I got Dead Island 2 from Gamefly. I’ve played the original but only for a few hours and I’ve never touch Riptide. However, I was interested since this game took over a decade to finish. I’ve played, maybe, two hours or so, and…it’s alright. The combat is really basic. It feels like something that was developed in the seventh generation of consoles. It’s easy to get tired of it really quickly. Dropkicking a zombie is fun the first 10 times or so but then it gets tiresome.
The upgrades you can get don’t feel that impactful and do little to change up the mechanics. Dodging and parrying doesn’t feel good either. The weapon crafting is at least a bit interesting but games like Dead Rising have done this in a much more interesting way. Still, finding materials is rewarding as it’ll allow you to upgrade your weapons with notable and useful upgrades.
The story is also indicative of a game from ten years ago, with thinly written characters, stereotypical motivations, beat by beat zombie story points, and an uninteresting, uncompelling plot. I guess it’s not terrible, but man, we’ve been here so many times. Many of the missions feel like busy work and lack a motivating incentive.
The graphics are a mixed bag. The zombies look terrifically gruesome and the way they fall apart and splatter into pieces. However, the faces of the humans are…off. They don’t look terrible but they got a bad case of the dead eyes. The graphical design isn’t anything special either. The game does look pretty good, with its bright colors and Hollywood aesthetic, but it’s unmemorable.
So far, that’s been this game in a nutshell. I’m going to continue playing it for awhile, as it’s not terrible, but it’s kinda boring. Which might be worse. Disappointing for a game in development for so long.
Hey Colorwind! 