Dead Island 2, Worth to Buy?

We had no idea that LA was an island, which was pretty interesting, but what genuinely surprised us was the gore. Even the seasoned veterans of zombie slaying mercenaries that have been desensitized to dismembering the dead ever since the original Resident Evil will be shocked by the sheer volume of blood and guts that are painted all over this game.

There is an almost artistic nature to the gore, and Deep Silver pulls no punches in that regard. Right from the intro of the game, as the blood trickles through the Dead Island 2 Logo, it was genuinely shocking to the point where we'll be surprised if this video doesn't get demonetized as a result.

It's not just the barbaric gore that we adored, either. We also loved the fact that we installed a game that runs impeccably from start to finish. We rarely mention performance so early in our reviews, but it's just nice, you know, to play a game with stable frame times.

There is an issue with the visuals, though. The screen space reflections that we could see here are similar to the god-awful grain that you could see in Cyberpunk 2. The higher you put the setting, the uglier that grain becomes on certain surfaces. Sticking it on medium removes the grain, and personally, we think it looks infinitely better as a result.

We still can't get over the level of detail that's been worked on when it comes to the gore, though. We are huge fans of Dying Light 1 and 2, and frankly, we felt like we were just letting ourselves in for another bug-standard first-person hack and slash zombie game. And while that technically is still true, it's the tiny details that blew us away.

Some of these details are literally jaw-dropping, with a zombie's jaw hanging by a thread to the rest of its skull or its eyeballs leaping out and dangling from its face while somehow still gazing into our soul. Even items of clothing like a hat or a pair of sunglasses fly away after a ferocious whack of whatever remorseless weapon we're swinging this time. You gotta enjoy the little things.

Another little thing that we really enjoyed, though, there's very little chance of us getting attached to any one weapon with a constant cycle of new weapons being made available on the rag. Unlocking or finding new blueprints to apply various mods to our weapons was a familiar process to anyone who's played the original Dead Island.

But what we were most fearful of was a gameplay loop that went stale early. During our playthrough, we felt like there were one or two moments where that might prove to be the case. But just as those feelings started to surface, a new gameplay system was introduced.

For example, the introduction of firearms or the curveballs, which are basically just the variations of throwables that you can unlock. The fury mode is unlocked about a third of the way in, but in Dead Island 2, Fury can also be upgraded with special attack moves as well. And then there's the autophage perks, which we don't want to spoil for you too much, but you're basically applying various bombastic zombie powers to your weapons that obviously increase its power while also taking a toll on your humanity in the process.

Dead Island 2 introduces new gameplay elements that freshen up the game as it progresses, with new abilities displayed on a card-based system that complements each other, making it fun to mix up play styles. The new elements require their own loot system that incentivizes the player to look out for new types of loot that not only add to weapon stats but also introduce new mechanics to enjoy on top of the tried and tested color-coded quality of weapon making. The zombpedia is an interesting addition to the game, where a new zombie type discovered teaches the player what weapon types and elemental damage to use, adding new entries to the zompedia and learning more as they play along.

The combat in the game is well executed, and the feedback it provides is impressive. The melee weapons are far superior to the guns, but the Gunplay doesn't feel bad, just not up to the same level of satisfaction that a good old-fashioned melee weapon swing provides. Balancing between melee weapons and guns was done well, with guns taking down zombies quickly but drawing more zombies to the player's position. The limited ammunition of each weapon requires more effort to block than to dodge, and the slow-motion animations are well deserved eye-candy after a well-placed blow to the face.

Manipulating the environment with elemental damage is an essential mechanic, and it's vital to shepherd zombies towards a particular electrical device after creating a puddle of water, a well-timed Molotov on a pool of oil, or the caustic element that'll deform zombies beyond recognition. Repairing weapons with scrap is necessary, and modifying each weapon was a joy. The level design is impressive, with the intertwining LA streets and accompanying houses showcasing the various personalities that once lived in them. There are various ways to find one's way into certain locked rooms and buildings, and the big weapon chests often act as an irresistible lure to return to a particular area.

The dialogue in the game is cheesy, but the vocal performances are good, with everything said in jest. The soundtrack, however, is not impressive, with the music feeling neither here nor there. Overall, Dead Island 2 is a well-executed game that introduces new gameplay elements that freshen up the game as it progresses, making it enjoyable to play. While the narrative is not much, considering the game's zombie apocalypse setting, it's a game worth playing for those who love zombie-themed games.