“Hey, you wanna play a zombie game?” The gaming meme has spread like an infectious virus over cities and nations through a variety of franchises and console generations. While so many zombie-based games have come and gone, few have actually innovated and left a lasting impression to the point it spawned copycats and even spiritual successors like “Dead Island”. The co-op-oriented, seventh generation juggernaut took the gaming world by storm thanks to an innovative weapons crafting system, an oppressive “paradise lost” setting, and some B-movie level acting & storytelling that made it standout in its genre.
Its DLC-turned-full-release sequel “Dead Island: Riptide” didn’t gain the same popularity as its predecessor; suffering from “sequel-itis” due to its lacking gameplay additions, story progression, and general stability. Though “Dead Island 2” was a given for years, development woes and the IP being passed around like an unwanted biter prevented significant progression; let alone a release window. Nearly a decade after “Riptide”, “Dead Island 2” is finally here even if the name doesn’t make much sense with the locale being sunny Los Angeles and slightly beyond in California. Having loved the original iteration and mostly despised “Riptide” because of technical issues and failing to really expand the narrative & gameplay options, I came into this official numbered sequel hesitant; but optimistic that this could actually prove as a nice companion piece to its greatly-aged prequel.
Did I Complete “Dead Island 2”?
The original “Dead Island” allowed gamers to play alone or team up online in open-world environments where the mostly gigantic maps were divided alongside the main story’s progression. “Dead Island 2” simplifies things while still mostly staying true to the formula established two generations ago by giving players the chance to go throughout the story without an ally or joining forces with up to two people randomly or by inviting or being invited someone on their friends’ list. Entering “Hell-A” after a plane crash causes utter chaos alongside the zombie apocalypse, the player is given the chance to chose one of six “Slayers” to play as featuring differing base stats, special abilities, and personalities.
After an extensive introduction, “Dead Island 2” patiently introduces new, rather flamboyant characters just perfect for the setting to present quests both main and side; as well as the smaller maps the player will slaughter potentially thousands of the various undead. The usage of ten maps built in a more linear fashion than what was seen in “Dead Island” or “Riptide” are loosely connected to one another and actually helps make each new section unique; be it scrambling across a tennis court in Bel-Air, or sludging through the mandatory sewer section every horror game has to include.
While there is a plethora of things to do across “Hell-A”, the amount of time necessary to complete the twenty-four main story missions, thirty-three side quests, and fifteen scavenger-hunt style “Lost and Found” missions will take most players around fifteen to twenty hours. What really adds play time beyond goofing around with other players is the tiered “Challenges” – a laundry list of requirements that rewards a player for killing zombies with all the various elemental effects, venturing to every map, and being ninja-like with a throwing star. While a majority of the Challenges and their varying tiers can be completed by simply playing through every mission and moving around the maps, there are some Challenges that the player will have to grind to finish including attaining a cumulative one million dollars.
After nearly thirty hours, the platinum trophy popped after completing every mission possible, finishing at least the first tier of every Challenge, reaching the max level of thirty, and being infuriated over the fact no one seemingly remembers Sam B and his huge music hit.
What Makes “Dead Island 2” Unique?
Dambuster Studios – a development team under the Deep Silver publisher umbrella originally created to finish 2016’s “Homefront: The Revolution” – found themselves having to take up where multiple studios failed to complete: make the numbered sequel to a game now released over a decade ago across eighth and ninth console generations. Wisely, Dambuster didn’t ignore the past and instead almost fully embraced it when crafting a game that would’ve worked perfectly during the time of its predecessor’s release either as a sequel or a competitor.
One of “2’s” biggest improvements compared to “Dead Island” & “Riptide” is the combat. Gone is the usage of the right analog stick or mouse to perform melee strikes. Rather, “Dead Island 2” implements the prototypical standard of using the right trigger on a controller to swing around the various objects of destruction either found in boxes, dropped by the undead, or rewarded for completing one of the multiple, though not-so-varied missions in terms of objectives; yet most mission presentations are made that much more enjoyable thanks to the quest givers like a scared lifeguard that left would-be survivors on the beach to fend for themselves while holed up in the lifeguard tower and an eccentric social media influencer who pretends to be helpless while filming the horde being ripped about by her “bestie” Slayers respectively.
The plethora of weapons the player will inevitably obtain range from slow-swinging, massive-damage-inducing sledgehammers to hunting knives perfect for quickly jabbing the top of a soft, zombie skull. Players can charge attacks by holding down the strike button for a heavy hit that drains a good chunk of the Slayer’s stamina with an empty stamina bar having the protagonist swinging lifelessly until the meter refills. The melee combat is surprisingly fluid with strong hit detection, the series’ standard front kick that is perfect for crowd control and doesn’t drain stamina like in the original “Dead Island”, and defensive measures new to the franchise.
While blocking isn’t a foreign concept to “Dead Island” or similar action-oriented horror games, parrying usually isn’t associated with a game like this. By using the block button right before a Slayer is struck will perform a parry that temporarily stuns an enemy. A visibly prone minor adversary is able to be grabbed and potentially ended with a finisher. Finishers really show off the developer’s highly-lauded “Flesh System” where moments like clubbing a captured foe knocks out an eyeball, the second breaks off their jaw or, if their health is low enough, will end in a decapitation or a skull stab depending on the currently equipped weapon. The major foes like a steroid-riddled “Crusher” or eardrum-busting “Screamers” whose vocals call forth nearby “Walkers”, “Shamblers”, and “Runners” can’t be choked and put in position for that physical exclamation point.
There are also ranged options in the form of guns and “Curveballs” with the latter being projectiles like Molotov cocktails and hand grenades. Instead of giving “Curveballs” a monetary effect where the player can purchase as many as they can afford, these projectiles work on a cool-down timer after usage with the player only being able to equip two at a time (though they can change them out for whatever other “Curveball” they own via the menu). This change in projectile usage adds a level of complexity and difficulty to the gameplay that is greatly appreciated.
On the opposite end are guns. In the original “Dead Island”, guns were a necessity when taking on human adversaries and were some of the most distressing portions of said game mostly due to the firearms’ floaty natures. “Dead Island 2” forgoes human combat while improving the gun-play by making shooting a little more realistic; though the hit detection can be questionable. Using a rifle to pop a head off from afar before switching to a shotgun proves noticeably different and rewarding especially when modifying a recently obtained gun; the same applies to the melee weapons. The biggest issue with gun-play is the lack of effectiveness a majority of the time in terms of doing damage even if the player lands a perfect head shot. There are no stealth takedowns and sneaking around a zombie usually doesn’t work as their sight cone apparently reaches around the backs of their heads at all times.
One of the most memorable features from “Dead Island” & “Riptide” was taking a weapon to one of the workbenches and applying modifiers including elemental properties like fire, electricity, or acid, as well as boosters to damage, heavy attack charge speed, and reload quickness when using a gun. “Dead Island 2” maintains what worked in the predecessors and somewhat expands with elemental modifiers getting improved versions as the players progresses through everything the game has to offer; mostly nullifying the usefulness of those earlier mods about two-thirds into a playthrough.
Another issue when it comes to the late-game modifiers known as “Zombie Modifiers” is the resources needed for the most interesting mods being associated with some of the rarely-appearing or toughest enemies the game has to offer. This wouldn’t be a problem if defeating one of these monsters like the “Butcher” or a gardener implanted with a beehive in his abdomen guaranteed an item drop of a “Blade Arm” or “Insect Larvae” respectively. But players are always at the mercy of RNG when it comes to what items are discarded from a corpse; making one collection-based series of side missions a real chore as the player is tasked with gathering a particular number of resources from various top-level enemies that may or may not drop the necessary resources.
As mentioned, picking a Slayer initially is rooted in what the player thinks will work with their play style considering the character’s base stats and description. But it’s the addition of a “Skill Deck” that really emphasizes what type of Slayer is going into “Hell-A”. Thanks to cards given to the player for successful missions, associated with leveling up, and just found in various locked boxes, players are able to outfit their character with some impressive benefits. Playing as Ryan – an exotic dancer posing as a firefighter during the fall of man in Los Angeles to make it to safety and find his brother – one of the earliest skill cards obtained rewarded a successful parry-finisher combo with health restoration. While most of the cards are universal no matter the Slayer chosen like attaining a card that allows players to pull off a dropkick similar to what’s seen in the “Dying Light” games, there are a few character specific cards that can drastically change how someone plays compared to a previous playthrough with another Slayer.
Similar to the “Skill Deck” presenting both unique options depending on the Slayer and generalized card offerings is the “Fury” action. Having been bitten by an infected NPC during the game’s first mission, the player’s chosen Slayer attains the ability to go full beast mode about midway through the story. While in “Fury” mode, the Slayer is able to dish copious damage, pull off supernatural abilities, and is practically invincible with health regenerating at an impressive rate while the mode is active. There are modifier cards to make “Fury” mode last longer and the meter that needs to be filled so the player can activate it be boosted by administering finisher blows. “Fury” mode proves to be one of the most interesting additions to the gameplay that nicely mixes things up while giving the player a chance to avoid death when surrounded by the horde of zombies that become more numerous as the narrative progresses.
One of the most interesting developmental choices is the abandoning of a difficulty setting. “Dead Island 2” works on a leveling system to create its difficulty curve with enemies leveling up alongside the Slayer until the protagonist reaches the max level of thirty. This ensures that the player has a fair chance … most of the time. With the player being reliant on chance when it comes to item drops, weapons in the game’s early portions are detrimental to survival because they have both a level of rarity and level number associated with them. With the returning melee weapon degradation system, players may discover their new favorite weapon that is working well against similar-leveled foes breaks quickly and can only be repaired at a workbench.
Using a weapon two or even one level lower than the enemy’s reduces the damage significantly. It isn’t until the player is able to get a good amount of weapons and money can they really take advantage of the game’s economy and weapon modification system by repairing their broken bat, improving it with mods, and, most interestingly, spend a hefty amount of currency to upgrade that weapon’s overall level to match the Slayer’s current level. This wonderful implementation of upgrading weapon levels allows the player to forgo abandoning their favorite object of destruction because it has become too inferior due to its level.
Enemy variation is something “Dead Island 2” definitely prides itself on by not letting the player get comfortable. The initial set of easily-disposable “Walkers” and “Shamblers” eventually gives way to “Runners” who are incredibly aggressive & quick. Later on, “Runners” are improved upon with “Spikey” variants that are invulnerable to non-elemental melee weapons and bullets. This ever-increasing pool of enemies keeps the player on their toes while demanding them to have a varied weapon wheel. The game wants players to also take advantage of the environment by, say, emptying a nearby gas canister around a bunch of barrels to dropkick an incoming zombie into the aforementioned barrels to create an explosion that subsequently causes a ring of fire.
There is a disappointment that comes with enemies in “Dead Island 2” and that’s the bosses, or lack thereof. Every big bad introduced including the “Crusher” and even the “Butcher” go from fearsome foe showing off a new level of deadliness in “Hell-A” to an enemy who joins the pack with the rest of the undead; randomly appearing throughout almost every map. The initial fear and concern of facing something so overwhelming in the first few hours is reduced tremendously when said adversary has been slain for the fiftieth time just to get to the next mission. It would’ve been nice to have some unique, one-off bosses that really left a lasting impression and challenge instead of just increasing the amount of superiors at a time.
Though there may be a moment or mission where things get a little more difficult than expected, death isn’t a penalization to the player like in the original games. The player doesn’t lose weapons, money, or even experience points for dying; just a little bit of progression where the Slayer is sent back to a per-designated checkpoint to try again.
Co-op is treated very interestingly with every player benefiting from a session. Instead of the hosting player being the only gamer to attain mission completion, leveling or resources during a session, every player gains completion recognition as long as they stick around to complete the current quest. Jumping into an online game, staying focused on the mission or just running around bashing skulls works exceptionally well thanks to little or no input delay, or disconnection issues. There is a caveat, though, as only Playstation 5 and Xbox Series gamers can host cross-generational sessions with PS4 and Xbox One players respectively.
For all the gameplay choices, improvements, and a few disappointments, the story walks a fine line of being unremarkable and surprisingly memorable with the presentation of several NPCs really adding both some levity and conviction to taking part in both the main story and the side quests. While reviewers have praised the game’s humor, there is more to the non-Slayer characters than just jokes including the returning Sam B and his understandable paranoia while swinging around a sledgehammer like some anime character.
The protagonist’s initial interactions with actress Emma Jaunt – who is way in over her head during the first mission – eventually leads the Slayer to encounter some surprisingly nuanced characters like Patton who has been living in the sewers of LA before the outbreak due to a facial disfigurement and mental deficiency he obtained during the war made him a recluse. Some of the game’s best character work actually happens outside of missions where characters will randomly start in-depth conversations with each other. The ending, however, isn’t as satisfying as those unexpected verbal exchanges; leaving the door open for a sequel while also giving the player a chance to enjoy the post-story content without much explanation as to how they can continue on considering some of the third act’s biggest revelations.
The technical stability of “Dead Island 2” has to be commended, though there were a few issues during a near thirty-hour playthrough on the PS5. Frame rate drops and game-breaking bugs like incompletable missions were non-existent even when the environment was surrounded by numerous zombies and fire everywhere in regards to the prior. The first ten hours or so produced a single hard crash that resulted in losing barely five seconds of progression thanks to the game’s impressive auto-save system; though it would be nice to have a manual save option to avoid potential progression loss if something unexpected happens.
The sound design is remarkable with audio cues cluing in a player about incoming enemies, ambient noises when moving through any map, and quality sound mixing so players can hear every bit of dialogue. One very annoying aspect that seems to be more of a technical issue than a design choice is randomly spawning enemies. While there are times when enemies appear organically, other moments will see them literally materialize right in front of the player even in sections where they shouldn’t or the Slayer has slaughtered everything in the area.
Though it doesn’t shake up the genre or even give hope that the “Dead Island” franchise will see a resurgence in popularity producing a third numbered entry, “Dead Island 2” does the seemingly impossible by being a very competent experience that plays into the foundation set two gaming generations ago while trying to innovate in regards to gore and humor.
Should You Play “Dead Island 2”?
The fact “Dead Island 2” as a playable, purchasable video game exists will add a level of intrigue for anyone who remembers the fun of playing the original game so many years ago. Thankfully for fans of the franchise, “Dead Island 2” doesn’t stray away from what worked in the original games while not innovating in any way, shape or form other than the “Flesh System”. For as enjoyable as “Dead Island 2” is, suggesting that someone pay a full seventy dollars is a tough recommendation due to the game’s length and a lacking incentive of playing through the game as another “Slayer” from a narrative perspective (and even a gameplay perspective as the gamer’s play style will dictate how fights go rather than what “Slayer” is chosen). Being slightly on sale – twenty or thirty dollars cheaper – makes “Dead Island 2” that much more rewarding of an experience. No matter if someone buys it now or waits until a price drop, the end result will be a player questioning how barbaric they can be without even thinking about the body count amassed during a playthrough.
