“Dead Island 2 Review: A Brutally Fun Action RPG for Zombie Fans in Hollywood”

(PC, XB1, XBX, PS4 & PS5) Recently, many “Dead Island” fans had given up hope of even playing a sequel to the cult zombie shredding of 2011 – let alone a good one. But “Dead Island 2” rises after a good ten years of developer hell like a phoenix from the ashes and does exactly what it should: bitterly brutal fun! Assuming you are at least 18 years old and has a very strong stomach.

The game doesn’t linger long on a story: shortly after the outbreak of a zombie epidemic, we land in Los Angeles and have to fight our way through the home of stars and hordes of monstrosities. You shouldn’t expect much more in terms of story, “Dead Island 2” concentrates on the essentials: the splatter fight against the undead with a good portion of biting humor.

As in the first part, we have a diverse arsenal at our disposal that can be refined through crafting and supplemented by elemental damage: from kitchen knives to sledgehammers in close combat, from revolvers to assault rifles at range, from Molotov cocktails to frag grenades. The hit feedback of the various weapons is what makes the game so appealing, because the attacks are not only very powerful, they also leave authentic traces on the zombified opponent. Cuts, cleavages and burns are depicted in such gory detail that it is difficult for the player to keep track of the last snack. The “tactical dismantling” of the monsters also has an effect, a boned undead is much easier to shake off. As a zombie hunter, you can get down to business creatively, dropkick opponents into pools of acid or set entire streets on fire with generously distributed fuel. The enemies are varied and challenging, the bosses are unfortunately recycled a bit too often. If you have defeated an alpha zombie in a melee fight, he often reappears later as a “normal” opponent.

The role-playing aspect of “Dead Island 2” is not overly evident: especially in the typical level number juggling – you get better and more enduring, meet stronger opponents, hit harder. You can also manage skills and always get new, color-coded equipment. Exciting extra: You get bitten and from then on you have zombie powers yourself. There is no real open world: The scenes worth seeing are segmented, which fits better anyway and makes the search for secrets or the completion of side quests more attractive. If you like company, you can hack your way through the 20-hour odyssey in Los Angeles in multiplayer mode with up to three other zombie fighters.

Conclusion: “Dead Island 2” is not only better than feared, but really good. You get what it says on the tin: A fulminant zombie battle without much narrative claim, but with playful impact.