Believe it or not, Dead Island 2 is not only still a thing but is also on its way. Following the title’s troubled history, you’ll know it’s been almost ten years in the making. 2014 saw the first announcement of the Dead Island sequel. Since then, the game has twice died and come back to life under the direction of different development teams. Most people assumed the game got canceled years ago. Those who never gave up hope get rewarded.
Trailer
The leaks dampen the excitement surrounding Dead Island 2’s big re-reveal at Gamescom 2022. But they couldn’t soak what appears to be a game far better than its troubled history would lead you to believe. Many people are perplexed by the uproar. Because many changes have taken place during development, let alone in the gaming industry. It is about this zombie game. Grab a blunt object and prepare to smack some zombie skulls as we go over everything we know about Dead Island 2.
Date of publication
In Dead Island 2, a screamer yells on a beach.
We didn’t quite make it to a decade between the first reveal and the release, but we came close.
Dead Island 2: The game will release on February 3, 2023. Providing there are no additional delays announced.
Platforms: Dead Island
Dead Island 2 will not be skipping any platforms that it can reasonably fit on. When it comes out next year, you’ll be able to play it on your PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 systems.
The Man Fights off Approaching Zombies
the background changes to a beach and then to a downtown area, where he ignites a crowd by flicking his cigarette into a pool of gas spilled.
In the following scene, we’re in a convenience store, purchasing snacks, pills, and more alcohol. A zombie with no legs attacks in vain, but our “hero” squish it into a puddle of blood by pulling a shelf down.
Back in the original room, our protagonist lies down on the couch, only to be interrupted by a single zombie. He reaches into his pocket for a while and sighs to get something to see what he has. He loads his single rifle round into his gun and fires. It isn’t your typical bullet, as the zombie completely explodes when hit. When he realizes the remote has no batteries, he reluctantly gets up to go on another run, stopping by the closet to get something.
Before we get to the title, he says hello to a couple of other survivors on the street.
We Only Have a Few Options Right Now. Basic Understanding of the Plot
In Dead Island 2, you will take on the role of one of six characters in Los Angeles, where the same zombie virus that ravaged the first game has destroyed most of the population. The military has given up on trying to eradicate the infection and has instead quarantined the entire city. On the other hand, your character got infected, but you can avoid becoming a zombie for whatever reason.
The game will center on surviving, determining what caused the outbreak, why you are immune to it, and whether you can help cure it. For a zombie game, it’s pretty bare-bones and uninspired, but hopefully, the actual plot becomes more interesting.
Gameplay
Not content with simply bringing Dead Island 2 back with a cinematic trailer, we also got a full gameplay trailer during Gamescom to prove that this game is, in fact, real.
After seeing the game’s beautiful yet desolate locations, such as collapsed streets and graffiti-covered tunnels, we switch to first-person mode to watch a man have his head popped through a boarded-up window.
After a few strange cuts that appear to be from story beats, we get some montages of people bashing, kicking, stabbing, and slicing zombies. Weapons are thrown all over the environmental hazards, such as electrical boxes and gas trucks, traditional firearms, and hand-to-hand combat.
We see pistols, shotguns, SMGs, and assault rifles as guns. The variety of melee weapons appears to be much more significant here, though it is difficult to tell what each one is due to being swung so quickly and burying themselves into zombie skulls.
Deep Silver claims that Dead Island 2 is “the most intense, visceral, and gory first-person experience possible,” and the trailer demonstrates this.
Dead Island 2 will allow you to choose from six characters, up from four in the original game. Like in the first game, each character is their class, with their voice lines, personalities, abilities, and skills. Nobody has yet described the characters or what makes them unique.
Multiplayer: A Zombie in a Parking Lot
Co-op is almost always required in zombie games, regardless of genre. The first game featured online-only co-op for up to four players. Though Dead Island 2 appears to be limiting it to a party of three. Being primarily an RPG with tons of quests, loot, and pure exploration to do, having friends along will undoubtedly be a primary incentive to play. However, several critical questions remain unanswered.
First, Dead Island required players to complete a few hours of the game solo before unlocking co-op, and we’re not sure if that will be the case here. The first game also allowed co-op players to control the same characters. The real questions, however, are about cross-play and progression. We don’t know yet whether you’ll be able to play with friends on different platforms. How progress made in co-op will or will not carry over to and from your single-player game.
Pre-order: A Swarm of Bloodthirsty Zombies
Dead Island 2: You can already pre-order any three editions from the game’s official website! For digital versions, you can choose from the Standard, Deluxe, and Gold editions. The other option is the Day One, Pulp, and Hell-A Edition for physical releases with varying bonus content and collectibles.
