swing of this weapon takes a large chunk of stamina. Clothing and upgrades can help with that issue, but because it's a heavy weapon on its own, players should strategize with it.
One strategy is to knock down a group of enemies, then switch to a machete or a one-handed weapon. The Bolted Bludgeon can also have modifications, so if players add fire damage to electric damage, it can cause a chain reaction, allowing for players to get rid of large swathes of enemies quicker. The world of Dying Light 2 is quite massive, and this mace is that it can be found all over the place. Players don't need to do anything except explore in order to find another one.
1 Kukri
This short blade is excellent for quick attacks and beating the enemy down fast. For a weapon that's found early on, it's well-balanced and gets better once upgraded. It delivers high-quality moments in combat, which is one of the highlights of the game. Unlike a normal Kukri, which aren't that long, the one in Dying Light 2 has a decent length. Thus, while it has quick attacks, players can still keep enemies at bay easier. It slows enemies down but does more damage, so there's a high chance that move will kill enemies.
Having it early on and saving it for upgrades is always a good idea, because it can help players take down enemies more easily as they level up. On top of that, having two mod slots opens it up for more devastating damage. It can be extremely useful to take out the more dangerous zombies, since all players have to do is incapacitate them.
Dying Light 2: Stay Human is available now on the Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, and PC.