Dead Rising 3: Weapon Combo Tips

When you play through Dead Rising 3, there are two things you’ll definitely notice. The first is that there’s a lot of random stuff on the ground, and the second is that it doesn’t take much for your current weapon to break over a zombie’s head. Luckily, these two things have something in common. Some of those things on the ground can be used as weapons (just about all of them actually), and you can combine those weapons to make more powerful combo weapons that will have more durability than a normal weapon.

It’s never fun to have a throng of zombies surrounding you, only to have a squishy construction cone to fend them off. However, before you can get some nasty combo weapons, you first have to find the blueprints to make them. There are 101 weapon combo blueprints in the game. Most of them appear on your map and are relatively easy to locate. Some are even conveniently located right next to the weapons they provide combining instructions for.

Once you find the blueprints to a weapon, it’s automatically stored in your inventory. You can access a list of blueprints and keep track of how many you have via the in-game menu screen. If you find a safe zone, you can access weapons in the weapons locker as well. But it’s not just about combining random weapons. You’ll quickly find that not all weapons are created equal. It may sound like a good idea to use a drill to take out zombies, but when you find that it has limited range and doesn’t even result in a cool effect, you’ll quickly drop it in favor of something better.

The longer your weapon, the better off you’ll be. Anything that combines with an axe or 2X4 works well because it will almost always have a longer reach than something that combines with a dagger or cardboard box (don’t ask). Early in the game you won’t have much of a choice, as there simply aren’t that many weapons and blueprints to choose from. However, as you progress deeper into the game and level up a bit, you’ll soon have access to weapons so powerful you won’t be phased by the hundreds of zombies that stand before you.

One of the better weapons is heavy metal, which combines a 2X4 and a lead pipe. This should be your go-to weapon during the early portion of the game, as it’s relatively easy to find the parts to make it. The boom cannon is also a solid choice because it allows you to destroy zombies from afar. Hit up a rooftop an lay waste to the zombies below. The remote detonator serves a similar function, combining a laptop and dynamite. It’s an explosive combination to say the least, and clears a good number of zombies from your path.

Of course, these super powerful weapons are not the same as the combining techniques you learn early in the game. Some normal weapon combos can be upgraded multiple times. With every new upgrade, the weapon combo becomes stronger and stronger. When a weapon combo reaches the final level, you’ve basically just created the Death Star… if it were shaped like a giant Teddy Bear. Once you’ve created your first super combo weapon, you’ll never want to go back.

Of course, super combo weapons aren’t the only combo items in the game. You can also create custom vehicle combos that become equally powerful, but let’s take things one step at a time. Stay tuned to Prima Games for more coverage of Dead Rising 3 and the rest of the Xbox One launch titles!