Dead Island 2 was announced a decade ago, and everyone thought that it was a goner but the game is now here. After many delays, changes in developers, and Dambuster Studios has finally delivered the game. It has been worth all the wait though not a spectacular experience it is still a good one. It is a good old fashion monster-slaying adventure that offers a fun time. Fans of the original Dead Island will like it since it offers the OG experience of early 2010s games.
The game has a crazy weapon system, good combat, and world design. It is not a massive open-world game with amazing RPG mechanics. The game is pretty normal but it delivers all the normal things wholeheartedly. The core system of Dead Island 2 offers a fun way to get immersed in combat. There are a lot of quality-of-life changes that blow life in the old concept of the original game. The game is still all about melee combat and hacking enemies to death with different attacks.
Though it was a long wait for the release of the Dead Island 2 game, don’t expect too much from it. Come at it as a decent zombie slaying game not a game with 10 years of anticipation. It is not the type of game that is a decade’s worth of anticipation. The game does not offer something unique but it does offer good combat and setting. It is a game that will cater to the needs of players that are looking for a zombie-riddled game that offers a fun experience.
Plot (Spoiler Free)
Events of the Dead Island 2 takes place a decade after the events of the first game. This time the setting is Los Angles and a zombie outbreak has ravaged the city turning it into ruins. Everyone is trying to get out of the city. You were among the group that was evacuating the city via a plane but crashed right back in. It is up to you and the survivors with you to get out of the city alive. You have to select from six different characters known as slayers each of which has different stats and unique abilities.
Survivors are holding out in packets in different parts of the city. The game does share some connection with the Dead Island and Dead Island Riptide but it’s not that extensive. You can play the entire game without even realizing the connection. There are even some returning characters. Dead Island 2 stands as a game with a self-sufficient story.
The story does not offer anything special as it is a straightforward zombie plot. The dialogues are not that good and do not carry much weight in the story. Most characters even the playable ones do not say anything of much value. The writing of the game is not strong and does not help much in elevating the general feel of the game. Most of the time it’s the itch of going back into the action that keeps you engaged.
Life of LA
In the beginning, the characters take refuge in the mansion of an actress. The LA life is prevalent throughout the game both in characters and setting. You are supposed to gather survivors and go out to complete objectives. The characters you select at the beginning can have an impact on gameplay so choose carefully.
Dead Island 2 game shows its personality through dark humor and deeply cynical but crazy characters. The story is not over the top but characters and things do pop up. Lots of characters come and go but it’s good to see their story play out in the meantime.
Setting
Even though the writing of the game is not good, the utilization of the setting is good. The setting of the game is LA which is plagued by a zombie outbreak as mentioned earlier. It is still LA and is full of personality and vibrant colors. Los Angles is filled with personality and variety that keeps players engaged. From Quite Bravely hills to crowded Santa Monica beaches and everything in between such as indoor locations are full of details. There is a variety of visual styles and designs in the game.
Design is the strength of Dead Island 2. Rather than a completely open world, the Dead Island 2 game guides you through several different locations. Some of these locations are larger while others are guided and narrow. There is a variety in the way the game shows the setting. The setting is the star of the show with events from the first game loosely tie in but it will not have much impact on the story.
Not a Complete Open World
Dead Island 2 is not a complete open-world game but rather a multi-regional one with multiple open areas. It is one big city with small areas branching out everywhere. The map is still big and will not feel small. It starts from the actress’s mansion and keeps on going. There is no copy-paste stuff in the environment. Some areas are linear, some wide open, and others combination of both. There is a variety of different locations and general parts of the map.
There is even environmental storytelling. Sometimes when you enter a location, you can tell what has happened in there. You can look for scraps to upgrade weapons and can even look for better gear while exploring around. The game has lots of different locations from movie sets, to Beverly Hills, beaches, big hotels, water treatment facilities, and even celebrity homes. The scenarios you see at these locations make them even better.
Secrets and Side Quests
Different Areas look good with some hidden things to do. You will find different side quests that have some unique stories to tell. Side quests are not afterthoughts and have been given some care. Some of them will have their areas and even unique charterers. These characters will become part of your group of survivors.
Combat
The combat of the game is good with brutal and crunching attacks. The first-person melee combat is tricky but Dead Island 2 game successfully implements it. The imprecise gameplay is usually prevalent in first-person melee combat but not here. Movements are precise and responsive and hits will land with satisfying feedback. Enemies will react to your attacks. Some of the responses that these enemies give can pull you in due to their surprising nature.
There is a good variety of weapons ranging from lead pipes, machetes, cleavers, axes, and knives to sledgehammers and even some ranged weapons. The primary focus of the combat is still melee weapons. Each weapon is fun to use and presents a different outcome of combat. Thanks to durability mechanics you will pick up many of them and will end up using many of them. Durability mechanics is not a problem since you can repair them. The way enemies react to your attacks feels good.
You can see attacks peeling their skin, electrocution burning them to crisp, hammers cursing them, katana hacking them to pieces, and things like that. The hacking mechanics makes the combat an exciting experience that feels real.
Hack and Slash
The flesh peeling system plays a huge role in making the combat interesting. As explained earlier, it adds more life to the combat. Dead Island 2 is a gory game that takes every chance to show the impact of your attacks on the enemies. It will show enemies burned, electrocuted, hacked, blown, and things like that.
The game has gory details that extend with an increasing number of enemies it throws at you. Every weapon has its strength when combined with jumps, kicks, and dropkicks will add more adventure to the combat. Combat is more fun with environmental interaction and how it works with elemental as well as normal damage. There are different ways to use the environment for environmental damage.
Electrocuting zombies with water by pouring water over zombies and then hitting them with an electric shock. Pour fuel over enemies and then light them up. Studying the environment and finding different ways to take enemies down is always fun. Weapons can be upgraded to fuse with elemental damage. All of it makes combat more fun and interesting.
The core system of hacks, attacks, and after-effects of shots is good. You will be hacking skin with shards and different weapons. It lets you peel the skins of zombies step by step with chucks of different parts being peeled away
Stale But Fun
Combat of Dead Island 2 game is fun but it’s not out of the world. Hacking enemies gets repetitive with some time. Different weapons are useful in different scenarios. Some are good for ranged attacks, some medium attacks, and some close quarters. The use of a weapon can also change based on the number and type of enemies you are fighting. Some weapons are good for hacking enemies, some brunt, some are good for headshots, and some does regular attack while other do heavy attacks and things like that.
Dodges and blocks can also change how you approach combat. Zombies hit you and you hit them, that is the basic structure of combat. Dodging, dashing, and blocking will save you from the attacks of enemies. After some time the combat gets repetitive and feels like you are doing the same thing again and again. The constant changes in the environment keep everything fresh even when combat feels stale.
General Gameplay
Dead Island 2 is not a game that is all about hack and slash as there are some other elements as well. The skill deck system is all about customization and adding new things to characters. It is an RPG system of the game that helps in upgrading characters. There is an option of CO-OP and the game can be fun when played in CO-OP. Hacking your way through enemies with friends feels good.
You will find and unlock new skill cards throughout the game. These skill cards bring passive bonuses and immediate active bonuses that can make certain moves more effective among other things. The changes that these cards bring can have a major impact on your character.
Skill deck can change the stats, strengths, and weaknesses of your characters. The option that these cards offers are not over the top but it keeps the weapon fresh and side content desirable.
Consumables are not craftable and they are on cooldowns once you use them. You can target and collect specific zombie limbs to upgrade weapons. Certain zombies are resistant to certain damage types. Such as firemen being resistant to fire damage and so on.
The Cards
Cards will bring different changes to the game such as better critical hit chances, adding moves such as dropkicks, and doing more damage with certain attacks. The weapon and customization system is extensive with blueprints for weapons that can be found throughout the map.
You can add electricity, fire, poison, and things like that to weapons. There are even some trade-off mods that will add one thing but give a penalty for another. Such mods will increase damage for durability, durability for damage, and things like that.
Verdict
There is a lot of zombie-killing fun to be had once you start the adventure. If you were hoping for a zombie-killing experience then Dead Island 2 is the game that provides just that. It is not that type of experience that blows you away but it is also not the one that will offer a bad experience. If you are looking for a good zombie-killing fun then this is it. The game has good RPG mechanics though it does not go overboard with RPG elements. It is a normal fun RPG that keeps a good balance.
The game does not lose sight and momentum of providing a good setting. It goes out of the way to even incorporate optional activities. Optional activities are carefully crafted and do not feel rushed. There is a balance in everything with enough content to keep you engaged and The Dead Island 2 game does not overstay its welcome.
You can visit the previous areas so there is no restriction of staying in the same area. The game will take you 20 to 30 hours to complete depending on the amount of side content you do. It does not reinvent anything but rather goes along already proven formulas. Dead Island 2 chooses density oversize which favors its pacing.
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