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Dead Island 2 is a game that has languished in development troubles for years. Titles such as Too Human and Duke Nukem Forever were also stuck in that same rut, and by the time they were released, the gaming scene had passed them by. Dead Island 2 tells the tale of an escape gone wrong in Los Angeles, or as the game dubs it, “Hell-A.” Zombies have taken over the once celebrity-filled streets of LA, and they stand between you and freedom. Despite the troubled development cycle, Dead Island 2 manages to impress, even if it feels like a game out of time. Our Dead Island 2 review will explain what that means.
Story: The Walk of Fame
After the bombastic opening sequences, we were presented with an assortment of playable characters. Each is packed with various unique traits and a play style. Once you select your character of choice, you are locked in for the duration of the campaign. Each of these six characters is fully voiced, and they’re packed with different abilities they can earn while leveling up. As the campaign progresses, each character unlocks new skills that lean into your infection and let you unleash some wicked zombie field attacks.
Hell-A is not a sprawling and seamless open world. Instead, it’s broken up into hub-sized locations representing some of LA’s most iconic districts. After an evacuation goes wrong, your character discovers they’re seemingly immune to becoming a zombie. We won’t spoil what goes on from there, but the rest of the plot follows a string of genre cliches that never rises above mediocre.
Even though the overall plot of Dead Island 2 let us down, the characters and writing are surprisingly well done, and each of them is performed with enthusiasm and a sense of confidence. We came to appreciate each playable character and how well they handled the outlandish cast that called Hell-A home.
Gameplay: A blast from the past
The gameplay of Dead Island 2 sadly mirrors the ebbs and flow of its story. Dead Island 2 puts much more emphasis on brutal combat than contemporaries such as Dying Light 2, but it struggles to maintain momentum over the 15-hour campaign length. It features a blend between intricate melee combat and firearms of different styles. It’s all well and good the first few hours, but repetition sets in after a few hours as the game quickly runs out of gameplay gimmicks.
The various open-world quests range from formulaic to some of the game’s most exciting content. Finding blueprints and keys and helping people can sometimes tell interesting short stories. Traversal is okay, but you never truly gain the freedom of movement, as each hub is essentially a series of halls.
The leveling-up system is at least fresh, as you build a deck of cards that represent abilities you can use in combat. This unique take on progression wisely sidesteps a boring skill tree full of unnecessary 2% stat boosts that never amount to meaningful progression.
Graphics/Audio: The Wild West
The visuals of Dead Island 2 are a clear standout and the game’s strongest feature. Seeing famous LA locations such as the Hollywood Hills, Santa Monica, and Venice Beach makes the entire experience feel fresh. We were blown away by the variety and beauty of every new room, building, and famous landmark each hub contains.
Those stunning looks are used to significant effect in terms of visual set-pieces and design. Every single attack does real damage, and it does a fantastic job of completely upping itself with each new location you uncover.
Regarding looks, it doesn’t matter what platform you play it on, as they all look and perform excellently. My campaign play-through was on the PS5 in performance mode, and the framerate never wavered. The online co-op also performed admirably, as we never lost connection or experienced lag during our play sessions.
Related: Dead Island 2: Expansion Pass, Release Date, System Reqs
Conclusion:
The time spent during our Dead Island 2 review in Hell-A was a pleasant surprise. The story never amounts to anything exceptional, and the brutal combat wears out its welcome long before the end. Still, the seamless online co-op and memorable character performances make for a good time. If you’re looking for a more straightforward cooperative zombie adventure with great locations and fun combat, Dead Island 2 is absolutely worth a look.
Dead Island 2 is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Review copy given by the publisher.
Dead Island 2 (PlayStation 5 Reviewed)
The time spent during our Dead Island 2 experience in Hell-A was a pleasant surprise.
Pros
- Great story and themes
- Visceral combat
- Fun co-op
The Bad
- Leveling can be confusing
- Enemy respawns are tedious