Gory Fun In Sunny LA

Dead Island 2 is the biggest launch in Deep Silver’s history, with over 2 million copies sold

A decade in the making, the game takes players back to a zombie-infested open world, this time centred on Los Angeles. Set about 15 years after the events of Dead Island, the sequel sees Los Angeles being put under quarantine in the wake of yet another zombie outbreak. Despite the time jump and the new setting, Dead Island 2 feels very similar to its predecessor, except there are of course bigger, meaner zombies and more ways to kill them than ever. Unlike most zombie titles, the Dead Island series has a huge focus on melee combat. There are guns, but ammunition is extremely limited, and you don’t find your first assault rifle until you’re roughly a third of the way into the game.

Instead, combat largely centres around going for the heads of the walking dead with whatever blunt (or cutting) instrument you have in hand. Far from a mindless hack-andslash gameplay loop, the game also requires you to familiarise yourself with the move sets of each zombie type in order to time your block or dodge correctly. Getting the timing right will reward you temporary advantages in combat, depending on the character you chose or the skill cards you have equipped.