While some cards offer abilities usable against the undead, others are best described as perks that activate in combat, like my favorite that restored a bit of health every time I performed a perfect dodge or block. With 15 equipable slots, I decked out Amy to play a lot like the zombies I was fighting, utilizing their ground pounds, screams, strikes, and more against them. Unlockable skill cards offer more of that variance I wanted. Amy would occasionally comment about how she needed to get out of Los Angeles to make it to her next running competition, but other than that, her barks and lines felt generic enough that I wasn’t concerned I was missing part of the larger Dead Island 2 narrative by not playing through the game as each survivor. While each of the six slayers has a different personality and backstory alongside two exclusive innate abilities, I finished Dead Island 2 feeling like who I played matters little narratively. She’s a Paralympian and an agile, speed-based character. After a quick cutscene setting up this idealized take on Los Angeles and how it’s become a dead island of sorts, I selected Amy, one of six slayers you can play as in the game’s story. I only wish the rest of the game was as enamoring.ĭead Island 2 doesn’t take long to get into the action. I rolled credits most excited about this carnage my tour through LA brought me. Over 2000 zombies were mutilated, maimed, electrocuted, burned, and obliterated during my time with Dead Island 2. The star of the show is the zombies and the gory and customizable action that happens because of them. Dead Island 2, much like its predecessor, isn’t breaking new ground narratively, but a good hook moves you through the game’s various Los Angeles districts. While assumptions might be made about a game that’s spent this long in development, jumping from multiple teams, the final game is a worthwhile follow-up, especially for fans of the original. Developer Dambuster Studios is the third studio to work on the game, using this opportunity to create its own Dead Island 2 from the ground up. Dead Island 2 was announced just a few years after its 2011 predecessor, but the sequel has taken nearly a decade to come to life.

Dead island 2 review ign