Which Talent Should You Use First In The Sinking City 2?

The Sinking City 2: Complete Guide To Talents Published Aug 20, 2026, 4:28 PM EDT Gabrielle is a staff writer for TheGamer who began working in gaming journalism in May 2022, immediately after graduating cum laude with her Bachelors in English. A lifelong lover of in-depth RPGs and cozy simulation games alike, she enjoys having married her passions for both writing and video games in her work. She's spent her life chasing Platinum trophies and completionist collections, even before a company started paying her to do it on the internet. Sign in to your TheGamer account Once you've cleared through the first part of The Sinking City 2 and are into the annex area, you'll begin to find Safe Rooms that feature a number of things, not least of which is the Talent Table, which allows you to customize your gameplay a bit more. In exchange for Dream Essence earned through completing major story beats and solving the puzzles you find along the way, you'll find a variety of Talents in The Sinking City 2. Work up through the Talent tier list and unlock the Talents in The Sinking City 2 that you want the most. How To Unlock Talents The first chance you have to unlock Talents in The Sinking City 2 is during part three of the story, when you're navigating through the church and graveyard after the man with worms in his eyes sends you to go look for someone at a hotel nearby. When you enter the first locked door and find the Safe Room in the church, you'll be able to access the Talent Table in Safe Rooms from there out. Here, you can unlock Talents, which give your character a small boost of some sort. Talents improve as you invest more in lower tiers, so do everything you can to progress quickly! Access to the Talent Slots in the Mask that you already have, and watch as additional Talent Slots become available for purchase. The currency in the Talent Table in The Sinking City 2 is Dream Essence, which you'll get by going through the game's main story and solving the mysteries and puzzles presented. Be sure to check the Talent Table often to see what you have and what you can spend. You'll see improved selections of Talents in The Sinking City as you unlock lower-level Talents to gain access to upper tiers, with the very best saved for a special Eldritch Rewards tier that becomes available as you complete in-game goals. The Intermediate tier unlocks when you have four Basic Talents, and the Advanced tier requires four Intermediate talents be purchased after that. Talents come in different shapes, either circular or triangular, and you'll need to be mindful of your Talent loadout, since the Mask can only hold so many Talents of one shape at a time. You can switch Talents anytime at a Talent Table in a safe room. The big thing to remember is that there's no one 'best' talent to unlock, since everything should be decided based on your own gameplay. What's holding you up the most, and how can you solve it with Talents? Below, you'll find every Talent in The Sinking City 2, along with tips on who might get the best benefits from using it. Talent List For The Sinking City 2 Talent Name Who It's For Basic Talents Carapace of the Damned (Take a little less harm from humanoids.) Players trying to find their footing in the early stages of the game. Gunslinger's Trance (Swap weapons a little faster.) Players prioritizing weapon collection. Instruments of Death (Inflict a little more harm for a few seconds after you swap weapons.) Potent Tincture (Take a little less harm for every healing item carried, with a maximum of 5.) Players who are playing on higher difficulties and need to minimize damage taken while being sure to heal any that is. Profane Reload (Reload your weapon noticeably faster.) Players who collect all the weapons in the game and want to deal more damage with them. Silent Hunter (Strike a little harder when your flashlight is off.) Players who aren't afraid to fight in the dark, letting enemies get in close before striking. Intermediate Talents Alchemical Abundance (Gain noticeably more ammunition when crafting.) Players who prefer ranged combat to melee. Butcher's Zeal (Deal enormous amounts of melee damage for a few seconds after slaying a foe.) Players who prefer melee and know they're going into a section heavy on the monster-fighting. Chitinbound (Take a little less harm from monsters and aberrations.) Feral Surge (Inflict a little more harm on creatures when you're near you.) Strange Evasion (Take less harm for a few seconds after dodging.) Players who are more nimble in combat, who prefer tactical dodging to brute-forcing their way through. Unhallowed Salve (Recover noticeably more from your healing items.) Players who know they might take damage and intend to fix it as best they can. Advanced Talents Crimson Threshold (Inflict more harm when low on health.) Players who like to go down swinging if they might go down at all. Deathless Vigor (Your body can withstand noticeably more punishment.) Inner Beast (Deal significantly more melee damage when your mag is empty.) Players who prefer giving it their all in hand-to-hand combat, or those playing on higher difficulties with fewer options to stock up on or create ammo. Opening Gambit (The first bullet fired hits a little harder than the rest.) Players confident in their aim. Vengeful Spirit (If slain, swiftly kill your killer within a few seconds to escape death's grasp.) Players on higher difficulties or who trust their button-mashing skills. Wandering Bullet (Inflict more harm to weak points with unfocused shots.) Players who don't have time to stop to shoot.