You won’t survive long in Dying Light unless you upgrade Kyle Crane’s skills, especially at night when the dangerous Volatiles come out to play. Techland spreads these perks across three unique categories: Survivor, Agility and Power. Each one features perks in Novice, Adept and Expert subcategories.
To earn experience in Dying Light, play the game. Easy, right? To gain XP in the Survivor category, help NPCs in need. With Agility, you’ll want to make use of Kyle’s parkour abilities as much as possible. Finally, Power is all about combat, so grab the nearest machete and come out swinging.
There are a plethora of perks in the game and you may unlock them all. For now, we have a list of the best perks in Dying Light, in our humble opinion. Be sure to let us know which ones are your favorites.
Best Survivor Perks in Dying Light
Survival Starter Kit (Novice)
Requirements: Survival Level 2
This is the first perk you gain access to and it’s by far one of the most important. Activating it lets you craft lockpicks, firecrackers, Molotov cocktails and throwing stars. You can’t open locked chests and some doors without lockpicks. Firecrackers provide a brief distraction for the undead, giving you a chance to take care of business on the ground. Molotov cocktails incinerate zombies and ignite pools of oil, which results in even more kills should zombies stupidly shamble into the blaze. Finally, throwing stars let you do your best ninja impression.
Elemental Throwing Stars (Novice)
Requirements: Survival Level 4, Survival Starting Kit
The base level throwing star will take down Biters providing you nail them in their heads. We strongly suggest taking these weapons to the next level with Elementals, featuring paralyzing, burning and explosive capabilities. Once you kill something with an exploding star, you’ll never use the regular ones again.
Master Backpacker (Novice)
Requirements: Survival Level 6, Backpacker
Weapons eventually break in Dying Light. This perk adds six more weapon slots to his inventory, so hoard as many pipes, knives and bats as you can.
DIY Grenades (Novice)
Requirements: Survival Level 8, Elemental Throwing Stars
Just as Elemental Throwing Stars improve an already cool item, the same is true for DIY Grenades. Now you can toss grenades with bleeding, shrapnel, toxic and paralyzing effects.
Trap Bombs (Novice)
Requirements: Survival Level 11, DIY Grenades
What do you get when you mix Firecrackers and explosives? These wonderful toys! Lure the zombies with these Trap Bombs and hit the trigger to send bodies flying.
Lucky Repair (Adept)
Requirements: Survival Level 7, Crafting Expertise
What’s great about this perk is the fact that you won’t use a weapon repair slot when fixing different items. Combine with Converse Weapons from the Power perks category and your favorite weapons won’t break as quickly.
Camouflage (Adept)
Requirements: Survival Level 9
Congratulations! Now you can cover Kyle with body parts and walk among the zombies without drawing attention unless you attack. For that, you’ll want to unlock Camouflage Attack (Survival Level 12) later on.
Exploding Cars (Adept)
Requirements: Survival Level 10, Electric Fences
This is just as it sounds. Rig the cars to blow and send zombies to permanent graves. Plus, these are excellent ways to earn a lot of Power and Agility XP.
Grappling Hook (Expert)
Requirements: Survival Level 12
By now you have the hang of getting around Harran using Kyle’s parkour maneuvers. Compliment the jumping and climbing with this nifty item that allows you to ascend higher buildings much quicker.
Craftsman (Expert)
Requirements: Survival Level 14, Grappling Hook
Crafted weapons imbued with elemental effects are stronger and produce more damage.
Ultimate Survivor (Expert)
Requirements: Survival Level 25, Grappling Hook
Not only do your Shields, Grappling Hook and Camouflage improve, but Kyle also receives a +25 health boost.
Best Agility Perks in Dying Light
Dodge (Novice)
Requirements: Agility Level 2
It’s the first Agility perk you come across and it’s supremely important. Dodge lets you, well, dodge! Not only can you jump sideways but also backwards. It’s the simplest move that will save Kyle’s skin countless times. Use it early and often.
Vault (Novice)
Requirements: Agility Level 4, Dodge
There will come a time where infected surround Kyle, forcing you to make a quick decision. When that happens, pick a direction, run like hell and jump over some zombies, then keep on running Forest Gump style. The added bonus is more Agility XP. Combine with Vault Stun to leave your target dazed for five seconds, plenty of time to deliver the final blow!
Dropkick Bomb (Novice)
Requirements: Agility Level 7, Dropkick
Do your best Daniel Bryan impression and lay out a zombie with a brutal dropkick that yields three times the damage. YES! YES! YES!
Forward Roll (Adept)
Requirements: Agility Level 10, Light Drop
Although Kyle swiftly moves through Harran, he’s still human. That said, he’ll suffer big time damage or die from a great height. Improve his chance of survival with a Forward Roll that also allows him to get up much quicker.
Tic Tac (Expert)
Requirements: Agility Level 13, Freerunning Expert
At some point you’ll attempt to climb something, only to realize there’s nothing within reach to grab onto. Tic Tac essentially lets you run up some walls.
Health Regen II (Expert)
Requirements: Agility Level 13, Freerunning Expert
On the brink of death? Find a relativelty safe place to chill out and Kyle will regain up to 45 percent health, which should be just enough to keep on moving without using a medkit.
Ultimate Runner (Expert)
Requirements: Agility Level 24, Freerunning Expert
How does infinite Stamina sound? Yup, Crane no longer grows fatigued from excessive jumping, running and climbing.
Best Power Perks in Dying Light
Sturdiness (Novice)
Requirements: Power Level 4, Stun
We don’t suggest turning Kyle into a zombie punching bag, but should things get crazy, now you can absorb more damage.
Melee Throw (Novice)
Requirements: Power Level 4, Stun
What’s better than swinging knives and bats? Throwing these weapons! Lodge a knife into a zombie’s cranium and then retrieve it.
Blast (Novice)
Requirements: Power Level 9, Multi-Throw
Combine this with Melee Throw to double the damage from thrown weapons.
Conserve Weapons (Adept)
Requirements: Power Level 6, Combat Adept
Weapons don’t degrade as quickly. Ideal for the strongest items in the game.
Drop Attack (Adept)
Requirements: Power Level 7, Combat Adept
Death from above! Equip a one-handed weapon, leap into the air and kill a zombie with a cool execution attack.
Stomp (Adept)
Requirements: Power Level 9, Combat Adept
With enemies on the ground, equip a high damage dealing knockdown weapon and use it to squash their heads like ripe melons.
Ground Pound (Adept)
Requirements: Power Level 10, Drop Attack
Pick up the nearest two-handed weapon and unleash a mighty ground pound to knock enemies to the floor. Stomp their noggins to mush with the aforementioned Stomp or get the heck out of there in one piece. On a side note, unlock Slam at Power Level 14, which increases the Ground Pound’s effectiveness.
Sturdiness III (Expert)
Requirements: Power Level 13, Combat Expert
There’s a good chance you upgraded Kyle’s health with Sturdiness I and II. Finish it with Sturdiness III for another 25 percent max health.
Takedown (Expert)
Requirements: Power Level 13, Combat Expert
Slaughter foes from behind! This works on both humans and zombies.
Ultimate Combatant (Expert)
Requirements: Power Level 24, Combat Expert
Fatigue is no longer an issue. You can fight without any shortness of breath.
Beat the game with Prima’s free Dying Light walkthrough.
Get your copy of the official Dying Light Guide now!
- A spoiler-free walkthrough of the entire main story, including myriad side quests
- Our exclusive maps from the game developers chart the locations for all 200 Collectible Items in Old Town and the Slums—Antennas, Zombie Statues, and more!
- A Skill-by-Skill Breakdown for Survivor, Agility, and Power abilities. Play to your strengths as a runner or a fighter.
- All Blueprints—explained Locations, Recipes, and Effects. Find out how to make anything in the game.
- Learn about the Infection and the monsters it has created. Master their weaknesses.
- How to scavenge during the day, and then take your life into your own hands and risk deadly Pursuits in the evening hours. Tips for survival under all conditions.
- Get every Achievement/Trophy.
- Free Mobile-Friendly eGuide. Unlock the enhanced eGuide for access to updated content, all optimized for a second-screen experience.
