First revealed at E3 in 2014, Dead Island 2 has been plagued with setbacks and challenges. Despite passing through the hands of three different development studios, the game is now slated for release in 2023. After a long and arduous journey spanning almost a decade, the game is finally nearing completion and fans are eagerly anticipating its arrival. Will this well-deserved break finally bring some relief to Dambuster and Deep Silver? Recently, the JV editorial team was given the opportunity to play the game for six hours, and they shared their thoughts and impressions.
Preview Conditions
As the preview of Dead Island 2 was exclusively conducted on PC, our opinions and feedback are solely based on this specific version of the game. However, it’s important to note that the game is set to be released on multiple platforms, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series. Therefore, the gameplay experience and overall quality of the game may vary across different platforms.
A New Zombie Apocalypse Adventure in “Hell-A”
Publisher Deep Silver is back with a sequel to the popular first-person shooter game Dead Island, which generated significant excitement upon its initial release twelve years ago. The new game, Dead Island 2, boasts the same winning formula of an idyllic setting, graphic violence, and well-crafted dialogue that fully embraces its B-movie roots. This time, the player will find themselves in Los Angeles, but not in the way they would have imagined.
During the journey to Los Angeles, the plane carrying the player and other passengers suddenly crashes, revealing that the city is under a total quarantine due to a zombie outbreak. The Californian city is cut off from the rest of the world, and the U.S. government appears to be taking no action to address the situation. The player, one of the few humans who has not turned into a zombie after a bite, is now tasked with exploring the city to seek help and communicate their situation to the rest of the world.
The game begins with the player choosing from six available characters, all of whom are crash survivors. They soon meet Emma Jaunt, a well-known actress who has a nearby home where they can seek refuge if they survive that long. From here, the player embarks on a journey through “Hell-A” to find the actress’s home. This initial quest serves as a quick tutorial for the player to learn how to eradicate zombies and introduces the real plot of the game.
While the game’s plot is straightforward and easy to understand, it doesn’t detract from the overall gaming experience. The preview was conducted on PC, but the game is also set to be released on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series, providing a range of platforms for players to enjoy this exciting new zombie apocalypse adventure.
Exploring Los Angeles’ Iconic Neighborhoods in Dead Island 2
In Dead Island 2, Emma Jaunt’s house serves as a safe haven for survivors, who players encounter during their travels through side quests or the main story. Each character has a unique personality and approach to survival, adding depth to the game’s crisis situation. The actors’ performances do justice to the emotions portrayed, making it easy for players to emotionally engage with the survivors.
The survivors’ presence is a source of motivation to explore Los Angeles, a semi-open world with iconic neighborhoods like Bel-Air, Beverly Hills, and movie studios, offering ample opportunities for killing zombies. Despite the zombie invasion, the luxurious beachy setting of the city makes it a tempting vacation spot. The game’s soundtrack complements the overall atmosphere, featuring country music and quirky tunes. During boss fights, such as against a steroid-boosted bride, the music takes center stage, adding a special flavor to the confrontation.
The Promising Role-Playing Aspect of Combat and Survival
In Dead Island 2, Deep Silver and Dambuster Studio have focused on enhancing the combat and survival aspects of the game with role-playing game elements. The game doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel of the genre, but instead builds upon the original game’s proposal. The emphasis is on melee combat, and the inclusion of role-playing game elements makes fighting zombies more tactical.
Players will have to choose from six distinct characters, each with their own unique abilities and starting statistics, such as health points, endurance, resistance, or agility. For instance, Jakob benefits from increased damage when he attacks repeatedly, while Amy recovers endurance with each successful weapon throw. Moreover, players can customize their characters with special skills acquired through experience points gained after each defeated zombie and at the end of every quest. These skills can be equipped in one of the four trees: Abilities, Survival, Slayer, and Numen.
With an abundance of cards available through quests and exploration of Hell-A, choices will have to be made quickly as players quickly acquire more cards than available slots. However, the player’s ability to customize and upgrade their character through the game provides a more immersive experience and adds to the game’s replayability.
Workstations and Tactical Combat
Dead Island 2, developed by Dambuster Studio and Deep Silver, offers a challenging yet enjoyable gaming experience with its tactical combat and variety of makeshift weapons. The game places emphasis on role-playing elements, allowing players to choose from six distinct characters, each with their own unique abilities and stats.
Combat is not limited to mere button-mashing, as players must use their wits and the environment to their advantage to defeat the various types of infected creatures. The game offers numerous workstations scattered throughout Los Angeles, where players can upgrade and customize their weapons for more efficient killing.
While the game is challenging, it is not insurmountable. The endurance system and tactical possibilities related to the environment are integrated to provide players with a more enjoyable experience. However, the AI’s reaction time can sometimes be slow, resulting in sluggish fights. Nevertheless, the technical hiccups encountered during the preview did not detract from the overall experience, and the developers are working on fixing them before release.
Dead Island 2 Impressions: Ready to Rise from the Dead?
With just two months before its release, Dead Island 2 is set to follow the footsteps of its predecessor in bringing the zombie invasion concept to a seaside setting. While the game’s focus remains on combat and survival, its role-playing game elements, customizable weapons, and workstations provide tactical options to players in facing the different types of monsters they encounter.
The sluggish AI in some fights proves to be an issue that needs to be corrected by the time of the game’s release on April 21 for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series. Despite the delays and studio changes that the game underwent, Dambuster and Deep Silver are determined to offer fans of action games with zombies a thrilling experience.
