Dead Island 2 was initially announced in 2014 as the sequel to the 2011 action role-playing, open world game Dead Island. However, many fans had given up on ever playing it, as it has languished in development hell since. Over the past eight years, Dead Island 2 has gone through a chaotic development cycle with several developers working on and dropping the project. However, Nottingham-based Dambuster Studios, an internal Deep Silver studio, seems to have gotten things on track with the game now set for an early 2023 release. Dead Island 2 is set in Los Angeles with many iconic locations promised, including “the verdant suburbia of Beverly Hill” and “the quirky promenade of Venice Beach.” It will feature six playable characters called Slayers with customizable abilities. Like the original Dead Island, the game is played in first-person and involves the player participating in melee combat with lots of gore. If the trailer is anything to go by, the gameplay is smooth and realistic with the gore on full display. The playable characters are immune to the virus that has taken hold of the city. They are tasked with uncovering the truth behind the outbreak that turned the city’s inhabitants to ravenous zombies. What’s more, the game will feature a new technology – Alexa Game Control – that will allow players to taunt zombies and swap weapons via voice command. The technology will also allow players to access other in-game features, like navigation. Dead Island 2 will be available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia. If you wish, you can pre-order it ahead of its February release. If you do, you will get a pre-order bonus titled “Memories of Banoi Pack”.
