It’s been approaching a decade since the reveal of Dead Island 2, the highly sequel to the 2011 zombie survival game Dead Island. Since its announcement, the game has undergone multiple changes in development, with different studios taking over the project. The first iteration of Dead Island 2 was being developed by Spec Ops: The Line developer Yager, but Techland, the developer behind the original Dead Island, had parted ways with the franchise and was working on Dying Light. In 2016, publisher Deep Silver transferred the reins over to LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital, but then in 2019, Deep Silver made known that Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster Studios would be assuming control over the project. Dambuster Studios has been working on Dead Island 2 since 2018, starting with a clean.
Despite the changes and the possibility to create a new setting, Dambuster Studios has decided to stick with the original location: Los Angeles, California. In-game and at the studio, this location is referred to as «Hell-A». Game director David Stenton mentioned that there was never much debate about setting the game in a different, as LA offered such an incredible opportunity for the game they wanted to make. Stenton also mentioned that the team is not looking too much at the past or other games, but rather focusing on how to make Dead Island 2 «absolutely phenomenal» and bring it up to date for fans to enjoy.
It’s worth noting that while the team may have a strong belief in LA as the perfect for Dead Island 2, it’s also likely that they chose to stick with the location that fans have been expecting the sequel for close to a decade. The original logo for the game, unveiled in 2014, featured the Golden Gate Bridge, an iconic landmark of San Francisco. However, Dambuster Studios has confirmed that Dead Island 2 will take place only in LA and will not include any other California locations in the main campaign.
Despite the prolonged development process and the changes in development studios, Dead Island 2 is finally release in April of this year. The game promises to bring a new approach on the zombie survival genre, with a focus on combat and the iconic setting of LA.
Review:
As a devoted fan of the initial Dead Island, I’m thrilled to see what Dambuster Studios brings to the table with Dead Island 2. While it’s been a long for the sequel, it’s reassuring to see the team starting with a clean slate and focusing on delivering a game that they believe will be «absolutely phenomenal». I’m interested to see how the development team utilizes the setting of LA and if they are able to bring something new to the zombie survival genre. I’m also praying that the game will offer a fulfilling continuation of the story from the first Dead Island, although I’m not holding my breath on that front. Overall, I’m cautiously optimistic about Dead Island 2 and am eager to diving into the game when it releases in April.
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