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Game Information​

Game Title: Dead Island 2

Platforms:

• PlayStation 4 (Apr 21, 2023)
• Xbox One (Apr 21, 2023)
• PC (Apr 21, 2023)
• Xbox Series X/S (Apr 21, 2023)
• PlayStation 5 (Apr 21, 2023)

Trailers:

• Dead Island 2 - Gamescom Reveal Trailer [4K Official]
• Dead Island 2 – Reveal Gameplay Trailer [4K Official]

Developer: Dambuster Studios

Publisher: Deep Silver

Review Aggregator:

OpenCritic - 76 average - 60% recommended - 15 reviews

MetaCritic - 75 average - PlayStation 5 - 59 Reviews

Critic Reviews​

AltChar - Asmir Kovacevic - 90 / 100

Dead Island 2 is everything its predecessor shined at and much, much more. This zombie shooter from Deep Silver brings us Los Angeles like we've never seen it before, full of beautiful landscapes, celebrities to rescue, and zombies to slay.

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AusGamers - Kosta Andreadis - 7.5 / 10

Although simple to the point where it feels more like classic arcade games Final Fight or Gauntlet Legends than Dark Souls, the interplay between strategic (or blind) melee swings and the physical damage, physics, and gore is as impressive as it is over-the-top.

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But Why Tho? - Arron Kluz - 8 / 10

With Dead Island 2’s development history, it is a pleasant surprise to see the game release in as complete and stable of a state as it is. It ran flawlessly on Xbox Series X and looked beautiful to boot, especially its incredible new gore system. While it may not deliver the interesting stories or new concepts of its genre contemporaries, its sharp humor and satisfying combat help make up for it.

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Cerealkillerz - Nick Erlenhof - German - 8.3 / 10

Dead Island 2 continues where its predecessors left off. The new gore system adds a lot to the game, but the bottom line is that it stays true to its formula and doesn't really reinvent anything. Boring mission design is more than saved by the massive variation of enemy variants and the very fun melee fights, and fans of blunt butchery should grab it anyway. Hell-A!

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GGRecon - Tarran Stockton - 2.5 / 5

Dead Island 2 could have been the Return of the Living Dead of zombie video games, making for an irreverent, B-movie romp through an undead-filled LA, but it just ends up marginally better than the original game without ever approaching its full potential.
The improved combat is the game's main saving grace, but it isn't enough to redeem the shallow progression mechanics, inconsistent tone, and unfocused story.

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GamesHub - Edmond Tran - 4 / 5

Dead Island 2 is a satisfying, perpetual cycle of gory combat, and its sunny surroundings are just inviting enough to keep that momentum going.

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Geek Culture - Jake Su - 8.1 / 10

Overall, Dead Island 2 knows exactly what it is under the skin’s surface. An action RPG that is all about explosive combat with some sprinkling of worthwhile exploration, and the realisation of zombie destruction on a scale unlike anything seen before. Just check your expectations of too involved a story and overlook the routine, and you might just agree that the series is back with some newfound vigour, unlike the many undead players will leave in their destructive wake.

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Hey Poor Player - James Davies - 3 / 5

Tedium is at a premium in Dead Island 2, but miraculously it has enough exuberance within its limb-carving gameplay to avoid falling into the damning pit of mediocrity. There’s plenty here to savour, both in solo and co-operative play too, so you aren’t without things to do. And the modifications, card system, and special skills of each playable character all go far in Dead Island 2’s favour. Yes, it can be a slog, and yes, it does outstay its welcome, but it can also be pretty badass, too. So if you can forgive a litany of eye-rolling modern triple-A videogame trappings, Dead Island 2 can be a zombie-squelching good time.

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PlayStation Universe - Neil Bolt - 8.5 / 10

Dambuster Studios has come in and created a highly entertaining cavalcade of carnage with Dead Island 2. It's a game that takes great joy in the simple act of smashing, splatting, and slicing the undead into meaty chunks and I'm very much here for that.

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PowerUp! - Leo Stevenson - 8.5 / 10

Dead Island 2 is a sum much greater than its parts. By rights, a game with gameplay roots and mechanics harkening back over 10 years shouldn't be this much fun in 2023, but it is.

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SECTOR.sk - Peter Dragula - Slovak - 8 / 10

Dead Island 2 departs from the original setting of an island and takes place in a zombie-infested Los Angeles. The game now offers a semi-open world, featuring satisfying combat mechanics, a vast array of upgradable weapons, and intense battles against hordes of zombies.

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Saudi Gamer - Arabic - 6 / 10

Moments of brilliance marred too often by frustrating and/or boring gameplay. Only recommended in co-op and then barely.

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TechRaptor - William Worrall - 7 / 10

Dead Island 2 manages to pull off an incredibly fun experience, and delivers on some of the missed promise of the first title. That said, there's not much here beyond hyper-active zombie slaying, so if that's not your bag you probably wont enjoy it.

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Try Hard Guides - Erik Hodges - 10 / 10

Dead Island 2 is a huge return for the series. Fans of the first game will find much more to enjoy than just their nostalgia in this new title, and I can see a whole new generation of gamers falling in love with zombie-chopping in Hell-A.

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Xbox Achievements - Richard Walker - 85%

A California scream, Dead Island 2 finally crosses the finish line after nine years as an accomplished and deliriously fun first-person zombie mash 'em up. The stomach-churning gore might not be for everyone, but fans of body horror and viscera will be well-served here.

LEONID MELIKHOV - Gaming Instincts - 8/10 - Video

After such a long wait, was Dead Island 2 worth it? It’s a tough question, but I can confidently say that the game was a blast to play. Fans of the franchise will appreciate the fact that a sequel has finally arrived, and newcomers will find it to be an enjoyable experience with an intriguing cast of characters. While it may not revolutionize the FPS or zombie genre, it certainly delivers in terms of entertainment value.

From the start, Dead Island 2 makes it clear that its primary goal is to be a fun zombie slasher. And it succeeds in doing just that with its stunning visuals, solid soundtrack, and addicting combat system. The game runs smoothly without any noticeable game-breaking bugs, and the technical performance is impressive.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Dead Island 2 and I’m thrilled that it has finally been released. If you’re a fan of the series or simply enjoy a good zombie game, then this one is definitely worth your time. Dead Island 2 will be receiving a final verdict of 8 out of 10.

 

[Thebonehead]

Average reviews - Will wait for it to turn up on PC gamepass

 

[TrebleShot]

Average reviews - Will wait for it to turn up on PC gamepass

When out on Steam or PS plus.

 

[Kupfer]

Solid! As someone who likes slaying zombies this seems like a must-have.

 

[kikkis]

Surprisingly good reviews was expecting mc in 60s.

 

[Bragr]

I expected a leap from the previous games but sounds like it is very safe.

Worth putting in the backlog, but we are a few weeks away from an onslaught of games, so I won't start anything right now, just gonna finish up Ghostwire Tokyo and hold the fort.

 

[kanjobazooie]

Game seems a bit polarizing like the original. I assume it will be fun.

 

[Ogbert]

Good stuff.

Looks fun; good combat, cool setting.

We need more games like this.

 

[Nankatsu]

Not my cup of tea. Will eventually check it out when it drops on PS Extra.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Should be hell lot of fun in coop.

Will keep in mind for when buddies wanna play something.

 

[adamsapple]

It's reviewing better than I expected TBH.

 

[fermcr]

Yep, from I've seen so far, I expected this game to average around 70...

 

[Badlucktroll]

Will wait for sale

 

[Camreezie]

Mid Island 2

 

[Umbasaborne]

I just want to know the story behind this, it was announced all the way back in 2014

 

[Gudji]

My amd rewards are cursed.

 

[mckmas8808]

Surprisingly good reviews was expecting mc in 60s.

I think it'll average out to a 70%-72% when all reviews are in.

 

[TVexperto]

My amd rewards are cursed.

Can I please have your key then?

 

[Dane]

I just want to know the story behind this, it was announced all the way back in 2014

They switched developers: it was Yager, then Sumo, then they decided to do it internally with Dambuster.

 

[Arun1910]

Good enough for me, was expecting it to be around 70 and nothing ground breaking... and I'm honestly fine with this.

The goofiness of Dead Island as a whole is something I oddly quite like.

 

[Umbasaborne]

They switched developers: it was Yager, then Sumo, then they decided to do it internally with Dambuster.

Thats crazy, it must have been pretty bad to go through 3 different devs. Good on dambuster for getting out something decent with all that baggage

 

[Eiknarf]

I think it'll average out to a 70%-72% when all reviews are in.

How about the USER reviews? What do you think that will end up averaging?

 

[analog_future]

Pretty good scores for the type of game this is aiming to be!

Will probably pick it up on sale down the line.

 

[Gudji]

Can I please have your key then?

Hell no.

 

[John Bilbo]

This and a couple of other titles will suffice until Zelda launches.

 

[Ogbert]

This is the sort of game for which reviews are pointless.

I need to know one thing - does it hold 60fps?

Other than that, we’re hitting Zombies with golf clubs. I really, really, really am not concerned about narrative design.

 

[Dane]

Thats crazy, it must have been pretty bad to go through 3 different devs. Good on dambuster for getting out something decent with all that baggage

I've played the Yager version that was shown at Gamescom 2014, it was leaked two years ago. Dunno how much it went to the final version except for still being set in California and that Ryan, the original poster character, still in the final game, Jacob that is the new poster character is a rework of John.

 

[Dusktildawn48]

I had a blast with the first one a million years ago, now I need to wait for ACGs review to know if I should get this.

 

[dorkimoe]

Day 1. LOVED the first

 

[mckmas8808]

How about the USER reviews? What do you think that will end up averaging?

I don't trust "user reviews", so I have no idea lol.

 

[Matt_Fox]

Sounds like a great fun time, and they've gone the extra mile with the 'gore system' to make combat really squelchy!

 

[VeganElduderino]

Sounds like fun and gory , I'm in , i'll wait a few weeks , they will patch shit up , I still have Dead space and Re4 to play!

 

[Kronos9x]

These are great reviews after all the western journos complained that there was no typical Ubisoft open world and had similar gameplay to the originals (it's a sequel). I thought these people were going to give the game a 6/10 but it got many 7 and even 8/10 reviews.

After Resident Evil 2, this will be the best zombie game. I'm not sure about State of decay 3, and fans know that Dying Light 2 does not even count as a zombie game anymore.

 

[Elder Legend]

Here is ours (mine) - https://www.gaminginstincts.com/review/dead-island-2-review-a-lackluster-sequel/

Score - Good 8/10

 

[GymWolf]

These are great reviews after all the western journos complained that there was no typical Ubisoft open world and had similar gameplay to the originals (it's a sequel). I thought these people were going to give the game a 6/10 but it got many 7 and even 8/10 reviews.

After Resident Evil 2, this will be the best zombie game. I'm not sure about State of decay 3, and fans know that Dying Light 2 does not even count as a zombie game anymore.

Dl1 is still the king of modern zombie games.

Btw, these are pretty much the score i expected..

 

[nemiroff]

So on my scale that means good enough to play, but not good enough to buy at EGS.

 

[Eiknarf]

I saw IGN compared it to Dying Light 2 (which they also gave a 7). I feel like this is "better" than Dying Light 2, meaning more fun.

 

[NeonGhost]

Any info on how performance is on coNaples

 

[Hugare]

I'm happy for Dambuster

They needed this win. And after all the troubled development, this is a huge win for them.

I'll buy it, eventually. Too much stuff on my backlog.

Glad to see that its fun (and looks gorgeous)

 

[begotten]

Is the co-op similar to the first game?

 

[Arachnid]

Lmao @ how long people waited for this. Idk how it ever generated any kind of interest after how mediocre the original was anyway.

 

[Needlecrash]

Lmao @ how long people waited for this. Idk how it ever generated any kind of interest after how mediocre the original was anyway.

The original was fun for 2 hours and then it got really boring, really fast.

 

[rofif]

Poor reviews. Right up my alley then

 

[hyperbertha]

Lmao @ how long people waited for this. Idk how it ever generated any kind of interest after how mediocre the original was anyway.

It's a unique kind of fun. Not really available anywhere else.

 

[HerpDerpstreit]

I wonder if they corrected the leveling when playing co-op. In the 1st game only the host progressed, at least up to the point I stopped playing it.

 

[LaughingStock]

Looks fun. I was interested but it's a Epic Store exclusive.

 

[oji-san]

Good scores, any review mention how the game running on PS5? Thanks.

 

[BouncyFrag]

Never played the first DI but did play and enjoy Dying Light. Worth checking out?

 

[oji-san]

Here is ours (mine) - https://www.gaminginstincts.com/review/dead-island-2-review-a-lackluster-sequel/

Score - Good 8/10

Thank you.
It's nice to see there 2 options for both performance and fidelity, 1080p for 60fps is a bit disappointing but i will take it every day over 30fps, I'm playing Ghostwire now on 1080p and it looks nice on XSX, so i hope DI2 still looks good in performance mode.

 

[GymWolf]

Never played the first DI but did play and enjoy Dying Light. Worth checking out?

Depends, this one is not really open world, more like big zones, and it has no parkour, so if you liked those aspects of dl1, you could be let down by the game.

DL2 is gonna get a big combat overhaul on 20th of april and it's probably way cheaper than di2, maybe watch some footage of that one first if you want to bash zombies.

But dl2 was pretty underwhelming as a sequel, they can't fix the story but maybe the combat overhaul is gonna bring the combat at least on the level of dl1.

Di2 does not have cheap key for now, so you have to pay full price even on pc.