We’re less than two months away from Dambuster and Deep Silver’s brainchild, Dead Island 2, the sequel to 2011’s Dead Island and the third major installment in the franchise overall.
Set a few months (or thereabouts) after the events of Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide, the sequel deviates from the settings of its predecessors by taking place in Los Angeles, which has been quarantined due to a zombie outbreak. It would seem that Dambuster and Deep Silver have heard our prayers, as the studios have now unveiled a whole 15 minutes of gameplay to amp up the excitement for Dead Island 2.
Set in Bel Air, Los Angeles, the gameplay trailer showcases an array of weapons, each with their own unique, brutal fighting style and endless opportunities for upgrades. Starring in the video is Dani, a playable slayer who hails from the mosh pits of County Cork, Ireland. Dani’s unique slayer build – tenacious yet balanced – is well-suited to an agile style of combat.
In the clip, Dani encounters Standard zombies (Walkers, Shamblers, Runners), Variant zombies (grenadier walkers), and Apex zombies (hyper mutated zombies), each one with its own horrifying powers and behaviors. Players also get a glimpse at how tapping into Curveballs and combining a powerful set of Skill Cards — which enhance abilities and create unique player builds — assist Dani greatly in fending off the hordes. Check out the full gameplay trailer below.
Dani uses a variety of weaponry, including knives, golf clubs, chainsaws, handguns, and even homemade electrified Wolverine claws to hack and slash her way through endless waves of zombies. There’s also a segment where she filters through her “abilities skill slot,” where she can switch out the skill cards that impact health, attack force/range, boost morale among teammates and even weaken nearby zombies.
As promised by the developers themselves in their own words, “Dambuster Studios’ dismemberment tech – known as FLESH (Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids) – means that crushing bones, slicing zombies, and melting flesh has never felt nor looked so satisfying.” As Dani, an infected yet immune slayer, players will bare witness as she activates her corrupted DNA and triggers Fury Mode, an enhanced state of zombie-killing unique to each slayer and utilizes their individual skill-set.
It should be noted that some game weapons and skills featured in the gameplay trailer have been unlocked early to provide an exciting viewing experience and players can expect to unlock these later, when the full game releases.
Dead Island devotees will be able to get their hands on the coveted Dead Island 2 HELL-A Edition, which includes:
- Exclusive SteelBook® with game disc
- Expansion Pass
- Venice Beach Travel Map
- Six Slayer Tarot Cards
- Two Pin Badges
- One Patch
- Golden Weapons Pack
- Pulp Weapons Pack
- Character Packs 1 & 2
As Dambuster and Deep Silver have informed, players who pre-order any edition of Dead Island 2 will receive the “Memories Of Banoi Pack,” which will feature two unique weapons to celebrate the original Dead Island game — along with a special skill card. The pack also includes:
- Banoi War Club
- Memories of Banoi Baseball Bat
- Weapon Perk – Balanced
- Personal Space Skills Card
As if that weren’t exciting enough, Dambuster and Deep Silver have made a hand-painted resin collector’s figurine of Amy in the iconic Burger 66 diner available for purchase directly from the Dead Island 2 pre-order page.
Dead Island 2 will release April 21 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation®5 and PlayStation®4, PC via the Epic Games Store.