Preview Dead Island 2: Bloody return for this 8-year-old zombie game
Published on 08/24/2022 at 08:05
“He’s alive!” The apocalyptic FPS from Deep Silver and Dambuster Studios, Arlesian par excellence of video games, resurfaces 8 years following its initial announcement. Gamescom 2022 was the scene of an unexpected zombie infection. Dead Island 2 is well and truly back. Was this comeback done with panache?
Preview Terms
Welcome to Hell-A
Dead Island first of the name stood out from other zombie games by its seaside and sunny setting which clashed with its zombie apocalypse context. Continuation obliges, Dead Island 2 takes the fundamental principle of the franchise and exports it to North America, specifically in the state of California. The City of Angels becomes the new theater of a survivalist adventure marked by the presence of particularly hungry undead and the absence of the American government, whose law enforcement and military forces have left the area.
Los Angeles, once an urban paradise, is turning into hell. Artists turn this iconic destination into a succession of gloomy “postcards”. This FPS (for First Person Shooter) invites survivors to (re)discover Santa Monica, Venice Beach or even Hollywood Boulevard under a blood-red sun. This semi-open world is made up of large areas to explore that are interconnected. The map alone promises long “walks” within varied Californian environments and marked by a pulpy and sunny artistic direction. Enough to let out a sincere “It’s good there!”… if the zombies hadn’t invited themselves to the party.
The 7th Art is an inexhaustible source of inspiration and Dead Island 2 does not hesitate. On the contrary, Dambuster Studios gleefully draws on one genre in particular, that of horror…whether at the level of unfortunate encounters, apocalyptic atmospheres as well as camera shots, in order to design memorable sequences. Little warning! Coulrophobes are at high risk of cringing during a visit to an amusement park by the sea. beyond the demo presented, but the first clues suggest that the latter will certainly be conventional, but worthy of interest.
There’s gonna be gore
Dead Island 2 is an RPG-tinged (for Role Playing Game) first-person shooter. It clearly takes up the formula of its predecessor and improves it on all the points acclaimed in the past. The experience focuses on the exploration of places infested with zombies, the completion of objectives, the rise in power of a character and of course the fights mainly in hand-to-hand combat once morest a putrefied bestiary. Dambuster Studios calls it a “glory and bloody melee combat system”. The tone is set !
The clashes are to say the least violent, gory and tactical insofar as the choice of weapons, the management of space as well as the hordes makes all the difference between life and death. Dead Island 2, by the developers’ own admission, is a challenging game, never insurmountable, but one that tests your skills as virtual survivors. For the rest, fans will find a feeling arms in hand identical to that of the first episode. It is to be mistaken as Dead Island 2 offers a controlled mutation of the combat system. Special mention to the real-time damage inflicted on enemies which gives a sweet flavor “rotten blood” to the adventure.
The title published by Deep Silver follows in the footsteps of its elder right down to its RPG mechanics. The role-playing dimension begins with the selection of a hero or heroine, with their own abilities and style, from among the six available. Subsequently, the gain in experience and therefore in level results in the acquisition of new essential skills to progress in the story. It is thus possible to personalize its survivor, and to trace its destiny. This also involves the acquisition and manufacture of weapons of all kinds… blunt, sharp, fire, etc. Finally, Dead Island 2 can be played alone or in cooperation with up to 3 players, enough to clean up Hell-A with friends.
Nos impressions
Dead Island 2 is the legitimate and modernized sequel to Dead Island to such an extent that the title might trade its “2” for a “2022”. Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver offer fans of zombie apocalypses and bloody first-person combat a solid and natural evolution, not revolution, of the franchise. The saga comes out of the ground with the firm intention of spreading over the world of video games and might well achieve this in blood and guts.
Editorial review
Promising
