Get ready to immerse yourself in a thrilling adventure that will have you on the edge of your seat! After over a decade of anticipation, Dead Island 2 has finally arrived, and it’s taking the franchise to a whole new level. This time, the undead aren’t lurking on a remote island – they’ve invaded Los Angeles, turning the city of angels into a city of horror.
As you explore the iconic streets of Los Angeles, from Venice Beach to Santa Monica, you’ll quickly realize that the virus spreading throughout the city is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. The military has abandoned the area, leaving you and the other survivors to fend for yourselves. But there’s something different about you – you’ve been bitten, but you’re not like the others. Instead, you’ve harnessed the zombie inside, becoming resistant to the pathogen and discovering incredible new abilities.
As you delve deeper into the conspiracy behind the outbreak, you’ll begin to uncover the truth about who – or what – you really are. But you’re not alone in your quest for answers. You’ll have the opportunity to take control of one of six unique characters, each with their own looks and starting skills. And while the story remains the same, their individual personalities will bring a fresh perspective to the game.
Dead Island 2 Review
Dead Island 2 Pro’s
Amazing Graphics
The Xbox Series X has truly outdone itself with the breath-taking graphics of the game. It’s a marvel to simply wander around the beach at sunset, soaking in the beauty of the world around you, or visit the pier at night and marvel at the intricate detail of the landscape. But, let’s be real, the true excitement of a zombie game is in the zombie killing, and Dead Island does not disappoint.
Gore
At the outset, the combat can feel a bit sluggish and underwhelming, but as you improve your skills and upgrade your weapons (of which there are plenty to choose from), the experience becomes all the more satisfying. However, what truly sets Dead Island apart from other zombie games is the exceptional level of detail in the dismemberment of the undead. Each slice of your sword is painstakingly rendered in their flesh, with guts and blood spilling out in a most satisfying manner.
Map & Attention To Detail
While I personally prefer a single, larger map to explore, the smaller maps in Dead Island are still substantial enough to allow for hours of exploration, side quests, and hidden secrets, such as the lockboxes tucked away throughout. And the variety of zombies you encounter is truly remarkable, with different types donning unique outfits depending on their location, from beach-goers in bikinis to fancy red-carpet walkers.
Environment
The ability to use throwable or curveball weapons adds an extra level of fun to the carnage, although I do wish there were more explosive options available to truly maximize the chaos. Still, environmental elements like fire, caustic chemicals, and electricity provide ample opportunities for explosive destruction.
All in all, the game has plenty of enjoyable side missions to keep you entertained, but I must admit there are a few drawbacks. It’s clear that with some better decision making during development, the game could have been even better. However, for those seeking a thrilling zombie-killing experience with stunning graphics and satisfying gameplay, Dead Island is certainly worth your time.
Dead Island 2 Con’s
Skill Cards
Let’s start with the skill tree system. They’ve swapped it with skill cards, which are vibrant and visually pleasing, but lack the flexibility of a skill tree. Personally, I don’t think the skill choices are impressive. Take the autophage system, for instance. Equipping cards for power boosts is all well and good, but they reduce toughness and limit the ability to regenerate health. With zombies dealing heavy damage and health kits being scarce, this system feels more like a burden than an advantage. The game would benefit from either sticking to a skill tree or offering more variability in skill cards.
Weapons and Lockboxes
Moving on to weapons, crafting, and lockboxes. There are about 50 lockboxes scattered across the map, but a whopping 90% of them remain inaccessible until after the main campaign. After finishing the game, I can collect legendary weapons that make the ones from lockboxes entirely redundant. It’s baffling why the game doesn’t let me access these lockboxes earlier or provide legendary variants of every weapon type to make them worth collecting. There are over 25 weapon types, yet only eight of them are legendary, leaving the others feeling lacklustre.
Crafting
Weapon crafting is equally unimpressive. Although there are thousands of components, they feel unnecessary since you can upgrade your most potent weapon and stick with it throughout the game. The old game did it better where you constantly needed to find new weapons and upgrade them, making surviving tougher and more enjoyable. Guns are also much more abundant, making ammo shortages a thing of the past. Blocking and parrying aren’t particularly enjoyable either, but equipping the dodge ability makes combat more satisfying.
Games Campaign
Lastly, let’s talk about the game’s main campaign. Unfortunately, it’s generic and caters to a broad audience, relying too heavily on Marvel-esque humour. It’s not as bad as some games, but in a zombie apocalypse, I’d prefer a darker storyline with less sarcasm and jokes. However, it’s not enough to make me stop playing the game.
Score
Dead Island 2, the highly anticipated game, finally saw the light of day after 10 years of turbulent development. It’s a decent enough game that has managed to keep me hooked until the very end, earning a respectable 7 out of 10 rating from me. But, alas, it falls short of being amazing and achieving the same level of success as its predecessor, Dead Island 1.
Despite its flaws, Dead Island 2 still delivers an enjoyable experience. The game mechanics are familiar and intuitive, and the graphics and sound design are impressive. The storyline keeps you engaged, and the zombie-infested world is immersive, filled with danger and adventure at every turn.
However, the game is not without its shortcomings. There are a few glaring issues that prevent it from being the masterpiece it could have been. The gameplay can feel repetitive at times, and the AI of both the enemies and friendly NPCs can be frustratingly inconsistent. Furthermore, some of the side quests and missions feel uninspired and lack creativity.
But let’s not overlook the fact that Dead Island 2 has finally made it to our consoles after a decade-long wait. It’s a triumph in its own right, given the many hurdles that the game had to overcome to see the light of day. So, while it may not be perfect, it is still worth playing, especially for fans of the series.
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For more useful and helpful Hogwarts Legacy guides, check out our Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Wiki where all of our guides and lists are found. Every guide has a link to video walkthroughs to help you discover everything in the game and get 100% completion including all story achievements/trophies, collectibles and secrets.
