Deep Silver and Dambuster Studios have finally lifted the lid in full on Dead Island 2, a game that fans have been waiting for almost a decade. It was in 2014 that the sequel to the popular Dead Island games was revealed, and today, zombie-slaying aficionados are still eagerly awaiting its launch.
It was a good idea to never give up hope, as Dead Island 2, set in a post-apocalyptic rendition of Los Angeles, actually looks fantastic. In the fifteen-minute showcase, we saw a live-action performance interspersed between clips of the game, and what was uncovered was a genuinely superb-looking display, bursting at the seams with gore, comedy, and adrenaline-fuelled combat.
Dead Island 2 is FINALLY Coming Soon
It has been a difficult journey for Dead Island 2, with development being stunted by the project changing hands several times since 2012. Regardless of that journey (and one final delay), we can now say that the game is coming soon and will launch on April 28th, 2023.
In the Dead Island 2 showcase, we were treated to possibly everything we could ever need to know about the game, from the setting to the combat, and from the creativity of the combat to the story itself. There’s nothing serious about this apocalypse, it seems, as Dambuster has opted to swing for a humorous take on a desperately dangerous zombie apocalypse.
We now know that there’s a dual-protagonist system featuring a male and a female character, a huge open map set in the heart of Los Angeles, and innovative, inventive combat. We’ll see a return of weapon crafting, boosted to the max, as well as unique power brought on by the fact that the protagonist seems to be a zombie-human hybrid, in a way.
The Same, But Different, But Still The Same
There are references to the first two main Dead Island games littered throughout Dead Island 2, mostly in the extra content that players will receive for pre-ordering it. It’s recognisable as a Dead Island-esque game, even if the colour palette has been boosted through the roof and it’s much less a serious adventure than it was before.
With an eclectic, eccentric cast, elements of customisation, a wide range of zombie ‘types’, and a map that – at first glance – looks quite stunning, fans of the open-world zombie niche could be in for a treat when Dead Island 2 launches.
For more from Insider Gaming, check out today’s article on Horizon Forbidden West’s new DLC called “Burning Shores”.
