Dead Island 2 Reviews
Dead Island 2's uncompromising nature to merely exist is a story unto itself. Throughout its symphony of spectacular undead slaughter there's little to do outside of comic melee combat and semi-rewarding exploration. And really, that's okay.
Dead Island 2 has finally arrived after eight long years of waiting. This experience proposes us to slaughter zombies in the best possible ways with our huge arsenal of weapons. Visit HELL-A and destroy every abomination that crosses your path. Quite a vacation, isn't it?
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Moments of brilliance marred too often by frustrating and/or boring gameplay. Only recommended in co-op and then barely.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Review in German | Read full review
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.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
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.
There’s an overwhelming fakeness and irony to Dead Island 2 that, without any oppositional hope or sincerity, can eventually make the experience of playing it feel like kind of a downer, similar to the feeling you get after eating a load of junk food. My partner turned to me during one of my sessions late into the game and said it looked like I was on autopilot. Instead of meaningfully engaging with its systems, I was mindlessly pushing through the hordes in search of more complexity, or a satisfying narrative crescendo that never came. Dead Island 2’s nostalgic charms can transport you back to a simpler time, but there’s often a reason why you don’t see old friends anymore.
If you'd buy a summer home in the zombpocalypse, Dead Island 2 is for you. For anyone else, it's more complicated than that.
Dead Island 2 arrives with its launch with a few too many issues, although the experience is still able to offer players twenty hours of brutal pleasure, especially in co-op.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A fun but not relaxing trip to the fancy parts of L.A, Dead Island 2 is a major improvement over the previous franchise entries, with accurate goriness for the player's situation.
Dead Island 2 is absolutely the game I have pictured. If only more sequels could be this expertly made.
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.
Dead Island 2 is fantastic. It knows what it is, and that’s a ton of sneakily smart dumb fun. The FLESH system is horrific and awful and the best. Smashing, chopping, burning, and exploding humans has never been so fun. At $70 some may want to wait as it isn’t the longest campaign. I’m already doing a second playthrough though, and this is a game I’ll be coming back to for a long time.