Never mind “Hell-A”; Dambuster Studios’ zombie bash-em-up has been in development hell for so long, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Dead Island 2 is fully primed to flop when it releases next month. But after playing through the first five hours of the game’s campaign, you can rest assured that the carnage remains as cathartic as ever. Sure, the long-awaited sequel to 2011’s Dead Island isn’t big or clever, but it doesn’t want to be. Rather it’s the perfect apocalyptic vacation in which to indulge in some gory, mindless fun.
All six of the available slayers boast their own exclusive skill cards to start off with. Playing as Carla, a streetwise motorcycle racer who’s a native to this rundown version of LA, I benefitted instantly from the Mosh Pit card’s nature to offer a slight damage boost amid zombie hordes; getting swarmed by the undead is a regular occurrence in Dead Island 2, so it works wonders for crowd control. And when I was at risk of getting overrun by too many zombies, Carla’s other starting skill card, Dig Deep, gave me a much-appreciated toughness boost when my health was low. The exact depth of the skill card system remains to be seen, but it felt good unlocking a few more abilities as I levelled up across chapters, so that bodes well.
One system that I’m already confident has a surprising amount of complexity is Dead Island 2’s trademark weapon crafting. From nail bats to flame-kissed knuckle dusters, all of the usual suspects are here. Of course, every weapon is subject to deterioration, being one of the series’ staple mechanics, but never to the point of annoyance. Largely due to the fact that melee weapons are never in short supply; whenever they shattered over a zombie’s head, I always had a handful in my backpack, making for near-seamless bludgeoning, slicing, and general mashing of animated corpses.
As cliché as it sounds, the city of Hell-A is just as much of a character as any of the slayers. The open-world island setting from the first game might be gone, but it’s been replaced with several semi open-world hubs packed with detail. In one early mission, I traversed a Bel-Air mansion in search of a radio to call for help, and almost every room told its own story from personal items strewn across the floor, to a blood-soaked DJ deck out on the porch.
The setting obviously plays into the humour, which – while mostly quirky and irreverent – hasn’t gone overboard. The stakes are set very early on, with your slayer quickly aligning with a survivor group made up of all sorts of characters. These people are of the typical Hollywood lifestyle, which gives Dambuster Studios a bit of fun when skewering certain stereotypes, such as the washed-up rockstar who’s past his better days, and Instagram models who completely ignore the chaos happening around them. Thankfully this isn’t the dark and downtrodden zombie apocalypse often seen elsewhere, but at the same time it’s not wholly outlandish either. The game succeeds in striking a fun balance in between.
I can’t finish up my thoughts on my brief time with Dead Island 2 without discussing the combat, of course. And though purposely sluggish so as to ensure you never have too much of an easy time slaying the hordes – believe me when I say that every swing counts – it’s the fully procedural F.L.E.S.H (Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids) system’s high levels of gore and dismemberment that don’t disappoint. Depending on where you want to hit a walker, the blood will start to splatter and limbs start to fly, if struck with enough force.
Up until we had our hands-on with the preview, I was sure that Dead Island 2 would end up being at worst a disaster, or at best a so-so zombie game without much of an identity. BUt I’m happy to report that in my short time in Hell-A, I no longer think that’s the case. This is a refreshingly breezy take on the zombie genre that harkens back to AAA games that prioritise creative action and a great setting for hours of dumb fun, rather than gloomy takes on humanity set against a joyless apocalyptic backdrop.
Dead Island 2 has both in spades, leaving me surprisingly excited for the game’s full release in just a few months.
Dead Island 2 releases on April 21, 2023 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
