Dead Island 2 Reviews
As a mindless distraction played while mentally checked out, Dead Island 2 has merit. It is enjoyable for good periods of time, and it’s done a solid job of refining the messy hack n’ slash of the original game while improving ranged combat alongside it. As fun as all the zombie slaying can be, however, an intense lack of variety coupled with dreary exploration is outright exhausting at times, and I wouldn’t blame any player for moving on long before finishing the story. It’s not a game that’s entertaining while it lasts - it’s entertaining while you last.
Dead Island 2 doesn't pretend to be anything other than a daft, messy romp through undead LA, and this carefree, capricious attitude is precisely what makes it fun.
Dead Island 2 offers plenty of over-the-top zombie-killing fun, especially in co-op, but it's dragged down by serious technical problems.
Though not without its flaws Dead Island 2 has succeeded in providing a fun and unique zombie slaying experience that will leave players highly satisfied.
Dead Island 2 is everything a Dead Island fan could ask for. Between its addicting combat mechanics, excellent character and gear progression systems, hilariously satirical writing, and goretastic presentation, this long-awaited sequel has proven it was worth the wait.
Hacking at the undead in post-apocalyptic LA is a lot of fun, but the game's delayed release has made it sluggish and limited
It's unlikely to make any Game of the Year lists but Dead Island 2 provides plenty of low-brow thrills
It's not perfect and won't change the gaming landscape, but you'll certainly have a blast ripping and tearing your way through sun-drenched Hell-A with more than a few surprises along the way.
Dead Island 2 delivers bone crunching combat alongside a generic experience that feels ripped straight from 2011.
Dead Island 2 delivers on the promise and provides and fun, sunny jaunt in a zombie filled ‘HELL-A’ that is an absolute blast with friends but also fun in solo.
Dead Island 2 is a first person slasher that goes all-in for gore, and it wins. The FLESH engine takes fighting fun to a level never seen before, with an extremely realistic aesthetic that also impacts the zombies' ability to move. Maps are not particularly large and the story flows along rigid tracks, but everything is functional and works well for a classic action adventure offering. A B-Movie that will delight those who love to kill (again) zombies in smashing ways, with old school gameplay enhanced by new technologies.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Dead Island 2 is a fun FPS action romp that succeeds at making you feel like a zombie-slaying god. It's not going to set the gaming world on fire, and yes, there are some issues, but slaughtering my way across LA never got old.
Dead Island 2 is gory and gruesome, with action that is often ridiculously entertaining. It has just enough narrative and social satire to push the game along, and enough depth, systems and mechanics to make killing thousands of zombies engaging for its substantial run time. Dead Island 2 might not be the deepest swimming pool in Bel Air, but playing it was the most creative, scary fun I’ve had with a shooter in quite some time.
For being a game that has been in development hell for over ten years, Dead Island 2 turned out alright, thanks to the wacky atmosphere and characters, fun combat, and acceptable quest quality. All of these features, however, become progressively worse as the campaign proceeds, making the game nothing more than an acceptable experience that may not be worthy of its full price tag for those looking for something a bit more involving.
In the end, though, Dead Island 2 is a refreshing surprise amid the 2023 release roster. It's a fun and simple zombie-slasher experience that may be let down by its uninspiring RPG elements and boring loot-cycle, but more than makes up for it with its killer setting, brutal melee combat, and stunning graphics. While we suspect some will be disappointed by the game's size after all these years, we found it utterly revitalising to find a AAA experience that respects your time, and more importantly doesn't overstay its welcome. In the day and age of 300-hour RPGs, it's nice to know that some games are here for a fun time, not a long time.
Was Dead Island 2 worth the wait? Hell yes! The sheer carnage you can cause on the streets of LA is marvellous to witness, and with Dambuster's attention to detail, uncovering hidden caches of weapons, meeting the colourful variety of survivors around the city, and hanging with friends is a ton of fun.
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.
Dead Island 2 is a great zombie-slasher with impressive physics and satisfying melee combat, but that’s about it, with a boring, uninspired storyline, a semi-open-world design and a tongue-in-cheek approach that occasionally borders on the dumb.