Summary
Dead Island 2brought the franchise back from the grave, as the long-awaited sequel’s notorious development made its release seem impossible. However, Dambuster Studios madeDead Island 2a pretty solid follow-up, despite the development hell. The gore-filled romp through a zombie-infested Los Angeles brought some great action into the spotlight, but there was just one glaring problem with the game. There was no actual island.
Instead,Dead Island 2chose a metaphorical island for its setting, allowing a quarantined Los Angeles to stretch the definition of what an island can be. Some players appreciated this difference, while others were disappointed in the absence of an actual island vibe. Because of this loose interpretation of what constitutes an island,the setting forDead Island 3is filled with possibilities. While this could present exciting new avenues for the franchise to explore, it also runs the risk of losing sight of what made the series so special in the first place.
Potentially Stepping Away From the Island Setting
Now thatDead Island 2is well over a year old, there has been speculation that the announcement of a third game is on the horizon. Thanks toDead Island 2’s recent Steam launch successand Dambuster Studios proving that the franchise could be salvaged, the future of the series feels a lot more hopeful than it did a few years ago. However, one of the biggest questions about a third game is what the setting will be.
If Los Angeles can qualify as an island, then almost any setting can. TheDead Islandfranchise could easily turn any environment or community into an “island” simply by claiming any community in isolation meets the titular criteria. ShowcasingLos Angeles inDead Island 2gave the game a chance to have fun with the formula, leaving the series room to branch out into unknown territory. From the city of Berlin to a town in rural Montana,Dead Island 3could turn any part of the world into an island.
However, this could also presentDead Islandwith a huge identity crisis.IfDead Island 3doesn’t live up to its name, then is it even aDead Islandgame at that point? There are plenty of other games in the zombie genre that do a great job of showcasing other types of communities ravaged by a mind-altering plague.The Last of Uscovers the horrors of a ravaged America, whileDying Lightfeatures the fictional Middle Eastern city of Harran, soDead Islandshowcasing non-island areas may feel unnecessary.
What made the firstDead Islandso unique is that there weren’t really any zombie-focused stories taking place on an island resort. The entire premise ofDead Islandfrom the beginning was emphasizing how important the actual setting was to the overall tone of the story. It’s a compelling concept thatDead Island 2unfortunately seemed to drop the ball on. The sequel’s combat and gory visuals were the shining point in the game, but the absence of an actual island can really be felt.Dead Island 2could have offered something to the zombie genrethat no other game has, so it’s strange that the sequel chose to feature one of the world’s most commonly used cities.
Now that the sequel has received two post-launch DLCs,the future ofDead Islandis up in the air. A third mainline game feels quite likely at this point, and there will hopefully be a return to form with its setting. If theDead Islandfranchise wants to keep its identity intact, it can’t risk straying too far away from the setting that made it stand out at the beginning.
Dead Island 2
WHERE TO PLAY
The open-world zombie slaying action RPG makes its long-awaited return. Dead Island is back, and with it comes a host of enhancements to its winning combination of creative first-person zombie slaying, pitch-black humor and open-world exploration. Welcome to HELL-A. The City of Angels has been transformed into a hellish sprawl, its populace now mutated into disgusting zombies with an insatiable appetite for humans. In this extensive, visceral RPG experience you’ll journey to iconic LA locations, taking on quests, meeting eccentric survivors and enjoying a joyously pulpy narrative along the way. The game’s brutal melee combat gives you access to an expansive array of inventive zombie-slaying weaponry that lets you slice, smash and tear through the hordes before they get the chance to do the same to you. Can you survive HELL-A?
