Verdict
Dead Island 2 is a good zombie-slasher with spectacular physics and satisfying melee fight, however that’s about it, with a boring, uninspired storyline, a semi-open-world design and a tongue-in-cheek strategy that sometimes borders on the dumb.
Pros
Flesh system gives visceral zombie gore effectsSatisfying melee fightThe occasional leap scare
Cons
Boring, uninspired storylineOnly get probably the most fascinating upgrades in late/end-gameOpen world damaged into 12 smaller areas
Availability
UKRRP: £59.99
USARRP: $69.99
EuropeRRP: €74.99
PlatformsPC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4 and Xbox One
Release date21 April 2023
GenreAction role-playing sport
Introduction
Dead Island 2 provides a contemporary twist on the unique Dead Island with upgraded graphics, new mechanics and a wholly new location – LA, or Hell-A because it’s identified in-game.
While the sport has strengths, notably with the revolutionary flesh system that gives probably the most life like and gory fight I’ve seen in a zombie title, the sport’s stale storyline, forgettable characters and awkward writing depart me questioning whether or not Dead Island 2 ought to’ve made it to launch within the first place.
It’s a really enjoyable zombie slasher obtainable for PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, PS4 and Xbox One, however not far more than that.
Story and characters
Tongue-in-cheek charactersBland, uninspired storylineHard to remain invested in characters
The plot behind Dead Island 2 is a comparatively easy one; there was a zombie outbreak within the coronary heart of LA, and the US authorities has blockaded town in a bid to cease the zombie hordes from spreading to the remainder of the nation. It’s not fairly an island just like the title suggests, however hey.
You’ll be launched to not one, however six playable characters in a cutscene originally of the sport, every with their very own fight type, buffs and debuffs and tongue-in-cheek character design. These vary from Jacob, a Londoner who sounds loads like a knock-off Idris Elba with what appears suspiciously like wacky backy consistently hanging out of his mouth to Ryan, an ‘exotic dancer’ dressed like a fireman.
Image Credit: Deep Silver
Your alternative right here is essential as the remainder of the characters are (spoiler alert) killed off moments after you make your alternative, and you’ll’t swap your character out later down the street. Being a Londoner, I, in fact, opted for the spliff-toting stuntman Jacob.
The difficulty is that, from the very first moments the place you pull a metallic pole out of your abdomen and miraculously survive, the story simply isn’t that plausible, and the solid of rotating characters does little to promote the concept LA has been taken over by zombie hordes.
That’s actually not helped with random aspect quests like maiming zombies in a particular solution to get footage for a YouTuber’s upcoming viral video. I get that the story is designed to poke enjoyable, however at some factors, it turned a bit of too dumb.
The overarching story can also be convoluted and appears to be centered extra on transferring you from one space to a different than truly telling an fascinating, participating story. So a lot in order that core marketing campaign characters are all however forgotten about once you transfer on to the subsequent space, making all however a couple of recurring characters really feel irrelevant to the general plot.
By the five-hour mark I’d all however stopped caring concerning the storyline, and even a late-game plot twist wasn’t as shocking because the builders had meant. It’s primarily stuffed with typical zombie sport tropes and doesn’t actually attempt to do something to distinguish itself from the slew of zombie titles that got here earlier than it.
Oh, and that ending – don’t even get me began on the ending. I received’t spoil something right here, however blurgh.
Open world and exploration
Semi-open-world design12 distinct areas to discoverNot sufficient to encourage deep exploration
In no method does Dead Island 2 present its delayed improvement greater than with the design of the map, primarily based on Los Angeles, California, after a zombie outbreak.
It’s not a totally open world just like the parkour-packed Dying Light 2, as a substitute compromised of 12 small open-world areas linked collectively by cumbersome loading screens that break that sense of immersion and discovery you are inclined to get from actually open-world titles.
That may’ve been acceptable about 8-10 years in the past, however not in 2023. It additionally doesn’t assist that, as talked about, the story does little or no to naturally transfer you from one area to a different. It feels just like the builders needed to power these transitions within the story, quite than them occurring naturally.
Image Credit: Deep Silver
It helps then that every of these 12 areas are very distinct from each other, be it the zombie-infested Pier or Hollywood Boulevard, with every full of totally different enemies to combat via, random aspect quests to stumble throughout and secrets and techniques to seek out, normally within the type of uncommon weapons. You’ll additionally stumble throughout stereotypes just like the zombified YouTuber crew in Bel-Air or (very a lot alive) actors a bit of bit too devoted to their roles in a Hollywood film studio.
You received’t be capable to merely sweep every space and stick with it although, with some zombies just too robust to combat in your first encounter, encouraging you to go away, degree up and are available again for an additional attempt. You’ll normally get highly effective weapons in your efforts, however as you get additional into the sport and improve your individual weapons, these turn out to be much less essential and fewer of a motivator to discover the open world.
It’s additionally value noting that quick journey doesn’t turn out to be obtainable till the mid-game, so travelling from one space to a different – particularly when you possibly can solely take particular paths, like travelling via Bel-Air to get to the movie studio – can take fairly a while.
Combat
Best zombie destruction physics yetSatisfying melee fightBest weapons and upgrades solely accessible within the end-game
Despite the clunky writing, complicated storyline and (at instances) horrible voice performing, there’s one factor that saved me coming again to Dead Island 2 for extra; the sport’s revolutionary flesh system.
You see, in most zombie video games, the walkers act like a sack of potatoes when hit and easily drop to the bottom. You’d by no means see any type of influence on the zombie itself, regardless of being hit fairly arduous with a hammer, baseball bat or no matter post-apocalyptic weapon you discovered your self with. Not Dead Island 2 although.
Image Credit: Deep Silver
If you’re taking a swing at a zombie and hit them clear within the jaw, anticipate that jaw to return clear off, leaving your zombie buddy with a gaping gap of their face. Slashing a zombo with a katana noticed massive cuts and slices seem precisely the place I used to be coming into contact with them, slowly revealing their guts inside.
That extends to arms, legs, heads and nearly each physique a part of the rotting zombie flesh, permitting for an especially visceral, over-the-top maiming expertise that’s surprisingly addictive – particularly when coupled with the slow-mo cam once you carry out a very grotesque assault.
As your weaponry grows extra superior, so do the consequences, particularly the acid that actually burns the pores and skin off the meatbags as they shamble their method towards you. Explosions are tremendous satisfying too, particularly when abandoning huge quantities of viscera and the occasional physique half.
It’s not simply grotesque for gruesome-sake although, with particular enemies just like the Crusher unable to do their slam assault should you lob off an arm. Runners even have a little bit of a problem operating should you, you understand, chop off a leg.
This is the place the fight turns into greater than a easy hack-and-slash affair, with particular zombies having particular resistances that cease you from going all-in on a single weapon – that you must hold and improve quite a lot of weapons so as to add results like fireplace, electrical energy, acid, together with blunt and sharp influence.
You’ve additionally bought a bunch of different upgrades that assist tailor the weapon to your playstyle, whether or not that’s fundamental upgrades like growing the harm or power of your weapon to extra superior upgrades like elemental results to unfold to close by enemies.
Image Credit: Deep Silver
I need to admit that I began to lose curiosity at across the 5-hour mark utilizing solely fundamental melee weapons I scavenged from deserted houses in LA, although the introduction of extra superior weapons and improved upgrades saved me going till the tip of the 20-hour marketing campaign – nearly, anyway.
There’s actually a problem with pacing, not solely by way of the story however the numerous components of fight. Most of the thrilling and highly effective upgrades don’t come till fairly late within the sport once you’ve already slaughtered 1000s of zombies, with the very best weapons and upgrades not obtainable till the storyline is over.
I’d have appreciated to have a few of these a bit of earlier within the marketing campaign so I might actually benefit from the satisfyingly-OTT fight that the end-game provides.
Latest offers
Should you purchase it?
You get pleasure from nice zombie-maiming fight:
The mixture of the distinctive flesh system and upgradable melee weapons gives satisfying, visceral OTT fight.
You need to sink your tooth into a superb story:
Dead Island 2 is all about killing zombies in grotesque methods with the story coming secondary. If you’re on the lookout for an fascinating zombie story, look elsewhere.
Final Thoughts
Dead Island 2 has been lengthy within the making, nevertheless it may’ve been a bit of too lengthy. Various points of the sport, from the semi-open world to the tongue-in-cheek characters are paying homage to zombie titles from 8-10 years in the past and do little to reinvent the overly-used zombie trope.
The solely actual saving grace is the fight, which when paired with the gory flesh system gives visceral, satisfying melee fight that’ll hold you entertained all through the in any other case uninteresting marketing campaign.
How we take a look at
We play each sport we overview via to the tip, exterior of sure exceptions the place getting 100% completion, like Skyrim, is near unattainable to do. When we don’t absolutely end a sport earlier than reviewing it we’ll at all times alert the reader.
Completed the 20-hour marketing campaign