Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 is surprisingly good and it’s a vast improvement over the original game. Much of the open-world aspirations have been chucked aside and you’re limited to a group of ten or so tightly designed regions. The primary focus here is mastering melee combat and building a tableaux of effective weapons. I really enjoyed the gory combat. Also, there are just enough secrets and collectables quests to push players towards exploration without it becoming a chore.

The story is kind of basic and amounts to the obvious, “how can we get ourselves out of here” plot, but it’s told through interactions with an assortment of goofy, narcissistic characters that have managed to survive the outbreak. Despite the grim backdrop, it’s filled with humor and a touch of satire. It’s least interesting bits are the sci-fi puppet-masters plot line that is there to set the stage for any future sequels.

My only big complaint is that player deaths tend to come out of nowhere just as you’ve almost made a big boss kill. Then they require you go back and fight the encounter again but your inventory and heath kits are not restored. It’s that same Bioshock style respawn that I didn’t like in Dead Island part one. It feels simultaneously unfair but also too eager to soften the consequences of failure.