So, you’ve finally scaled the Horseshoe Water Tower. Your hands are probably a bit sweaty from that janky parkour climb, and now you’re standing in front of a valve that basically decides the fate of Old Villedor. It’s one of those "point of no return" moments that Dying Light 2 Stay Human loves to throw at you. You’ve got the Peacekeepers on one side, screaming about law and order, and the Survivors on the other, just trying to grow some carrots and not get hanged.
Deciding who gets the Dying Light 2 water tower isn't just a flavor choice. It’s the literal foundation of how you’ll move through the city for the next forty hours.
Honestly? Most people overthink the morality of it. They worry about Barney being a jerk or Aitor being a stiff. But the real meat of the decision lies in the City Alignment system. This isn't just a narrative fork in the road; it’s a mechanical one. If you give it to the PKs, you get traps. If you give it to the Survivors, you get parkour helpers. It sounds simple, but once you’re being chased by a Volatile at 3:00 AM, those "simple" choices feel life-altering.
The Horseshoe Water Tower: Your First Real Test
The mission "Water Tower" is where the training wheels come off. Jack and Joe—the two idiots holding the tower hostage—are your first real taste of Villedor’s messy politics. You can fight them. You can negotiate. But no matter how you handle the twins, the tower remains.
Assigning the Dying Light 2 water tower to a faction unlocks specific zones of influence. If you’re a fan of the first game, your instinct might be to go for the Survivors. Why? Because the parkour in this game is the star of the show. Giving the tower to the Survivors adds Ziplines and Airbags to the district. Suddenly, getting across the street doesn't involve touching the "chemical" floor. It’s fluid. It feels like the game developers intended it to be played this way.
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But then there are the Peacekeepers.
The PKs are all about combat. If you hand them the valve, they set up Car Bombs and Electrical Traps. It turns the street level from a death trap into a playground for mayhem. There is something deeply satisfying about leading a horde of Biters toward a rigged car and watching the fireworks. It changes the "rhythm" of your gameplay. Instead of looking up for the next ledge, you’re looking down for the next detonator.
Why the Rewards Aren't Equal
Let's get real for a second. The rewards aren't balanced, and that's okay.
Techland designed the Survivor rewards to scale with your movement. If you’re the kind of player who hates touching the ground, you need those Ziplines. They make traveling to quests significantly faster. On the flip side, the Peacekeeper rewards—specifically the Crossbow—are locked behind higher alignment levels. You won't get the legendary Semi-Auto Crossbow just by handing over one tower. You have to commit.
That’s the trap many players fall into. They flip-flop. They give one tower to the PKs and the next to the Survivors.
Don't do that.
The best gear in Dying Light 2 is back-loaded. If you want the Crossbow, which is arguably the most broken weapon in the game because it scales with your level and stays silent, you have to go all-in on the Peacekeepers. If you want the "hook" and the improved vents, you go Survivors. Mixing and matching usually leaves you with a bunch of mediocre tools instead of one god-tier traversal or combat kit.
The Narrative Fallout You Can't Take Back
People get hung up on the "Search for Lucas’s Killer" plotline. Here’s the deal: assigning the Dying Light 2 water tower to the Peacekeepers makes Aitor trust you faster. It smooths out your relationship with the military faction. If you give it to the Survivors, Sophie and her crew become your primary contacts.
But here is the nuance most guides miss: the "best" ending isn't tied strictly to who gets the water. It’s tied to how you treat the NPCs during those missions. You can give the tower to the PKs but still help the Survivors later. The game is surprisingly flexible—or messy, depending on how you look at it.
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Jack and Joe: To Kill or Not to Kill?
During the quest, you’ll encounter the bandits Jack and Joe. You have a choice. Kill them, or let them walk.
If you let them walk, they don't just vanish into the ether. They show up later in a side quest called "The Moonshine" in the Central Loop. If you kill them? Well, they’re dead. No quest for you. This is a classic example of Techland rewarding "mercy" with more content. If you're looking to 100% the game, let the goons live. They aren't worth the weapon durability anyway.
Beyond the First Tower: The Global Impact
Old Villedor is just the start. Once you get to the Central Loop, the stakes for water and electricity towers skyrocket. But that first Dying Light 2 water tower sets the tone. It determines which faction’s "hubs" look more lived-in.
If you favor the Survivors, the city starts looking green. They plant gardens. They string up lights. It feels like a rebirth. If you favor the PKs, the city looks like a fortress. Guard towers, barbed wire, and uniform-wearing soldiers everywhere. It’s a visual representation of your philosophy on survival.
Is order more important than freedom?
That's the question the game asks, but the reality is simpler: Do you want to shoot a crossbow or jump higher? Most gamers choose the crossbow. It’s hard to argue with a weapon that one-shots Volatiles from a distance while you’re tucked safely on a rooftop.
Understanding the Map Tiers
The city is divided into zones. When you assign a water tower, that entire zone adopts the faction’s perks.
- Survivor Zones: Feature "Safety Nets" (preventing fall death) and "Airbags" (big jumps).
- PK Zones: Feature "Pendulum Traps" (giant swinging logs) and "UV Lamps" (safe zones on the fly).
A lot of players find the PK traps to be a bit "fiddly." You have to trigger them manually or lead enemies into them. The Survivor perks are passive. You just use them. In a game as fast-paced as this, passive usually wins. You don't want to be fumbling with a remote trigger while a Banshee is screaming in your ear.
Common Misconceptions About the Tower
One big myth is that giving the tower to one side locks you out of the "Good" ending. That’s just not true. The ending of Dying Light 2 is determined by a series of choices involving characters like Lawan, Hakon, and the final decision at the X-13 facility. The water tower is a mid-tier choice. It affects the world, but it doesn't strictly dictate the finale.
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Another misconception? That the water towers provide a constant resource you have to manage.
They don't.
Once the tower is assigned, the "water" aspect is basically a narrative device. You don't get a water meter. You don't have to protect the supply. It’s effectively a light switch. You flip it, the zone changes, and you move on to the next parkour challenge.
Making the Final Call
If you're staring at that screen right now, wondering what to do, ask yourself one thing: How do I want to move?
If you love the feeling of momentum—stringing together wall-runs, slides, and paragliding—the Survivors are your people. Their upgrades make the city feel like a giant skate park. The Ziplines alone save so much time in the late game.
However, if you find the combat in Dying Light 2 to be the highlight, the Peacekeepers are the only logical choice. The traps are fun, sure, but the Crossbow is the real prize. It’s arguably the most powerful tool in Aiden’s arsenal, and you can’t get it any other way.
Actionable Steps for New Players
- Scout the Tower First: Before interacting with the valve, make sure you've looted the entire interior. There are often mementos and crafting supplies tucked in the rafters that are harder to find once the NPC transition happens.
- Check Your Alignment Menu: Open your map and look at the "City Alignment" tab. See what the next unlock is for both factions. If you’re one point away from a "Crossbow" or a "Paraglider Vent," let that dictate your choice.
- Talk to Jack and Joe: Don't just rush in swinging. Listen to their dialogue. Negotiating unlocks a future side quest that provides some of the best world-building (and booze) in the game.
- Commit to a Side: While you can split your choices, the game rewards specialization. Pick a faction for your first 4-5 assignments to reach the high-tier rewards quickly.
- Look for Inhibitors: Water towers often have Inhibitor containers nearby. Use your GRE sensor once the power is on to sniff them out. You'll need the stamina boost for the parkour challenges that the Survivors will set up for you.
The Dying Light 2 water tower choice is the moment the game stops being a linear tutorial and starts being your story. It’s messy, the rewards are lopsided, and the characters are all kind of manipulative. But that’s Villedor. Pick a side, live with the consequences, and try not to fall off the roof on your way down.