Dead Island 2 review: brain off, violence on
18.4.2023
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Dead Island 2 is hardly innovating the zombie survival genre. But it’s still fun – eventually.
Rarely has a game left me with a worse first impression than Dead Island 2. At least not one I was looking forward to. Hitting my first zombie with an iron bar after a few minutes of play, I can only shake my head in bewilderment. It feels like I’m punching through pudding. My weapon feels completely powerless and sluggishly bashes into the zombie. Is this really the sequel to Dead Island? I feel like I’m playing an arthritic butcher.
I must admit, I’m slightly zombied out. Although this famed bogeyman of the gaming world isn’t as ubiquitous as it was ten years ago, there’s still no shortage of zombie games today. And yet, as a connoisseur of well-built slashers, I was looking forward to Dead Island 2. Part one from 2011 left behind many happy memories. A tropical island paradise, crystal clear water and countless zombies just waiting to be beaten into mush by ever more spectacular improvised weapons. What’s not to love?
Source: Dambuster Studios
My zombie hunger wasn’t yet sated, however. Next I treated myself to Dead Island Riptide, then Dying Light and Dying Light 2. All made by Techland. Dead Island 2 was also originally developed by the Polish studio – back when the game was supposed to be released in 2015. Another eight years and three studio changes later, Dead Island 2 is finally here. Aside from removing an island, little has changed.
Little story, lots of blood
Dead Island 2 moves the zombie apocalypse to Los Angeles, or as the city is called in the game: HELL-A. Instead of lush jungle landscapes, there’s the packed Hollywood Hills. Bit of a shame, but at least sunny L.A. still delivers some of that holiday feel. Just take a stroll down warm Venice Beach. However, neither the change of location nor the long development time has any influence on gameplay. As in part one, I mainly fight my way through hordes of ravenous zombies with melee weapons that wear out over time. As the game progresses, I find better and better tools of destruction, which I can make even deadlier at the workbench using collected resources – MacGyver would be proud.
Source: Dambuster Studios
The game begins with a plane crash, which I survive along with five other «Slayers». The six characters range from quick-witted Paralympic athlete Amy, to exotic dancer Ryan, to Irish rockabilly thug Dani. Even just for her amazing accent, I go with the latter. Slayers differ in two initial skills, but these don’t have a significant impact on the game. Varying values for health, stamina or critical damage have a somewhat greater impact. In the end, however, it’s mainly the weapon I’m holding that counts.
I’d have liked to try out co-op mode to thin out the zombie hordes with up to two other Slayers. Unfortunately, I was never able to find fellow players during my test period.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
The plot is, as expected from a zombie game, paper-thin. Turns out I’m immune to the virus. So it’s my job to help create a cure. But it’s not just that I get to avoid an all-inclusive one-way trip to Zombieville if I ever get bit. For some reason, I also have zombie superpowers. However, this «Fury Mode» is only unlocked later in the game.
After a graphically impressive, but sobering first impression gameplay-wise, I hide out in the estate of the well-known actress Emma Jaunt. From there, I complete missions throughout zombie-infested HELL-A in typical open-world fashion. Mostly it involves freeing survivors from sticky situations. In between, I get to do some exploring and hunting as well. In terms of playstyle, it all ends up the same. I run to the marked point on my map, slaughter everything in my path and collect my reward. I regularly have to unlock locked doors by finding the right code, inserting a battery, or bridging a power interruption with water. You don’t need much more brains than a zombie for that.
A certain seriousness despite the humour
My first few hours in Dead Island 2 are tough. Weapons have no punch and zombies take too much punishment. The fact that I occasionally get to crush a head or go for a bloody finisher isn’t enough to break up the monotony. Enemy AI is brainless, even for zombies. They always have the same attack patterns. Big burly ones, imported from the previous game, swing twice or go for a ground pound that knocks me over. Completely obvious. The variety of undead is okay, on the other hand. There are electrified ones, zombies on fire and others that explode when hit. These different elements create combinations ideal for eliminating several zombies at once. Naturally, there are loose power cables, water canisters and oil drums everywhere.
Source: Dambuster Studios
However, the zombies don’t look threatening – although they’re still wonderfully disfigured. And there’s nothing to criticise about the limb-destruction physics. Slaughtering zombies has never been more detailed and bloody. At this point, it should’ve become obvious: Dead Island 2 is a really gory game. Sparks quite literally fly.
Despite excessive violence, the game also offers decent humour. My character Dani delivers plenty of quips in every situation – even knee-deep in sewer water, she doesn’t run out of them. Nevertheless, Dani maintains a certain seriousness. Even supporting characters like Emma Jaunt are surprisingly human. When her best friend dies, the game takes its time to give the moment some weight. The voice acting is very convincing, alongside the detailed facial animation.
Source: Dambuster Studios
It’s all about biting your way through
However, funny anecdotes aren’t good enough if gameplay is boring. If I didn’t have to write this review, I don’t know how long I’d have struggled with Dead Island 2.
The combat system simply isn’t fun for the first few hours. Only gradually does the game get going. After learning the Ground Pound and Flying Kick and adding a few modifications to my weapons, things do start becoming enjoyable. Instead of bluntly hacking at zombies until they finally fall over, I now sprint kick them through the air Bruce Lee-style. I follow up with a Ground Pound – the move knocks any other nearby zombies to the ground. Finally, I unsheathe my electrified sledgehammer and decorate the asphalt in meat graffiti.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
Arriving at Venice Beach doesn’t just provide that fresh sea breeze, my arsenal now also contains some firearms. They’re not quite as satisfying as my melee weapons, though, which now consist of a garden hoe, morning star, and zombie sword. But they do provide variety. This also results more and more from the skill system. Cards can be unlocked and equipped in four categories. The aforementioned Ground Pound and Flying Kick are two of them. I can choose whether I prefer to block or dodge, whether kills increase damage or health regeneration, or whether killed zombies should become booby traps.
I can also customise Fury Mode. This already existed in the first Dead Island. It recharges by killing zombies. If I activate it, Dani shreds opponents with her bare hands for a short time. Towards the end of the game, so-called autophage cards are added. They affect Fury Mode. The more of them I select, the more I become a zombie and the stronger my attacks become. The downsides are less health and worse stamina regeneration. I get to puke poison, though. Yummy.
The card system isn’t much different from the talent trees in previous games. However, it allows a bit more flexibility due to the free swapping of cards.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
At some point, it just clicks
Dead Island 2 is repetitive and unoriginal, yet I still had fun. Eventually. The longer the game lasts, the better the zombie-slaying extravaganza gets. You will have to stick it out initially. Only with better weapons and new abilities does the murder carousel pick up speed. But when you get to a point of catapulting zombies through the air with a stomp attack, throwing a nail grenade after them, exploding countless barrels and surgically removing heads with an electric sword, Dead Island 2 fires on all cylinders.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
The game world doesn’t win any design awards. The urban setting, however, is repeatedly loosened up by locations worth seeing, such as the flesh sewers or Santa Monica Pier. In addition, the interiors in particular are blessed with a great level of detail. I was pleasantly surprised by the characters – especially Dani, the rockabilly badass. Her part comedic, part serious dialogue adds the necessary spice to this zombie dish.
Apart from minor bugs, such as fuses that I had to insert several times, the game runs smoothly. So if you’ve slept through the last hundred zombie apocalypses, or if you’re a sucker for the genre like me, you’ll definitely enjoy Dead Island 2. You won’t find a more beautiful and bloody game to chop up zombies in. If you’re looking for a bit more depth, you’ll probably be happier with Dying Light 2.
Dead Island 2 is available for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series and was provided to me by Plaion. I tested the PC version.
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chBeing the game and gadget geek that I am, working at digitec and Galaxus makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop – but it does take its toll on my wallet. I enjoy tinkering with my PC in Tim Taylor fashion and talking about games on my podcast http://www.onemorelevel.ch. To satisfy my need for speed, I get on my full suspension mountain bike and set out to find some nice trails. My thirst for culture is quenched by deep conversations over a couple of cold ones at the mostly frustrating games of FC Winterthur.
Gaming
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
18 comments
later