Should You Give Hakon the GRE Key in Dying Light 2? A Comprehensive Guide
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The decision to give Hakon the GRE key in Dying Light 2 is a pivotal one, with ramifications that echo throughout the game’s narrative, affecting your relationships, access to side quests, and ultimately, the ending you achieve. The immediate choice may seem simple, but it’s intertwined with complex character motivations and future plot developments. So, the answer is: Yes, you should give Hakon the GRE key. While there are short-term consequences that may seem unfavorable, it is absolutely the better option for story progression and achieving the best ending. By giving him the key, you keep him alive which allows you to unlock key quests and plot developments necessary for a positive outcome in the game. Choosing to fight him will cut off key content and lock you into the ‘bad’ ending.
Understanding the Immediate Consequences
Initially, the choice appears binary: give Hakon the key or fight him. Regardless of your choice, you’ll trigger a fight with the Renegades. This makes the immediate outcome largely irrelevant to the key decision itself. However, the long-term consequences are significant. Choosing to fight Hakon means you will permanently kill him, locking off a crucial questline and hindering your ability to achieve the “best” ending in Dying Light 2. If you agree to his request and give him the key, he will walk away, and he will reappear multiple times throughout the game and influence the story significantly.
The Path Less Traveled: What Happens If You Fight Hakon?
If you choose to fight Hakon, it will not be a simple brawl but a fight to the death. You will kill Hakon and there is no going back. This decision results in significant consequences:
- No “Sniper’s Alley” Quest: You’ll bypass a side quest that provides valuable information and deepens the narrative.
- Limited Relationships: Hakon’s absence severely limits character development and plot exposition.
- Bad Ending: Without Hakon’s influence, achieving the best ending is impossible.
- Missed Opportunities: Many interactions and additional plot information are locked out because he is dead.
Why Keeping Hakon Alive is Crucial
Despite his seemingly traitorous act, Hakon is a vital character. Choosing to let him live and progress through his questline offers many benefits:
- Key Player in the Ending: Hakon’s survival is directly tied to achieving the best ending. Saving him allows for the best final outcome, including your relationship with Lawan.
- Story Progression: The “Snipers’ Alley” quest unlocks after you let him live, unveiling critical details about the story. This information is completely missed if you kill Hakon, resulting in a gap in your understanding.
- Character Development: Hakon’s character is quite complex. Keeping him alive gives you the opportunity to unravel his true motivations, and see the good within the character.
The Best Ending and Hakon’s Role
To achieve Dying Light 2’s best ending, it’s crucial to keep Hakon alive. Specifically, here are the choices you must make:
- Spare Hakon in Old Villedor
- Let Lawan Live and Forgive Hakon: When Lawan tries to kill Hakon later in the story (during the No Mercy quest), you need to stop her. This key decision ensures Hakon’s continued survival.
- Give the Radio Tower to Frank.
- Save Frank in Breakthrough
- Let Lawan Detonate the Bombs in X13
Following these choices, including saving Hakon, you unlock the best ending where you escape with Lawan, while the city is ultimately destroyed. This ending provides the most closure for the game, despite some harsh realities.
The Consequences of Choosing the “Bad” Ending
Choosing to kill Hakon sets you on a path towards one of the “bad” endings. This involves either siding with the Peacekeepers, and ultimately, a more nihilistic end result. It also implies that Lawan will not be saved, which many will find unfavorable.
Hakon’s Complex Motivations: Is He a Traitor?
Many players feel betrayed by Hakon when it’s revealed he killed Lucas. However, the truth is more nuanced. Hakon was blackmailed by Waltz into killing Lucas to protect Lawan. This complex backstory paints Hakon as a morally grey character, but still a character that is vital for the best ending. Understanding his motivations will help players come to terms with the choice to spare his life.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does Hakon betray you in Dying Light 2?
Yes, on the surface it appears that Hakon is betraying you. However, it is revealed later in the game that he was forced to do what he did in order to protect Lawan. It is this same reason that he asks for the key from you initially. He is not inherently a bad character, but one that was manipulated.
2. Is Hakon a good guy?
Hakon is not a clear-cut hero or villain. He operates in a grey area, his actions driven by a desire to protect Lawan, which is more of a hero’s act than anything else. His backstory makes him a complicated character, but not completely evil.
3. Does Lawan kiss Aiden?
Yes, depending on your choices, Lawan will kiss Aiden on the cheek. This occurs if she’s made an official Nightrunner and you have not killed Hakon. This is a marker of a good relationship between the two, and one of the benefits of keeping Hakon alive.
4. What happens if I kill Hakon in the church?
If you kill Hakon in the church, he dies for good. You will miss out on all future encounters and quests related to him, including the chance to achieve the “best” ending. It is crucial you allow him to leave with the key.
5. What is the best ending in Dying Light 2?
The best ending involves sparing Hakon and stopping Lawan from killing him. Also, you must give the Radio Tower to Frank, save Frank in Breakthrough, and let Lawan Detonate the Bombs in X13. This allows for the “best” ending for the protagonist and Lawan, despite the destruction of the city.
6. Is leaving with Hakon a good ending?
No, it’s not considered the best ending. If you let everyone die in order to just leave with Hakon, you have not achieved a positive outcome. The best ending is the one where Lawan is saved and you leave the city together.
7. Why did Hakon kill Lucas?
Hakon was blackmailed by Waltz to kill Lucas to ensure Lawan’s safety. He was essentially a pawn in Waltz’s scheme.
8. Can you romance in Dying Light 2?
No, there is no official romance system. However, your choices affect your relationship with characters like Lawan. Depending on choices, there are hints of romance with her, especially if you save Hakon.
9. Who is the best to side with: Peacekeepers or Survivors?
This depends on your gameplay preference. Peacekeepers offer combat-focused upgrades, while Survivors focus on traversal. However, to achieve the best ending, siding with the survivors at key moments is essential.
10. What happens if I side with Sophie?
Siding with Sophie means you are siding with the Bazaar Survivors. This gives access to some storylines, but does not impact if you get the ‘best’ ending, unlike the decisions surrounding Hakon.
11. How many endings are there in Dying Light 2?
There are multiple endings, but the major outcomes depend on key choices around saving Hakon, and who you give the radio tower to. These decisions impact the game significantly.
12. Which is the canon ending for Dying Light 2?
The game strongly implies that the Infected Option is canon, as the Nuclear Option would have prevented the spread of the virus. This also works with the best ending involving Hakon.
13. How do you get the “best” ending?
Achieving the “best” ending requires you to save Hakon, prevent Lawan from killing him in “No Mercy”, give the Radio Tower to Frank, save Frank in Breakthrough, and let Lawan Detonate the Bombs in X13.
14. What happens if I don’t help Hakon?
If you don’t help Hakon by giving him the GRE key and allowing him to leave, you will miss out on many quests, and character information and will not be able to get the best ending. The game punishes players who fight Hakon rather than help him.
15. How old is Kyle Crane?
Kyle Crane is stated to be in his early 30s in the first Dying Light game, as he is not a character in Dying Light 2.
Conclusion: Hakon is Key to Success
The decision to give Hakon the GRE key is a crucial one in Dying Light 2. While it might seem counterintuitive given his apparent betrayal, choosing to help Hakon is vital for accessing the “best” ending, unlocking additional quests, and enriching your overall experience. Don’t be fooled by the immediate choice presented; the long-term consequences make keeping Hakon alive the best path forward.