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Dec 18, 2023

How To Complete Every Santi Monica Side Quest In Dead Island 2

Here's your complete guide to every collectible and side quest in Santi Monica

Here's your complete guide to every collectible and side quest in Santi Monica in Dead Island 2.

Dead Island 2's Santa Monica Pier is a small area with lots of variety to mix up the backdrop to your zombie-slaying fun. The CDC medical area features hazmat suit-wearing walkers and eerie remnants of science experiments. It's a stark contrast from the equally eerie Santa Monica Pier, where tourists have transformed into brain-eating zombies but the amusements still remain.

Related: Dead Island 2: The Complete Guide To Venice Beach's Collectibles And Side Quests

There is a ton to do in Santa Monica Pier. While it may not have the most Lockboxes or Fuse Box areas, it does have many Side Quests to complete. Walking away from this area with all Side Quests complete will reward you with valuable legendary weapons, weapon mods, and even a code to unlock a secret stash in the Ocean Avenue Area.

There are only three Fuse Box locations in the Santa Monica Pier. However, they are well worth unlocking if you are in the mid-game.

If you have completed the main story, then the Zomproof Slayer Hoard loot won't be as powerful as weapons picked up from Side Quests and Lost and Found quests.

Location

Map

How To Get To The Fuse Box

Lifeguard HQ Fuse Box

You'll find this Fuse Box on the first floor of the Lifeguard HQ by walking through the entrance facing the beach and turning right to crawl through the blocked corridor.

Funland Arcade Fuse Box

You'll find this Fuse Box on the first floor of the Funland Arcade in the "Staff Only" room. It's very easy to get overwhelmed by zombies in this area due to being an area where Voltaic Screamers spawn. Moreover, zombies are locked within the Fuse Box area.

Pier Edge Fuse Box

You will find the final Fuse Box on the very edge of the Santa Monica Pier, in the ice cream parlor passed the Ferris Wheel.

Santa Monica Pier only contains three Lockbox Locations. However, they are well worth unlocking as you'll be able to complete the Safe Cracker Exploration challenge.

Moreover, you can quickly unlock all three lockboxes once you've completed the Boardwalking Dead Main Story Quest.

Lockbox

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Where To Find The Lockbox

Where To Find The Lockbox Key

Lifeguard Kit Box

The Lifeguard Kit Box is found in the Lifeguard HQ safe house and fast travel area of the Pier.

To open the Lifeguard Kit Box, you will need the Lifeguard Kit Box Key dropped by The Beach Hulk Crusher Zombie.

The Beach Hulk can be found outside the CDC top entrance and south of the Lifeguard HQ. The area is marked by a digger, and several red explosive barrels.

Suspicious Container

The Suspicious Container can be found by walking through a shipment container near the shoreline and entrance to Venice Beach.

To open the Suspicious Container, you will need the CDC Disposal Key.

You can acquire the CDC Disposal Key by killing the CDC Viscera Cleaner, which can be found on the shoreline opposite the beached row boat.

The CDC Viscera Cleaner will spawn after you've completed the Boardwalking Dead Story Mission.

Famiglia Storage Box

The Famiglia Storage Box can be found in the Lugi's Pizza store bathroom located at the very north of the Santa Monica Pier map.

You'll have to break into the store to get in, causing a swarm of zombies to spawn and a Crusher.

To open the Famiglia Storage Box, you will need the Luigi's Famiglia Key.

You can acquire Luigi's Famiglia key by killing Luigi Jr. Who can be found underneath the middle section of the pier.

There are five Side Quests to complete in the Santa Monica Pier location. All require you to have completed the Boardwalking Dead Main Story Quest.

We recommend that you return to the Santa Monica Pier once you've completed the main campaign and complete all side quests in the Venice Beach and Bel-Air area before taking on these side quests.

You should tackle each Side Quest in the order below, as you won't be able to start the Red Tide Side Quest until you've completed the Hero's Journey.

The Like And Follow! Side Quest is picked up in Santa Monica Pier after completing the main story and Clickbait! Amanda Styles' previous Side Quest.

To start the Like and Follow! Quest, walk along the pier by the bumper cars, and you will find Amanda Styles standing on top of the building opposite, surrounded by zombies.

Amanda traveled to the Pier hoping to record some zombie-slaying footage for her social media. This is where you come in. Like in the Clickbait! Side Quest Amanda will ask you to slay zombies in specific ways, starting with electrocution.

Objective

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How To Complete

Use electricity to zap 16 zombies to death

You can easily complete this objective by spilling water over the Bumper Cars arena.

Several Hydration Zombies will spawn in the area that you can use to flood the ground with water. Moreover, you can use the Water Cans and conduct the live wire found in the arena.

The Chem Bomb and Electric Star combo is excellent for this situation; however, be careful not to electrify too much of the area as you risk taking damage to yourself.

Decapitate 12 zombies

Once you've killed 16 zombies with electricity, Amanda will walk along the rooftops further into the pier. She will ask you to decapitate 12 zombies in the area before outside the Ferris wheel.

This objective is a bit more tricky as a mix of crushers, slobbers, and Ri ot-Gear Walkers will attack you. We recommend using a maiming weapon or a rifle as headshots and head stomps count.

Yeet 14 zombies off the edge of the pier

Lastly, Amanda Styles will ask you for one final zombie slaying scene. For her footage, she will ask you to kick 14 zombies off the pier by the destroyed part of the pier that fell during the Boardwalking Dead Main Story Quest.

To complete this objective, you must equip the jump kick ability, as this increases the power of your kicks and sends zombies flying.

Once you've completed the objective, return to Amanda to claim your prestigious reward:

The Hero's Journey can only be picked up once you've completed the main story and the Coast Guardian Side Quest at Venice Beach.

Walk by the shoreline under the pier to trigger The Hero's Journey Side Quest and the conclusion of Burt the lifeguard's story; now, what mess could he have got himself into this time?

Objective

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How To Complete

Follow the cries for help.

The first objective in The Hero's Journey is to follow the cries for help. Simply walk underneath the pier until you get to the pier wall and find Rita and Burt trapped by a swarm of zombies.

You'll have to kill all the zombies in the area before talking to Rita and Burt.

Clear an escape route for Burt and Rita.

Climb up onto the ledge and talk to Burt and Rita, who will reveal that they're trying to escape to the Lifeguard HQ with the other survivors. You will need to kill all the zombies in the area.

Burt will ask if you can fetch his lucky torp, located at the public toilets near the CDC area.

Rescue Burt's Lucky torp behind the public toilets.

To find Burt's lucky torp you must fight your way to the CDC. Be wary of the shipment containers on either side of the entrance as a dozen zombies and Screamer can spawn here.

Once you reach the public toilets, destroy the wooden box in between a narrow walkway separating the two toilet blocks.

Burt's lucky torp is found in the sand at the back of the toilet area. Be careful, as picking up the torp will cause a Crusher Apex Zombie to spawn in the narrow walk way.

Rescue Burt.

After saving Rita from a crusher, you will return to the Lifeguard HQ to discover that Burt has taken refuge in the lifeguard hut on the beach.

Quickly run to the lifeguard hut and clear all the zombies surrounding the hut. You will have to face crushers, slobbers, and butchers.

Finally, give the lucky torp to Burt. You'll be rewarded with the following items for completing The Hero's Journey Side Quest:

To pick up the Message in a Bottle Side Quest, walk along the shore opposite the beached row boat to find a bottle to start the quest. This quest works very similarly to a Lost and Found quest.

Using the journal entry, you must visit key locations to discover what happens to the arrogant food critic.

Objective

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How To Complete

Go to the Bucket O' Fish

The first entry shows that the food critic visited the Bucket O' Fish for a bite of seafood. You'll find the Bucket O' Fish passed the army quarantine area and at the back of the Pier Grill.

To find the "Review: Bucket O' Fish: One Star" journal entry, you must descend into the Bucket O' Fish and navigate through shotgun and electricity traps.

The journal entry is found on a crate guarded by electrified water. To get to the review, climb on top of the crates on the left and then throw a weapon at the electric box to cut the power.

Go to the Pier Grill

The food critic was not happy with the Bucket O' Fish and hinted at his next destination — the military had set up a landing pad next to the grill, and there was an outdoor seating area. This is hinting at the Pier Grill, as there is crashed Chinook helicopter by the seating area.

You will be swarmed by Crushers and Riot Gear zombies when approaching the Pier Grill.

The "Review: Pier Grill: Two Stars" journal is found on the back table of the outdoor seating area.

Go to the Hot Dogs Shack

Once again the food critic was not happy with his food, and states in the journal that he needs "something, greasy, unpleasant and most importantly FAST! The kind of meat whose origins nobody could possibly determine!"

The food critic can only refer to the Hot Dog Shack behind the Lifeguard HQ. This time, however, you will need to kill A.R. Oliver, who has transformed into a slobber. Killing A.R. Oliver is easy enough. However, you will be swarmed by large groups of zombies that spawn in the area.

Pick up the "Review: Hot Dog Shack: Twelvteen Strs" journal to complete the quest and earn 3,000 XP.

To pick up the Dez and the Mother of Satan Side Quest, you must first complete Boz Makes a Bang Side Quest and Boardwalking Dead Story Quest.

If you meet these requirements, Hana will contact you via a radio that can be accessed at any Safe House location, explaining that she needs your help tracking down another VCLA student.

Objective

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How To Complete

Find the source of the noise.

Your first objective is to find the source of the noise in the CDC area. You must fight through swarms of zombies that spawn from the shipping containers before reaching Dez at the CDC Main Dome balcony.

Speak to Dez up on the CDC Dome's Balcony.

Dez is standing on top of the CDC's Main Dome Balcony. She will explain that she is testing an experimental explosive and needs your help securing the area by killing any zombies that survive the explosions.

Search the Quartermaster's records for where Mother of Satan is stored.

Once you've defeated a few waves of zombies, speak to Dez to get your next objective.

You must retrieve the Autophage Taxonomy journal, "Autophage: Vectory Mechanics journal, and the "Quartermaster's Records" journal, which can be found by walking through the small tents that loop to the Main Dome security keypad entrance.

Return to Dez at the CDC Dome Interior.

With all journals accounted for, you'll learn the location of the Mother of Satan chemical.

Enter the Main Dome and clear out all the zombies in the area. You will have to kill a unique Voltaic Screamer named Project: Juliet. It's a good idea to activate your Fury Mode in the Main Dome area, as you can easily be overwhelmed by the zombies spawning from the Voltaic Screamer.

Once you've killed all the zombies, talk to Dez to finish up the quest and claim your rewards:

Red Tide is the final side quest to complete in Santa Monica Pier and is picked up from the Lifeguard HQ by talking to Carmen. However, you must have completed the Rage Quit Story Quest and The Hero's Journey Side Quest.

Carmen explains that she may have found a way out of Hell-A by recovering CDC documents that a boat had been requested, and she wants you to find this boat; what could go wrong?

Red Tide is the toughest quest in Santa Monica, so make sure to be fully stocked on Med Kits, and have Fury Mode ready.

Objective

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How To Complete

Pick up Cooper's trail at the CDC HQ.

Carmen will give you the documents she found revealing that the boat was requested by a CDC employee named Cooper, who worked at the CDC tents.

With a lead, head to the CDC area and enter the tent marked by a red sign reading "Remember Your VEC!"

Investigate the CDC tent for clues to the location of Cooper's boat.

You will need to find three journals to find the boat's location.

The "Cashing Out" journal is in the yellow bin to the right of the door.

The "Change of Scenery" journal is found in the biohazard bin in the dark corridor.

"Paging Doctor Whom," The third and final journal, is found on the desk by the entrance of the tent.

Enter the CDC main dome.

Discovering that Cooper managed to acquire a boat, you will need to enter the CDC Main Dome.

Entering the Main Dome will trigger a swarm of Butchers and Vicious Butcher Apex Zombies to spawn. We recommend that you activate Fury Mode during this fight, as butchers can unleash attacks in quick succession making it hard to dodge all of them at the same time.

Once you've killed the butchers pick up the "Huang's Warning" journal. It reveals that the boat is located near the pier.

Search the beach for Cooper's Boat.

There are two beached boats in the Santa Monica Pier area. Ignore the beached boat on the shoreline and instead walk underneath the pier and shoreline to find Cooper's Boat.

Pillage Cooper's Shipwrecked Boat.

Now that you've found Cooper's Boat, you will need to search the three red containers. However, the area is swarming with zombies, so kill the zombies before searching the containers.

We recommend that you turn off the generator on the beach so you can search for the container by the boat.

Kill all the zombies in the area.

Once you've searched all three containers, you must kill all remaining zombies in the area.

Several zombies will spawn alongside Cooper, a Mutator, and Screamer. We recommend that you reactivate the generator to electrify the water as several zombies spawn.

Once you've killed all the zombies in the area, the quest will conclude, rewarding you with 3,000 XP.

There is only one Lost and Found quest in the Santa Monica Pier area, but completing it is well worth it! Like most of the Lost and Found quests, you will be rewarded with a legendary weapon.

Fool's Gold can only be picked up after completing the Boardwalking Dead Main Story Quest. It's obtained by returning to the Lifeguard HQ Safe house and killing Dante, the Crusher lifeguard.

Objective

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How To Complete

Ransack Randy's Locker

Once you've killed Dante and picked up the "Totally Legit Letter" journal, you will need to search Randy's Locker on the first floor of the Lifeguard HQ.

Find Dante's Burner Phone

Opening the locker, you will find the "Deep Shit" journal hinting for you to search the frozen yogurt stores.

You will find Dante's Burner Phone in the alley to the left of the frozen yogurt store.

Find Randy's Burner Phone

With the "Flaws in the Plan" journal in hand, your next objective is to travel to the ice cream parlor at the end of the Santa Monica Pier to collect Randy's Burner Phone.

Find the Buried Safe!

Once you've picked up the final half of the safe code return, to Lifeguard HQ, and walk down the narrow strip of sand located right of the safe house.

The Buried Safe can be found here, but it won't be revealed until you've killed all the zombies in the area. Use the narrow area to your advantage by spreading elemental obstacles like electrified water using the chem bomb and Electric Star, or use a weapon with a Tear N' Sear perk.

Once all zombies have been killed, you can open the buried safe and loot the Blood Rage Legendary Headhunter knife.

Next: Dead Island 2: Where To Find Every Crafting Material

Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, and Witcher are some of the most treasured gaming experiences Alex has, but patrolling the Mojave desert with a Lever Action Rifle and a bottle of sunset sarsaparilla takes the Sweetroll. When Alex is not gaming, he can be found playing guitar and hiking, imagining he's part of a fantasy world.