Dead Island
All Discussions Screenshots Artwork Broadcasts Videos News Guides Reviews

Dead Island

Dead Island > Guides > DanishScorpio's Guides
Not enough ratings
Zombie and Enemy Types
By DanishScorpio
The zombie outbreak on Dead Island has turned the denizens into different kinds of zombies. Besides the undead, you will have to deal with the living survivors who have become psychotic from the experience, and who will attack anyone who they encounter.
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Created by
DanishScorpio
Offline
Category: Characters, Classes, Gameplay Basics, Walkthroughs
Languages: English
Posted
Updated
20 May, 2016 @ 3:50am
30 May, 2017 @ 3:03pm
1,801 Unique Visitors
36 Current Favorites
Guide Index
Overview
Introduction 
Walker 
Thug 
Infected 
Suicider 
Ram 
Floater 
Butcher 
Punks 
Policemen 
Soldiers 
Notes 
Comments
Introduction
This is a walkthrough of the different zombies and humans you will encounter in Dead Island.


Walker
Walkers comprise a large percentage of the zombie populace, and although they are mostly cannon fodder, the real danger lies in their numbers and their durability.

As these Walkers level up with you, some of them gain various abilities:

  • The weapon-wielding Walkers aren't to be looked down upon. Even if the weapon is not a specific weapon (it is a ubiquitous weapon, like a Wood Plank), its attack value will add to the zombie's damage rating.
  • Some Walkers chuck dangerous weapons at you in addition to their normal tendency to engage in close-up melee. Walkers who throw weapons are dangerous since you seldom expect them to.
  • There are also Walkers shrouded by a putrid cloud of gas and flies. They actually are toxic to your health if you stand over them when they are dead. So, loot them and go. They are also very flammable, one hit with any type of weapon with a fire effect and they will very likely be killed.

How to Handle

  • Walkers cannot route up sharp slopes. Stand on a vehicle's rooftop (or the bed of a pick-up) for the correct height. You cannot be attacked by a Walker's bite or arm swipes, and if you crouch and use an Analog down attack with a bat, stick or long weapon, you can damage them with impunity.
  • Walkers cannot open doors. Neither can most other zombie types. If you do not need to fight them, just find a doorway and close the door. Problem solved.
  • Examine your Combat Skill tree closely. One of the 1 point skills allows your characters to head-stomp a prone zombie, instantly killing it (all four characters have this ability). Once you've made that skill investment, you may find taking down lone walkers a breeze using just your jumping kick and a head stomp.
Thug
This slow, hulking zombie swings his thick arms with reckless abandon whenever you are within reach. One hit will send you flying far back, so it's best to stay away from the Thug's arms. Ideally, he should be disposed of with powerful weapons, from a distance, or with explosives.

When those fail to work, the alternative is to exercise fancy footwork, stab, and hop away before the Thug can retaliate.

How to Handle

  • The Thug is easily frustrated. Try to kick him and keep your distance. Most of the time, he responds to kicks and damage by moaning and roaring for two seconds, giving you the perfect opportunity to unleash a flurry of blows. But be careful, because as soon as he is done whining, he will start swinging.
  • Another easy way to kill these is to chop their arms off. If it doesn't have arms, the only thing it has left to hit you with is its head, which has a much shorter range. If you manage to break the Thug's neck, it will be left with no attacks.
  • The easiest way to deal with the Thug (or other tough zombies) is to throw a Deo-Bomb (Deodorant x2, Duct Tape x1) and walk around a corner or use a nearby door to protect you from the explosion.
  • Molotovs and Incendiary Grenades are also capable of dispatching Thugs, but the prolonged area of effect of fire bombs are more suited for other zombie types (Infected, etc.). Additionally, once you reach Level 15, enemies have so more Hit-Points so the fire will not kill them unless you find a way to increase the fire's duration. Finally, remember that zombies standing in water are immune to fire. They need to be on dry land to ignite.
Infected
Fast, vicious, and dangerous - Infected bear the traits of a wild hyena. Thankfully, you can hear them snarling as they sprint toward their quarry (e.g., you). Keep space between you and the Infected by kicking them and introducing them to decently powerful weapons. They are very weak compared to other enemy types as well.

Also, Infected are very mobile. They can jump and scale low walls and objects unlike their Walker counterparts. You can run, but you can't hide. Even sprinting isn't effective, because they are generally just as fast as you.

How to Handle

  • Infected can sometimes climb onto cars, but they cannot climb onto the flatbed of pick-ups, or the hoods of light cargo trucks.
  • Infected cannot climb very long ladders, only anything about their height is an obstacle they can negotiate. Even if they can mantle, if you create a chokepoint, you can kick them off without fear of reprisal.
  • Infected are very fast, but weak. They are primarily dangerous in packs (see Left 4 Dead on Expert difficulty). In cases like that, create a proper kill-zone using Molotovs or Incendiary Grenades.
  • Infected, like Walkers, cannot open doors once the doors are shut. Use this to your advantage and break up groups of zombies before isolating and destroying them.
  • Examine your Combat Skill tree closely. One of the 1 point skills allows your characters to head-stomp a prone zombie, instantly killing it (all four characters have this ability). Once you've made that skill investment, you may find taking down lone Infected a breeze using just your jumping kick and a head stomp.
Suicider
This zombie is a pusutle / blister ridden monstrosity who explodes like a bomb when it gets close. It is slower than Walkers that lurch, and they can be outrun in all but the rarest circumstances. The first suicicder is found when Sinamoi gives you a quest to find a helicopter crash.

How to Handle

  • You can make the Suicider blow up by correctly attacking it. When struck by a jumping kick or standing kick (the jumping kick is a definite knockdown), the Suicider falls over and explodes after they go prone. Try making two backwards jumps (DOWN on your keyboard or joystick and JUMPing) to quickly put distance between you and the Suicider after your attack.
  • The safer option is to throw something at it or shoot it with a gun. Headshots work best with Suiciders, as they have about the same health as Infected.
Ram
With its arms locked inside a strait jacket, the Ram relies on its shiny dome to inflict damage. Once you are within attack distance, the Ram sets a one-way path of destruction as it charges straight at you with full speed.

Because the Ram can only be damaged from behind, you have to play the waiting game and let the Ram come to you.

Successfully avoid serious injuries to yourself by stepping to the side and ending up in an advantageous position to deliver a few good blows to its weak backside. He also likes to kick, so prepare to back off as he turns around.

How to Handle

  • Rams are generally very large, so you will seldom find them in confined or narrow spaces (except underground). This means you should use a vantage point to avoid or engage the enemy.
  • Standing on a vehicle will not protect you from the Ram, as its kick will have enough reach to damage you (and knock you off the vehicle or object you're standing on).
  • Deo-Bombs are the best (and cheapest) solution for Rams if they are unalerted to your presence.
  • Alerted Rams are dangerous if there are other zombies around. Your best offence is a well-planned attack or evasion. Just because this is a "zombie" game, doesn't mean you shouldn't plan your route to your next objective.
Floater
Slow-moving, fat zombies who spit acid at you. Their vomit is highly flammable, so shooting or blowing it up is your safest bet. You can tell when they're coming from the sound they make.

How to Handle

  • Deo-Bombs, or the poor guerrilla's hand grenade, works best. Not alerting it so it starts shooting you would be another good idea.
  • Molotovs and Incendiary Grenades do not work on the Floater. It is effectively fire-proof.
    You can use a Meat-Bait to draw the spit acid in its direction while you creep on its back for the kill. Also be sure not to throw the Meat-Bait too far away from the Floater or it will not draw its spit.
  • Floaters are easily stunned with kicks and fast melee attacks. If you manage to dodge close to attack one while it is alone, you practically dominate it.
Butcher
A zombie with blade like arms and quick legs that can be a real pain to fight. It's similar to an Infected, being quick and hitting fast, with the ability to regenerate health and dodge attacks. It can also reach a state of 'rage' causing it to dart forward with a flurry of attacks.

Of course, their threatening presence can be mitigated with some co-op help, but if you encounter one solo, a strong weapon with added elemental effects such as electricity or poison (for that stun) can leave them indisposed long enough for a savage beating. Firearms, too, can be very effective while also maintaing your distance from its deadly arms.

Butcher's appear during Act 3, but are not seen during the final act of the game.

How to Handle

  • Unless you are going after the Achievement/Trophy Ah! Spoiled meat!, explosives, ranged weapons, and environmental hazards are your best weapons.
  • Butchers follow a set combo pattern. When it is over, you have about two seconds to get the job done. With each good hit, they stumble (like any other zombie). If you are using this technique to fight Butchers at knifepoint, you may want to consider using Digital Fighting Controls since your response will be much faster than with Analog.
  • Also be wary when avoiding them in vehicles. These guys run fast, and can keep up with a truck for a fair while, so be sure you run them over and leave them stunned as you go.
Punks
Armed with firearms, Punks (or hooligans) will make you pay dearly for trying to approach them with a melee attack. It's best to keep your distance, relying on throw attacks or a gun of your own to dispatch them.

One of the upsides of fighting Punks is that you shouldn't ever run low on handgun ammo, since they drop ammo boxes at a higher frequency.

Punks are also pretty decent melee fighters. They employ kicks and wild swings with weapons, and also lunge forward and backward to avoid your own attacks. They don't tire as fast as zombies so it is easy to be overrun by their speed and intelligence.

How to Handle

  • Even if you and enemy punks are at level 50, one headshot from a level-equivalent firearm will kill them. Make like Resident Evil, and shoot them in the head. This not only conserves ammunition, but you can use the spare ammunition for tougher zombie encounters (or to take out Infected and Suiciders).
  • A thrown weapon will consequently do a lot of damage. Throw a couple weapons at them or wait for them to take cover and reload, then go in for the kill. One or two hits should be enough. Since firearms are chiefly useful against human enemies, it would be prudent to save some ammunition for hostile human encounters.
  • Punks use the same A.I. as zombies, but differ in some instances. While those who use firearms will keep their distance, these enemies can open doors; this is especially true of a Punk is armed with a hand weapon and not a firearm. However, they occasionally cannot fire through light cover (fences, grating, etc.) but that doesn't mean you cannot fire back. If your reticule turns red when you target a Punk past cover, you have a valid avenue of fire, and should attack accordingly.
  • Because of of the clutter in some terrain, you may find the Molotov Cocktail or Incendiary Grenade handy to immolate Punks. Even brief exposure to fire will likely kill a Punk, as opposed to a zombie Infected or Suicider.
Policemen
Like the Punks, Policemen use fire arms as their main weapon. Difference is most use Rifles instead of Pistols making them much more lethal.

They are best engaged as you would Punks: get behind cover and use firearms to down them (preferably with one headshot). Do not be fooled by the uniform - they are out to kill survivors, not to assist them.

The policemen are only found in Act 4.

How to Handle

Same as Punks
Soldiers
They use military grade hardware - generally Auto Rifles. For the record, the "BIDF" stands for the "Banoi Island Defence Force".

Enemies in Act 3 and Act 4.

How to Handle

Same as Punks and Policemen
10 Comments
< >
blixwaffe 24 Mar @ 10:53pm 
I've givent this a read, and I think Electricity deserves a bit more recognition here. Floaters and Butchers are very prone to this element and can be stunned for long times with it.
远坂凛の胖次 15 Mar, 2017 @ 9:01pm 
nice
ptr 14 Mar, 2017 @ 7:29pm 
good
Psychobagger 23 Jun, 2016 @ 4:11pm 
Thanks
DanishScorpio  [author] 9 Jun, 2016 @ 6:56am 
Thanks for the additional advice Hukutka csgohub.gg - always nice with more tips on how to overcome the zombies :island:
hukutka94 9 Jun, 2016 @ 5:36am 
This is not quite a guide. I will give some pieces of advice that were not mentioned here. I suppose that a writer is not quite experienced in game.
#1. Walker. When walker is running at you and begins the attack with its hand you can quickly press "E" and kick it. At 95% zombie will drop on the floor where it can get oneshot with a blunt weapon on head or stomped by a skill from middle tree which unlocks at the middle of the tree.
#2. Thug. You can easily kill this type of zombie with any weapon, even unarmed. To do this you must predict attacks and when it attacks - make a dodge. (press left, right or down and jump)
The other thing that I can advice is a weapon with triple lightning upgrade. (Impact, Magic Wand, Pride guns) This mod type sends any zombie, except Ram, to fly and lay on the ground. Any kick on the lying enemy will make it lie for longer.
hukutka94 9 Jun, 2016 @ 5:35am 
#3. Infected. They are the easiest enemy to kill. They are less harmful then walker. (IMHO)
When they run at you - you will hear a scream. Get prepared. Take blunt or sharp weapon with high damage. When zombie is running to you before it kicks you you do a step back and attack its head. Oneshot. Easy. If you are doing well with handling weapon you can create some other tactics. Just remember: when infected runs it will get oneshot in head. When it is not it can survive.
#4. Suicider. Just run near it. You will see his hands moving and run backwards. Easy.
#5. Ram. Take a distance. It begins to run. Make a left or right dodge (left+jump or right+jump), do 4-5 attacks with weapons in its back, run away, repeat.
OR you can use a poisoned weapon. When you crit with it zombie will begin to throw some green liquid and will be immobilised. Easy kill.
hukutka94 9 Jun, 2016 @ 5:35am 
#6. Floater. You can get close to it, left/right dodge, get behind and slice,slice,slice! It is vurnerable to sharp weapons.
Usually near its spawn there is a red damageable object. Get it, through it, damage it, one shot.
OR use a ranged weapon with shock mod. Floater is fireproof, but gets damage from electricity a lot.
#7. Butcher. There two ways. One is hard. Just get rush and fight like a pro.
The second is easy. Ranged weapon with Pride mod. (triple lightning) After a crit zombie will fall down on the ground and you can easily kill.
#8. People. Strafe left and right. Make headshot. If you let people get near you they do a lot of damage, but from long distance they are almost harmless.
DanishScorpio  [author] 31 May, 2016 @ 12:19pm 
You are quite welcome :)
Piard The Bucket 31 May, 2016 @ 7:00am 
WOW Thanks for this!