Dead Island 2 is actually launching this week - can you believe it?! Announced way back in 2014, this lighthearted zombie slasher has been on the cards for a while at this point.
So, that begs the question: is it any good? Well, the critics have had their say, with Dead Island 2 reviews now starting to hit the web. Here's the general consensus so far:
Pure Xbox (7/10)
"The fact that Dead Island 2 is finally here and enjoyable to play is nothing short of a miracle given the game's 10+ year development cycle. We feared this one may end up being a real mess, but Dambuster has largely delivered on what you'd expect from a sequel to Dead Island - just not much more than that.
We'd have loved to see the team expand on things a little more to fully capitalise on the game's absurdity, but a safe sequel will do just fine in this case. Dead Island 2 won't blow you way, but it's shiny and dumb and fun, and definitely worth a play if you're looking for a light hearted zombie romp on Xbox."
God Is A Geek (8.5/10)
"While it suffers from some interesting glitches, Dead Island 2 puts some much-needed fun and mayhem back into the zombie apocalypse sandbox."
VG24/7 (8/10)
"Dead Island 2 is every bit the head-stomping blast that it promised to be. There are a few creases that Dambuster ought to iron out over the coming weeks, but if you’re hoping for mindless chaos and exceptional entertainment across the grindhouse slaughterhouse that is HELL-A, you’ve got it in spades right here."
VGC (4/5)
"It’s hard to think of a game that isn’t improved by co-op, but it is stark just how much easier playing with a friend makes Dead Island 2. Boss fights feel designed with single-player in mind, so while one distracts, the other can be free to turn the various hulking zombies into kebab meat. Which brings us to the absolute star of the show: the gore."
Game Informer (7.75/10)
"With Dead Island 2, Dambuster Studios asks little of the player – only that you enjoy a good excuse to kill zombies in increasingly gory ways for a weekend or two – and in doing so, it delivers on the promise of what this series is all about."
Wccftech (7.5/10)
"For being a game that has been in development hell for over ten years, Dead Island 2 turned out alright, thanks to the wacky atmosphere and characters, fun combat, and acceptable quest quality. All of these features, however, become progressively worse as the campaign proceeds, making the game nothing more than an acceptable experience that may not be worthy of its full price tag for those looking for something a bit more involving."
Push Square (7/10)
"In the end, though, Dead Island 2 is a refreshing surprise amid the 2023 release roster. It's a fun and simple zombie-slasher experience that may be let down by its uninspiring RPG elements and boring loot-cycle, but more than makes up for it with its killer setting, brutal melee combat, and stunning graphics. While we suspect some will be disappointed by the game's size after all these years, we found it utterly revitalising to find a AAA experience that respects your time, and more importantly doesn't overstay its welcome. In the day and age of 300-hour RPGs, it's nice to know that some games are here for a fun time, not a long time."
IGN (7/10)
"Dead Island 2 is a hysterical Los Angeles-infused satire that does most things well enough, but feels like a stroll down the Walk of Fame of celebrated zombie games I’ve already played without adding many new ideas of its own. In fact, aside from the stellar comedy bits, I can think of very few things that Dead Island 2 does better than last year’s Dying Light 2. Still, if you’ve ever wanted to put your Wolverine claws straight through a zombie’s face or knock someone’s head off with a golf club, Dead Island 2’s got you."
Digital Trends (3/5)
"If you’re just looking for brainless fun, Dead Island 2 is a perfectly enjoyable zombie game that’s filled to the brim with delicious gore and top-notch environmental storytelling. It just never quite lives up to the strength of its allegorical premise, with a generic narrative and repetitive missions that I was shambling through by the end."
Stevivor (5/10)
"While LA itself isn’t an island, Dambuster has sectioned it off into island-like hub areas, thereby steering clear of a modern day open-world to explore. There are many main and side missions to be found within each, but they’re always fetch or extermination quests of some kind. In either case, be prepared to look out for a yet another circuit breaker to open a corresponding electric gate, or be prepared to fend off wave after wave of baddies while something happens — very slowly — around you."
Most critics seem to agree that Dead Island 2 has done a good job at providing some mindless zombie-slaying entertainment, but not much more than that - which is fine by us. The game's current 73 score on Metacritic falls closely in line with our own review here at Pure Xbox. Dead Island 2 has turned out a good video game, which is quite a surprise in itself!