Now, most of us have played the demo (shame on those who haven’t). And we know what niche the weapons fall into. This is a much more in-depth guide I have concocted from my experience with the demo.
Sidearms
This tier is reserved for sidearms, of which, there are only pistols so far.
Pistol(s):
Advantages: High rate of fire (Like machine guns if you click fast enough), Long range, Infinite ammo
Disadvantages: Low stopping power
These are your emergency weapons, and your poor-man’s sniper. Use them at a range to take out unaware infected with impunity, and at close range to haul your ass out of the fire when your primary weapon is out of ammo. Stopping power is a definite issue, but with infinite ammo, it makes up with quantity over quality.
Tier 1
These are your base primary weapons, and your bread and butter. Use them well, my fellow survivors.
Pump Shotgun:
Bill and Francis with their shotguns.
Pump shotgun:
Advantages: High damage at close range. Medium ammo count.
Disadvantages: Low range.
The shotgun is all about getting up close and leaving nothing but pieces. Use this only at close range. At long range, you have about as much chance of killing the horde as McCain winning the election. Jack. Squat. Now you can attempt a long range shot in emergencies, but it will only slow the enemy down, not kill.
Zoey. Uzi. What else do you need to know?
Uzi:
Advantages: High rate of fire, great range, High accuracy
Disadvantages: Low damage, Low “spread”
The Uzi is a weapon you hang back with. Stay behind your shotgun wielding companions and take out some of the horde, before they get to you and your compadres. At close range, the weapons efficiency is severely limited, and you’ll have a higher chance of being knocked into last stand. This is simply because the gun is TOO accurate, it doesn’t have enough spread to efficiently hit more than anything directly in front of it. Use this if you prefer hanging back from combat.
Tier 2
These are your ambrosia and nectar. They, simply put, p00n face with a ferocity like no other primary weapon.
Bill with his M16, with a ridiculously huge muzzle flash.
M16:
Advantages: Good range, good stopping power
Disadvantages: low “spread”
This weapon is a good mid-range weapon. It has enough accuracy to pull head shots from a distance, and remove large numbers of infected as they charge you. At close range however, unless you get all head shots, many of the problems that affect the Uzi also apply here. Its spread is small, so you have to aim directly at an enemy to kill it, and a body shot does some damage, but when facing a horde at close range, body shots that don’t kill instantly don’t cut it.
Louis is leading with the Automatic Shotgun.
Automatic Shotgun:
Advantages: Higher rate of fire, slightly longer range, slightly higher damage
Disadvantages: Range is still low
This is a stronger, better, faster shotgun. Its rate of fire is greatly increased, it does some more damage, and has slightly longer range. Use in close quarters for best effect.
The original Zoey and the Hunting Rifle.
Hunting rifle:
Advantages: Insanely accurate, very high damge, increased bullet penetration, long range
Disadvantages: Completely ineffective at close quarters
This is your sniper, simply put. It kills, most of the time, with one shot, and is the most accurate gun in the game. Rate of fire is low, but a sniper doesn’t necessarily need a high rate of fire. Use at long range if able. At close range, this weapon becomes cumbersome, because you have to aim for each individual enemy. A little known advantage is extremely high bullet penetration, the bullets can pierce almost anything.
Special Weapons
These are weapons you find on occasion that don’t fall into a specific category.
Francis and the Molotov.
Molotov: A great horde control weapon. Throw it ahead or behind you to stop zombies in their tracks. Also works well against the Tank to do a constant stream of damage. DO NOT use at close range. That is just committing suicide.
Pipe Bomb: Great at taking out an initial rush, but no lasting effects. Throw it anytime during a horde attack to relive some of the pressure off of your team. Ineffective against boss infected.
Mini gun: This is the weapon you find during finales. Spray and pray is the name of the game here. Just avoid hitting teammates, and watch your back.
Hopefully this guide is helpful for when you are choosing your weapons.
