by theygamesDead Island 2 was revealed today at last with both a new cinematic and gameplay trailer, as well as a release date: February 3, 2023. The long-awaited sequel to the 2011 original looks to be trying to recapture that irreverent vibe the series became known for.
The cinematic trailer follows a Lenny Kravits lookalike (one of the six new playable characters in the game) as he goes shopping at the grocery store in the hills of Los Angeles. Oh, and there are zombies. The trailer strikes a nice balance between humor and gore-filled action. A number of cute visual gags are interlaced between satisfying and visceral zombie slaying. However nice cinematic trailers may be, they are often not indicative of how the game will play.
And at times they’re not even being remotely similar to the final product. So it’s a good thing we’ve also been given a gameplay trailer for Dead Island 2. In it, we are treated to shots of the zombie-infested streets of LA that serve as the open-world setting of the game.
Dead Island 2 isn’t on an island this time
Players will no doubt enjoy roaming around this post-apocalyptic landscape which seems to be populated by a cast of colorful characters. The LA backdrop does seem to serve Dead Island 2 better than its predecessors’ remote island locale. Even if it does completely nullify the game’s title. Since, you know, Los Angeles isn’t an island (unless there’s a surprise twist Escape from LA tie-in).
But I digress. Characters. We’ve got lots of ‘em in this trailer, and they seem like a “quirky” lot. I’m sure none of them would feel out of place in a Borderlands game. From drug dealers, to debutantes, to Hollywood execs, it seems like Dead Island 2 will offer a wide variety of encounters in its open-world sandbox.
And of course, the gameplay. The sequel picks up the first-person zombie slaying the original was puttin’ down and seems to do so with gusto. Including guns, hammers, fire axes, and even the ol’ “gun show,” you’re not at a loss when it comes to slaying zombies. There is an emphasis on melee in Dead Island 2, which is a novel way to separate it from its myriad competitors in the zombie space that tend to rely on guns overall.
It’s also been revealed that the game will support three-player co-op. The game touts itself as a “zombie RPG,” which should mean grouping with friends on a high-level quest could earn you a lot of loot.
February 2023 is shaping to be quite a month for gaming, with more and more games either being announced to release dead of Valentine’s season — or being pushed back to it. It’ll be interesting to see how Dead Island 2 fairs with its February 3, 2023 release date on Stadia and the Epic Games Store.
