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Play Overview
Dead Island 2 (2011) is the latest shooting and exploration game in the Dead Island series, where you use a variety of weapons to kill zombies, survive and find comrades. As you explore a deserted California, you meet other survivors who can join your group. The unusual mix of quirky, macabre humour and over-the-top, bloody violence makes for an entertaining experience for older teens and adults.
After a zombie apocalypse causes the US government to annex the state of California, you join a group of survivors to explore the vast, run-down cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. As you go you find weapons (and ways to customise them) to help you against the ever-present zombie threat.
You play as one of six characters and choose specific skills to help you defeat enemies in different ways. As you explore the vast open world, you unlock new skills and adjust your mix of skills to experiment with different play styles until you find one that suits you best. You defeat enemies with guns, melee weapons, and environmental hazards such as fire and electricity. Even mundane everyday items come in handy in this world, like beheading a zombie with a frisbee.
The result is a game that encourages you to experiment with different play styles, using your abilities and weapons to fight in ever more unusual, and often amusing, ways.
There have been several previous games in the series, all with a focus on surviving through a zombie apocalypse and killing zombies:
Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Dead Island 2 19 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 8 weeks ago.
After a zombie apocalypse causes the US government to annex the state of California, you join a group of survivors to explore the vast, run-down cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco. As you go you find weapons (and ways to customise them) to help you against the ever-present zombie threat.
You play as one of six characters and choose specific skills to help you defeat enemies in different ways. As you explore the vast open world, you unlock new skills and adjust your mix of skills to experiment with different play styles until you find one that suits you best. You defeat enemies with guns, melee weapons, and environmental hazards such as fire and electricity. Even mundane everyday items come in handy in this world, like beheading a zombie with a frisbee.
The result is a game that encourages you to experiment with different play styles, using your abilities and weapons to fight in ever more unusual, and often amusing, ways.
There have been several previous games in the series, all with a focus on surviving through a zombie apocalypse and killing zombies:
- Dead Island (2011) PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360.
- Dead Island: Riptide (2013) PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360.
- Escape Dead Island (2014) PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360.
- Dead Island: Definitive Edition (2016) (a remaster of the original game and Dead Island: Riptide) PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
- Dead Island 2 (2023) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Stadia.
Our examiner, Ben Kendall, first checked Dead Island 2 19 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 8 weeks ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to Dead Island 2 (Series). Here are some similar younger-rated games:
Play Style
This is a Shooting and Traversal game with Action, Adventure, Fighting and Narrative elements. You can play this by yourself or as a 3-player online game. You can play the game in a dedicated co-op mode with up to two other people. You work together to defeat the zombie hordes.
You can play this game in the following styles:
Benefits
This game is good if you want to:
Age Ratings
Content Rating
Users Interact: The game enables players to interact and communicate with each other, so may expose players to language usually associated with older rated games.
Skill Level
12+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. It's also important to ensure children understand in-game purchases and have spending limits set-up. You need to quickly react to the hordes of enemies and think of inventive ways to defeat them, often requiring intuition and outside-the-box thinking.
Account Rating
- You need PlayStation Plus to play online with PlayStation 3.
- You need be 18-years-old to to subscribe to Xbox Live Gold for online play, but can then configure family accounts for younger players to play online with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
- You need be 18-years-old to subscribe to PlayStation Plus for online play, but can create sub-accounts for younger players of 7-years or older to play online with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
Costs
Dead Island 2 usually costs £17.79 to £49.99.
There are three different editions of the game to choose from:
You can purchase the Expansion Pass separately if you buy the Standard or Deluxe Edition of the game.
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
Dead Island 2
 SALE | PC | £49.99 | £24.99 until 29/04/2024 | – |
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Dead Island Definitive Edition
There are the following additional costs associated with this game:- In-Game Purchases: Additional in-game purchases are offered for items that enhance the experience.
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You need a subscription to play online:
- You need Xbox Live Gold to play online with Xbox 360.
- You need to purchase a PlayStation Plus subscription to play online with PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5.
- You need to purchase a Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online with Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.
There are three different editions of the game to choose from:
- Standard Edition - includes the game only.
- Deluxe Edition - includes the game and cosmetic items.
- Gold Edition - includes the above cosmetics, extra weapons, and the Expansion Pass, which grants access to extra story.
You can purchase the Expansion Pass separately if you buy the Standard or Deluxe Edition of the game.
It's important to set up your accounts and devices appropriately. More information is on our Financial Resources page.
Game Details
Release Date: 06/09/2011, updated in 2023
Price: 50% off
Out Now: Mac, PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox 360, Xbox One and Xbox X|S
Skill Rating: 12+ year-olds
Players: 1 (3 online)
Genres: Shooting, Traversal (Action, Adventure, Fighting and Narrative)
Accessibility: 0 features documented (Tweet Developer )
Components: 3D First-Person and Open World
Developer: DS Dambuster (@DSDambuster)
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