You’re standing in front of the Houndfield Electrical Station in Dying Light 2, looking at a mess of cables and wondering why the hell games still make us do plumbing with electricity. It’s one of the first major "Facilities" you’ll encounter in Villedor. If you’re like most players, you probably just want to flip the switch, claim the territory for the Survivors or Peacekeepers, and get back to drop-kicking zombies off rooftops. But this place is a bit of a maze if you don't know the verticality of the room.
It’s frustrating. One wrong jump and you’re falling into a pit of chemical waste that eats your health faster than a Volatile eats a survivor.
The Houndfield Electrical Station isn't just a checkbox on your map. It’s a tactical choice. Depending on who you give this station to, the entire neighborhood of Houndfield changes. You get traps or you get parkour aids. Choose wrong, and you might regret it twenty hours later when you're trying to outrun a chase and realize there are no air vents where you need them.
Why the Houndfield Electrical Station Matters for Your Early Game
Most people treat the Houndfield Electrical Station as a simple chore. It isn't. This is your introduction to the "City Alignment" system. Basically, you’re playing god with the city’s infrastructure. If you hand the power over to the Peacekeepers (PKs), they’ll install car bombs and electrical traps throughout the streets. It turns the ground into a minefield for the infected. On the flip side, the Survivors will put up ziplines and airbags. Honestly, in a game called Stay Human where the floor is literally toxic sludge half the time, the Survivor rewards usually feel more "right," but the PK traps are undeniably fun for pure chaos.
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Don't rush the decision. Once you assign a facility, there is no "undo" button. You are locked in. The Houndfield station is particularly vital because it sits on the western edge of the Central Loop's transition zone. It’s a safety net.
The Cable Puzzle: A Step-by-Step Reality Check
Inside the Houndfield Electrical Station, you're dealing with three main cables. The game calls them "nodes." I call them "those annoying green wires that aren't long enough."
First, find Cable 2. It’s sitting right there on the ground floor. You’ll see the "2" socket high up on a wall. You can’t just walk to it. You have to use the trash heaps and the yellow pipes. Parkour is the only way. Once you plug in Cable 2, you unlock the elevator. This is the "secret" most people miss—don't try to climb the whole building manually. Use the tools the game gives you.
Cable 1 is a bit more of a headache. You’ll find it in the basement area. The floor is covered in that nasty yellow chemicals, so stay on the crates. If you touch the yellow stuff, you’ll start taking tick damage. Take the cable, look for the swinging bars, and jump across. If you miss the jump, you’re going to have a bad time. The socket for 1 is back up on the mezzanine.
Pro Tip: If you're struggling with the jump distance, check your stamina. Early game Aiden has the lungs of a heavy smoker. If you haven't put at least two or three inhibitors into Stamina, these jumps feel way tighter than they actually are.
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Lastly, there’s Cable 3. This one is tucked away in a room that requires you to go through a window on the exterior of the building. Most players stay inside the station trying to find a path. Don't do that. Go outside, look for the yellow ledges, and circle around. Once you find the "3" cable, drop back down into the main hall and plug it into the final generator.
Surviving the "Trash" Mobs Inside
There are usually a few Renegades or a handful of Sleepers (infected) inside the Houndfield Electrical Station when you first arrive. Don't waste your good weapons on them. Since the station is full of vertical drops and electrical hazards, use them. A well-placed kick can send a Renegade flying 30 feet down into the chemical waste. It's much more satisfying than hacking away at their health bars with a rusty machete.
If you’re doing this at night—which you shouldn't, unless you like living dangerously—be aware that the interior isn't a "Dark Zone," but the surrounding area will be crawling with Howlers. If you trigger a chase right as you're trying to carry a cable, you’re basically a sitting duck. Do this during the day. The sun is your friend here.
The Loot You’re Likely to Miss
Everyone finishes the puzzle and runs to the control room to flip the switch. Stop. Before you activate the station, explore the side rooms. There is an Inhibitor container hidden in the basement area near where you found Cable 1. If you flip the power first, some areas might become harder to navigate because of the environmental changes.
Also, check the lockers in the staff rooms. You’ll find "Scrap" and "Wiring" which you desperately need for weapon mods. Early in Dying Light 2, resources are scarce. The Houndfield Electrical Station is basically a supermarket for crafting materials if you take five minutes to actually look around instead of just staring at the green cables.
The Survivor vs. Peacekeeper Dilemma in Houndfield
Let's talk about the consequences. If you give the Houndfield Electrical Station to the Survivors:
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- You get the Ziplines. These make moving through the district significantly faster.
- You get Airbags. These are great for reaching rooftops without looking for a ladder.
- The neighborhood feels "alive" with more NPCs and flowerbeds.
If you give it to the Peacekeepers:
- You get Car Bombs. Great for clearing crowds, but they make a lot of noise.
- You get Electrical Traps. These are killers during a chase.
- The area becomes a militarized zone with more guards.
Honestly, for your first playthrough, the Survivor route in Houndfield is usually better. The mobility upgrades help you get to the next story mission faster, and the verticality of Villedor means you'll use a zipline way more often than you'll use a car bomb.
Common Glitches and How to Fix Them
Sometimes the Houndfield Electrical Station bugs out. I've seen reports where the cable simply won't "attach" to the socket even when you're standing right in front of it. Usually, this happens because the game thinks you’re still in combat. Make sure every single zombie or Renegade in the immediate vicinity is dead.
If the cable physics go crazy—and they will, it’s a Techland game—drop the cable, walk out of the building, and walk back in. It resets the cable's position. Whatever you do, don't try to "force" the cable through a wall. You'll just get stuck in the geometry and have to restart your last checkpoint, losing all that progress.
What to Do Immediately After Powering Up
Once the lights are on, the Houndfield Electrical Station becomes a safe zone. This is huge. It gives you a bed and a UV spot in a part of the map that is otherwise pretty hostile.
- Check the Merchant: A trader usually spawns nearby once the zone is settled. Check their stock for unique blueprints.
- Clear the Nearby Dark Hollow: Now that you have a nearby respawn point, it’s the perfect time to loot the nearest Dark Hollow or Forsaken Store.
- Upgrade your Paraglider: If you’ve progressed far enough to have the paraglider, the vents activated by the station will help you stay airborne longer.
The Houndfield Electrical Station isn't just a puzzle; it's the anchor for the entire western side of the map. Take the time to do it right, grab the Inhibitor in the basement, and think long and hard about whether you want ziplines or bombs. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in this district, so make sure it’s set up to support your playstyle.
Go get that Inhibitor in the basement before you leave. It's the difference between having enough stamina to scale a skyscraper and falling to your death three stories up.