Dead Island 2 stands out from the shambling hordes as being a horror game that actually wants me to have the time of my sick little life while playing it. Horror is all about atmosphere, but this isn't your run-of-the-mill terror train á la Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It's extremely action-focused, with fast-paced melee combat being your only means of survival as you slice and dice your way through zombified Hell-A.
Whether you're chucking caustic bombs at groups of bikini-clad corpses or drop-kicking a Burster straight into them, the game is straight-up sadistic fun – and unabashedly so. It's inspired by the goriest, most ridiculous 80s horror movies, but what makes Dead Island 2 a true win for the horror genre is how it subverts all expectations of how horror should make us feel. It uses our knowledge of similar titles against us, this time encouraging us to have fun with it while steadily finessing the ebb and flow of emotion. All of this is down to one crucial atmospheric element: music.
