Dead Island 2

 PC
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 312 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 166 out of 312
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 312
  3. Negative: 80 out of 312

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. metacriticLOL
    Apr 24, 2023
    1
    Believe the negative reviews, this one is hot dog poo. Imagine taking 10+ years to make this trash, yikes.
  2. Vanny2003
    Apr 24, 2023
    0
    Juego muy divertido,graficamente genial y muy bien optimizado es muy divertido matar zombies y las armas se sienten genial. no e¿tiene la mejor historia pero no creo que sea tan mala me gusto mucho el juego.
  3. SephirothS1C
    Apr 24, 2023
    8
    Dead Island 2 does nothing to reinvent the wheel, and doesn't particularly shine in anything it does. All it can offer is some mindless fun, and sometimes that is perfectly okay. Sometimes we don't have the mental energy to play games like Elden Ring or God of War, but this offers simple fun for a short period. My recommendation if you are on the fence is to pick it up when it goes on sale.
  4. ImNot_Yuma
    Apr 24, 2023
    10
    I recently played Dead Island 2 and I had a blast with the game. As a fan of zombie games, I was excited to see the game set in California, which is one of my favourite places. The game manages to create a similar feeling to the original Dead Island, but with a more comic-horror twist.

    One of the best things about Dead Island 2 is the level system, which is quite cool. You feel like    I recently played Dead Island 2 and I had a blast with the game. As a fan of zombie games, I was excited to see the game set in California, which is one of my favourite places. The game manages to create a similar feeling to the original Dead Island, but with a more comic-horror twist.

    One of the best things about Dead Island 2 is the level system, which is quite cool. You feel like you're making progress as you level up, and it adds an extra layer of satisfaction to the game. Another great feature is the Fury ability, where you're able to go into fury mode and become a zombie for a while. This was a really fun aspect of the game and added an extra dimension to the gameplay.

    I found Dead Island 2 to be very fresh and polished, and I didn't encounter any bugs that ruined the gameplay or made it unfun. The game is incredibly realistic, especially with the gore system, which is one of the best I've seen in a video game. The dismemberment of zombies is wild and satisfying to see.

    I loved that I could switch out my skill cards and change up the game a bit, and the abilities like Dodge were really fun to use. The challenging missions were also enjoyable, and I had a great time playing through them.

    Overall, I think Dead Island 2 is a cool game that offers a lot of entertainment. Dambuster Studio has proven that they are good at making zombie games, and I appreciate the effort put into the game's details. I would definitely recommend this game to any fans of zombie games looking for a fun and challenging experience.    … Expand
  5. RaGeQuIT112
    Apr 24, 2023
    8
    It`s a miracle this game is even out, after the development hell it went through, but rather than going in the direction that Duke Nukem Forever went, this game doesn`t suck. I didn`t have high expectations, but I`ve had a good time playing it and I appreciate it`s simplicity. You have a weapon and some nasty zombies, have fun! The zombies are fun to kill thanks to the well made goreIt`s a miracle this game is even out, after the development hell it went through, but rather than going in the direction that Duke Nukem Forever went, this game doesn`t suck. I didn`t have high expectations, but I`ve had a good time playing it and I appreciate it`s simplicity. You have a weapon and some nasty zombies, have fun! The zombies are fun to kill thanks to the well made gore system the game has. I also really liked the fact that the game didn`t have game-breaking glitches like many video games these days have.… Expand
  6. darkshifty
    Apr 24, 2023
    0
    Dead Island 2 fails to deliver a satisfying experience for fans of the original game. The game is too linear and predictable, lacking the freedom and exploration that made Dead Island 1 so engaging. The story is weak and forgettable, with bland characters and clichéd scenarios. The game is also too short, leaving little room for replay value or challenge. Dead Island 2 is a disappointingDead Island 2 fails to deliver a satisfying experience for fans of the original game. The game is too linear and predictable, lacking the freedom and exploration that made Dead Island 1 so engaging. The story is weak and forgettable, with bland characters and clichéd scenarios. The game is also too short, leaving little room for replay value or challenge. Dead Island 2 is a disappointing sequel that misses the core of what made Dead Island 1 fun and immersive.… Expand
  7. Martin998
    Apr 24, 2023
    8
    10 hours in and I am impressed. The combat is addicting and the graphics blew me away! The story so far is fine but can be better.
  8. ChiIIaoi
    Apr 24, 2023
    3
    Review só pra lembrar a nota que eu dei pro jogo:
    Jogo mt ruim, agora só escrever pra passar dos 75 caracteres.
  9. MrCoffeeFart
    Apr 24, 2023
    9
    Dead Island 2 does nothing to reinvent the wheel. BUT.... that wheel has been finely polished and spins like a champ. This is a zombie hack and slash video game that doesn't take it's story to seriously and neither should you. Reviews from the critics seem like they are hating on the game for the sole reason that they themselves, may be from Hell-A (LA) where the game draws manyDead Island 2 does nothing to reinvent the wheel. BUT.... that wheel has been finely polished and spins like a champ. This is a zombie hack and slash video game that doesn't take it's story to seriously and neither should you. Reviews from the critics seem like they are hating on the game for the sole reason that they themselves, may be from Hell-A (LA) where the game draws many stereotypes for its characters. The one thing I believe the game does very well at the beginning is to slowly introduce more mechanics instead of throwing everything at you all at once which keeps you entertained for longer. Personally, I have mainly co-oped the game (progress saved for both parties) but single player is doable.

    Pros: Weapon mechanics, crafting system, resources are plentiful yet restricted (different areas for different things), items are where you would expect them to be, whoever initiates quest is the main voice of a cutscene (this is a personal preference), awesome counter attacks for stunned zombies, GORE SYSTEM IS AMAZING, enough ammo for guns but not enough to make it all you use, very detailed locations and environmental story telling, smooth 60 fps, crisp graphics, story is entertaining enough, special zombies hold keys, and countless other minor things.

    Cons: Co-op kicks randomly at times, to many caustic ( electric, fire, and acid) hazards in the world at times, weapons can cause caustic damage to you when zombies catch, shotguns a little to weak or should maim more, not 100% open world (which may have lead to better location designs), characters are good but no strong attachments are built for most characters (one mission and done), Special zombies have the same attacks over and over which just make them tedious, zombies now crawl out of vents or storm drains which can take away from immersion.

    To end this, I believe personally too many people have come into video games demanding excellence and not just slowing themselves down while putting the real world behind them and JUST HAVE FUN. Thls game has been through development hell but I don't care about that. I care about finished products. You know what to expect if you like videogames like these. You can watch the trailers and see whether it is something you would like or not. If you bought it knowing you may not like it, you may want to critique yourself and make some changes. You know what you are getting with Dead Island 2 and the developers haven't lead people to believe it would be anything else.

    8.4 out of 10. Rounded up is a 9 (Played on Series X)    … Expand
  10. JackPlack
    Apr 24, 2023
    8
    Great graphics/optimization, very good gore effects. Good style/story bot its nothing special. Little badly organized sandbox features. It could be better. I hate when i'm level up, and once again need to upgrade weapon. Also i hate when electrical zombies are 100% immune to electric weapons (i dont think electricity i cutting limbs with electric sword).

    +1 point for Unreal Engine    Great graphics/optimization, very good gore effects. Good style/story bot its nothing special. Little badly organized sandbox features. It could be better. I hate when i'm level up, and once again need to upgrade weapon. Also i hate when electrical zombies are 100% immune to electric weapons (i dont think electricity i cutting limbs with electric sword).

    +1 point for Unreal Engine implementation and at least RT Off. Even FSR isnt needed with graphic better than CP77/Dying Light 2. There are small maps but still its better way. Dynamic lightning without good static is today is dumb.

    Please Nvidia make good static lightning cache solutions not blurry AI, denoising, unaccurate pathtracing with single bounce. Old way prerendered raytracing at objects is still more attractive, than your overhyped feature: RT On. There is no game with RTX 2070S which is better than old way with all implemented potential.    … Expand
  11. NotMikelol
    Apr 24, 2023
    7
    The game is fun there is really not much to it, if you're expecting something more than just killing zombies and running around, it is not your game
  12. JasonMassaker
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    The best dismemberment systems I have seen so far, the Story is a bit short, but it's a good game.
  13. ryudoshi
    Apr 23, 2023
    0
    I wanted to like this game, but it's just so mindless and empty and incredibly short.

    It's not worth your time. They had over a decade and this is what they came up with. just lol.
  14. Sushin
    Apr 23, 2023
    5
    This is the most aggressively average game I have ever played. I was never too bored but I was also never too interested. If you have played other games from this genre, there is nothing new to see here. I only recommend this as a coop game to play with a friend.

    PROS: The setting is unique and well done. The environmental damage system is actually very cool. It doesn't overstay its    This is the most aggressively average game I have ever played. I was never too bored but I was also never too interested. If you have played other games from this genre, there is nothing new to see here. I only recommend this as a coop game to play with a friend.

    PROS:
    The setting is unique and well done.
    The environmental damage system is actually very cool.
    It doesn't overstay its welcome with a ton of worthless sidequests and collectables

    CONS:
    Get ready to scan every room for literal garbage as loot.
    Weapon progression is completely meaningless.
    The combat gets formulaic pretty fast    … Expand
  15. abowman
    Apr 23, 2023
    6
    This game is average is just about every way. Just like the first game, there really is no progression system. Every scales to your level, including the items that you pickup. Item's have no uniqueness and are replaced quickly. Side quests are only really worth doing for the curveball unlocks, and maybe for a cheap laugh.

    Something to do while we want for some other games to release,    This game is average is just about every way. Just like the first game, there really is no progression system. Every scales to your level, including the items that you pickup. Item's have no uniqueness and are replaced quickly. Side quests are only really worth doing for the curveball unlocks, and maybe for a cheap laugh.

    Something to do while we want for some other games to release, but probably not worth the 60 dollar price tag. The gore mechanics are solid, just about everything else is subpar by todays standards.    … Expand
  16. Vyzen
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    the game is a lot of fun. especially with other people in co-op mode. the damage model of the zombies is unique and i have never seen it in any game. just awesome.
  17. XHAcoreRDx
    Apr 23, 2023
    8
    Pros:
    *Graphics look great
    *Gore and dismemberment not only look amazing, but impact game play *RPG elements of game are engaging and fun *Story and world lore is interesting *High replayability Cons: *Quests are fairly repetitive: go here, find/do X and return to base *Lack of enemy variety. Yes, there are fair amount of Apex enemies, but there's less when you realize that most of the    Pros:
    *Graphics look great
    *Gore and dismemberment not only look amazing, but impact game play
    *RPG elements of game are engaging and fun
    *Story and world lore is interesting
    *High replayability Cons:
    *Quests are fairly repetitive: go here, find/do X and return to base
    *Lack of enemy variety. Yes, there are fair amount of Apex enemies, but there's less when you realize that most of the list are justelemental versions of an existing one
    *Coop is slow paced, considering everyone has to huddle up for quest cutscenes. Feels like you can't go too far from your partner otherwise you hold up the game and the host will be more than eager to boot you or close the lobby    … Expand
  18. Andreo217
    Apr 23, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game is a very good homage to old school Horror movies lovers.

    The fighting mechanics are good, animations are intense and gory and combos are always enjoyable to make. You can choose from a different range of characters, its NOT fully open world. As it has loading screens to travel through LA.

    With that said this doesn’t mean the game is bad. The (small) open(kinda) world bit is still very enjoyable as the loading screens are in huge military control points that were used when the city went into lockdown, so its not bad. Dying Light fans(like myself!) will struggle with this game a little as there is no way to run away from the big variety of zombies. You will have to think fast and plan traps with fire, acid and water. The last one will have to be used with a weapon with electrical perks. The puzzles are not complex at all and are made to be simple. Take here, put there, follow this person, BOSS. Pretty simple. The level system is pretty straightforward. There is no Skill Tree, the perks are assigned by level and then they can be chosen to be played in slots or not, its up to the player

    All and all, the game is a 9 out of 10. It can be considered Open world, Arcade and linear at the same time.    … Expand
  19. Thourd
    Apr 23, 2023
    0
    I don't recommend it. Balance and gameplay design problems, levels are boring, often go where you have already been. You have to pick each zombie for 2-3 minutes, finishing does not finish the enemies. Network redemption works normally only at 60 fps (why make 140 and more then, it's not clear...). Not worth its money at all. This is more of a beta test game than a game.
  20. HereticZJ
    Apr 23, 2023
    1
    Grindwall garbage. It's a **** action, I want to kill a bunch of zombies, not hit a normal zombie 20 times and see a CRITICAL DAMAGE that deals 5% damage to an common zombie.
    Network sync depends on your FPS(playable only on 60fps lock). 60 fps in 2023 on PC. WTF?

    Awesome music. Good graphics. Cool looking GORE system. And all this killed by Ubisoft style grindwall gamesign and poor polishing.
  21. Dastashka
    Apr 23, 2023
    0
    For those who likes grindwell instead of Zombie killing. We basically can't play in coop on more then 60 fps, because if we change it to anything more then 60fps we got a desink and tickrate issues and that's all for full price, game dev became a garbage
  22. ThatOnePlayer
    Apr 23, 2023
    4
    I just don't understand how a game where the only thing to do is to kill zombies can be fun more than an hour. Not to mention how that it is hardly ethical
  23. RagondinMan
    Apr 23, 2023
    2
    This game is shameful to cost 60€ and to be part of the dead island series
    Playing the first ones alone was funnier than playing this one with a friend.
    The main story is contained in 24 missions which equals to roughly 12hours (according to my playtime, we looted every place we could fine when entering new zones). The constant harassing of chests openable with keys that you cannot get    This game is shameful to cost 60€ and to be part of the dead island series
    Playing the first ones alone was funnier than playing this one with a friend.
    The main story is contained in 24 missions which equals to roughly 12hours (according to my playtime, we looted every place we could fine when entering new zones).
    The constant harassing of chests openable with keys that you cannot get right away by searching the surroundings is a completely uninteresting idea, you have to come back to EVERY place and look everywhere to see a named zombie (exactly the same as the normal one) just to get a key/pass (there is 146 of them). There is only 9 MOBS, 9!!! 2 at the begining and everytime you kill a boss (even though there is no challenge when fighting them), it becomes a common mob you see occasionaly. The difficulty system is non existant, I died more times while getting team killed by my coop member than by zombies.
    Equipement is underwhelming, at first glance, you think there is a lot of weapon. But actualy there is like 50 different weapons ( swords, knifes, pistols, uzi etc... ) and then all of them are re skins.
    The item rarity is really bad. At the beginning you are thrilled to get a green weapon, but as soon as you get one, you almost get exclusively green or better items and so on. The fact that you can equalize you weapons level means that after you get a single item you like in purple rarity you don't need any other.
    The sound is horrible, the spacialization of the sound is the worst I have ever seen in a modern video game.
    Now, for the final boss. 30 sec top chrono, the cinematic before it was longer than the fight it was just deceiving.    … Expand
  24. THURL
    Apr 23, 2023
    2
    The game is really bad : they mix horror and beat them all making it bad in the 2 genres. The looting system is really poor, every weapon is the same and rarity is basically just the weapon level, making it useless. Story is okay, graphics are okay but not worth the price. 9 differents zombies, every boss is just a normal monster afterwards making it just repetitive. You die more fromThe game is really bad : they mix horror and beat them all making it bad in the 2 genres. The looting system is really poor, every weapon is the same and rarity is basically just the weapon level, making it useless. Story is okay, graphics are okay but not worth the price. 9 differents zombies, every boss is just a normal monster afterwards making it just repetitive. You die more from flame or electricity than zombies. And the key holders, well since the looting system is bad you just dont want to farm them, and since ii is about 3/4 of the game time, the game is only 15 hours in the end.… Expand
  25. joaoceleguini
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    I Love it! in first look when i saw the gameplay i tought "is a boring game", but is not! Its very playful and challenging. The bad point is the many bugs!
  26. linneaflawless
    Apr 23, 2023
    10
    I was a bit skeptical about dead island 2 at first however, I am completely baffled and amazed at how great this game is. Though the game is designed to be linear and in districts, every district feels enormous and I always find myself doubling back to places I forgot had initially existed. The interiors and exteriors of buildings are so intricately detailed and designed. The environmentI was a bit skeptical about dead island 2 at first however, I am completely baffled and amazed at how great this game is. Though the game is designed to be linear and in districts, every district feels enormous and I always find myself doubling back to places I forgot had initially existed. The interiors and exteriors of buildings are so intricately detailed and designed. The environment is top notch. Almost every surface will react with effects from enemies and weapons such as fire, electrify, and water. The story is pretty light hearted and a bit goofy, but still entertaining. It's not a masterpiece, but it's exactly what it sets out to be.… Expand
  27. DrDoko
    Apr 22, 2023
    7
    DI2 has good potential, but far too many unfortunate faults plagued my playthrough.

    There's a bit of fun in the guns, weapon variety and environmental chaos that can ensue, especially with friends. The few skills you can mix and match to find something appealing to you individually is nice, but it lacks any real depth in the form of skill trees and or perks to really effect how you deal    DI2 has good potential, but far too many unfortunate faults plagued my playthrough.

    There's a bit of fun in the guns, weapon variety and environmental chaos that can ensue, especially with friends. The few skills you can mix and match to find something appealing to you individually is nice, but it lacks any real depth in the form of skill trees and or perks to really effect how you deal damage to the undead, or assist your co-op partners. Would be nice to see more co-op perks, passives like increased damage with blades or guns, anything, just to give me a solid way to play with the weapons I like.

    The level design is refreshing and fun, there's a lot of environmental things to experiment with. In the first few hours, the scenery and time of day change multiple times with fast-paced music beatdowns, interesting boss arenas here and there, and good environmental storytelling throughout. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't having fun with the first two major boss fights.

    The story is fine, but after about the 3-4 hour mark, it (and the combat) can quickly loose it's luster. Animation-locked combat animations will still allow other enemies to damage you while you're stuck doing a "glory" kill move from the trailers. A fitting game to admire the impressive gore system, but little else makes it stand out in the horde of similar zombie titles.

    There's no run and hide mechanic, or stealth takedowns, such mechanics obviously aren't required in every zombie game, but it could provide some variety to handling the many encounters that start to feel rather repetitive late-game.

    Environmental traversal is lacking and one can never truly clear a map 'stage' area due to zombies constantly spawning in somewhere on the map, which can make backtracking to find gear or collectables a chore in the fairly-limited, linear stages.

    There is a leveling system, but the enemies scale with individual level (solo) so no matter where one goes, the same leveled combat constantly follows. Earlier stages, expected to be easily cleared again due to having higher powered weapons from later on in the game, remain stagnant in difficulty, with no slider in the game settings, for more challenging or easier encounters.

    If you can stomach the frustratingly fun combat and mild story of Dead Island 2, give it a try,    … Expand
  28. ankancr
    Apr 22, 2023
    10
    Played the game on PS5 and PC and must say that i am impressed. Not much bugs and a really fun time!
  29. R3ACT3M
    Apr 22, 2023
    9
    This is one of those games I didn't expect to love as much as I do. 16hours of play time so far and im half way through the main story and barely scratched the surface of the many side quests available.

    The combat doesn't appear fun in videos, but believe me it is very enjoyable once you get your hands on it. The linear nature of this game really worked in it's favor as the environments    This is one of those games I didn't expect to love as much as I do. 16hours of play time so far and im half way through the main story and barely scratched the surface of the many side quests available.

    The combat doesn't appear fun in videos, but believe me it is very enjoyable once you get your hands on it. The linear nature of this game really worked in it's favor as the environments are really high quality. Well worth the 60$ hands down.    … Expand
  30. NicolasREV
    Apr 22, 2023
    0
    Mediocre game at best, the Flesh system is cool and all but this is basically it, nothing else.
    Also, the epic games exclusivity killed it for me.
Page:

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Most Discussed PC Game of 2023
2
#2 Most Shared PC Game of 2023

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Movies Games and Tech
    May 1, 2023
    70
    A sleek and good-looking zombie smashing experience. Great combat and sense of humour are shackled to a sadly formulaic feel.
    Read full review
  2. Hooked Gamers
    Apr 28, 2023
    70
    Dead Island 2 is a remarkably solid game, one that doesn't make any attempt to reinvent the wheel, but nevertheless is a more than satisfying mindless casual zombie-killing gorefest. It won't be a game held up in years to come as the go-to model for open-world zombie games but given its decade-long tenure in development hell, it's nothing short of a miracle it ever managed to crawl across the finish line as anything less than a complete mess.
    Read full review
  3. MGG
    Apr 27, 2023
    80
    All in all, Dead Island 2 is an excellent surprise and a must-have for all the fans of the genre, that seems to us undeniable. And if, despite its rather minor problems, Dead Island 2 can lose credibility at first sight, there is no doubt that its important strong points will make you forget these small details as you progress in the game. The work done in many respects is colossal, and you feel it throughout the progression. A very good game that we highly recommend!
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »