Gamescom: Eight years after its announcement, we played Dead Island 2

Gamescom is a wonderful event. The first physical show since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. What a joy to be able to meet again and celebrate this passion for video games. It’s also a place of miracles where amazing things happen, like games coming back from the dead. It’s pretty funny for a zombie... Read More

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Announced during E3 2014 and expected for 2015 on PS4, Xbox One and PC, development of the game came to an abrupt halt during the summer of 2015 following a breach of contract between Deep Silver and its partner Yager Development, the developers of Dead Island 2. In March 2016, another studio took over before being once again interrupted to change studios a third time.

As of March 2019, Dambuster Studios is in charge of the title which we have not heard from for almost five years. While everyone thought that Dead Island 2 would never return… He emerges from his grave like the living dead to finish the Opening Night Live of Gamescom 2022 in style.

Better still, the latter makes the trip to Cologne and offers a playable version allowing the press around the world to realize that no, Dead Island 2 is not dead, it is even on the right track. , ready to land at the beginning of 2023.

Discover now our first opinion on this title that we expected more.

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Dead Island 2 returns from the dead

It’s a double surprise that Dead Island 2 offers us in the aisles of Gamescom. The first is about his big comeback by making sure he’s not dead. The second is to be able to put our hands on it to discover a twenty-minute sequence on the Santa Monica Pier in LA Because yes, this Dead Island 2 will have the city of Los Angeles as its playground. The latter will not be accessible in the open world, but we will have access to many areas which will be open access.

The objective of the mission was therefore to explore the Santa Monica pier in search of a medical kit with vials of blood. Here we are on the famous Californian beach, plunged into the darkness of the night, towards the mythical pontoon. The game is playable solo or cooperatively with up to three players.

Graphically, the title looks very decent. Alas, it is quite difficult to judge since the mission takes place at night and therefore, we have fewer details to analyze. But from what little we’ve seen of it, the title looks pretty good.

In any case, at the level of the fidelity of the environments, we have nothing to reproach the teams of Dambuster Studios. The Santa Monica wharf is reproduced in the smallest subtleties. Whether it is the buildings, the shops, the rides, the attention to detail is present.

On the beach we meet our first zombies, the perfect opportunity to strike our first katana, the weapon with which we begin the mission. As in many survival games, your gear will have a lifespan and will be susceptible to breakage. In terms of blows, you have simple and quick attacks, as well as powerful attacks that require you to keep pressing the key in question. This consumes stamina and will require good timing since the move takes longer to complete. Moreover, when you make a powerful attack, it is possible to make critical hits. Indeed, while you “charge” your shot, a viewfinder appears on the screen. If you position it well and aim at the right spot, you can kill the enemy in one shot.

You also have two more options in your arsenal. Unlimited Molotov cocktails and blood bags that you can throw. You will simply have to wait a few seconds for your ability to recharge to relaunch other items. Bloodbags are useful for keeping zombies busy drinking the blood on the ground, while Molotov Cocktails will be great for toasting a few zombies.

By dint of chaining the enemies, you will fill your “Fury” gauge to trigger the “Fury Mode”. This is a rage mode, where for a few seconds you take less damage and deal a lot more.

The mission asks us to advance little by little on Santa Monica. First, we visit an old arcade store, then the carnival, and the end of the wharf. In the different areas, we have many collectibles to pick up to improve our weapons, accumulate money or heal ourselves. We face many zombies and at times waves of enemies that we must destroy to continue on our way.

Zombies are quite varied. We have the classics, which are not very valiant, easy to kill. Those who are a little more dynamic, who run and dodge our attacks. But also putrefied zombies that will explode, others that spit toxic substances, others that can electrocute us and finally, the brutes, bigger, more robust zombies that hurt more.

Some passages are quite scary. Like the end of the mission to reach the end of the pier where we are in the dark, with mist, we hear noise, we don’t know where it can come from, it’s quite interesting and the sensations are relatively good.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do the boss fight with the clown-zombie, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to get our feedback on this point.

Our first opinion on Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 comes back from far, far away. And yet, this first less take pleasantly surprises us. The game seems beautiful, complete, the city of Los Angeles seems very faithfully reproduced and the gameplay relatively fun. Of course, a grip of only 20 minutes will not be enough to convince us. On the other hand, we expected the worst, it is clear that the result is promising. See you on February 3, 2023 to confirm this impression!

preorder dead island 2