Dead Island 2 Review - Stuck in the Past

It’s hard to believe that Dead Island 2 was announced in 2014 and only now, nearly a decade later, do we get to play the long-awaited sequel. This first-person zombie action RPG went through many hurdles in its development cycle, jumping from one studio to another until it finally settled with Dambuster Studio, a company best known for its work on Homefront: The Revolution. The result? A fun post-apocalyptic zombie game stuck in the past.

Welcome to Hell-A

Dead Island 2 takes place in Los Angeles, years after the events of the first game, and the zombie outbreak is in full swing as it can no longer be contained. Citizens are fending for themselves, finding any way to get out of the city. The six playable characters flee the city via the same airplane, but of course, there’s an infected on board, and the plane crashes and burns with only a handful of people surviving the crash, including your chosen character. You’ll get bitten, notice that he/she is immune to the disease, and go on a journey through “Hell-A” to find a way to get out of the city alive.

It’s textbook zombie apocalypse stuff as Dead Island 2 has a predictable story that only started to get interesting in the latter parts of the campaign. As I was playing through the last section, I already knew the game was going to leave me hanging as even the better stories had no resolution in sight, with once-promising antagonists that dissipated like hot air. It felt more like the developers were focused on leaving enough avenues for the game to grow in future content, but this has resulted in a shallow base experience.

It also doesn’t help that the game is populated with self-centered NPC characters - the rich and famous, social media-obsessed teens, drunk rock stars – they are not the kind of people you want in a zombie apocalypse. Some of those you meet can be entertaining, but most of the time it’s just forgettable personalities who have their priorities out on the fritz. This bleeds through to the game’s sidequests, which do have hilarious bits that make some endeavors worth the effort. Thankfully, the characters you play are easier to swallow, as each one has a unique personality when interacting with the other characters in the game. For instance, Jacob responds more sarcastically and witty, while Ryan feels more like the boy scout of the bunch.

A meaty, melee gore buffet

Bashing zombie brains in Dead Island 2 is the best part of the game. Every weapon type delivers a different satisfying crunch when dealing with the infected. It’s all thanks to the game’s gore system, as the way zombies get mutilated based on each weapon’s properties is impressive to watch. The killing blows never get old, and the detail as to how limbs are dismembered or blown off makes any other gory game look like child’s play.

Though guns are present and effective, Dead Island 2 is still mainly a melee-focused game, as it remains a grounded action RPG with no parkour or stealth. It’s all about going guns blazing and fighting the undead head-on. When you are up against waves of zombies, everything starts to click, and in these moments Dead Island 2 is at its best.

It’s all about hacking and slashing, targeting limbs to cripple, and drop-kicking those in front of you to attack them while they are down. I enjoyed taking on groups of zombies as I felt powerful and capable thanks to the array of DIY weapons at the ready as I explored each section of LA. It also helps that this game has a healthy amount of zombie types as you’ll see yourself constantly switching to different weapons based on what kind of zombie you are facing. And when things get tough, I can rely on Fury mode, which allows you to unleash zombie-like abilities thanks to your being infected as well.

Los Angeles is your playground, though it’s not an open world, but rather a segmented open world. You start at Bel-Air then eventually find an exit that transports you to Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, etc. Each location looks visually stunning either during the day or night, devoid of life as most home interiors look as if time has stopped and every narrow street or corridor is filled with a zombie just waiting for you. The carnage looks fresh, as every accident or car crash, incident of environmental damage, or roadblock appears as if it all happened just a couple of days ago. As for scale, the game feels smaller, condensed to ten pocket-sized maps as the sequel does not feature driving or any mode of transportation, so you’ll be going around on foot with a fast travel option available midway through the campaign if you wish to revisit previous locations.

With how the game was designed, this rotting version of LA is filled with hazards that can be a danger to you or an opportunity to take out a couple of zombies with ease. There are exposed live electric wires close to water, flammable barrels, and acidic waste that can melt away flesh. These types of hazards are littered almost everywhere and are the usual obstacles you’ll come across during a mission, slowing a player’s progress just slightly as you have to clear the fire blocking your path with a jerry can or turn off electricity near the area so that water is safe to cross again. These hazards also play in the many side activities you come across, such as unlocking a room filled with loot, as these rooms are likely booby-trapped to catch you off guard.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it

Dead Island 2 has a variety of melee and ranged weapons with specific weapon profiles that make items specialized towards particular playstyles. One profile makes every hit to the head a critical hit, while another triggers critical hits and a boost to attack speed with rapid attacks. You then are given mod and perk slots (depending on the item rarity) for more room to customize your weapon to your liking.

But just like in the first game, wear and tear is present as every attack drains the weapon’s durability down to the point where it becomes unusable, so you’ll be forced to switch from one weapon to another during fights until you reach the nearest workbench and make the decision if it’s worth repairing your worn-out weapons or if it’s best to use your resources to upgrade the new ones you just picked up. Materials for weapon crafting are scattered all around LA and almost all of what you loot are meant just for your weaponry, as utility items now function like one of your abilities, meaning that thrown items such as grenades, zombie bait, or shurikens now have a cooldown before you can use them again. This is a disappointing change as I liked the idea of allocating my resources evenly between weapon crafting while ensuring that I had enough to craft a bait bomb or a pipe bomb.

Character progression was also changed in Dead Island 2, another strange change. Instead of an exclusive skill tree for each character, you’re given a card skill deck system where you can equip specific skill cards you’ve unlocked or found based on your preferred play style. The idea was interesting on paper, but as you experience it first-hand, it just shows how ingenious the typical skill tree system is for games in this sub-genre.

The problem with this new system is that levels aren’t that exciting anymore, as you could get a card that won’t fit well with the build you are going for. This system doesn’t give you an idea of what you’ll get as compared to a skill tree system, where you’d have some idea of where you want to bring your character, whether aiming for a specific skill or playstyle, as each skill point earned brings you closer to that build you think will work in your head. The card system makes the earlier levels feel stale and only opens up what’s possible when you’ve unlocked enough card slots and have a variety of skills to mix and match.

During my time with Dead Island 2, the game ran smoothly on the PS5 98% of the time, as I did experience rare FPS drops when zombie density and particle effects got to be a bit too much in a given area. Bugs and other technical issues were close to none in my first playthrough, which was a pleasant surprise as I didn’t know what to expect from a title with such a rocky development. Nothing damaged the experience from a technical standpoint.

The Zombie Craze Has Seen Better Days

I’ve been wrestling with what I thought about Dead Island 2 after the credits rolled, as I did have fun with the game. Bashing zombie heads over and over felt good, as this can be a mindless fun activity either alone or with a friend or two. This is why I was surprised to see that this game did not feature a New Game+ mode or specific activities for characters that have completed the main campaign. Sadly, there’s nothing like that, as all I’m reminded to do after completing the story is do the other side activities I have yet to complete. It’s a missed opportunity as there’s no room or incentive to go nuts with a high-leveled character and push the limits of the builds and weapons you’ve obtained so far.

Dead Island 2 failed to stand out as the original game did, since there are now a good amount of zombie-themed titles that are more than capable of scratching this particular itch. Dead Island 2 feels so late in the game that other games like it have evolved and experimented with different concepts while this series is still trying to get back on its feet.

Nevertheless, it’s a great attempt if you account for what this project has gone through, as it’s a miracle that Dead Island 2 finally shipped in such a commendable state. The appeal is now just watered down and they need more than what was delivered here to make Dead Island the head-turning franchise it once was when it first started back in 2011.

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7/10 (WAIT FOR SALE)

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PROS

• Satisfying zombie mutilation

• Great zombie bashing combat with an array of fun zombie types to fight against

CONS

• The Card skill system just makes the traditional skill tree system look good

• A forgettable story with an ending too open-ended

What I’ve Played

• Finished the story campaign solo with a game time of over 19 hours 

• Did a series of side quests and activities with total completion of 57%

• Tried two other characters

*This review is based on an early PS5 copy of the game that was provided to the reviewer*

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