Always keep moving. A standing target is an easy one to hit. Work together with all 3 teammates – never go off alone. Conserve ammo and supplies, only using when necessary.
It does not matter which character you choose. In the game they all work identically. If you’re with a friend you can choose “Split-Screen” as well. This is a normal campaign, but two of you can play together on the same mission with 2 AI teammates.
Move and shoot. Switch weapon. Reload weapon. How to shove. How to use items (on yourself and others). [1] X Research source
Pistol: Your automatic first weapon. Pistols are weak but accurate and, most importantly, have unlimited ammunition. If you find another one on the ground, you can pick it up to dual wield them, effectively giving you double power, shots, and firing rate. Medkits: Medkits heal your character completely. You can also use them to heal teammates. You can only hold one at any time. You should always try and have 2-3 Medkits, at a minimum, in your party. Melee Weapons: Katanas, baseball bats, chainsaws, crowbars, and other melee weapons attack in a wide swath in front of you, often killing Infected instantly. They are good options in the early difficulties, and, with the exception of chainsaws, can be used infinitely. They replace your pistol.
The importance of teamwork cannot be overstated. The game will punish players who head off on their own, and so will your teammates. [2] X Research source
Whenever you need to open a door, push a button, or otherwise trigger an event (usually noted on the screen), tell your teammates and give them a chance to heal, use an item, or reload. Then move forward as a team. [3] X Research source
All crescendo events will be noted to you by a “!” icon on the screen. Some of these events, like the car in Dead Center, only end once you’ve completed your objective (ie. fill up the car). You can’t just sit there and wait it out because it will not end. Pay attention to the dialogue and objectives to end the rush as soon as possible. [4] X Research source
The basic objective of the game is always “move forward. " Levels are more or less linear, and your challenge is to make it to the end. When in doubt, save your items. The levels will only get harder. At the end of each chapter is a safe house with supplies, medkits, and ammunition. No zombies can enter it until you open the door, so this is a perfect place to catch your breath.
The Director can even change the route you must take to succeed. You must play to your current situation, instead of trying to figure out one perfect strategy for each level.
They burp and gurgle, revealing them from a distance if you’re listening.
They make wet, spitting sounds.
They make loud grunting sounds like The Hulk might sound.
They cough and wheeze, but usually strike from a distance to hide. They are usually up high.
Hunters make a menacing growl right before they get ready to attack.
Their signature cackling laugh makes them easy to hear in advance.
Witches: If you’re lucky, you can avoid most of them. They sit, crying until you wake them with gunfire or a flashlight. If you see one, turn off the light and try and creep around them. If you can’t, use your first few shots to kill them as they wake up, aiming for the head as a team. Rifles to the head are your best bet. Tanks: You’ll need fire to kill a tank. If you have a Molotov, hit them immediately - tanks on fire die in 30 seconds without any bullets. As you do, move around a lot to dodge them, surrounding the tank as a team and shooting continually. [6] X Research source
Pain Pills: Gives you a temporary boost of health, though it will disappear after some time. This is incredibly helpful, however, for final events, where the extra boost saves a Medkit and gets you through the challenging events, allowing you to heal later fully. Adrenaline Shots: Provides a small health boost, and boosts your running speed. Most importantly, it keeps you from “flinching,” which is when you are temporarily unable to shoot after being hit. Use them right before huge moments, or if you need to get to a teammate to save them quickly. Bile Bombs: A grenade that causes all regular zombies to flock to the spot where it fell, ignoring you. If you throw it on another Zombie, the other Infected will attack them instead of you. Pipe Bombs: Like bile bombs, these cause Inflected to leave you and flock to the spot where you threw it. After a few seconds, as the infected crowd the spot, the bomb explodes, killing them all. Molotov Cocktails: Explode on impact, and leave a temporary lake of fire that hurts all Infected and humans that walk through it. Great at creating walls against the hordes of dead, and essential against the monstrous “Tanks. "
Shotguns: Coming in chrome, pump, and automatic options, shotguns are great options in close quarters. They deal a lot of damage and have a wide spread of fire, but they are inaccurate at long distances. Use them in hallways and other tight locations. Rifles: Powerful and accurate at long ranges, they are almost useless in tense, swarming situations because they take a while to aim and shoot. But they are great in a group and can clean up long-range, incoming enemies while the rest of the team waits patiently for them to reach shotgun range. Automatic Weapons: Submachine guns, M16s, and their ilk are your bread and butter. They have good power and a high rate of fire, allowing you to mow down medium and close range enemies. When in doubt, choose automatic weapons.
Pay attention to the music – it will start to swell and get tense as enemies build up out of sight. Turn on subtitles. You can often read things like, “coughing sounds” or “noises of the horde” in advance, making it easier to predict incoming groups or specials. Know the three stages of an attack. Build-up, as the music swells. Peak, when the big group descends on you, and Rest, after you’ve defeated them and have 1-2 minutes to relax. [7] X Research source
Still, keep moving when possible. Holing up for too long drains supplies and can leave you open to attacks by Boomers and Spitters.
If you’re approaching a crescendo event and have less than 40 health, now is the time to use your Medkit. [8] X Research source
For the best results, use your teammates to coordinate attacks together. A Boomer can vomit, bringing in zombies that allow a good Spitter to trap pressured players in a corner, for example. Use surprise to your advantage. Let them run to you and hit them when they’re distracted.
