Dead Island 2 - How To Get Security Guard's Safe Key

The early hours of Dead Island 2 will quickly soon reveal a fact of its semi-open world: Locked safes and doors are everywhere. Many times, the keys you need to open these areas or items aren't to be found until you're actively on missions directly related to them but sometimes you can get crafty, either by finding an alternate point of entry or wading through an early challenge for the key you need. The Security Guard's Safe Key is one such example. You can, in theory, get it as soon as you arrive at the Halperin Hotel, but it's going to take a bit of grit. Here's what to do.

Dead Island 2 - Security Guard's Safe Key location

While exploring the parking lot of the Halperin Hotel, a security kiosk can be entered and scavenged, except for the locked safe, which will take a special key to unlock. Thankfully, the key is reliably in the same spot until you finally grab it. Unfortunately, you're not really supposed to get it so soon--but you can.

Chasing down this safe key provides the game's first example of over-leveled enemies--an RPG trope. You'll find some enemies whose level next to their health bar is actually the image of a red skull instead of a level number. This means they are three or more levels stronger than you and it's usually in your interest to just go the other way. They can sometimes one-shot you.

Just down the ramp you see in the image below, an over-leveled named enemy holds they key you need, among a small horde of other over-leveled enemies. Throughout the game, you'll discover named enemies--things like "Noisy Neighbor" or "Security Guard" rather than "walker" or "shambler." All named enemies are related to quests or optional content such as this security safe.

If you're playing in co-op, you could try your luck at clearing the area--it will help to use the environmental effects such as electricity and fire so you can keep your distance. If you're lucky and skilled enough to defeat them, you'll have the key you need right away. If you'd rather wait--and if you're playing solo, you really should wait--those enemies won't stay over-leveled forever.

Though enemies almost always match your level in Dead Island 2, these over-leveled enemies won't stay far ahead for the whole game. If you're level 4 and they're level 7, they will be tough. But if you climb to level 7, they will then stay at your level once you meet theirs, meaning you could, in this case, do some other exploring, level up a bit more, then come back to clear out the parking garage. Alternatively, you could wait until the end of the game when you're as high as level 30, and they'll be level 30 too. Basically, once you meet an over-leveled enemy's level, they'll match you for the rest of the game and cease being an insurmountable force.

Loot in safes is based in RNG, so we won't bother sharing what we got in the safe, but this makes for a good introduction to the many locked safes in the game, as well as the sometimes over-leveled enemies who may loom over them.

For more on Dead Island 2, don't miss how to fast travel. You should also check out the game's best weapons.