I sent exactly 2,300 zombies to their deaths in sunny Los Angeles before the credits rolled across the screen. But even more dangers lurk in the former city of angels. For example, old-fashioned quest design and outdated mechanics. After all, Dead Island 2 was in development for almost ten years and went through several studio changes. But it wouldn’t be the first game where entertaining undead slaying saves you from falling into mediocrity. So how does the wild ride that Deep Silver began in 2012 end?
The turbulent development story of Dead Island 2 is almost like a Hollywood drama. Publisher Deep Silver presented Zombiegaudi for the first time at E3 2014, but the German studio Yager (Spec Ops: The Line, The Cycle) started development in 2012. However, the visions of the two companies differed too much and so Sumo Digital took over in 2016 the production. But because all good things come in threes, the British studio also dropped out of the project and finally found a final home in Dambuster Studios.
However, this takeover made many zombie fans break out in a cold sweat. The game developer achieved a good reputation with the Time Splitters titles (still as Free Radical Design) – and skillfully blew it up again with Homefront: The Revolution. However, the developers at Dead Island 2 threw a lot of ideas overboard and apparently took the necessary time by shifting them.
Quest design with retro influences
Dead Island 2 may have lost a lot of feathers and game elements over the years, but at its core, one thing has always been clear: Deep Silver wants to bring you a gory trip to Los Angeles that doesn’t take itself too seriously and that puts gore first stands. Dambuster is also very good at this. The tasks of the main story alone show that development started a long time ago with this goal. Honestly, it feels like every mission has the goal “Kill them all!” at some point. Of course, that fits a zombie assassination game like the ax in the undead’s head, but at times it seems very uninspired. In general, the developers don’t artificialize themselves in the main story. In most cases, it’s okay to flatten as many undead as possible and dutifully follow the current quest marker to find the required object. But like I said, perfectly suited for fluffy kill rounds.
Occasionally you also need fuses to open or close gates. Then you have to search a marked area, which only partially meets my definition of “fun”, but offers some relaxation. Hard level limits in the main story, on the other hand, I’ll never be a fan of. Only in two places did I feel compelled to do side quests in order not to be crushed by small rotten mobs. The optional missions score with fun tasks. For example, a sequence where I help a pyrotechnician test his mortar explosions on a D-Day film set. However, a few missions are a bit too long for my taste and throw you with too many enemies at once. Fortunately, that’s not the rule.
For example, for an influencer, I’m supposed to kick tons of zombies off a roof and chop off body parts. This brings a breath of fresh air into the butcher’s everyday life and also encourages me to pursue more creative approaches in achieving my goals.
My personal highlight, however, was the search reports. With these you not only track down people, but also buried treasures want to be discovered. To do this, you follow clues like in a scavenger hunt. For example, a save code on the Santa Monica Pier is “somewhere near an ice cream parlor near the Ferris wheel,” so I have to pay close attention to find the phone with the info I need.
In terms of story, Dead Island 2 takes up the concept of The Last of Us and 28 Weeks Later. You will be bitten right at the beginning of the game. But it quickly turns out that you are immune to the virus. Heroic as you are, you naturally want this knowledge to benefit the common good and offer your genes as the basis for a vaccine. Of course, on your journey to the government you will not only meet friendly people, there are also nasty splinter groups lurking in Los Angeles. Not the most creative approach, but thanks to minor twists, the story kept me entertained.
Mixed Butcher Platter
But before you even split a single skull, you have to choose your character. Dead Island 2 puts you in front of six butchers, from which you pick your favorite, to which you are bound for the rest of the game. They differ in values such as toughness, endurance, mobility and maximum health, and each comes with two unique skill cards.
Ultimately, these are classic skills that you equip in four categories in several slots. Stronger counters, explosive drop kicks and special special attacks are only a fraction of the options on offer. You can also use them to strengthen the frenzy mode. You fill the special berserker status bar by killing zombies. If you finally activate it, your character will really freak out and use his bare fists to smash whole pieces of meat out of the putrid residents of Hell-A.
If you’re not spinning the wheel, there’s a colorful variety of clubs and blades you can use to defend yourself. You hit it hard with pipe wrenches, sledgehammers, kitchen knives and many other utensils. Bones break regularly or you cut off your arms and legs, which not only entails the satisfaction of lower instincts. It’s hard to walk on one leg, especially as a stupid zombie. I won’t lie, taking down enemies properly definitely triggers a simple instinct.
In addition to melee beatings, Dead Island 2 also gives you a small selection of firearms. Semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pistols are very useful, but ammo is scarce. At least until you find the appropriate blueprints for crafting yourself or buy them from the dealer.
Elementary decisions
At the workbenches you not only make ammunition, you also upgrade your weapons properly with additional types of damage. Each zombie type reacts differently to fire, acid, electric, and blunt blows, so it’s worth experimenting. The more the beast you send back to hell, the more detailed the information in Zombipedia is. Hitting it is the best medicine – as I said, I’ve killed 2,300 undead so far. Including standard specimens that are slowly shuffling around, but also larger versions. The Screamers hold you in place with their loud organ, the Maulers slash hard and knock you down with shockwaves. Especially in the Apex form, these particular versions pose a major threat.
To craft upgrades, you need blueprints. To do this, you have to collect the parts, which is a bit tedious due to the lack of an auto pickup. You also have to consider which weapon works with which expansion, so your arsenal needs to be well planned.
A few days before the release on April 21, 2023, the launch trailer will get you in the mood for Dead Island 2.
Accordingly, it is a lot of fun to deal with the physics system. Several zombies are stupidly standing around in a puddle? Throw a car battery into the cool water! Everyone’s favorite red barrels tend to explode after a few swipes with a firearm. In combination with the ever more diverse skill cards, Dead Island 2 develops a surprising depth in set construction, which greatly enhances the blunt core.
All hell broke loose in the city of angels
Dambuster Studios attaches great importance to emphasizing the Los Angeles location as a unique selling point. The City of Angels has rarely been implemented in such an atmospheric way. Local editors have confirmed to me that iconic locations like Venice Beach, Bel Air, and Beverly Hills look a lot like their real-life counterparts, albeit without offering a one-to-one replica.
Walls are smeared with blood where lavish parties used to be celebrated, and a former influencer villa in Hell-A serves as a camp for undead in hip clothes. The last survivors ooze cliches and over-the-top humor that targets the city’s make-believe world more than I did its zombified residents.
The holiday feeling spread by Dad Island 2 is beyond doubt. As a result, the long walking distances are no longer so important. You sometimes run from A to B for several minutes, but the fast travel lets you switch between the large areas. However, you unlock them quite late.
Exploration is definitely rewarding in Dead Island 2, but occasionally grabs a mallet. Again and again you will come across locked safes and doors, for which you need the “postman’s key”, for example. In the end, I only found the good postman by accident – looking for the key holders is rarely crowned with success.
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Nevertheless, the implementation of LA really shows its atmospheric side. For my part, I was also worried that Dead Island 2 could be an ugly duckling due to the long development time. Graphically, the game is certainly not at next-gen level, but one must not forget: it will also appear on Playstation 4 and Xbox One. Especially since it always runs smoothly and is always pretty to look at. For the uncut fans, it should also be mentioned: The USK version of Dead Island 2 comes with a cut, you are not allowed to dissect defeated zombies any further. Otherwise you don’t have to do without any gory detail.
