To say that Dead Island 2 is the definition of “development hell” is almost an understatement. The project went from studio to studio like some kind of clunky hot potato, and Techland (who made the original in 2011) wasn’t given the sequel, and Yager Development got the first shot instead.
However, that development apparently didn’t go well and it was handed over to Sumo Digital, who had to take over. And that didn’t go well either, so the development moved to Dambuster, already in 2019. During all this time there was almost silence around the project and the only thing we know about those years is this trailer released in 2014, which showed a sunny zombie adventure in Los Angeles. So how much of that “survived” in the final game?
The answer is a lot, in fact, and it becomes clear from the start of the adventure. The California zombie apocalypse unfolds quickly in an intro video that illustrates that seriousness isn’t what they claim to be. After a brief introduction, I get the chance to escape the seemingly doomed city of Los Angeles (called Hell-A) on a plane as one of six playable characters, each with their own pros and cons. Among them are the Paralympian Amy, a very fast Asian, the streetwise Bruno, who looks as alternative as possible, and the stuntwoman Carla, who acts as your typical tank. I decided to play the role of Ryan, dressed as a firefighter and seemingly ready for anything. He’s a stripper and not someone trained for disaster, but he still runs like a tank.
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But it wouldn’t really be a game if I escaped the disaster and could live somewhere safe while waiting for the world to return to normal. The plane will therefore not go very far, and this is where the adventure begins. My first assignment is to reach out to a Bel-Air celebrity I met on the plane. The only problem is that I was bitten and I’m about to turn into a zombie, it looks like that’s not going to happen. Turns out Ryan is immune.
Already in the first stages of the game, I have the feeling of controlling everything that happens around me, because the controls are configured exactly according to the standard model. I can jump, dodge, hit things, throw them, turn on a flashlight, and it’s all laid out intuitively on the buttons you might expect. Here, if you can say that “if something works, better not touch it”.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only area where I think Dambuster is reverting to old habits and not having the ability to deliver enough new stuff. It’s been a while since I’ve played the original Dead Island, but it’s easy to feel like it looks too pretty (because it’s a game with pristine graphics, don’t think otherwise) direct successor to a game from 2011. Sure, that’s a sequel to a game from twelve years ago, but it’s 2023, and that should mean something else, if we look at it in terms of gameplay.
A few examples of what I mean is that you often have missions that are simply clearing an area of advancing zombies before new events can be triggered. And already in the preview version I played I had way too many doors with missing stacks (who ran and tore all the stacks apart during the apocalypse?) than I had to find to progress . Story events need to offer a more dynamic and surprising setup to stick with what is basically the exact same pattern as the first Resident Evil of the 90s. Plus, running around with a huge crow is a problem.
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Also, walking around with a massive crowbar that needs to be clamped to a workbench after hitting two fluffy zombies on the head feels a bit silly to me. I’m also not thrilled that I have to collect tons of raw materials to get enough to fix the pool cue I use to kill enemies. It slows the pace, and it gets louder when I can’t catch the piece of fabric directly in front of me because I’m not exactly in the right place.
Luckily, Dead Island 2 has other perks. First, we have the repair system, which also includes improvements. As long as you have enough raw materials, you can either repair your tools – so your heavy iron pipe is enough to kill another handful of zombies before it breaks again – or upgrade them. The latter can give you things like more damage or shock your victims, but also other benefits. I look forward to exploring this further in the completed adventure.
There is also a card system that the developers are very proud of. Basically, it works like a level tree where you continually substitute cards to always get the perks you want. While this preview build (which lasted a few hours) didn’t give me much to try out, I was able to equip myself with cards that deal damage to the enemy when I use power packs. health and another that makes successful combos make me more durable. It’s a potentially very interesting system for which I have high hopes.
Something that has also been talked about a lot is the fact that in Dead Island 2 you can tear your opponents to pieces. A well-aimed blow to a zombie’s jaw causes it to hang awkwardly from the face, while a good stab to the torso exposes the intestinal tract, and so on. Personally, I found it very effective to work the legs of the enemy. Amputating their knees makes them much more comfortable dealing with those undead bastards. While the clearly visible injury system where I do my damage is purely graphical, I really like being able to get instant visual feedback on the results of my weapons and attacks. There’s also a stamina meter that determines which attacks are most viable at any given time, plus a parry system that not only saves lives but also helps you land Mortal Kombat-inspired counterattacks. .
However, the weight of the battles is not quite perfect. If I ram a golf club into someone’s skull with all the power of Ryan, I want it to be more damaging than here, which is more like hitting something with a styrofoam bat. That being said, the game’s controls are still good and it’s fun to test out the advantages of various weapons in combat. Also, sometimes it’s possible to use the environments to my advantage in different ways, although in the demo they were pretty predictable, like shocking wet zombies, pushing them over the edges, or setting them on fire if they stood in them. a puddle of oil.
I expected something more current in terms of gameplay in this Dead Island 2. Much of the game is too familiar to me and, on many occasions, downright dated. At the same time, there are a lot of promising things, like a heavenly adventure in the sun. The fights might lack a bit of punch, but they’re still hectic and fun, and you can certainly tailor your survivor to your liking. Plus, Hell-A looks like an entertaining and incredibly beautiful place to explore, and you can often get a sense of what happened to an abandoned house when disaster struck, as a kind of fun treat to set the mood. theme. Anyway, I can’t wait to see the finished game, because with a little more creativity and surprises, there is potential to do something really cool.