Dying Light: The Beast is an open-world game where survival of the fittest is the best description of its gameplay loop. Every tiny mistake can cost players dearly, as not even the weakest zombies forgive a single slip. So, to get enough advantage over the hordes of undead plaguing Castor Woods, players need to get the best possible Items, and upgrading them to the maximum quality can be a tough grind.
This guide will help players establish an order of priority while upgrading their gear, selecting the items they will need the most in the early and mid stages of the game, and saving lots of critical resources they will need for other activities like modding weapons. Here's a list of the best items to upgrade first in Dying Light: The Beast.
Bandage
Upgrading your Bandage (which is the main source of healing in Dying Light: The Beast) is the player's priority number one. Players will need Manual Pages to improve this healing consumable, and these can be found quite early by raiding Dark Zones. But to get Epic and Legendary Manual Pages, they will have to wait a little bit, and can prioritize other items in the meantime.
But once players can, they should raise it to Epic Grade first, then wait until later in the Main Story to reach Legendary Grade, and do the same: Always prioritize Bandages over the rest of the Gadgets, Gear, and Consumables. They are Kyle's lifeline, and if they ran out of them during combat, it would be over.
UV Flashlight
The Starter UV Flashlight (grey quality) should be the next item that players need to dedicate their time and resources to. Getting the UV Flashlight to Rare Grade and then Epic, will allow them to use it for longer periods and scare off the hordes of Infected with ease. Upgrading the UV Flashlight not only raises the duration of its effect while holding the button, but also increases its recharge time significantly.
This Gadget needs to be equipped at all times, and for two reasons: When players run out of stamina, they can quickly flash the zombies to make them fall back as they recover, and, in case they encounter faster zombies like Volatiles or Virals, they can also slow them down to avoid being mauled in seconds.
Hunting Bow
The Hunting Bow, which players can get almost immediately after starting the adventure (the blueprint is on top of the first Workbench they unlock), will be of Rare Quality since the beginning, so players need to take this as a third priority and upgrade it once they get enough Intermediate Manual Pages.
But, there are other things players can do to increase the effectiveness of their main ranged weapon (one that is extremely useful for stealth situations), and that is unlocking more types of Arrows, and raising the level of the Hunting Bow as they level up their characters. Ideally, they will be able to unlock the Fire Arrows by clearing the Gas Station Voltage Pole Safe Spot, located north-east of the Power Plant. Once players have acquired the means to upgrade the bow to Epic Quality, they will have to stock up on Rags, Wire, Feathers, Leather, and Scraps, as well as the Intermediate Manual Page to raise its damage, draw time, and firing distance.
Throwing Knives
Next on the Priority Upgrade list, players should take a look at the Throwing Knives, raising them to Rare Grade, then to Epic Grade as soon as possible. Throwing Knives can be used offensively, defensively, and for stealth takedowns, and each time players use them, they are lost forever, so they will need tons of them. But, if they are upgraded to a higher quality, the damage they cause will be greater when thrown at enemies, and so will the knockback effect on human enemies when landing a hit with one of these nasty throwing weapons.
Players also need these to fend off attacks from zombies faster than by repeatedly hitting the action button. A single click of the Gadget Button will finish off any Biters trying to turn Kyle into their dinner. When players approach an enemy from behind, they can also perform a faster takedown by pressing the key and expending a Throwing Knife. So, upgrade this Gadget as soon as possible.
Molotov
Don't underestimate the power of fire, and put the Molotov on the priority upgrade list: These throwing weapons will engulf enemies and the surfaces in deadly flames that can clear out entire hordes of zombies in no time. Of course, the better the quality of the Molotov Cocktail, the longer the fire effect will last, and the higher the damage it will cause to Infected.
Players should upgrade this as soon as possible, since once they get their hands on the Epic Grade Molotov Cocktail, they will feel a notable difference in its effectiveness to control larger groups of enemies. A well-placed fire curtain can help players survive an entire horde of Biters approaching, but Virals and Volatiles will still try to kill them even when burning alive. And well, the burning damage debuff can be transmitted to the players when enemies on fire hit them, so be careful with that.
Hand Grenade
The Hand Grenade is a difficult gadget to master, but when used correctly, it's absolutely lethal. The basic grade Hand Grenade causes around 700 damage in a small area, releasing deadly shrapnel and destroying everything around. But, higher levels of this Gadget will have even more damage and significantly increase its blast radius (3,6 to 4m radius maximum).
So, if players are thinking of getting more stopping power without unlocking the Grenade Launcher, this is the perfect gadget to upgrade as soon as possible. It will help them deal with many of the Chimaeras and tougher enemies in the Main Story, so it's worth every resource invested. There are three types of enemies that this throwing weapon can help players deal with:
- Large groups of mixed Biters led by Armored Biters, can be cleared quickly by throwing a grenade.
- Slow Infected, like Goons and Demolishers, are also affected by the explosive Power of grenades.
- Human enemies using ranged weapons and taking cover behind cars (or other structures) will be helpless when a grenade lands at their feet.
Reinforcement Mod
At some point while exploring Castor Woods, players will get a Grip Modification called Reinforcement, which they can slot in one of their melee weapons to increase their durability by 35. Of course, Mods can also be upgraded into higher qualities, increasing their bonuses, damage, and other affixes. The Reinforcement Mod jumps from 35 to 55 increased durability, depending on its quality.
The Reinforcement Mod can be picked up from the Factory Relay Substation located north of Recreation Island, so if players are around the area, they should definitely locate this spot and grab it. It will help them deal with the annoying weapon-breaking mechanic that will surely cause trouble for them until they unlock the Efficient Fighting Skill.
Endurance Booster
The Endurance Booster is a special consumable made with some of the rarest ingredients i n Dying Light: The Beast, and one of the most practical items players can get in their arsenal. At its base level (grey), it increases maximum stamina by 15%, and from that point on, upgrading it to Rare, Epic, and Legendary can take that maximum up to 30%, which is a lot, considering there are few ways to boost the maximum Stamina in the game.
So, though low on priority due to the scarcity of some of the elements needed to craft it (Cordyceps), it is necessary to turn this into Epic Quality as soon as possible, to make the most out of every ingredient, investing in creating these consumables. This item is critical for those occasions where players are stranded in the middle of the forest and night falls: They will need to run for their dear lives to the nearest Safe Spot, and that means using a lot of stamina to evade Volatiles and Virals in the process. An upgraded shot of Endurance Booster can mean the difference between life and death.
Dying Light: The Beast
