Dead Island 2

75%
Game Brain Score Based on 3,276 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Dead Island 2 Game Cover
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In Dead Island 2, Los Angeles is overrun by a zombie outbreak and you are one of the few survivors with resistance to the pathogen. Explore iconic locations, fight hordes of zombies, and evolve into an ultimate zombie slayer in this stylish and gory game. Voice control with Alexa is available for various game actions.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Epic Games
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
  • Xbox Game Pass
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

75%
Audience ScoreBased on 3,276 reviews
story232 positive mentions
stability39 negative mentions
  • story1,085 mentions

    The story of "Dead Island 2" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it mediocre and lacking depth. While some appreciate the humor and character interactions, others criticize the plot for being predictable, shallow, and abruptly ending without resolution. Overall, the game is primarily enjoyed for its engaging gameplay and gore mechanics rather than its narrative, which many feel does not live up to the potential set by its predecessors.

    • “The story is surprisingly engaging, with memorable characters and plenty of twists that kept me invested throughout my playthrough.”
    • “The story really fits the classic 'vacation gone wrong' feeling of the previous games, and it perfectly nails that mix of dark humor and intensity.”
    • “The story, while being fully voiced, including all side missions, is lacking?”
    • “The story is not that good, but the gameplay is meh.”
    • “The story is very generic, the characters are very generic, and the gameplay gets repetitive extremely quickly.”
    • “The story is pretty short and not that interesting, but it does have its moments.”
  • gameplay453 mentions

    The gameplay of "Dead Island 2" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its satisfying combat mechanics and engaging gore system, which enhance the overall experience. However, several players noted that the gameplay can become repetitive and lacks innovation compared to its predecessors, with some mechanics feeling outdated or clunky. Overall, while the game offers fun and visceral zombie-slaying action, it struggles with a lack of variety in missions and enemy types, leading to a somewhat monotonous gameplay loop.

    • “The gameplay is incredibly fun, combining satisfying combat with a vibrant, open-world environment that keeps you engaged from start to finish.”
    • “The combat mechanics are satisfyingly brutal and fluid, providing a wide array of weapons and strategies to dismember the undead in creative ways.”
    • “Dead Island 2 excels in its gameplay, providing a satisfying mix of melee combat, exploration, and crafting.”
    • “The gameplay is boring and there is no innovation.”
    • “All this boredom eventually starts kicking in, the same enemy type, the same mission type, identical puzzles, repetitive use of mechanics, all these pushing you to rush through the end chapters.”
    • “The gameplay is just kinda bland and generic.”
  • graphics389 mentions

    The graphics in "Dead Island 2" have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising their stunning detail, vibrant environments, and impressive gore effects. Players noted that the visuals significantly enhance the overall experience, often overshadowing the game's shortcomings in gameplay and story. While some critiques mention that the graphics may not be groundbreaking compared to other recent titles, they are still considered a major highlight of the game.

    • “The graphics are genuinely gorgeous with surprisingly no performance issues.”
    • “The graphics are fantastic and probably the best part of the game.”
    • “Dead Island 2 is a fun zombie hack-and-slash game with astonishing graphics.”
    • “The graphics are the reason that this game is even a thing!!!!!”
    • “The only thing this game has going for it are visuals and level design, but that doesn't mean the game is good.”
    • “The graphics look like they could be a decade old if it weren't for some shading improvements but they're console crap as expected.”
  • humor140 mentions

    The humor in "Dead Island 2" is a standout feature, blending dark comedy with over-the-top action and gore, which many players find entertaining and engaging. While some jokes land well, others may feel forced or cringeworthy, leading to mixed reactions about the overall comedic tone. The game's characters and dialogue often provide a humorous contrast to the horror elements, enhancing the experience for those who appreciate a lighthearted take on the zombie apocalypse.

    • “The humor mixed with the horror elements creates a unique tone that makes the experience even more enjoyable.”
    • “The game excels in delivering a thrilling, action-packed zombie-slaying experience with a touch of dark humor.”
    • “It's hilarious that I can eviscerate zombies and watch their guts hit the floor, but female zombie tits?”
    • “One mission had you doing these random tasks for a streamer, but obviously these devs have never watched a streamer in their lives, so they stereotype it so hard that it's unfunny and cringe because you can tell they were trying so hard to be relatable.”
    • “Characters and side quests are unfunny, with badly written characters and poorly implemented side quests adding to the disappointment.”
    • “The amount of running around the same locations is enormous and not funny or engaging at all; you will hate the Venice Beach shop line at the end of the game if you're going to clear all side quests.”
  • optimization120 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its performance on various hardware setups, often achieving high frame rates and smooth gameplay. However, some users report significant stuttering and frame drops, particularly in demanding areas or with specific hardware configurations, indicating that optimization may not be consistent across all systems. Overall, while many find the game well-optimized, others caution potential players to be aware of possible performance issues.

    • “Have to point out the optimization in this game is insanely good, I'm getting 130+ fps constantly with minor dips in high intensity combat.”
    • “The graphics are genuinely gorgeous with surprisingly no performance issues.”
    • “Dambuster Studios released a well-optimized game with plenty of chunky content, which took me 120.2 hours to complete all story quests, side quests and lost & found quests, including Haus and Sola DLCs, for a completionist playthrough as a first-time player.”
    • “But they insist on making a game around AMD hardware nobody in their right mind will ever use for a GPU, so I cannot recommend this stuttering mess even on high-end hardware.”
    • “Barely got to the open world; the game was stuttering like crazy. I changed all the settings, changed the polling of my mouse (because apparently that's a thing that affects the game), reset the game like five times. It's flat out unplayable for some reason, with a 4080. I set it to low and capped the FPS to 60, still stuttered like crazy.”
    • “Performance is terrible, even on a 4090 because of no DLSS support.”
  • music76 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience and immerses players in the game world. The sound design, including atmospheric tracks and effective sound effects, contributes significantly to the game's tension and excitement. While some users noted occasional inconsistencies in music quality, the majority found the soundtrack to be a standout feature, elevating the gameplay and making it a memorable experience.

    • “The soundtrack is excellent as well; any game that uses a Death from Above 1979 song as boss music immediately gets bonus points from me.”
    • “The game's music and sound design are superb, creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
    • “The soundtrack is awesome.”
    • “Only good thing about the game is the main menu music and the visuals of LA.”
    • “Some music cuts in and out or just stops, zombies spawn from nowhere, the controls are clunky and don't get me started on the group online play.”
    • “I wouldn't say any of the music is outright bad, but it seems to insist you join a party you might not enjoy as much as they think you will.”
  • stability51 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and occasional freezes that can disrupt gameplay. While some users have experienced a relatively smooth experience, others have faced significant technical issues, leading to frustration and a recommendation to purchase only at a discount. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the game can be enjoyable, its stability issues are a notable drawback.

    • “All AAA quality and bug free.”
    • “Best game ever and now I get to play on my Steam Deck and it runs great so far.”
    • “The game runs great and is pretty fun.”
    • “The game is super buggy.”
    • “There are bugs, menus freeze, keyboard and mouse controls randomly stop working in menus, and dialogue freezes occasionally.”
    • “Buggy as hell; when I pick up a new weapon using swap weapon, the game bugs out and I can no longer attack until I either let myself die or quit to the main menu.”
  • atmosphere46 mentions

    The atmosphere in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its immersive sound design and graphics that create a dynamic and engaging environment, while others feel it lacks the tension and danger present in the original Dead Island. Many reviews highlight the contrast between the game's vibrant settings and the underlying threat of zombies, but some criticize the light-hearted tone and humor of characters that detract from the overall immersion. Overall, while the game has its atmospheric strengths, it does not consistently capture the same intensity as its predecessor.

    • “The game's music and sound design are superb, creating an immersive atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
    • “The contrast between the lively streets and the looming threat of the undead creates a dynamic atmosphere that keeps players on edge.”
    • “I love the atmosphere; the scenarios are well crafted, and the engine looks spectacular.”
    • “Therefore, the game does not have the atmosphere of Dead Island 1, and the world does not seem particularly dangerous, because survivors do not seem to be afraid for their lives and simply wait in temporary self-isolation.”
    • “The overall atmosphere, feel, and mood of the setting are too cringeworthy and light-hearted.”
    • “First Dead Island was amazing; you could feel the tension in the atmosphere, with survivors holding up. In this game, it is all about unrealistic NPCs and characters that break immersion altogether with their 'humor.'”
  • grinding34 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in single-player mode. While some appreciate the smooth gameplay and easy farming mechanics, others criticize the lack of engaging quests and the overwhelming number of similar tasks, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is seen as requiring significant time investment for minimal reward, especially when playing solo.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “This game feels very tedious and forces a linear gameplay in an open world game.”
    • “Every minute of this game is extremely tedious and mind-numbingly repetitive; every quest plays out the same way, and making bosses regular enemies just adds to the frustration.”
    • “Unfortunately, we couldn't have a sequel without being downgraded in some areas; there were times where I was seriously thinking of uninstalling the game due to tedious sequences being overwhelming.”
  • replayability20 mentions

    The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its diverse character builds, side content, and co-op multiplayer mode, which enhance replay value. However, many others criticize its linearity, lack of unique character skills, and absence of a New Game Plus feature, leading to a consensus that it offers limited replayability after initial playthroughs. Overall, while some find it enjoyable for multiple runs, many feel it lacks sufficient content to warrant repeated plays.

    • “This game has a lot of replay value. I have finished the game and both DLCs as Jacob, Ryan, and Carla.”
    • “Lots of side content, different builds to try, and different characters give this game a lot of replayability too.”
    • “The co-op multiplayer mode adds significant replay value, allowing players to team up and tackle the zombie apocalypse together.”
    • “Dead Island 2 is quite linear and offers little replay value.”
    • “There is no replayability because all characters play the same and don't have a unique skill tree, and why would you suffer doing all these boring to-do lists anyway?”
    • “However, I don't see this game having any replay value after a couple of playthroughs.”
  • character development10 mentions

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the surprising depth and recurring characters that enhance immersion, others criticize the overall lack of depth and uninspiring narratives. The attention to detail in character design is noted positively, but many feel that the character development is either minimal or poorly executed, leaving players wanting more.

    • “The first game had a more hands-on approach to crafting and a deeper sense of character development.”
    • “I don't remember the first game being much of a comedy, but the second game puts forward a basic plot and may surprise you with how often it has character development.”
    • “There's a surprising amount of character development, as it turns out.”
    • “I like that the characters are recurring so they're not as forgettable, and there is some character development, but overall the depth isn't really there.”
    • “The plot is uninspiring, the narrative lacks depth, and character development is basically nonexistent.”
    • “Story-wise, I haven't played the whole game but I don't understand what the game reviewers are talking about; it's boring, awful, and lazy. There is no character development and no real feelings for the game.”
  • emotional9 mentions

    Players have expressed mixed emotions regarding the game's narrative and character interactions, with some feeling emotionally detached due to a lack of depth in the story and annoying character quirks. While the visceral combat and gore evoke a sense of empowerment, the overall emotional impact is diminished by a perceived lack of meaningful storytelling and character development. The game's abrupt ending left some feeling unsatisfied, as if the emotional journey was cut short.

    • “The combat was pretty awesome, the story was great but really made me feel like they cut the game in half; it felt like the game was finally starting to get somewhere in the story and then credits rolled.”
    • “It honestly made me feel badass when I demolished a zombie and tore them into pieces.”
    • “The main story was kind of meh, but hey, it's Deep Silver and they honestly never really had a truly heartbreaking main story.”
    • “The story is incredibly boring and fails to engage emotionally, making it hard to care about the characters.”
    • “Most of the characters are annoying and lack depth, which detracts from any emotional connection to the game.”
    • “The overall experience feels flat and uninspired, leaving little room for emotional investment.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization of Dead Island 2 has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the game's genuine release rather than a cash grab, while others criticize its high price point and the presence of microtransactions. Many feel that the game's value does not align with its advertised price, suggesting that it is better suited for a lower price given its short length. Overall, while the game is enjoyable, concerns about monetization practices remain prevalent among players.

    • “Don't sleep on Dead Island 2; the game is amazing. It gets flak for structurally being like a PS3/360 game, but in my opinion, that's when games weren't tainted by monetization, and it's so much fun.”
    • “Don't get me wrong, the game is still really good, but I will never endorse these kinds of microtransactions in any game ever.”
    • “If you're looking for an actual review of the game and not 'epic games servers, one year delay durr' steam points cash grab #183, then you've scrolled to the right place.”
    • “I got this game's gold edition for 30 bucks a bit ago; that's a more fitting price point than the 79.99 they are advertising because this is a very short game.”
    • “I'd go as far as saying this game is basically just a cash grab.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

12hMedian play time
18hAverage play time
3-45hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 22 analyzed playthroughs

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