Review of Dead Island 2

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The Long-Awaited Dead Island 2: Worth the Wait?

The original Dead Island was trapped in development hell, and the sequel found itself in the exact same boat. Dead Island 2 has had a notoriously rough development cycle, with the project changing hands between multiple developers and ultimately taking nine years from its initial announcement to actually hit store shelves. Dead Island fans are used to waiting extended periods of time for games in the series, but the question is if Dead Island 2 was worth the wait.

A Familiar Setting with a New Cast

Dead Island 2 is set sometime after the events of the original Dead Island game, starring a mostly new cast of characters who find themselves stuck in a zombie-ridden Los Angeles. The playable characters in Dead Island 2 aren’t particularly important and while they have their own distinct backstories, they don’t have unique character arcs. Instead, the real story comes from the interactions players have with the other survivors in Los Angeles, as they all work together to try to get out alive.

An Underwhelming Story with Fun Moments

Dead Island 2‘s story isn’t particularly engaging, and the ending is extremely underwhelming, but there are still plenty of fun, surprising moments in the cutscenes. Fans of the original Dead Island will get a kick out of seeing Sam B again and some of the dialogue can be funny in a schlocky B-movie sort of way.

Technical Issues and Bugs

There is some serious jank in Dead Island 2. In one incident, an attempted zombie execution resulted in our character phasing through a nearby object and being trapped there. In another instance, an NPC sank through the floor during a cutscene, but the crossbow they had strapped on their back stayed in the correct spot. This created a hilarious situation where it looked like the other characters in the scene were talking to the crossbow.

Co-op: The Ideal Way to Experience the Game

Despite the game’s serious technical shortcomings, Dead Island 2 co-op can be incredibly fun, to the point where it’s easy to ignore most of its problems. Mowing down zombies with a friend and exploring Dead Island 2‘s take on LA never gets old. That being said, there is one bizarre problem with co-op where the co-op partner can become de-synced from the host. When this happens, it may look like the co-op partner is right alongside the host, but on their screen, they’re miles away. This isn’t a big deal most of the time and is easily fixed by huddling up at the next objective.

Combat, Loot, and the World of Dead Island 2

Combat in Dead Island 2 starts off dull and slow, but it becomes a lot more fun as players grow their arsenal and unlock new skill cards. Zombies are absolutely everywhere in Dead Island 2, ensuring players have plenty of undead to kill whenever they venture outside the safe zones. The loot system is rewarding and unlike other looter games, rarely ever sticks players with lackluster gear. Dead Island 2 is primarily focused on up-close melee combat, with players able to outfit themselves with everything from electrified Wolverine claws to acidic golf clubs that can make the skin literally melt off zombies’ bones.

Is It Worth the Wait?

It is certainly not without its issues, but Dead Island 2 is a fun co-op game that lets players dropkick zombies, and there’s something to say for mindless fun like that. It suffers from some major jank and needs a few patches to iron out its more serious issues, but those that enjoy looter games and are looking for a fun co-op game to sink their teeth into should consider giving it a look when it’s on sale.