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Dead Island 2
Critics Consensus (Skip It)
Dead Island 2 is a straightforward zombie action-RPG, and improves upon the zombie smasher formula of its predecessor. It’s an enjoyable romp, even though it lacks creativity and plays it safe far too often.
Game Info
The much-loved zombie saga is back with a unique formula of horror, dark humor and over the top zombie-slaying, spanning an epic pulp adventure. Dead Island 2 is thrilling First-Person Action RPG, stylish, vibrant and flooded with zombie infection. Explore iconic, gore-drenched Los Angeles. Meet larger-than-life characters. Slay countless foes in exquisitely bloody detail. And evolve to become the ultimate Zombie Slayer!
0%
Recommended
0%
Average Score
Total Reviews: 100
RELEASE DATES:
GENRES:
- Action, Adventure
DEVELOPER(S):
- Dambuster Studios
PUBLISHER(S):
- Deep Silver
SERIES/FRANCHISE:
- Dead Island
GAME MODES:
- Co-operative, Multiplayer, Single player
GAME ENGINE:
- Unreal Engine 4
Where to Play
WHERE TO PLAY
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RATING & REVIEWS
Ratings & Reviews
100
Critic Reviews
75
Average Critic Score
Where to Play
CRITIC REVIEWS
All reviews are from professional critics. Learn more about the critics VSG aggregates.
High Score
95%
Median Score
78%
Low Score
50%
What did you think of Dead Island 2?
Player Reviews0 Votes
0
Travis Northup (IGN)
April 18, 2023
7/10
Dead Island 2 is a hilarious gore-fest and a competent zombie-slaying adventure, but lacks creativity outside of its great sense of humor.
Lewis Parker (PC Gamer)
April 18, 2023
55/100
Dead Island 2 is hampered by dull design choices, repetitive combat, and a painfully weak story, with its only saving grace being its great performance on PC.
Wesley LeBlanc (Game Informer)
April 18, 2023
7.8/10
With Dead Island 2, Dambuster Studios asks little of the player – only that you enjoy a good excuse to kill zombies in increasingly gory ways for a weekend or two – and in doing so, it delivers on the promise of what this series is all about.
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Score Ranges
Read the Reviews (100 total)
| Outlet | Author | Score | Date | Quote | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33bits | Juanma F. Padilla | 90 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is one of those rare cases in which a long-running project with developer changes ends up giving, nevertheless, a great product. We have had to wait a decade but we can say without a doubt that the wait has been worth it and that Dead Island 2 shines with its own light. If you enjoyed the first one, or even if you didn’t have the chance to sink your teeth into it, Dead Island 2 becomes a must for any self-respecting lover of the genre. | Read review |
| 3DNews | Алексей Лихачев | 8 / 10 | 04-29-2023 | A vibrant zombie action game which came out and didn’t disappoint | Read review |
| ACG | Jeremy Penter | Recommended | 04-22-2023 | “Dead Island 2 is amazing for how many troubles it has faced. Enjoyable exploration, wicked combat, and amazing graphical Tech | Read review |
| Atomix | Alexis Patiño | 80 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | Just like a zombie, Dead Island 2 was a project that was considered dead but was able to rise to its feet over and over again. Today, we finally have the ultimate Dead Island experience in our hands and it’s a pretty decent action RPG with tons of first person melee combat. | Read review |
| Attack of the Fanboy | Matthew Kevin Mitchell | 4.5 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | Practice your best one-liners because Dead Island 2 will have you run toward danger and swagger down the streets of Hell-A while egging the zombies on like your favorite pulp hero. The beautiful graphics, tight combat, eccentric cast of characters, and F.L.E.S.H. system prove why the long-anticipated sequel to the beloved franchise was worth the wait. | Read review |
| AusGamers | Kosta Andreadis | 7.5 / 10 | 04-19-2023 | Although simple to the point where it feels more like classic arcade games Final Fight or Gauntlet Legends than Dark Souls, the interplay between strategic (or blind) melee swings and the physical damage, physics, and gore is as impressive as it is over-the-top. | Read review |
| BaziCenter | Omid Sedigh Imani | 7.5 / 10 | 04-30-2023 | Dead Island 2 may not be the next great thing you were waiting for, but it has enough on offer to convince you and a group of friends to spend over 20 hours blowing zombies apart. | Read review |
| But Why Tho? | Arron Kluz | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Cerealkillerz | Nick Erlenhof | 8.3 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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! | Read review |
| CGMagazine | Khari Taylor | 8.5 / 10 | 04-26-2023 | Featuring a literally jaw dropping, procedural zombie damage system, a diverse and entertaining cast and high production values from start to finish, Dead Island 2 not only manages to live up to the expectations set by its two mainline prequels over a decade ago–it blows them right out of the water. | Read review |
| Checkpoint Gaming | Luke Mitchell | 7.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a silly, slaughter-filled take on the zombie apocalypse that is very entertaining without pushing the envelope of game design beyond the expected. HELL-A is the perfect bright setting to soak the streets in blood, and the little visual details ensure that there’s always something eye-catching that grabs your attention. Some of the objectives can get repetitive and combat itself could use a little bit more variety, but considering its painfully long development time, Dead Island 2 still makes for a satisfying adventure with a good sense of humour stitching together its various generic zombie parts into something worth celebrating. | Read review |
| Chicas Gamers | Raúl Pinto | Recommended | 04-27-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a first-person action game whose mission is to make us release adrenaline and have a good time breaking zombie skulls. It is an entertaining game that does not seek to give more than what it offers, because what it does, it does perfectly. Graphically it is impressive with well created settings, good character modeling and five tons of gore. In addition, a great soundtrack, being motivating for us to enjoy even more. | Read review |
| COGconnected | Mark Steighner | 84 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Cultured Vultures | Jimmy Donnellan | 7.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Refreshingly brainless and made with a lot of heart, Dead Island 2’s repetitive quest design and disappointing conclusion don’t stop it from being a whale of a time. | Read review |
| Daily Star | Tom Hutchison | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | Those seeking more may well tire of the game after a handful of hours. | Read review |
| DASHGAMER.com | Dan Rizzo | 7 / 10 | 05-08-2023 | Caked in brain-matter, coinciding with its barrage of a bloody good time, Dead Island 2’s quirks are what make it an insanely fun campaign to dive deep in. | Read review |
| Destructoid | Chris Moyse | 7.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun. | Read review |
| Digital Chumps | Ben Sheene | 7.5 / 10 | 11-30-2020 | 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. | Read review |
| Digital Spy | Ben Rayner | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Digital Trends | Giovanni Colantonio | 3 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | If you’re just looking for brainless fun, Dead Island 2 is a perfectly enjoyable zombie game that’s filled to the brim with delicious gore and top-notch environmental storytelling. It just never quite lives up to the strength of its allegorical premise, with a generic narrative and repetitive missions that I was shambling through by the end. | Read review |
| Easy Allies | Daniel Bloodworth | 4 / 5 stars | 04-19-2023 | Dead Island 2 revels in bringing the zombie apocalypse to LA with great level design, disturbingly detailed gore, and weapons that feel good to use and customize. | Read review |
| Echo Boomer | David Fialho | Not Recommended | 05-24-2023 | Despite its stunning visuals and smooth gameplay, Dead Island 2 ultimately falls short in terms of depth and originality, offering little more than another run-of-the-mill zombie game to play with friends in cooperative mode. | Read review |
| Eurogamer | Edwin Evans-Thirlwell | Not Recommended | 04-18-2023 | A straightforwardly accomplished zombie action-RPG that doesn’t quite make the most of its Californian setting. | Read review |
| Everyeye.it | Alessandro Bruni | 7.3 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Expansive | Laurie Jones | Recommended | 04-23-2023 | Dead Island 2 brings blood, brutality and bloody good fun. It is a thrill-ride from the opening credits with its use of hard-hitting weapons, good characterisation and stunning backdrops. A limited plot and constraining development options aside, this is the Dead Island you remember and one we’ll likely never forget again. | Read review |
| Explosion Network | Dylan Blight | 7.5 / 10 | 04-19-2023 | Dead Island 2 knows exactly what it wants to be, and it goes for the jugular with extreme melee combat and dismembering slow-motion finishing moves. | Read review |
| FingerGuns | Greg Hicks | 9 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Throwing out the dour and the drab, Dead Island 2 is all about killing in style. From the beautifully rendered wastelands of HELL-A, to the equally visceral limb destruction system, there’s endless fun to be had here. With enough to do solo or with friends/strangers, not to mention the upcoming expansions, Dambuster Studios have rewritten how to enjoy oneself in the face of Armageddon. | Read review |
| Flickering Myth | Shaun Munro | 6 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | At times refreshingly simple and at others mind-numbingly generic, Dead Island 2 offers up no-frills zombie-clobbering both for better and worse. | Read review |
| Game Informer | Wesley LeBlanc | 7.8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | With Dead Island 2, Dambuster Studios asks little of the player – only that you enjoy a good excuse to kill zombies in increasingly gory ways for a weekend or two – and in doing so, it delivers on the promise of what this series is all about. | Read review |
| Game Rant | Dalton Cooper | 3.5 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Gameblog | Sélénos | 6 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a pleasant game, but far from being memorable. It is as often fun as it is boring. The average quests don’t fully engage us and the game fails to make us want to explore. Fortunately, the second part of the game is better, both in terms of level design and scenario. Too bad the ending is disappointing. | Read review |
| Gamefa | Mostafa Zahedi | 8.2 / 10 | 04-24-2023 | Dead Island 2 is everything it needs to be. It’s bloody, chaotic and fun. You’re going to have a blast crushing skulls, slicing limbs and decapitating bloody rich zombies! Dismemberment is extremely satisfying, story is weird (in a good way) and Weapons Variety is awesome. That being said, Main story is a little bit too short and size of the world is a bit underwhelming. Nonetheless, If you feel like slaying zombies and wrecking havoc, Dead Island 2 is what you’re looking for | Read review |
| GameGrin | Jase Taylor | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| GamePro | Annika Bavendiek | 81 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | Despite the chaos of development, Dead Island 2 offers exaggerated and satisfying zombie action with a lot of blood and guts. | Read review |
| Gamerheadquarters | Jason Stettner | 6.6 / 10 | 05-06-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a bloody good time for the most part, but lacks the sense of scale I had anticipated in a sequel despite there being such a gap in time. | Read review |
| Gamersky | 心灵奇兵 | 7.8 / 10 | 04-20-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a traditional blood and guts slaughterfest, and if you haven’t grown tired of zombie bashing by 2023, it’s still worth a play. The experience is both heavenly and hellish, like the average genius who tries to entertain but can’t always be sure if the next act is a hit or a miss. | Read review |
| GamesBeat | Rachel Kaser | 60 / 100 | 05-12-2023 | I wish I could say that Dead Island 2 came out a big winner after such a long development cycle. But it’s not Game of the Year material. It’s not even what I would call a great zombie game — there are many that do story or even gameplay better. But Dead Island 2 is solid. It is competent, and it is fun. If you want some uncomplicated zombie-slaying antics in a beautiful setting, Dead Island 2 will scratch that itch. But I don’t expect anyone to still be talking about it this time next year. | Read review |
| GameSkinny | Thomas Wilde | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| GameSpot | Mark Delaney | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dambuster Studios raises the dead in a vicious sequel long thought doomed. | Read review |
| GamesRadar+ | Leon Hurley | 3.5 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | Enjoying Dead Island 2 requires you to accept it’s 95% hitting zombies with sticks – and the remaining 5% is choosing the stick | Read review |
| GameWatcher | Bogdan Robert Mateș | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2’s visceral combat can effortlessly pull you into the zone as you slash, shoot, and kick zombies, while making sure they head into the afterlife with fewer limbs attached. A simple but effective upgrade system gives you the means to counter any foe, while its varied arsenal of melee and ranged weapons keeps things interesting for a good while. | Read review |
| Gaming Nexus | Jason Dailey | 8 / 10 | 04-19-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| GamingBolt | Shubhankar Parijat | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 isn’t ground-breaking, but it’s a hell of a lot of fun. With its vibrant yet bloody take on the undead streets of LA, its brutal and enjoyable combat, and its gleeful excess of gore, it delivers a solid experience that’s well worth your time. | Read review |
| GamingTrend | Abdul Saad | 85 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Geek Culture | Jake Su | 8.1 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Generación Xbox | Pedro del Pozo | 8.8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 surprisingly becomes a great sequel. Brutal action, extreme violence and above all, a lot of fun awaits us in the new Dambuster’s title. | Read review |
| God is a Geek | Mick Fraser | 8.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | While it suffers from some interesting glitches, Dead Island 2 puts some much-needed fun and mayhem back into the zombie apocalypse sandbox. | Read review |
| GRYOnline.pl | Dariusz Matusiak | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 does not fool you into thinking it’s another deep virtual drama or an epic RPG. It’s simply a great action comedy designed to make you relax, provided you like bloody hordes of zombies. | Read review |
| Guardian | Keith Stuart | 3 / 5 stars | 04-19-2023 | 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 | Read review |
| Hardcore Gamer | Chris Shive | 3.5 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a gory adventure that offers up plenty of mindless mayhem for zombie slayers. | Read review |
| Hey Poor Player | James Davies | 3 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Hobby Consolas | Daniel Quesada | 89 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | It is a pleasure to confirm that the ship has come to fruition by taking care of the true essence of the series: exploration, tinkering with weapons and slaughtering zombies is as pleasant as it is spectacular. | Read review |
| IGN | Travis Northup | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a hilarious gore-fest and a competent zombie-slaying adventure, but lacks creativity outside of its great sense of humor. | Read review |
| IGN Italy | Angelo Bianco | 7.8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a classic zombie-themed action game that offers hours of fun in its amusing brutality, with thousands of undead to slay in the most creative ways and a collection of weapons suitable for every need. However, the lack of originality limits the potential of a gaming experience that doesn’t shine in terms of story and mission variety. Fighting zombies from Beverly Hills to Santa Monica is still satisfying, but after almost ten years of waiting for Dead Island 2 we would have expected something more than an action game that does its duty and nothing more. | Read review |
| IGN Spain | Rafa Del Río | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dambuster manages to improve on the formula with a zombie smasher who does everything very well. | Read review |
| Kotaku | Ashley Bardhan | Recommended | 04-18-2023 | Through its skillful environmental design and indulgent combat, Dead Island 2 is one of the best, most disgusting playgrounds I’ve ever played in. | Read review |
| LevelUp | Víctor Rosas | 7.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is not a bad game, nor is it the Holy Grail of zombie-themed action games. It is a fun game but it makes evident its lack of creativity and the limitations that were surely a necessity to get the project out of the hell it was in. | Read review |
| Metro GameCentral | Adam Starkey | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | A surprisingly lean and mean sequel which amplifies the bloody thrills of the original through its impressive presentation and flexible mechanics. | Read review |
| Niche Gamer | Matt Kowalski | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 has solid gameplay and a beautiful environment despite cutting out the game’s soul. If the game was named something else, it would be perfectly fine but as a sequel, it fails to build off its predecessor’s successes. Players will have fun playing through the game either solo or cooperatively, but once the quests are done, it will be on the shelf until an expansion or DLC is released. If you want a zombie slaying game you have it. If you want an expanded lore to the Dead Island franchise, then you are out of luck. See you in Hell-A Zombie Slayers. | Read review |
| PC Gamer | Lewis Parker | 55 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is hampered by dull design choices, repetitive combat, and a painfully weak story, with its only saving grace being its great performance on PC. | Read review |
| PC Invasion | Sam Robins | 7 / 10 | 04-21-2023 | Dead Island 2 delivers bone crunching combat alongside a generic experience that feels ripped straight from 2011. | Read review |
| PCGamesN | Danielle Rose | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | There’s a lot of fun to be had slaying zombies on the streets and beaches of HELL-A, but if that first bite doesn’t infect you, you might find – like the protagonist – that your experience gets stronger as you play. | Read review |
| PlayStation Universe | Neil Bolt | 8.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Polygon | Jordan Oloman | Not Recommended | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| PowerUp! | Leo Stevenson | 8.5 / 10 | 04-19-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a sum much greater than its parts. By rights, a game with gameplay roots and mechanics harkening back over 10 years shouldn’t be this much fun in 2023, but it is. | Read review |
| Press Start | James Mitchell | 6.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 stands firmly besides its predecessor as only a marginal improvement. While there something to be recognised in the flexible skill system and satisfying dismemberment effects, Dead Island 2’s lack of objective variety and uninteresting playable characters fall short of its potential. There’s still some fun to be had for zombie fans, just don’t expect a reinvention by any means. | Read review |
| PSX Brasil | Bruno Henrique Vinhadel | 80 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 overcame years of development problems to deliver a fun zombie story with some personality. It doesn’t try to go much beyond the basics, but it does it honestly and competently, with good hints of humor and a great co-op experience. | Read review |
| Push Square | Aaron Bayne | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Rectify Gaming | Unknown | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 pulls off a miracle with a mix of great combat and an eccentric cast of memorable characters. | Read review |
| Rock, Paper, Shotgun | Rick Lane | Recommended | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Saudi Gamer | Unknown | 6 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Moments of brilliance marred too often by frustrating and/or boring gameplay. Only recommended in co-op and then barely. | Read review |
| Screen Rant | Natasha Martell | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | Overall, Dead Island 2 proves itself to be a totally fleshed out, fully realized version of what Dead Island can be with modern mechanics and gameplay. | Read review |
| SECTOR.sk | Peter Dragula | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Shacknews | Lucas White | 6 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | As the credits rolled I didn’t feel satisfied or accomplished at all, which is pretty messed up considering how much of a feat completing a 20-plus hour video game is for an adult these days. | Read review |
| Sirus Gaming | Noel Lontoc | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Despite the significant improvements in mechanics and aesthetics, it is clear that Deep Silver stuck to the same formula. The same dark comedy with a not-so-serious plot can now be boring for veterans, but it can provide hours of fun to those new to the series. However, ten years is too lengthy for game development, and the same approach may be stale for others now, given that nothing much has improved with some elements in the game. | Read review |
| Skill Up | Ralph Panebianco | Recommended | 04-24-2023 | Video Review | Read review |
| SpazioGames | Gianluca Arena | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 it’s a hell of a surprise, considering the long and difficult development cycle: it’s fun, it’s deep and has a lot of content, and the FLESH system is a great idea. A successful reboot for the people at Dambuster Studios. | Read review |
| Stevivor | Steve Wright | 5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | There’s little motivation to slog through extremely same-y missions and side quests. It’s this general feeling that permeates throughout Dead Island 2; what’s on offer isn’t broken or flagrantly bad (with the exception of the checkpointing system), but it is tired, antiquated and bland. | Read review |
| TechRaptor | William Worrall | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Telegraph | Dan Silver | 3 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | It’s unlikely to make any Game of the Year lists but Dead Island 2 provides plenty of low-brow thrills | Read review |
| The Angry Joe Show | Joe Vargas | 6 / 10 | 05-09-2023 | Video Review | Read review |
| The Games Machine | Emanuele Feronato | 9 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| The Outerhaven Productions | Kyle Simcox | 4 / 5 stars | 05-22-2023 | Turns out not all games with rocky development cycles are disasters. Dead Island 2 by Dambusters Studio is a fantastic zombie slaying action game that simply avoids taking risks. | Read review |
| TheSixthAxis | Stefan L | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 does a great job of reanimating this dormant zombie-battling series, with the gore-filled combat and excessive weaponry that goes well with the oversaturated LA setting. It’s an enjoyable romp, but at the same time, ironically feels like it’s playing it safe. | Read review |
| Too Much Gaming | Carlos Hernandez | 7 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 failed to stand out as the original game did since there are now a good amount of zombie-themed titles that are more than capable of scratching this particular itch. It feels so late in the game that other games like it have evolved and experimented with different concepts while this series is still trying to get back on its feet. | Read review |
| TrueAchievements | Tom West | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| TrueGaming | Unknown | 7.5 / 10 | 04-19-2023 | Dead Island 2 is a fun zombie game, there is nothing here that has not been done before, and it gets repetitive over time, but when considering its long and troubled development cycle, we are more than satisfied with the end product. | Read review |
| TrustedReviews | Lewis Painter | 3 / 5 stars | 04-27-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Twinfinite | Cameron Waldrop | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is absolutely the game I have pictured. If only more sequels could be this expertly made. | Read review |
| Unboxholics | Θέμης Μπολτσής | Recommended | 05-03-2023 | Dead Island 2 is one of the pleasant gaming surprises of 2023, although you’d expect it to come out full of problems and with a confused identity after ten years of delays. The end result couldn’t have been further from those fears. The experience is technically flawless with no problems, gorgeous graphics and consistent performance, and most importantly: highly, highly entertaining and satisfying gameplay! | Read review |
| VG247 | Kelsey Raynor | Recommended | 04-18-2023 | Dead Island 2 is every bit the head-stomping blast that it promised to be. There are a few creases that Dambuster ought to iron out over the coming weeks, but if you’re hoping for mindless chaos and exceptional entertainment across the grindhouse slaughterhouse that is HELL-A, you’ve got it in spades right here. | Read review |
| VGC | Jordan Middler | 4 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | The best games ask important questions. In the case of Dead Island 2, that question is: “Do you think it’s funny to chop zombies into bits?” If the answer is yes, then Dead Island 2 is a joy. | Read review |
| WayTooManyGames | Fernando da Costa | 9.5 / 10 | 05-01-2023 | Dead Island 2, regardless of bouncing between developers, has risen like a phoenix. The punchy combat and campy dialogue coalesce to give birth to an addictive and joyous romp. The humor tickles my fancy, giving me a warm feeling in the tum tum. | Read review |
| Wccftech | Francesco De Meo | 7.5 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| We Got This Covered | Nahila Bonfiglio | 3 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | It’s not necessarily a failure on Deep Silver’s and Dambuster Studios’ part, but Dead Island 2 simply doesn’t feel like a game worthy of a decade-long wait. It maintains all of the elements that made the first few games popular and expands on several in fun and interesting ways but does far too little to separate itself from the titles that came before it. | Read review |
| WellPlayed | Zach Jackson | 7 / 10 | 04-19-2023 | Dead Island 2 is every bit the gory zombie slasher it wants to be. But as enjoyable and solid as it is, issues with repetition and the gameplay loop stop it from being the game it perhaps could have been. | Read review |
| Windows Central | Brendan Lowry | 4.5 / 5 stars | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| Worth Playing | Tony “OUberLord” Mitera | 8.1 / 10 | 04-20-2023 | Dead Island 2 surely went through a few levels of development hell, so anyone following its path would reasonably suspect that the game might have issues. I can’t say that it does anything exceptionally well, but it has enough life in it to avoid major stumbles. For better or worse, it is a by-the-numbers zombie basher that doesn’t do anything terribly distinct. Its humor makes it compelling and fun, and it’s at its best whenever it relies on that strength. | Read review |
| Xbox Achievements | Richard Walker | 85 / 100 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
| ZTGD | Terrence Johnson | 8 / 10 | 04-18-2023 | 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. | Read review |
Dead Island 2 Credits
CREDITS
DIRECTOR(S):
David Stenton, James Worroll
PRODUCER(S):
Iris Arzur, Gyanam O'Sullivan, Nia Wearn
DESIGNER(S):
Adam Duckett, Matt Abbott, Graham Bromley
PROGRAMMER(S):
Andrew Khan, Thomas Houghton, Andrew Rayson, Ben Johnson
ARTIST(S):
Adam Olsson, Jon Parr
WRITER(S):
James Worroll, Ayesha Khan, Alex Hood, Lydia Cockerham, Rich Sharp, Lizzi Osbourne
COMPOSER(S):
Ryan Williams
Time to Beat
TIME TO BEAT
0
hrs MAIN STORY
0
hrs MAIN + EXTRAS
0
hrs COMPLETIONIST
0
hrs ALL PLAYSTYLES
* VSG’s best estimate for how long it will take you to complete the game. Learn more.
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