By Mark Sammut
Updated
State of Decay 2 gives players multiple sandboxes to fight zombies and build communities in, but which map in the survival game is the best?
Undead Labs' State of Decay 2 mostly sticks to the same formula as its predecessor, delivering an open-world survival game with a heavy focus on scavenging and resource management. While there are some quests to play through, the story takes a back seat to exploration, base building, and crafting a safe haven to stave off the wandering zombies. This makes State of Decay 2 maps very important.
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Players take charge of randomly generated characters with their own traits, strengths, and weaknesses; in fact, while the zombies are nothing to scoff at, fostering a sustainable community of survivors is often the game's greatest challenge. For the most part, the sequel plays like a slightly more polished version of 2013's State of Decay, but you are given the pick of multiple maps rather than just one. Including the tutorial and the DLC packages, State of Decay 2has six separate maps that are just waiting to be traversed. Each area has its own positives and negatives, but which one is the best?
Updated on July 20, 2021, by Sharnelle Earle: June of 2021 included a content update by Undead Labs that features a new way for the blood plague to operate and new outposts. The blood plague is now more menacing, where any building with a plague heart in it will corrupt the entire neighborhood it's in instead of just the building. This means more blood plague zombies in large communities. What this also now means is that any outpost in the vicinity of a plague heart cannot be claimed until the plague heart is taken care of. New types of outposts have also been added, known as Landmark outposts. These are specialty outposts that only exist once per map. They are meant to offer special benefits and strategies to your gameplay.
6 Camp Osprey
Unlike the rest of State of Decay 2's maps, Camp Osprey will be visited in each playthrough since it is the game's designated tutorial area. Consequently, this map is designed to teach players the basic mechanics and introduce them to the enemies and systems that will dominate the rest of their time in the campaign. Because it is a tutorial area, it does not contain one of the new Landmark outposts.
Camp Osprey is a decent level that just about serves its purpose and has a great sense of atmosphere due to the placement of the sun and the area's makeshift buildings. Camp Osprey does give players the first sample of the Blood Plague and zombies like the Screamer, so this area does produce some memorable moments. However, Camp Osprey lacks any sense of exploration and is rather inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, which is such a huge part of the State of Decay experience.
5 Trumbull Valley
State of Decay 2's Heartland DLC revisits the original 2013 game's Trumbull Valley. At times, it can seem like Undead Labs prioritized quantity over quality for the sequel. State of Decay 2's four full maps are generally all decent sandboxes, but they lack the personality of the original game's Trumbull Valley. This is also partially due to the sequel downplaying the presence of a narrative to promote a less structured campaign that emphasis surviving indefinitely.
Trumbull Valley is a DLC map and doesn't contain a Landmark outpost, but the map is full of blood plague zombies only. Because of this, it's important to understand the new way the plague works. Plague hearts compromise entire communities. You can no longer claim nearby outposts and the area will be flooded with more plague zombies than regular ones. This makes looting and claiming outposts harder, since half the map will be flooded with plague hearts in a normal game.
This map provides a more focused storyline featuring two sets of predetermined groups of survivors. While the map is not quite as satisfying as the original version, Trumbull Valley is still an interesting terrain to explore. However, it also feels completely detached from the base game, offering a diminished sandbox adventure while also not allowing any of the survivors to be moved to the other maps.
4 Providence Ridge
Introduced in 2020's Juggernaut Edition, Providence Ridge is the default map for that version and it leaves quite an impression, for better or worse. Visually, Providence Ridge stands out from the rest of the maps due to its pacific northwest aesthetic, opting for greenery over barren terrains and sparse urban landscapes. It also features one of the best bases out of all those available in State of Decay 2, as the Prescott Fire Station is a delight.
The Prescott Fire Station is a large-sized base. It offers:
- Scout tower
- Utility room
- Firehouse workshop
- Station bathroom
- Storage
- Firefighter bunks
- Firehouse kitchen
- 2 beds
- 2 small outdoor plots
- 2 large outdoor plots
- 4 parking spots
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Providence Ridge's Landmark outpost is called New Hope Church. It provides:
- 4 beds
- Morale boosts
- Actions to control zombie threats
With the exception of the fire station and Landmark outpost, Providence Ridge lacks any other noteworthy structures or landmarks. It can be tiresome to traverse, which is not helped by how unnecessarily spread out it feels at times.
3 Drucker County
Known as the Plateau, Drucker County can be rather frustrating at first due to its massive size. Initially, players are required to spend a lot of time driving while sticking to the main roads, which is not made easy due to State of Decay 2's lackluster driving mechanics.
Drucker County's Landmark outpost is Sasser Regional Hospital. It provides:
- +10-25 Max health
- -10-30 percent Injury Severity
- +20-40 plague resistance
- +2 Meds
Crossing the map to find survivors is tedious and rarely entertaining, but Drucker County does improve once you become more familiar with its shortcuts. It also features some stellar and well-placed bases, particularly the quite large Barricaded Strip Mall and the visually pleasing Knights Family Drive-In.
2 Cascade Hills
Cascade Hills has a lot going for it but is also let down by some significant weaknesses. Aesthetically, it is one of the more striking maps in the game, opting for clusters of buildings and a fair amount of open space. Despite not hiding the fact this is an area that has gone fully post-apocalyptic, Cascade Hills still manages to be sporadically beautiful. Out of the three original State of Decay 2 maps, Cascade Hills has perhaps the best selection of bases, with the Container Fort ranking among the greatest in the game. The Justineau House is also a very good starting base, giving you six beds off the bat.
The Container Fort is a large-sized base that offers:
- Firesafe storage
- Workshop
- 5 small outdoor slots
- 2 large outdoor slots
- 3 parking spots
This maps Landmark outpost is Leeds Concrete Silo. It provides:
- +50-75 percent construction speed
- Needs upkeep using any resource
Cascade Hills' main flaw is that while quite a few of the bases are good, they tend to have undesirable map placements. Container Fort would be perfect if it was not so out of the way that picking it as the main base adds a lot of driving time to scavenge for resources and loot in a map that is not welcoming of cars.
1 Meagher Valley
Meagher Valley is the closest thing to a perfect map in State of Decay 2. It is not as needlessly large as Drucker County, and it also has an overabundance of buildings that makes looting easier than Cascade Hills. Out of all the maps, Meagher Valley is the most densely packed, and that extends to the zombies. The map's difficulty comes from the hordes of undead rather than the location of resources or frustrating mechanics like driving.
The Landmark outpost is called Wind Farm. It provides:
- Morale boost
- Power
- Needs upkeep
Meagher Valley is the best map in State of Decay 2 for newcomers as it offers varied environments, plenty of combat scenarios to engage in, and a decent selection of bases.
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FAQs
What is the most difficult map in State of Decay 2? ›
Out of all the maps, Meagher Valley is the most densely packed, and that extends to the zombies. The map's difficulty comes from the hordes of undead rather than the location of resources or frustrating mechanics like driving. The Landmark outpost is called Wind Farm.
What is the biggest base on each map State of Decay 2? ›Most bases also have unique built-in facilities which can only be found in that particular base. Heartland's Trumbull Valley only has one base, which is also the game's largest base so far.
Can you actually beat State of Decay 2? ›Only by destroying every last plague heart in the area can you unlock the endgame legacy story that matches your leader selection. Completing this legacy “wins the game” by cementing your community's lasting contribution to the world.
What is the best map in Trumbull Valley? ›The Farmland Compound is one of the best maps in the newer Trumbull Valley. It's extremely customizable with up to seven available empty slots to use however the player pleases and is positioned near the center of the map.
Does State of Decay 2 get harder by the day? ›Between the better weapons, and more knowledge of how to approach things, the game doesn't scale up difficulty to match you.
What is the highest population in State of Decay 2? ›The game limits any community to no more than 12 survivors. However, opportunities to recruit new survivors become rare once your community reaches a population of 9 or more. This makes your choices about who to recruit, who to keep around, and who to exile from your community very important!
What base has the most slots in State of Decay 2? ›Out of all the available bases, the best base in Meagher Valley would have to be Whitney Field located to the south. This offers the most beds as well as several slots for facilities.
What is the best standing State of Decay 2? ›Leader is the highest standing in the community.
What is the best outpost in State of Decay 2? ›Drucker County's outpost provides more Meds for the community and increases all survivor's injury severity, maximum health, or infection resistance. The Meagher Valley Landmark outpost will provide base-wide power and a lower Influence cost than claiming a regular Power outpost.
What guns don t break State of Decay 2? ›Revolvers. Revolvers are powerful but loud. They never break or jam, however they have small magazines and their reloading can take a while.
How long does it take to 100% State of Decay 2? ›
When focusing on the main objectives, State of Decay 2 is about 16 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 116 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
What is the best leader to start with State of Decay 2? ›For absolute beginners, builder is a great option.
We hope that this guide helped to pick the best leader in State of Decay 2.
The valley appears to be based off of a variety of western U.S. states, such as Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Is Kings Canyon the best map? ›King's Canyon has seen many changes over three years, yet it remains one of the preferred maps for public matches. Players are almost always guaranteed a fight, as points of interest (POIs) are relatively closer to each other. The majority of these locations are also small, making loot easier to find.
What map is Harbor best on? ›Controllers are best played where a map's geometry suits them. As of now Pearl and Fracture are Harbor's two best maps. On both of these maps Harbor can serve as a primary Controller, and on Pearl can serve as a secondary Controller to Astra.
Is sod2 harder at night? ›Nighttime. Nighttime is more difficult than the day as it is darker, so zombies can easily sneak up on you. Zombies are more active at nighttime, so be wary when venturing out by yourself, as it can be a death wish for new players.
Can you lose State of Decay 2? ›State of Decay 2
Should the survivor lose all maximum vitality, the survivor will begin to have convulsions on the ground. The victim will then become still and lifeless, and after 3 or so seconds, they will reanimate as a zombie.
Important: There's an enclave limit on the map. You can't have more than 16 enclaves simultaneously, including the Bounty Broker.
What is the max item stack State of Decay 2? ›Inventory Slots
All Firearms, Melee Weapons and Backpacks are not stackable (i.e. each occupies one inventory slot) while consumable items can stack to 3 per slot (Powerhouse characters can stack them to 4) and ammo can stack to 30.
The skills can be upgraded (the upgraded skill keep the effects from the basic skill) when they reach their maximum level (level 7).
What is the fastest way to recruit people in State of Decay 2? ›
Completing different enclaves' quests will make them favor you. This is the main way to recruit more survivors in State of Decay 2. When you complete a quest for enclaves, you get a reward of 100 or more Influence and sometimes a rucksack or useful item. The side benefit is that they also start liking you more.
What is the best morale in State of Decay 2? ›- Clear infestations.
- Build new morale-boosting facilities.
- Gather resources for any supplies running low.
- Claim a morale-boosting outpost.
- Add community members with positive traits (Caring, Cheerful, Encouraging for examples)
The best two bases, just like in the main game, are the Snyder Trucking Warehouse in Marshall (the southwest corner of the map) and the Trumbell County Fairgrounds in Fairfield (the northwest corner of the map). Depending on your goals, each of these is an ideal home base.
What is the best utility skill in state of decay? ›The Spin Kick is arguably the most useful of all Utility Skills for the following reasons: It works against Ferals.
What is the fastest car in State of Decay 2? ›The Brogan Sport is the fastest car of all the Brogan cars. It has a higher top speed and acceleration. It is essentially a faster Brogan Rapscallion with higher fuel consumption. Just like all the other Brogan, it can be upgraded to a Hellion.
What is the best sniper in State of Decay 2? ›The M99X1 Timberwolf is a unique military-spec, bolt-action Anti-Materiel sniper rifle featured in State of Decay 2.
How do you get the Megalodon in State of Decay 2? ›The Megalodon is a recolor of the Mega Max and is inspired by the Megalodon in Sea of Thieves. It can be obtained as a reward from the Bounty Broker and is part of the Plunder Pack. Because it is a recolor of the Mega Max, it presumably has the same stats.
What is the most remote outpost? ›Tristan da Cunha
The nearest landfall is South Africa, 1,750 miles east, and to the west, South America is more than 2,000 miles. It's the world's most remote inhabited island chain – so precariously occupied that when a volcanic vent erupted in 1961, the whole population was evacuated to England.
Base H – Trumbull County Fairgrounds
Description: The LARGEST Home Base in State of Decay.
The Katana Machete is a Bladed Melee Weapon in State of Decay 2.
What is the secret heavy weapon in State of Decay 2? ›
The Enigmatic Axe is a hidden weapon found on the Providence Ridge map. It is found to the mid South-West side of the map. I found it best to go to the self storage lockers along the main road and book it west from there. Your looking for a rock formation blocking the path and in the center there is an opening.
Can you have 6 skills in State of Decay 2? ›Each survivor has a set of skills, composed of the four core skills (Cardio, Wits, Fighting and Shooting) and a fifth optional skill (Community or Quirk Skill).
How hard is lethal mode State of Decay 2? ›Be Careful What You Wish For…
This new ultra-hardcore difficulty mode presents the very toughest version of State of Decay 2 that you've ever seen. Zombies are even more dangerous, resources and weapons are even harder to find, and blood plague kills you even faster than in Nightmare.
Raining Unlimited Food Airdrops
From this point on, the distillery survivor group is available to call in an airdrop that can be repeated over and over for infinite State Of Decay 2 food supplies. Each airdrop will only cost you 75 influence, and with the cooldown timer, a drop can be called in once every 8 minutes.
Base consumption of food is equal to the number of (non-missing) survivors at the player's Home Site. Food shortage leads to hunger, which lowers survivor's morale, health and stamina. Moreover, survivors might even run away if they don't have enough food to eat.
Is it bad to demote a leader State of Decay 2? ›Choosing a leader is not permanent, you can demote them in case you want to assign another survivor as the community's leader, however the demoted survivor will drop back into a citizen. They'll also suffer a morale penalty, but it will disappear after a while.
Can you change leader in State of Decay 2? ›If you already have a leader, then the only way to change the leader is to have them die or be exiled. Get all items off of them, go into a group of zombies, and let them kill the leader and you should be able to repeat the above for a new character.
When should I move State of Decay 2? ›It's ideal to move after you've gained a few community members so you can get a bigger base. As you'd expect bigger bases often have better perks and more spots for facilities.
Can you recruit Ray Santos in State of Decay 2? ›Ray Santos appears as a non-playable character and can't be recruited to the Jurassic Junction's community. His enclave and base of operation is at McReady Farmhouse.
Is Trumbull CT named after John Trumbull? ›The Assembly finally granted full town rights on October 12, 1797 and named the new town after Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), a merchant, patriot, and statesman.
Is Trumbull a good town? ›
Trumbull, Connecticut is located in Fairfield County and is often considered a suburb of New York City. With an overall niche grade of an A, Trumbull is regarded as one of the best places to live in Connecticut. Between exceptional safety ratings, housing, and diversity, anybody could benefit by moving to Trumbull.
Why remove Kings Canyon? ›Well, the answer to that could be that Kings Canyon has been in the game for a long time since it was Apex's first map. What is this? So for the sake of diversity, Apex Legends decided to remove it in favor of the new map. Regular players and professional Apex players have mixed feelings regarding this removal.
How long should you stay in Kings Canyon? ›I recommend spending several days to fully explore these parks, but you can definitely do most of the iconic spots over 2 days. Sequoia and Kings Canyon together cover over 1,353 square miles with many mountains and valleys in the mix.
Which legend is best for Kings Canyon? ›- 1 Bangalore.
- 2 Lifeline. ...
- 3 Gibraltar. ...
- 4 Wattson. ...
- 5 Revenant. ...
- 6 Ash. ...
- 7 Valkyrie. ...
- 8 Fuse. One of the key geographical features of King's Canyon is its mix of tight canyon spaces and wide-open battlefields. ...
Havana is an ideal map for Cassidy because its narrow streets allow him to easily use his Peacemaker to keep opponents off of the payload and lets him and his team push forward with no concern.
What maps is Cassidy good on? ›Cassidy excels on maps that offer medium-range sightlines and plenty of natural cover, allowing him to deal maximum damage without exposing himself to enemy players. Cassidy's worst maps are those with long-range sightlines where other ranged hitscans, such as Widowmaker, are able to easily target him.
Is Harbor good on fracture? ›Harbor is a versatile agent with a unique set of abilities that make him a valuable addition to any team. Fracture is one of the few maps that you can utilize Harbor on, with all the angles, different approaches, and strategies.
What does sexting do in sod2? ›Sexting is a personal skill found in State of Decay and State of Decay 2. In State of Decay 2, this skill has an effect of +5 influence per day. The description for this skill in State of Decay 2 is "There's a right way to do everything."
What is the hardest map in sod2? ›Out of all the maps, Meagher Valley is the most densely packed, and that extends to the zombies. The map's difficulty comes from the hordes of undead rather than the location of resources or frustrating mechanics like driving. The Landmark outpost is called Wind Farm.
What is the max survivors in State of Decay 2? ›The game limits any community to no more than 12 survivors. However, opportunities to recruit new survivors become rare once your community reaches a population of 9 or more. This makes your choices about who to recruit, who to keep around, and who to exile from your community very important!
What happens if you don t clear infestations in State of Decay 2? ›
Morale Penalties
Infestations should not be ignored. The first reason is the previously mentioned 'leveling up'. The second one is that if you let them accumulate on the map, they will give a morale penalty for all of your survivors.
Heartland's Trumbull Valley only has one base, which is also the game's largest base so far.
How many hours does it take to beat State of Decay 2? ›When focusing on the main objectives, State of Decay 2 is about 16 Hours in length. If you're a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 116 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
What happens when you change map difficulty State of Decay 2? ›Changing the Map Difficulty
Your map will be reset, repopulated with loot and Plague Hearts (like when you start a new community) You will be moved into your current map's Starter Base. All of your survivors will travel with you to the map's new instance. All of them will retain their Standings in the community.
The best difficulty is the one you enjoy most and that's something you have to figure out yourself. From your description I'd say start on "dread zone" difficulty. If you feel the game is too easy then start again on nightmare. If it's too hard then start on normal difficulty.
What is the fastest vehicle in State of Decay 2? ›...
Drift.
v • d • e Vehicles | |
---|---|
Upgraded | Hellion | Impaler | Kaiser | Mega Max | Road Mangler | Smashwagon | The Big Boss | Trail Beast | Vandito | Viking | Wichita ES | Zedbuster |
Special | Burninator | Pyrohawk | Trumbull 4x4 | Wizard Van |
In State Of Decay 2, there are a number of injuries the survivors can suffer and be hindered by. The Unbreakable trait accomplishes this by offering two benefits to the survivor that has it: +45 Max Health. -100% Injury Chance.