I just finished the game
I grew up with DI, mostly watching my cousins play it late at night, completely terrified but totally fascinated. Sometimes they’d let me hold the controller (iykyk). Later on, I bought a bundle with the original game and Riptide.
For a long time, it was my comfort game. I never actually finished the story, never really crafted weapons or even properly leveled up my skills : I’d just log in, kill a few zombies with the girl in the red skirt and her katana (I think?), and as soon as I got too scared, I’d quit. There was always this cozy stressful little feeling to it that reminded me of my childhood and those late nights plays.
Recently Dead Island 2 was really cheap on Steam, so I bought it out of curiosity, never expecting to like it or even finish it (I never finish my games). But wow, I ended up loving it and completely hooked.
I got really invested in the story, which was surprisingly good, and the characters are genuinely likable : you really grow attached to them. I loved that “Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?” guy was included. The actress, her assistant, their whole crew, Amanda Styles (though her ending shocked me and I didn’t want that for her), Rikky ♥️…
The locations are awesome and the graphics are gorgeous. The semi-open world structure also helps a lot because you never feel too lost, and it actually makes exploration enjoyable instead of just stressful (at least for me).
The gore system and all the different zombie types are so satisfying ♥️. The variety of weapons and unique skills (the cards art is immaculate) is great too (I picked Jacob as my Slayer). The game’s aesthetic is beautiful : the art style, posters, graffiti, street art, all of it….
I finished the game and now all I have left are the Steam achievements (I still need to complete two challenge guides) and the DLC achievements. I’m waiting for the next Steam sale to buy the DLCs, and then I’ll replay the game in NG+ to get every achievement.
Anyway, it’s definitely become one of my favorite zombie games ever (alongside Telltale’s The Walking Dead).
Short but sweet zombie game. A true work of art