I did not accept it. When I sat down to play Dead Island 2, I anticipated an average player in the best case scenario, a game that the world would quickly forget about a few days after its release, and one that Deep Silver Dambuster Studios could make very loud for a very long time. The designers put an emphasis on fun in the truest sense of the term because this time, players will dive into the sandbox, grab shovels, and, while they might not build a castle, beat the running dead with more toys. In a good way, Dead Island 2 surprises.
Dead Island 2’s entire version was sent to our editors two months prior to the game’s release, and we were able to play it for a few days as part of a unique test from PLAION.
The introduction to the plot, the introduction of each hero, the list of primary tasks, and the list of side missions convinced me that the developers are quite confident, and I’m not shocked.
The game by Deep Silver Dambuster Studios won’t have the most picturesque setting in 2023, but it will undoubtedly be one of those that we return to due of its incredibly light and unsettlingly delightful gameplay.
Dead Island 2 starts with a big disaster…
Dead Island, which Techland released in 2011 and which the public fell in love with right away, shocked the world. The Deep Silver Dambuster Studios team decided to focus on having fun rather than trying to develop a story that the major studios would fight to adapt. Instead, the scriptwriters welcomed the gamers to a gory feast. The story begins when a zombie outbreak breaks out in Los Angeles. People try to flee, the area is quarantined, and the only way out of this nightmare is a plane. Unfortunately, on the vehicle that was supposed to take us to a peaceful location, an infected surfaced, and we were literally brought back to earth. The makers gave us a choice of six potential heroes, but we can also choose a character who is already on the aircraft.
Each of the characters is a little different, offers its own start bonuses, and in this case, the decision is so crucial that we can’t make a different one. Examples include a former stockbroker who wants to pursue a career as a stuntman, a Paralympic competitor who is recharging thanks to adrenaline, a professional cheater, a motorcycle stuntman, a dancer, or a roller derby competitor. You must play the entire game as Jacob after starting it, or at the very least until the following game start. I got the chance to test three unfortunates throughout the tests, and it was very simple to recognize Deep Silver Dambuster Studios’ efforts. Although I get the idea that the character will merely be used as an excuse to wander around the city and do a few activities, the authors have created unique personas that are diverse enough to entice players to play again.
It turns out that the main character is one of the few individuals on the globe who is immune to being bitten. While the story is not the game’s finest component, it does have potential. Dead Island 2 emphasizes the more enjoyable side of the zombie apocalypse, but you shouldn’t expect a plot full of dramatic turns and unforgettable strong events as the designers demonstrated in the early hours. One of the survivors is a Hollywood agent who doesn’t care that there are zombies roaming around because his celebrity is still the most important thing to him. As a result, we are constantly fed witty comments until his storyline eventually takes precedence, which also results in some amusing incidents. You’ll also run into a stoned musician early on who assumed our hero was bringing him the pizza he had earlier ordered amid the zombie apocalypse. All of this is presented in a fairly lighthearted manner and is consistent with the production’s intentions, which do not involve forcing another serious journey.
Dead Island 2 is all about fight, fight and more fight
Because of the FLESH mechanic, also known as the Completely Localized Humanoid Evisceration System, which, to put it simply, causes zombies to respond to every attack, I have very positive views of Dead Island 2. By striking the opponent’s legs, we can chop off a bit of his head. As the opponent is being attacked, we can see as the skin and muscles are first torn off, followed by the bones being fractured and the creature moving closer to us. Without any obstructions, we will grab the baton in our paws and attack the opponent’s head until we can actually see the individual dents in the skull. At that point, the entire head will fall off like a baseball. Other times, we manage to outlast the attacker long enough to eventually rip out the remainder of his brain or rip a chunk of his jaw from the wrecked head – each of these scenes is more visually stunning than you can imagine. During the fight, we may also toss equipment, then swiftly run up, remove the weapon from the opponent, and wave the toy to get rid of additional adversaries. Blood, guts, and other pleasures fly across the screen as well. Driving evil opponents into acid is a terrific move because we can witness their bodies literally melt seconds later. Other times, we can connect electricity to a pool of water to make zombies start an electric dance, which is a surprisingly nice effect.
In numerous locations on the world map, Deep Silver Dambuster Studios expanded the FLESH system through the environment. For instance, it is simple to break a hydrant and then throw a cable with a severed end into the resulting puddle to fight a larger group of enemies. Another time, I doused a parking lot with gasoline to start a small fire and watch as ten zombies were engulfed in flames. Such actions can be triggered at every turn, and the opponents themselves add to the fun because there are several different types of zombies to contend with. At first, we encounter typical walkers who are at liberty, and we must work to make them more threatening, but after a few minutes of play, special variants enter the picture.
Zombies with bombs strapped to their bodies, electricians electrocuting our hero, swift-moving animals, venomous creatures, or someone with a lot of muscle? This is only the beginning of the attractions; in order to get out of difficulties unharmed during the game, you must rapidly orient yourself. Every successful action in Dead Island 2 is a lot of fun, even though at times the struggles are not a formality and I had to be careful not to end up as lunch for the converted LA citizens. On the other hand, we can watch how their bodies are torn apart by repeated attacks, but during the tests I felt twice that the conflicts lasted a little too long. The creators, however, did not manage to escape from the traditional sponge bosses, which we have to attack for even a few minutes.
Dead Island 2 faces its own limitations
Dead Island 2 does contain guns, but the gameplay is mostly focused on melee weapons, which can be swiftly destroyed, therefore you need always carry a variety of different weapons in your backpack. Traditionally, all toys have statistics that define them. By gathering different items along the way, we can improve certain toys, like the machete, which affects not only its damage but also our ability to electrocute enemies by connecting the battery at the right time or to set a beast on fire by adding a small burner. You are encouraged by Deep Silver Dambuster Studios to scavenge, seek out schematics, and reach for every tiny component since, in some circumstances, it may be worthwhile to construct fresh first aid kits in addition to fixing weapons that have been damaged on zombies’ heads.
The globe in Dead Island 2 has been separated into sectors; it’s not a totally open area, so occasionally we have to look at a brief loading screen. It’s unlikely that the game will allow us to get into cars. This is presumably a result of the game’s lengthy development and availability for consoles from two generations; as a result, the developers were able to raise the level of surprise in numerous instances. Dead Island 2’s developers had to keep in mind that it must also run on older hardware, yet when I played it on an Xbox Series X, I was frequently amused by the gory sequences. While I read the story, I came across many beautiful landscapes and had the option to enter a few residences. These extra locations let you find new items that we can use in conflict later on. It’s difficult to discuss a revolution in this place, but breaking into an apartment in Los Angeles is fun because there are often amusing zombie-starring scenes.
One of the creators’ decisions, which I find difficult to understand, was to emphasize “champion development through cards” during the marketing campaign. I was one of the people who openly challenged this notion. Thankfully, I had the impression while playing the game that the designers struggled to “sell” their idea and gave it a terrible name. Choosing skills is the basis for the hero’s relatively straightforward growth. In the menu, we can choose from a number of skills that influence our abilities. For instance, we can choose to improve the dynamic action related to running, jumping, and kicking zombies. This move works surprisingly well and can be used, for example, to throw a corpse into acid or push it directly into running water. We regenerate the character’s health when making the appropriate attacks.
Dead Island 2 will be a positive surprise for many
I could have completed the highlighted content in approximately five hours, but the creators let us to keep playing, so I was content to explore the town, meet new characters, and generally… have fun. For this reason, I am confident that when I return to the game the following month, I will be pleased to go through the introduction once more before reading the next chapters of the story. I’m hoping for more intriguing locations as well as the chance to eliminate more zombies. All aficionados of the genre must have in mind the words “chopping, chopping and cutting off” or even “digging” when talking about Dead Island 2.
It definitely won’t be the most somber zombie game that delights the broad audience with every blade of grass, but you’ll have a lot of fun if you’re anticipating a meaty, violent, and frequently surreal humor experience.