Summary
- Dead Island 2 is set in Los Angeles after a zombie outbreak, offering a gory adventure for gamers to enjoy.
- The game features Cosplay options for character customization, but they are somewhat limited, hinting at room for improvement.
- Dead Island 3 can enhance customization by offering a wider range of outfits, colors, and rewards, providing more variety for players.
One feature of Dead Island 2 could be made into something far more significant if it gets included in the sequel. For the most part, Dead Island 2 built off of its predecessor in terms of being a fun zombie-slaying romp. The game saw some significant differences from the first, notably including a shuffling of how the player gained skills in the game. However, there is another feature that could easily slip the mind of many players despite how much potential it has. By embracing it in time for Dead Island 3, the series could open yet another door.
In an ironic move considering Dead Island 2's title, the game takes place in Los Angeles after a zombie outbreak reaches the city. After an evacuation plane goes down, the player takes control of one of the flight's survivors and goes on a quest to find another way to escape. The adventure spans across several areas of L.A., all of which have become danger zones full of zombies. The Slayers have to use both their weapons and the environment to survive all kinds of zombies as they roam the streets. Overall, the game is a gory, enjoyable adventure that's worth the time spent.
Dead Island 3 Should Live Up to Its Name, But in a Completely New Way
The setting for the next Dead Island will hopefully feature a literal island, but a drastic change of scenery could prove to be fun.
Dead Island 3 Can Go Far Beyond the Second Game's Slayer Customization
Cosplay Gives Players Cosmetic Choices in Dead Island 2
One new feature that's available to the Slayers in Dead Island 2 is Cosplay. Cosplay provides the Slayers with a set of different outfits that they can wear in addition to their default look. Of course, with the game being in first-person, the main differences that players will see is in their characters' hands as well as their look on the file select screen. Unlike the first game, which offered no cosmetic options, this lets players add a more personal touch to their chosen character. While it seems like a small addition, character customization deserves to make a return in Dead Island 3, but next time around it should be noticeably deeper.
Dead Island 2's Cosplay Options Are Somewhat Limited
Cosplay was a start, but customization is a major area where Dead Island 3's Slayers can improve. While the Cosplays provide new looks, each Slayer only gets a handful, and all aside from the paid DLC Hell-A Catwalk outfits mostly consist of recolored versions of their base outfit, with a few tweaks here and there. This can make the options come off as somewhat disappointing to some, since there are not a lot of options available. Granted, there are some cool options available for a few of the characters. However, it feels like much more could still be done with the idea.
Dead Island 3 Can Get Creative With Character Customization Options
Thankfully, there are several ways to make Dead Island 3's customization a vast improvement. Similar to Borderlands' approach to character creation, maybe Dead Island 3 could provide a selection of outfits, headwear, and colors for players to choose from for more variety. It could also let players unlock more outfits through in-game rewards from challenges and story progress. It could even take a page from Dead Rising and have some cosmetics available to find throughout the world. Customizing a character's look is naturally fun, and expanding that ability could provide a welcome amount of extra flair to Dead Island 3.
Cosplay was a start, but customization is a major area where Dead Island 3's Slayers can improve.
Dead Island 3 can leap ahead of its predecessor in many ways, including character customization. There's no telling the amount of new things that Dead Island 3 can bring to the series, from new weapons, new locations, and new gameplay mechanics. More cosmetic options for the Slayrs would be good not only to give players more opportunities in that sense, but also to give players more of a chance to show off their style in multiplayer sessions. Dead Island 3 should offer plenty to do, and hopefully, upgraded Cosplay to collect is on the list of activities.
Dead Island 2
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 57%
- Released
- April 21, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Dambuster Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
WHERE TO PLAY
The open-world zombie slaying action RPG makes its long-awaited return. Dead Island is back, and with it comes a host of enhancements to its winning combination of creative first-person zombie slaying, pitch-black humor and open-world exploration. Welcome to HELL-A. The City of Angels has been transformed into a hellish sprawl, its populace now mutated into disgusting zombies with an insatiable appetite for humans. In this extensive, visceral RPG experience you’ll journey to iconic LA locations, taking on quests, meeting eccentric survivors and enjoying a joyously pulpy narrative along the way. The game’s brutal melee combat gives you access to an expansive array of inventive zombie-slaying weaponry that lets you slice, smash and tear through the hordes before they get the chance to do the same to you. Can you survive HELL-A?
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
