Top 10 Pacific Drive tips & tricks

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Here are my top 10 Pacific Drive tips and tricks to get you where you want to go. Because life in the Olympic Exclusion Zone can be unforgiving, to say the least.

If you have been playing Pacific Drive, you will know it can be cruel. Like many videogames of old, one mistake and you return to the garage with a totalled vehicle and all your loot gone. Once you leave the safety of the Auto Shop zone, there is no saving.

Fortunately, I have already died a thousand deaths so you do not have to. I present to you my wisdom for making life easier in the Olympic Exclusion Zone. As always, leave your own pearls of wisdom in the comments for other players to use.

Side note: This guide is written for those who do not adjust any of the major difficulty options. If things are too tough, feel free to use them but bear in mind you will not be able to earn achievements.

Please note: This is the script from my YouTube video, click play above to watch or click here. Also check out my Pacific Drive review and top 15 best upgrades.

1) Farm the Auto Shop

First up, a basic tip. In between drives use the Scrapper on that nearby abandoned vehicle, computer and radio outside the Auto Shop. The crafting components you get, especially Scrap Metal, are necessary for crafting replacement parts.

Also use the ‘Friendly Dumpster’, which chucks out replacement parts and crafting components. Keep using it until it makes a grumbling sound. These dumpsters can be found away from the Auto Shop area so keep an eye out.

2) Upgrade your tires (tyres)

With much of Pacific Drive taking place away from roads and zone exit Gateways usually off the beaten track, it makes sense to unlock Offroad tyres as soon as you can using the Fabristation. Spare and Summer tyres are okay, but steep hills will be impossible and you will be generally slower.

Later on, I would also consider the Puncture-Proof tyres as these provide added peace of mind on longer drives. Plus you can save on crafting Sealing Kits and Mechanic Kits to repair damaged tyres.

Later maps feature more water, which means the Paddle tyre can come in handy. The issue with these and other tyres beyond Offroad is that the material cost is greater, making them more costly to replace when they wear out or you die.

All-Terrain tyres do, however, have more health and a high rating on all surfaces. Power Grip tyres, meanwhile, drain your battery so watch out for that. Basically, Offroad and Puncture-Proof are hard to beat, especially early on.

3) Check your route

With Pacific Drive keen on panic-inducing moments and an invisible countdown timer before each zone implodes (and drenches you in deadly radiation), it is important to use the Route Planner in the Auto Shop before going anywhere.

Areas in a storm will be tougher to handle, partly thanks to random modifiers. These can vary from increased battery useage, darker darkness and car-lifting winds to random Anchor movement and, maybe worst of all, acid rain.

Unless you want to get Unstable or Corrupted Anchors, it is usually wise to go another way. There is no need to risk damaging or destroying your trusty estate if you have a long drive ahead of you.

Also beware of dead-ends, which really are dead-ends. That ‘Do not enter‘ is not for fun. All you can do is abandon your vehicle, which means you lose your loot, or die by radiation as the world eventually implodes, which also means you lose your loot.

Fortunately, there is a way to get your stuff back. Once back in the Auto Shop, look for a tombstone icon on the Route Map and go to it.

4) Use time wisely

Next in my Pacific Drive tips list, I highly would recommend you maximise your time in the current zone as the next one might be less accommodating and you never know when things will go wrong. As such, always pre-plan your exit.

This can be an exit road, as indicated by orange. You just have to drive through these. If all exits are grey, Gateways are your only option. You need to be a certain distance away to enable them using the in-car map. Orange means you are far away enough, pink means you are too close.

Gateways near a road are usually easiest to drive to, but maybe your world is imploding and you have already lost a certain area of the map. In this instance, choose the exit in the flattest area. Driving can be slow or impossible if hilly – as indicated by close lines on the map.

Link gateways greyed-out? That is because you have not given them enough energy-containing Anchors. Head to the yellow circles on the map, pick up the Anchor and put it in the Arc Device located in the front passenger seat. Rinse and repeat until you go over the line on the gauge next to the map.

Not only are Anchors essential for returning to the Auto Shop, the energy they give you helps pay for upgrades at the Fabristation. Three types of energy exist: Stable, Unstable and Corrupt.

Once a Gateway is open, a terrifying yellow radiation circle will close in fast. Focus on the bright orangey-yellow pillar of light and drive to it like your life depends on it. Because it does.

Some zones contain Stabilisation Towers, which can also trigger the implosion when enabled (side note: there is an upgrade to counter this). Stay outside the car and look for the same pillar of light then drive to it fast. Sitting in the car makes it harder to know where it is.

If there is a road exit or you do not want to use a gateway, listen out for the Inception-esque horn of doom. This signifies the zone is becoming unstable and deadly radiation is on the way. Fortunately, the yellow circle usually (but not always) closes slowly so use this time to your advantage.

Collect crafing components, visit repair or recharging stations as indicated by coloured circles on the map, let any passive upgrades collect fuel or recharge your battery, collect Anchors – do whatever you need before driving into the next zone.

You can also put first aid kits and food in your backpack you as you may need to top up your health when on the move. Put crafting items in the trunk/boot so you can loot faster in the next zone.

Then use the crafting table in the boot to fix any car parts with a yellow or red exclamation mark. Usually this is done using a Sealing Kit or another type of repair kit. Do this first as using a kit partially repairs the part.

Then you can use Repair Putty if necessary or fit any replacement parts you may have brought with you or scavenged (more on that in a second). Use the Scrapper to break up components you no longer need or that are too broken.

Quick cargo tip: Pacific Drive adds and removes stuff from top left to bottom right. To reduce menu scrolling, put tools or any items you can use as close to the bottom right as you can. Also put six-slot items in the two side pockets as this is most space efficient.

5) Liberate the Liberator

Now it is time to talk about the Liberator. Unlike the Scrapper, which breaks a part into crafting components, the Liberator removes it intact for use on your car. Damage is done because it is explosive, so only fire once at each part you want to liberate.

The Liberator is useful because it provides access to parts you may not have researched yet or have enough crafting components for. Abandoned police vehicles and armoured trucks, for instance, can have tougher armoured panels and doors.

Attach, repair or bring home to use at a later date. Just bear in mind that some panels weigh more and that means a lower top speed.

The upgraded Liberator MK2 has more uses before it runs out (as does the Plasma Scrapper) but does the same damage, meaning you will still need to repair parts when you use it.

6) Keep fuel flowing

Fuel is more readily available and the upgrade path to Side Tanks and Seat Tanks is accessible. Yet I would still get into the habit of topping-up on long drives.

Most abandoned cars have spare fuel, as do petrol stations, trucks, tankers and basically anything else that used to move.

Fill up your Portable Tank in the top left of the boot/trunk for emergencies. Use the main filling tank on the back left of the car as it all goes to the same combined place except for the Portable Tank.

You do not need to top-up religiously, especially when you learn how far your trusty estate can go. It is just you do not want to ever be caught short. Especially during an acid rainstorm.

7) Rack it up

My next serving of Pacific Drive tips concerns racks. No, not that kind. Once researched in the Fabristation, extra storage boxes, fuel tanks and a larger battery provide peace of mind and increased survivability.

There are also passive rechargers such as the Hydro Generator, Lightning Rod, Mini Turbine, Solar Panel, Anchor Energy Converter and Fuel Synthesiser. In the right conditions, these top-up automatically.

Roof rack storage and capacity upgrades are harder to unlock but are seriously effective and will allow you to go further than ever. Though your car will look ridiculous – in a good way.

Then there are rack illumination upgrades. Side and Roof Floodlights and even the Auto Tracking Spotlight will help you find the best loot. Or just get out of a pickle fastest. Especially in zones with that eerie darkness modifier.

The Loot Analyser can be worth sticking on the roof, too, as it highlights wrecked vehicles and other things you can break apart such as lead panels. Just bear in mind it uses up battery each time you use it and consider upgrading it for improved effectiveness.

8) Upgrade wisely

Tip number eight is about being ruthless with your equipment. Yes, it is tempting to slap on the fanciest parts and there are times when you should. Doing so may greatly improve your chances of success.

However, for scavenger runs to collect crafting items or if driving into unfamiliar territory you may want to use steel parts as these are much easier to replace. Their necessary components are common if you dice up wrecked vehicles, especially the Scrap Metal needed for Steel Sheets.

Yes, the protection level is weaker and you lose out on specific bonuses such as electric or radiation resistance, which can be useful. However, the hardiness is not that far behind.

Basically, leep it lean sometimes and you can more easily build-up a crafting component safety net.

9) Follow the story

As with most games, story progress opens up new areas and in Pacific Drive this means access to crafting components for fancier car parts. It also means you can drive around more of the map, avoiding or heading into storms as necessary.

Those swamps north of the garage, for instance, provide access to swamp eggs and other components you seemingly cannot get closer to home.

10) Look out for trucks

Rounding off my Pacific Drive tips and tricks, look out for abandoned vans and trucks. These usually contain a generous payload of new items, including crafing components, vehicle parts and customisation stuff. Just remember to make space in the boot. Or should that be trunk?

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