Dead Island 2 Review
Many believed that Deep Silver had abandoned Dead Island 2 somewhere along its development journey. With three previous development studios replaced, and only Dambuster Studios taking over the project since 2019, things became increasingly uncertain. After three years of relative silence, a glimmer of hope appeared when the long-awaited trailer for Dead Island 2 was unveiled at Gamescom 2022. Now, having experienced the next installment in this once-popular zombie franchise, I believe I have some answers to the questions that have lingered in fans' minds for nearly a decade. Has Dead Island 2 successfully risen from the ashes?
Dead Island 2 invites us to Los Angeles on a doomed flight that crashes into the ground. On that flight, we have six main characters, each with different roles and personalities, leading to unique dialogue sequences. The characters include Jacob, Dani, Amy, Ryan, Bruno, and my personal favorite, Carla. Alongside them are two skill cards tailored to each character. For Carla, she begins with an ability to increase her durability when low on health, along with a small damage boost when facing multiple zombies. Overall, the characters possess seven primary attributes: durability, stamina, health regeneration rate, base damage, agility, maximum health, and healing capabilities. Your task is to select a character that suits your preferred combat style. Are you the type to charge headfirst into a horde of zombies or the strategist who calculates every move? Make your choice carefully, as there's no turning back once you've made your selection. In my case, I favor parrying, so I opted for a character with high healing capabilities to utilize health restoration cards after successful parries. The initial two skill cards aren't crucial, as you'll receive additional cards as you level up.
Unlike its predecessor, Dead Island 2 introduces a completely revamped skill upgrade system. Say goodbye to skill trees and welcome the new skill card system, divided into four categories: abilities (featuring cards that add or upgrade special abilities, such as knocking opponents back with the L1 button), survivor (primarily focusing on health and durability enhancements), slayer (including cards that improve combat capabilities), and numen (which takes a while to unlock cards from). Players can freely swap and adapt their skill loadout at any time, crafting a set of skills to match their preferred strategy. This diversity in combat styles offers players numerous choices to customize their playstyle as they see fit.
It's quite surprising that the game doesn't offer difficulty levels. I initially thought it would be as challenging as some Soulslike games, but it turns out to be rather easy. I didn't encounter any major obstacles during my playthrough, and I even completed missions that required a higher level. Other players who experienced this game in Phá Đảo team shared similar sentiments, expressing a desire for more challenging modes. However, I found comfort in the game's relaxed difficulty level.
As I continued playing, I realized the game's immense appeal, with each gaming session lasting 2-3 hours without a break. Dambuster Studios managed to elevate Dead Island, giving it a fresh new coat and transforming it into a more stylish version than ever before. If you're looking for a horror experience, you've come to the wrong place because what the developers aimed for here are those exhilarating "Yeah!" moments when you mow down hordes of zombies. Before diving into part 2, I played the original Dead Island to set the tone for a zombie-themed game that's not meant to be scary or gloomy. And indeed, what Dead Island provided me with were refreshing experiences I hadn't expected. This stems from the extensive weapon system and a vast library of zombies.
I must say that the close-combat weapons in the game are EXTREMELY DIVERSE. Players start with a basic wooden stick, then progress to things like machetes, katanas, and even metal claws. These weapons come in different grades, with varying power levels, and rarity levels ranging from common, uncommon, rare, very rare, to legendary. Believe me when I say that powerful gear is scattered throughout the map, so you'll never find yourself short on supplies. If you want to play the role of a high-end scavenger, then these tips from Phá Đảo 101 will be your guide.
Some loot, such as suitcases, cabinets, doors, or safes, requires special keys to unlock. These keys are often found after defeating high-level zombies in the vicinity. In some cases, valuable loot can be found within side quests. One common type of key is the lockpick, which can't be found anywhere but needs to be purchased from traders and used at locations marked with a lockpick icon on the map. These places offer substantial rewards, usually high-level weapons. Each weapon has its own durability stat, and players can fully repair and upgrade their weapons at workbenches. Moreover, players can add various elements like electricity, water, or chemicals to their weapons. Don't forget to utilize these elements in combat, as each type of zombie has its own weakness. Encountering water-based zombies? Counter them with chemical weapons to deal more damage. Adding a healing card when successfully countering zombies with the right weapon will create an extremely effective combat style. So, the game's fun lies in the creativity of the players, as Dambuster has set the table and invited you to savor the feast.
It seems that Dambuster has focused so much on close combat that they've somewhat neglected ranged weapons. I had to play halfway through the game before I got my first firearm, and finding a second one was quite rare. The guns in the game are incredibly overpowered, and the rate of fire when aiming is unrealistically fast. Additionally, the game features a curveball mechanism I quite liked. Molotov cocktails and grenades are unlimited, but they come with a cooldown, which is much more convenient than having to scavenge for a limited quantity of them.
In Dead Island 2, the gore factor has been taken to a whole new level. I never thought I would enjoy hacking and slashing so much if it weren't for the FLESH system that Dambuster has brilliantly implemented. The satisfaction of a successful strike comes from how the zombies react to it. Dambuster has paid so much attention to detail that each type of weapon leaves a unique mark, such as katanas or swords creating long but shallow wounds, ideal for mowing down hordes of zombies. What's more, you can continue to hack away at fallen zombies. In my understanding, Dambuster has implemented this FLESH system on zombie models by meticulously designing them to include detailed internal organs, which are then integrated into the game engine to handle the rest. Along with realistic blood effects and sound effects, I believe Dambuster has done everything to make the player's hands-on experience truly gripping.
It can be said that Dead Island 2 is a successor and development of Dead Island 1, without any mix-ups or attempts to copy what successful games of the same genre are doing. What I mean is that they have retained the fresh, humorous, and exhilarating essence, just moving it from the Banoi island to the glamorous Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the weak point in the storyline still exists, making your character rather bland. Despite the investment in character backgrounds, in the end, Dambuster simply incorporates these characters into the story without any particular purpose. The missions in the game are designed mainly in a "search and destroy" style, but these types of tasks often repeat. Imagine searching for the same type of key multiple times to use it on identical locks scattered everywhere. Throughout the game, you'll mostly be helping different people, unrelated to your ultimate goal of finding answers to the rampant pandemic. It seems that Dead Island 2 wasn't created to provide answers but rather to leave you more puzzled about what's happening. Due to this weakness in the main mission line, side missions unintentionally shine by adding relatively unimportant information but making the encounters with various characters on your journey more enjoyable.
Dambuster Studios has introduced a unique feature in Dead Island 2 - an Alexa mechanism that allows players to call out to zombies with a simple "Hey, you" to grab their attention. While many other zombie-themed games focus on stealthy approaches to dispatch zombies efficiently without wasting ammo, Dead Island 2 takes a different approach, giving players the freedom to challenge the undead. It's an effective way to trigger AI-controlled zombie behavior because, in some situations, even gunfire doesn't seem to pique their interest.
Furthermore, Dead Island 2 follows a predetermined sequence with elements of backtracking, enabling players to revisit certain locations in the game. It also offers a fast travel system to facilitate movement between different points on the map.
In terms of graphics, Dead Island 2 boasts impressive visuals. Despite utilizing the Unreal Engine 4, everything still manages to create a current-gen experience that's worth noting.
To be precise, Dambuster Studios has displayed clever resource management by making the game a hub-world rather than an open-world. This "less is more" philosophy allows them to allocate resources to detail-rich environments. As a result, both outdoor and indoor scenes are visually stunning. Whether it's luxurious villas of the rich and famous, Hollywood movie star mansions, or upscale resorts, all are meticulously crafted and immersive. On the flip side, there are also dilapidated and zombie-infested locations like abandoned houses and sewers. Every detail is painstakingly rendered, enhancing the overall immersive experience.
Additionally, the outside world complements this vivid portrayal. The streets, alleyways, outdoor swimming pools, parking lots, and even the sight of the Hollywood hills ablaze all contribute to a vibrant and colorful depiction of the city, embodying the essence of a lively and yet terrifying summer in Los Angeles. This meticulous attention to detail paints a picture of a glamorous and horrifying metropolis.
The audio in Dead Island 2 is equally impressive, with sound effects that vividly describe melee combat, making every encounter with zombies feel satisfying as you hear the thuds and impacts when striking down the undead or the explosions from grenades and gasoline. Furthermore, the game's soundtrack is diverse, blending various music genres, from EDM to classical, adding an element of richness to Dead Island 2's overall atmosphere. These sound effects, particularly those during combat, create a unique and exhilarating experience, far from the gloomy and terrifying tone commonly associated with zombie-themed games.
One noteworthy aspect that deserves praise is Dambuster's consideration for console players. Dead Island 2 on consoles also allows players to adjust the Field of View (FOV), enhancing the overall comfort and usefulness of the game, especially in situations where a wide field of view is crucial for calmly handling zombie encounters. While theoretically, adjusting the FOV might impact the game's performance, it seems that Dambuster has handled this exceptionally well on Xbox Series X and PS5. I experienced the game on both platforms with a FOV of over 100, and it ran smoothly at 60FPS without noticeable frame drops. This is a commendable achievement for the UK-based studio.
However, despite the excellent performance, I encountered several bugs in the game. There were instances where I got stuck in the game environment while engaged in combat with zombies, unable to escape, and had to reset from the last save point. Surprisingly, this happened not just once but three times during my playthrough. On another occasion, I inexplicably died while running through a door, with no apparent traps or hazards. I can confirm that this was indeed a bug and not intended gameplay. While some of these minor bugs didn't significantly impact my overall experience due to the game's auto-save feature, I hope that these issues will be addressed and improved upon before the game's release for the benefit of players.
VERDICT
In summary, Dead Island 2 has made a satisfying comeback. I won't use the term "spectacular" because it's evident that Dead Island 2 primarily builds upon and enhances the combat aspect from its predecessor, making the action even more exhilarating. However, some weaknesses in the story and mission systems remain. I deeply appreciate the continuous efforts of Deep Silver over the past nine years in the search for a developer and their unwavering commitment to one of their most iconic franchises.