You can interrupt the order of many of DI2’s side quests. If you’re in the right spot, you can just skip a few of the intermediary tasks, which makes it challenging to finish the related Journal. This list serves that purpose.
Locations for each Side Quest Journal in Dead Island 2
Body Art: 5
When you return to Beverly Hills after learning how to gather zombie parts in “The Giant-Slayer,” Francesca will be in a house to the north. She asks that you bring her some increasingly scarce zombie components.
- 1: Huge Arm Bones: After finishing “Body Art: The Visionary” in Beverly Hills, take this off the corkboard next to Francesca. Large Arm Bones frequently fall from Crushers.
- 2: Chthonic Ichor: Francesca will have another note and another task for you the next time you visit Beverly Hills. Slobbers can be used to obtain Chthonic Ichor.
- 3: Make a third journey to Beverly Hills and examine Francesca’s board: Infectious Spines. She wants the spines of the screamers this time.
- 4: Blade Arms: Fran wants you to hunt Butchers right away. You are familiar with the procedure.
- 5: Mutated Hearts: You ask Francesca for these Mutator pieces at the end of your last visit. She will give you the fabled Blood Rage knife in return.
Creature Comforts: 4
- 1: Go back to Curt Swanson’s home and take this from his kitchen island.
- 2: Last Call [You get this after completing the task and giving it to Curtis, but I can’t find where it appears in-game.]
- 3: Hell or High Water: If you watched “Desperately Seeking Emma,” you may have noticed a room in Curt Swanson’s home that had a barricaded door. Returning there immediately will allow you to rescue this phone from its closet by navigating a maze of shotgun traps because the outer door is open.
- 4: Corporate Narc: Look at the note atop the opulent bar on the second floor of the Goat Pen House.
Resurrect the Rex: 1
- 1: Gods and Whiskey Jam: You instantly get the song in question as an audio diary when you get the second set of recordings from Rikky’s producer’s home.
The Rav-Ages of Caustic X: 2
- 1: Caustic-X Shipping Receipt: This clipboard is on a crate next to the two red ambulances in the parking lot of the Halperin Hotel.
- 2: Silly Goose: You’ll get this tune as an audio journal as an extra prize for finishing this side mission.
Dez and the Mother of Satan: 4
Once you’ve finished Rav’s mission, Hana will use the radio to start this when you get to the Pier.
- 1: Autophage: See the table in the quartermaster’s tent for taxonomy.
- 2: Autophage: Vector Mechanics: Located in the Quartermaster’s tent, this is posted on a whiteboard.
- 3: Quartermaster’s Records: This is located in the same tent, on the floor, underneath the sparking wire.
- 4: Mysterious Apocalypse Goodie-Box Opera: Hana will, as promised, push this file to your phone after you finish the task.
It’s Not Your Fault: 4
This post-game side mission is made available by Luciana at Emma’s home.
- 1: Seismometer Location: As you arrive at the Bel-Air sewer entrance, a dead man with this clipboard on him will be next to an old truck.
- 2: Niran’s Reminder: Pick up this document off the desk in the office located above the Filtration Access and Service Room in the Brentwood Sewers.
- Eli’s Memo: With the aforementioned clue, descend to the ground level and search the filthy tunnel filled with meat slurry for the deceased Eli.
- 4: Fieldnotes Journal: In the Filtration Access and Servicing room, look for the dead man in the tunnel right outside the west gate.
Scooped!: 2
- 1: LA 24 News, first Crew’s Plan: Check out the reception desk in the lobby once you’ve gained admission to the LA24 building on Ocean Avenue.
- 2: Zompocalypse, second Assignments: Look on the table in the waiting room in the same lobby.
More Than the Badge: 2
- 1: The Badge. Check the poster on the back wall of the alleyway Jimmy specified, then spin around to deal with Sasha, a Screamer who has just materialized behind you. She will discard this file.
- 2: A remark for Jimmy Visit the parking structure on Ocean Avenue’s east side. You should be able to find this note on the roof if you follow the trail of “Badge” merchandise and fresh blood.
Message In a Bottle: 4
- 1: Message in a Bottle: This is what you find next to yourself on the sand after “Boardwalking Dead.”
- 2: Bucket O’ Fish: One Star Review Go downstairs to the Bucket O’ Fish restaurant on the Pier by navigating the maze of tripwires. You’ll discover this note in a container towards the conclusion.
- 3: Two stars for the Pier Grill review. This can be found on one of the tables outside the Pier Restaurant after you discover the previous message.
- 4: After figuring out the previous hints, head to the parking lot next to the Hot Dog Shop on the north side of the Pier to locate an especially irate Slobber. Take this note from its dead body.
Red Tide: 5
You must finish “Coast Guardian” in Venice Beach and then “The Hero’s Journey” at the Pier to receive this side quest.
- 1: Where’s My Boat, Dude? When you accept Carmen’s quest, you instantly get this entry.
- 2: Cashing Out: Locate Cooper’s research station by going back to the CDC building off the Pier. At the door, this journal is located inside an open biohazard container.
- 3: Calling Dr. Who: Verify the clipboard on the Cooper’s tent desk.
- 4: Alternating Scenery Cooper’s tent’s airlock, which is located at the back, has been severely damaged. After facing it, turn around to see this note hidden in a shadowy crevice.
- 5: Huang’s Warning: Kill the Vicious Butcher within the CDC main dome who is on patrol.
The Art of War: 3
- 1: Digital Artwork: Continue walking until your character mentions a laptop in the large trainyard in the western Metro. It’s on a table nearby a disabled airlock, open. Kill zombies until the laptop boots, then engage with it.
- 2: If you were perplexed as to why there are so many subway trains with traps on the west side of the Metro map, here explains it. One of them has this toward the rear.
- 3: Javier is disappointed. When you go back to the tunnel before the Brentwood Sewers exit, a mixed group of zombies will greet you there. Remove them, then seize this document from the Crusher’s corpse.
Going Viral: 3
Once you’ve accomplished “#Clickbait” and “Like and Follow,” this appears in the post-game.