Zombie Exodus: Safe Haven, Part 3 Walkthrough, chapters 8 – 9

Welcome to the Part 3 walkthrough and guide, which will cover the first two chapters (8 – 9) based on the currently available open beta. This article will provide the most optimal path while also discussing the impact of key choices in these chapters. Some choices do not have as great an impact but are presented in the game for character building, role-playing, romantic, or action opportunities. While these choices are all important, there are no right or wrong options. Their impact is much more specific to the character you are playing.

I will also describe different paths based on your play style. When I write this game, I try to offer successful opportunities for combat oriented, social oriented, and intellectually oriented characters.

Character Creation

The first key choice is actually a series of choices that relate to building your character. I typically customize my stats so I can ensure the correct combination that goes into building up a skill. I generally go for Dexterity, Charisma, and Perception. All of the attributes are important, but this build will not use extra attribute points. I also like to raise Intelligence as high as possible since they directly add to the number of skill points you receive when leveling up. Below are the attributes I chose:

Next we choose profession. Professions/backgrounds are really useful for setting up a character if you don’t want to customize. They also provide side quests tailored to that profession or background and also affect some interactions with other characters in the game. For the purpose of this guide I will use a Homemaker. Although this background has no preferred skills, the cost of raising a skill is reduced up to level 5. This is a huge advantage. Of course you won’t be able to master a skill, but you will be able to succeed in 75% of all skill checks and get a wide variety of skills to a high level.

Before we actually choose skills, we have the option to select Challenges. These added a lot of details to the game, most notably the Dependent Child and Pet Owner. I recommend you try both of those at some point. For the purpose of this guide, I will not choose any. If I wanted to maximize my skill points, which are rewards for accepting Challenges, I would choose Claustrophobia, Fear of Heights, and Vegetarian. These will net you 14 skill points, and those Challenges are not going to affect the game adversely overall.

Up next are hobbies and pastimes. You select two of them which will provide ways to lower stress in game and also provide a passive increase in one or more attributes. Dexterity and Charisma are two useful attributes for the characters I like to play, so I choose Playing video games and Singing.

When choosing skills, a good rule of thumb is to take level 3, if possible. I generally make skill checks so that 50% of characters pass the check. This makes it reasonable for players to create their characters with a variety of skills that they can utilize in the game with a fair amount of success by simply choosing the correct route to go. I do program high skill checks, such as firing weapons at difficult targets or persuading survivors to do things they don’t want to do. So if you have extra skill points and wish to master a certain skill, those points won’t be wasted.

When creating a character, I like to go for Athletics 3, Close-Combat Weapons 3, Empathy 3, Persuasion 3, Ranged Weapons 3 and Search 3. This allows me to use a hand-held weapon as well as a firearm with a reasonable amount of effectiveness. Athletics helps in a number of physical encounters. Empathy allows me to increase relationship scores with others and give insight into their thoughts and emotions. Persuasion is what I use in social situations. Search allows me to see things that are hidden or with greater detail.

Since I have level 3 in Close-Combat Weapons and Ranged Weapons, I get to select to weapons during character creation. I choose a machete which has a good bonus mod that adds to my attack score and also a Bushmaster AR-15 which also has a good bonus mod and lots of ammunition in each magazine.

I’m not going to be a leader in this playthrough as that style of gameplay could warrant its own guide.

Chapter 8

This chapter starts off with a conversation with Eli as he drives you to his Junkyard your new home for Part 3. The first series of choices affect your Personality and Moralities stats. After you reach the Junkyard the first major choice occurs when Jamie and Rachel ask you about your first impression on reaching the place. These types of choices build your relationship with Jamie and Rachel and occur frequently throughout the game. In general if you want to build your score with Jamie choose friendly and idealistic options. If you want to build your relationship with Rachel, choose pragmatic options. Next you will get to interact with Kevin. Since I am playing a persuasive character, I choose the first option

#I attempt to diffuse the situation, calming Kevin down so we can resolve this.

With a high persuasion, I actually gain relationship with Kevin.

After more interactions with Kevin, Eli, and the group of survivors you are presented with an opportunity to select your living quarters. I recommend the Trailer. I can’t give away spoilers for future content but the Garage apartment may not be ideal. No other choice is really wrong here. Go for the biggest option since it will allow you to move in a roommate, preferably your romantic interest.

There are two away missions in this chapter. The first is “Scout the area around the Junkyard with Rachel.” This is a great excursion to take if you have a Dependent Child as this is an opportunity for him to train. A chance arises for him to kill a zombie with your guidance. Also by scouting the area, you will save some time when traveling throughout other missions. Otherwise this mission is fun to play but not going to impact much beyond your relationship with your nephew, your pet, and Rachel. You can also rack up some zombie kills along the way.

The other major mission is “Visit a convenience store with Reilly.” First off if you were given the task of scavenging for your group by Jamie or by Rachel, completing this mission fulfills that duty. It’s also another opportunity to hang out with your nephew or pet as well as Gina and Dante if you choose to take them. The first set of choices only affects your Personality and Moralities stats along with relationship scores. If you are trying to raise your relationship with Reilly, generally choose aggressive and ruthless options.

In this mission you will meet Sharif and Ayana who are temporarily living at a convenience store where Sharif works. They are recurring characters who will appear later in Part 3 and will also have impact on Part 4. Treating them well will raise relationship scores and provide benefits in those future interactions. The biggest event in this mission is when you find out that Shirley, the owner of the convenience store, is planning to move them all to the Silverthornes’ camp. If you convince Shirley and/or Sharif not to go, they will eventually join the River Dogs. You can also choose to kill Shirley though you will take a large relationship hit with Sharif and Ayana if they find out. If you fail to convince them or kill Shirley, they will show up at the Silverthornes’ camp later in the game.

The rest of chapter 8 provides opportunities to craft supplies, perform your hobbies, and interact with other survivors. At the end of the first night at the Junkyard, you will have the opportunity for a romantic interlude with your chosen survivor.

Chapter 9

This chapter involves trips to various places near the Junkyard for much different reasons. As it’s still early in the outbreak, certain members of your group are still interested in entertainment more than providing for the future, and that’s why Madison and Brody present you with the idea for holding a prom at the Junkyard. Most of the group of survivors actually agrees with the idea. Of course any prom needs dance music, and so the twins ask you to accompany them on a trip to find a record player. Eli told them about an old train yard with lots of junk and suggested they search there. Aside from an opportunity to scavenge, this mission also provides you with an opportunity to get to know Kevin, who will be a major part of the group in chapters to come. Gina also asks to take the trip, and I would definitely add her to the team if she is available.

There’s really no right or wrong way to play this mission. You can take a purely social path and meet the occupants of the supposedly abandoned train yard, known as the Graves family or you can go complete psycho and kill them all. This is a rare mission where you can act completely ruthless and still succeed. It’s actually a pretty violent scenario and you can choose to go complete psychopath or simply threaten and intimidate the Graves family into handing over everything they own. Since my canon character generally goes for a persuasive approach, I choose to talk to the group and make friends.

As you arrive at the train yard, you spot a sniper on top of a train car who is acting as a lookout for the Graves family. Here you can simply choose the first option, "We're overreacting. Let's just call out and talk to the guy on top of the train car." The lookout will overreact at your approach and will call for Enola, the leader. I often choose the diplomatic approach and choose to talk with her while my friends keep cover. She will invite you to their camp in the middle of the train yard. Madison is not the most trusting person and she asks if she can remain outside of camp in case things go badly for you. To gain relationship with Madison, I choose: "I agree. Madison, why don't you stay outside. You can be our sniper if we get into a fight."

You continue on to their camp and meet the family. They will not have a major role in Part 3 but will appear again in Part 4. If you have a high enough Search skill, you will notice one of them has tattoos that depict the Southern Ute Native American tribe, of which Woody knows quite well. (Hint: this will come up again in Part 4) Meeting with the Graves family provides some information on the area around the Junkyard. This is a great opportunity to increase relationship score with them. Since one of the members of their family is pregnant, main characters with Medicine may even offer to give her and her children medical exams. This will bolster the relationship with the family, and they will also offer for you to take medical equipment back to your camp. You can also persuade them to allow you to scavenge the camp. This is an opportunity for a helmet and a tactical vest, two items not often found. The Graves family will also tell you where you can find stereo equipment.

The next part of the chapter involves a purely social activity — the prom. There are really no bad choices here. If you choose not to dance, you will be asked by any romantic interest you may have. If you choose to participate, you can select people with whom to dance. Dancing with anyone will raise your relationship score with them. You can dance with up to four people, each one giving you a small scene depicting how they dance and their views on the prom.

The last half of this chapter involves you taking a trip to a Research Center. Because it’s actually a pivotal and large mission, I will cover this in a future walk-through.