When it works, it is fun, at least at first-a kind of controlled chaos that makes you feel smart even though your opponents literally don't have functional brains. It's a really striking technical achievement-though convincing enough that it's very possible it'll make you genuinely queasy.Īll together it does make for a decently layered combat system, even if none of the individual elements are necessarily that original.

Zombies come apart in frighteningly convincing layers of skin, fat, muscle, and bone when slain, they can be chopped in half at any angle through the body and you can even expose their jiggling brains in their skulls with a blow to the head. Certainly not a new idea-it goes right back to the original game-but credit does have to be given for easily the most impressive and gruesome gore system I've ever seen. An agile Runner is much less zippy without legs a hulking Crusher's attacks are more limited with its arms disabled. Add craftable elemental weapons into the mix, and it's pleasingly easy to get things burning, electrified, or dissolving in acid.įurther grimy texture comes with the ability to chop off zombie limbs. The zombies are dumb enough to simply shamble into whatever mess you create, and recharging throwable bait makes it even easier to direct them around. When fires get out of control, you can douse them with water-and then electrify that water to stun anyone who walks into it. Jerry cans of oil are littered liberally around, ready to be used as explosives or fuel for flaming traps, and you can even create a flammable trail for more elaborate schemes.

Slow, predictable, and fair game to maim and torture with a clean conscience, zombies are a foe to be played with, and the game leans into that with a combat system full of toys.

The vision seems to be that Dead Island 2's focus is the pure fun of its zombie battles. It's pleasingly easy to get things burning, electrified, or dissolving in acid.

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