After all this time, I had believed Dead Island 2 was vaporware. It never looks good to have many developer changes and years of delays, so I wasn't sure the game would ever be released. The game will be released the following month, and creator Dambuster Studios is almost done, against all odds. I had the opportunity to preview the game early on, and I must admit that returning to Dead Island felt quite wonderful. Despite being an island, Los Angeles, where the game is situated, isn't. It seems that renaming the franchise is not an option.
In Dead Island 2, you start by selecting from a variety of extravagant main characters who have varying gameplay focuses and characteristics. I went with the tough-talking Latina Carla, but there are many more options. Whichever group you go with, the protagonist's aircraft crashes because zombies board it. Not too long later, our hero catches up with a famous person and her entourage and proceeds to help a few wounded survivors. as inviting the protag to her estate, the celebrity and her company leave the party shortly as a large number of zombies show there.
Before heading straight for the celebrity's residence, your hero is bitten. As fate would have it, they are immune, and they reach the mansion before the game orders you to locate the police so you may flee Los Angeles. Given that Techland's Dying Light series used much of the DNA from the previous games, I was interested to see how Dead Island 2 would function. In summary, Los Angeles is not an open world. It's set in zones that you must navigate while completing primary objectives, side missions, and battling zombies, much like the original games. Though it's an unexpected decision, it ultimately feels a lot more like a Dead Island game than a Dying Light.
Image courtesy of Deep Silver/Dambuster Studios
What thoughts do you have?
It is your responsibility to find upgradeable melee equipment, as usual. These are what you'll employ to deal viciously with the undead. I think Dead Island 2 is the most graphic zombie game I've ever played, to put it simply. The gore's level of detail is just remarkable. It is realistic to be able to realistically ruin almost every portion of a zombie's body: faces absorb a staggering amount of damage, legs may be chopped off. It's difficult to explain, but you can see a zombie split into many little "wiggling zones" after repeatedly striking it in the face. Alternatively, their mouths can swing out of their skulls or fall off.
Probably even more devastating and unpleasant than what Dying Light delivers is the melee fighting. You have your standard weapon swings and heavy swings as usual. In addition, Carla has the ability to block strikes, whereas other playable characters can only evade. When you time your blocks correctly—which is simple since the system is forgiving—you'll initiate a counterattack animation that often results in the complete defeat of an adversary. I, Carla at least, was using this to my advantage to eliminate zombies.
There are many other kinds of weapon finishers, but the one that most comes to mind is the bare-handed finisher in which you smash your whole fist through a zombie's face. That is awful. Additionally, you may benefit from the affects of the environment, like water, electricity, and fire. For a simple zombie fry, take a vehicle battery and drop it into the swimming pool. As you explore, you'll also be naturally recovering by consuming a variety of snacks and energy drinks.
Though I wasn't sure, I really enjoyed playing the first few levels of Dead Island2.and I'm eager to return to the senseless slaughter. Nevertheless, I'm not sure how much more of those shattered faces I can stand to witness.
Picture courtesy of Dambuster Studios/Deep Silver
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