"Finally, it has arrived," doesn't seem like an overreaction when we talk about the existence of Dead Island 2. We still remember how the hype and discussions surrounding this second installment immediately surfaced when its debut trailer was released back in 2014. Granted, the trailer wasn't designed as cinematically or dramatically as the trailer for its predecessor, which even managed to capture the hearts of many non-gaming film enthusiasts, yet it hinted at one thing – an enjoyable gaming experience. However, who would have anticipated that after that initial trailer, Dead Island 2 would grow into a "legend" due to negative associations.
Changing developers, behind-the-scenes development processes believed to be problematic, and a scarcity of information shared with the public have been the sequence of situations accompanying Dead Island 2 since its first trailer. Languishing for such a long time without certainty, a ray of light finally emerged in 2022, almost 8 years since its introduction. Not just a new trailer, the developer – Dambuster Studios – and the publisher – Deep Silver – finally shared more information. Paired with eye-catching visuals, the hype for this game has been reignited. Now, with its long-awaited release, there is no more fitting phrase to welcome it than, "It's finally here!"
However, what does Dead Island 2 actually offer? Does it present a zombie game that allows you to have fun? This review will delve deeper into it for you.
Instead of just one character, Dead Island 2 will allow you to choose and play as a protagonist referred to as the "Slayer." Regardless of the character you choose, you will still be drawn into the same storyline and conclusion.
Plot
You play as a character fortunate enough to secure a seat on an evacuation plane from California after this massive region of the United States is overrun by zombies and becomes untenable. But rather than finding safety, a zombie that managed to infiltrate ends up causing the plane you're on to crash. Waking up with only minor injuries, you and a few other survivors, including a well-known actress – Emma – and her manager, Michael, decide to find a safe haven and devise the next plan. What's even more astonishing? You discover that amidst this pandemic, you're exceptional.
The bite of a zombie, which occurred because you were not cautious enough, actually reveals a significant piece of information – you're immune to their attacks, whereas other humans would typically start transforming into new zombies. This immunity is believed to be the key to saving humanity. Unable to rely on the military for protection, you're approached by a mysterious figure, a doctor, to relocate and seek out a surviving health organization to harness your immunity in order to create a potent cure. Instead of answers, the mystery deepens. You encounter another faction whose fate mirrors yours, but they now possess abilities surpassing those of ordinary humans.
So, who is this particular group? Will your immunity truly save the world? What challenges must you face on this "sacred" mission? All these answers can be uncovered by playing Dead Island 2.
Considering the troubled development process of Dead Island 2 over the years, it's challenging to foster optimism that its final product will be captivating. Yet, Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver managed to deliver a product that, from first glance, is strong enough to refute and overturn all doubts. Like the reintroduction trailer they released last year, Dead Island 2 arrives with a presentation worthy of praise. We're talking about visual details, the environment they present as a "playground," and most essential of all – the zombies themselves.
By making Los Angeles and San Francisco, bathed in sunlight, its identity, Dead Island 2 boasts visual quality deserving of commendation, at least on the current generation of consoles and PC. We're certainly not just talking about sharp character models or the variety of particle effects you'll encounter throughout the journey, but also the way they design house architecture, streets, and the diverse urban elements you encounter. Clearly, you can understand that the locations you visit range from upscale residential areas with super-luxurious designs to beachside spots teeming with tourists and eateries, all of which are naturally accompanied by bright and dramatic sunlight in certain instances.
However, the most fantastic aspect of Dead Island 2, which is, after all, a zombie game, is remarkably the zombies themselves. The developer – Dambuster Studios – seems to understand that in order to make your action of eradicating these zombies more immersive and enjoyable, they must ensure that it accurately represents the diverse California community while considering various scenarios that could unfold. The result? Instead of just one or two variants, you encounter a diverse range of zombie models ready to attack you – from those with Asian features to those with heavier bodies, wearing clothing that distinctly represents their career backgrounds before the transformation, and more. Visual presentation like this might sound trivial, but it greatly contributes to strengthening the feeling that you are indeed battling the changing heterogeneous inhabitants around you.
What's even more fantastic? Dead Island 2 also introduces a system called "Flesh," which gives each zombie you face a specific and accurate bodily response to the attacks you deliver. For instance, you can observe their eyeballs hanging by nerves or their jaws falling off when you strike their heads hard. Or you can witness how your distant rifle shots cause their body parts, such as arms or legs, to be dismembered upon impact. You can also see their skin melting away, revealing a body anatomy full of muscles that continue to pursue you. This system ensures that every bit of damage you inflict on these zombies, whether from close-range or long-range attacks, always feels satisfying. Especially when you find that your actions have turned a once pristine location into a blood-splattered mess of scattered zombie remains.
Story
Though the story aspect might not be deemed fantastic, we must also commend the writing of the characters and their personalities. Why? Because instead of falling into overly used tropes, Dead Island 2 makes them feel like genuine human beings. For instance, the character Emma, who is positioned in the story as an internationally acclaimed, super-rich actress with numerous prestigious awards and a grand mansion that serves as your hub. In many games, characters like Emma would be written as insufferably arrogant, selfish, and annoying solely due to their background. But in Dead Island 2? She emerges as an empathetic character who appreciates your contributions and those of your fellow survivors. There are many well-written side characters like this as well, although it must be acknowledged that a few still fall into specific tropes.
So, what about the audio aspect? We ourselves are quite satisfied with what it offers, especially in terms of sound effects emanating from the array of absurd weapons you use. The sound of a sword slash or the impact of a giant hammer that crushes a zombie's body always delivers satisfyingly. As for voice acting? Every character, even the side ones, performs their roles very well. One of our disappointments, however, comes from the OST, which admittedly lacks a powerful presence. For an action-packed zombie game full of hacking and blood, there are numerous moments that demand solid and exciting copyrighted tracks to play and help build the atmosphere as you engage in action. Yet, when such a thing is expected? It's oddly absent.
Most of you likely understand the essence of a game like Dead Island 2, with its zombie theme. Of course, it's about having fun dispatching these animated corpses that shouldn't be alive. You'll be armed with a multitude of melee weapons at the start of the game and eventually gain access to more lethal ranged weapons as you progress. Regardless of the weapon you wield – sharp or blunt, heavy or light, with sharp bullets or just nails – your sole objective in this game is to ensure that the standing cadavers you encounter lie forever still, complete with severed limbs if you're effective enough.
Additional challenges in Dead Island 2 come from the various zombie variants you encounter. We're not discussing their appearances like in previous installments, but rather their categorizations that determine their movement style, attack animations, and any special attributes they might possess. There's the Screamer zombie type that continuously screams to disrupt your line of sight while summoning nearby zombies. There are Runners who, instead of walking, swiftly charge at you with agility. There are Crushers – big and robust with high damage output – and Butchers, who are deadly and fast, requiring effective counterattack strategies. Whatever enemy you face, your goal remains the same – to make sure their bodies cease moving.
Gameplay
To complement the weapons you can access and acquire – whether through enemy loot, treasure chests carefully hidden with some requiring resources like Fuses to locate, or those received as main and side mission rewards – you'll also discover a variety of elemental systems that can be combined in this game. For instance, you can wield weapons with electric elements, which are more effective when used against enemies soaked in water, for instance. You can utilize your assortment of bombs, functioning like cooldown-based skills, such as Molotovs in oil-rich areas to set zombies on fire. Utilizing these various elements and environmental effects will play a crucial role in more effectively eliminating these undead creatures – as long as you're not caught within their reach.
The remaining part of the gameplay is focused on strengthening your character, which can be achieved in two ways. First? Of course, weapons, which fortunately come with a leveling system that automatically adjusts to your character's level when you acquire them. Naturally, the higher the weapon's level you obtain, the more powerful its damage becomes. The weapons you acquire will have various levels of rarity, with rarer weapons having more modification slots that you can inject to make them deadlier. Mods that you can find during the exploration process, for example, can increase your weapon's damage, cause explosions upon zombie kills, or even provide specific elemental effects for you to exploit.
This weapon upgrade system also adds motivation for exploration, as it requires specific materials to execute. These upgrades are divided into two parts as you progress through the story: upgrades that require common materials and upgrades that require scattered body parts of special zombie variants. As predicted, since they are harder to obtain, the effects of upgrades that require zombie body part materials often offer more lethal and effective attack effects. For instance, there's a mod that not only electrifies your weapon but also targets not only the shot enemy but zombies around it. That's right, it turns your elemental attack into an Area of Effect (AOE) ability.
With so much loot to collect throughout the game, you won't find yourself running out. Despite the durability effect of weapons incorporated into the gameplay system, you always have the option to repair them at the nearest workbench for a small fee. With the opportunity to level up your weapons to match your character's level, you always have the choice to keep using and maintaining your favorite weapons. Unused extra weapons can be either dismantled for additional materials or sold to merchants for extra money, which would be useful since the money earned from main or side missions and looting might not be as abundant as you'd like.
The second option for character enhancement comes from a card-based system that functions as specific buffs. These cards can be discovered through exploration and mission completion or are automatically obtained with each level increase. The card system in Dead Island 2 is divided into 4 categories that, inevitably, will influence your playstyle. Some cards merely replenish your stamina when you kill a zombie, some make your flying kick strong enough to send zombies airborne, and there are those that grant you access to specific attacks. Combining these cards will impact how you play, demanding careful reading of their descriptions.
In the end, the Slayer character you use also gains access to a new power called "Fury," rooted in the plot regarding their immunity to zombie bites. It immediately transforms you into a zombie-like monster while retaining your sanity, relying on claw attacks and at least one special extra attack. With this, you can swiftly eliminate various zombies, both common and special. Depending on the cards you attach as mentioned earlier, you can extend the duration of your Fury, make it deadlier, or even imbue it with elemental attack effects instead of just regular physical strikes.
With all these combinations, a variety of weapon types, cards, and the exploitable Fury Mode effects, the remaining experience of Dead Island 2 is about having fun with it, especially when facing large hordes at various points in the story.
Using California as the primary setting, particularly Los Angeles as the main location, you won't be confined to just one area in Dead Island 2. As the story progresses, you'll be allowed to visit various other regions, each with a distinct vibe – from luxurious residential areas to beaches with sunset-lit horizons. Each area is substantial enough to explore, and its boundaries will trigger teleportation options to move between regions instead of relying solely on open-world walking. You'll also be equipped with fast-travel options as you advance in the game, although they can only be accessed from specific locations rather than offering the freedom to access the map from wherever you want.
The process of exploration in the pursuit of resource materials and stronger weapon loot will indeed play a crucial role in Dead Island 2. Unfortunately, you'll also find that this exploration process will be inundated with locked locations on the map. Some doors can be opened with tricks resembling puzzles, but most doors and various lockers require you to find corresponding keys. Keys might be tied to zombies you accidentally encounter, some could be linked to the main or side story, while others require investigation where you need to find other clues first. There are so many locked doors in the game that at some points, it wouldn't be surprising if you feel frustrated. Luckily, at least the game allows you to break windows and force your way in if the room is locked, providing a way out of such situations.
Frustration can also arise due to the provided map and navigation system in Dead Island 2, which can be considered outdated and absurd. One of the most significant blunders, at least in the version we reviewed? The navigation doesn't consider your line of sight as a foundation for determining direction. As a result, when reading the map and attempting to move, you might actually end up in the opposite direction. Map indicators, like lockers, for example, lack information about the required key. So, it's not uncommon during your exploration process to find a key and then forget which locker it's meant for.
However, fortunately, the game comes with indicators and quality for side missions that are quite decent. Nearly all the side missions you undertake will come with a story element involving specific characters who might join you in the nearest safe hub. While not all of them are enjoyable, especially Amanda's side missions that demand specific actions, they usually culminate in satisfying zombie-killing actions of varying sizes and quantities. Some side missions even continue and involve a more in-depth story about the fate of specific side characters. In this regard, besides rewards that are worth it, such as special weapons for use, these side missions deserve recognition.
One of the strengths of the exploration you can undertake in Dead Island 2 is supported by the unique variations in each region. It's not uncommon to find specific zombies that you can eliminate in one area but won't encounter in another, further enhancing the immersive aspect we discussed earlier.
Conclusion
After such a long wait, which must be admitted was accompanied by a buildup of pessimism that it would end up as a quality game, Dead Island 2 managed to prove itself. Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver have indeed succeeded in crafting a zombie game that is not only exciting and enjoyable but also visually pleasing due to its visual implementation that's worthy of being compared with the latest generation of games, and in some respects, even better. With a variety of weapons to use, buffs to combine, and special zombies to conquer, what it offers may not be deep or emotional. However, what's certain is that it offers satisfaction in ensuring that various undead won't be able to rise or stand to chase you anymore.
Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that Dead Island 2 is not a perfect game, which comes from minor issues that could actually be improved with various future updates. The confusing navigation and unhelpful map might be two complaints that you might have if you end up playing a similar build to what we reviewed. Yet, when it comes to desired features, we still hope that the fast travel system it employs can be done from anywhere, rather than having to use specific locations that often force you to travel back and forth just to complete side missions and return.
For those who expect a "simple" zombie game that offers a chance to have fun obliterating the undead, you'll find that in Dead Island 2, because that's indeed the expectation you should have. You certainly shouldn't expect an emotionally touching story that would traumatize and make you cry, despite the fact that it also revolves around a protagonist with immunity that's pivotal to the world. Put these corpses back to rest!
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