The grappling hook was, arguably, the best part about the original Dying Light. It appears again in Dying Light 2 but doesn't work the same way, at least not entirely. Furthermore, you'll have to wait a while before you unlock the grappling hook, so don't waste time looking for it in the early stages. Here's how to unlock the grappling hook in Dying Light 2, how to upgrade it, and how it differs from the original Dying Light.
How to unlock the grappling hook in Dying Light 2
The grappling hook unlocks in the second half of Dying Light 2. Jack Matt eventually tasks Aiden with climbing the VNC Tower, also known as the tallest building in Villedor.
Step 1: Begin a mission called "Broadcast" by meeting with Jack and Juan at the Fish Eye. Lawan will try to talk you out of it, so don't listen to her. However, we imagine you'd end up with the grappling hook either way.
Step 2: Continue the mission until you end up in an elevator with Rowe and his men. Survive the onslaught of exploding zombies until Lawan can get a hold of Frank. We advise heading into this mission with plenty of throwing knives on hand, as they make killing the exploding zombies significantly easier. There are plenty of bottles to throw if you run out of knives.
Step 3: Enter the elevator shaft once Frank pulls himself together. You'll find the grappling hook stuck in the wall.
Step 4: Equip the grappling hook under the inventory tab as one of Aiden's accessories. Aim at any surface displaying a set of crosshairs and pull the Left Trigger to throw the grappling hook. Aiden will latch on and swing across gaps using that surface as an anchor point.
We don't see any reason why you'd ever unequip the grappling hook, so get used to having only three other accessory slots from here on out. Accessories include all throwable weapons (like knives, DIY grenades, and the UV flashlight).
The rest of the mission teaches you how to use the grappling hook, and from here on out, it becomes a permanent part of Aiden's arsenal.
How is the grappling hook different in Dying Light 2?
The grappling hook in Dying Light 2 is very different from the original game. For starters, Aiden's grappling hook doesn't pull him towards its target as Crane's did. For those Marvel/DC fans, Aiden's grappling hook works like SpiderMan, whereas Crane's works like Batman. However, once you upgrade Aiden's grappling hook, it works a bit more like Crane's.
Upgrading the grappling hook in Dying Light 2
Visit any craftmaster to upgrade your grappling hook in Dying Light 2. Once there, you can upgrade the grappling hook twice with the following resources:
- Two military tech and 2,000 old-world money — gain additional velocity when attaching to surfaces.
- Three military tech and 3,000 old-world money — pull enemies closer to you.
Old-world money is pretty easy to come by. You're probably sitting on a few thousand dollars right now. Military tech, however, is a rarer resource. You'll find it in military airdrops marked by parachutes on your compass. Use your binoculars from a high vantage point to spot these airdrops around Villedor. Look for large parachutes hanging off the sides of tall buildings.
Pulling enemies closer to you works a little better between the two upgrades. They'll tumble on the ground, allowing you to use the Head Stomp combat skill if you've purchased it. The increased velocity is nice, but you don't cover any more ground than you would with a long jump or the Dart and Dash parkour skills. Unfortunately, you can't choose which upgrade you'd prefer, as you must buy the velocity one first.
