Menace beach

To pre-empt your first question, no,Dead Island 2was not worth waiting eleven years for.

In its defence, however, few things are.

Yet that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game.

graffiti of a blue and pink zombie skull with staring eyes in an underpass in dead island 2

In fact, it’s quite an enjoyable one.

This might seem like a slight oversight on the developer’s part.

But it’s in keeping with the sequel’s laissez-faire attitude toward its own premise.

Standing in the garden of a Hollywood mansion, watching the hills around the hollywood sign burn in Dead Island 2

But your plane has barely cleared the Hollywood sign before it’s shot down by the military.

Choosing LA as its setting is probably the smartest thing Dead Island 2 does.

The game has visible fun playing with its unique culture and social strata, particularly in its first half.

A view of the Santa Monica pier at night, the ferris wheel lit up in red, in Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2’s visual flair is more successfully applied to the broader world design.

Like Banoi in the first game, Dead Island 2’s LA isn’t a contiguous open world.

Instead, it’s broken up into around a dozen separate chunks.

A view of a pool in a hollywood mansion, except the pool has a dead body in it because this is Dead Island 2

These areas are as stunningly realised as they are geometrically intricate.

Combat feels sluggish at first.

My feelings quickly changed once I’d unlocked two features.

Many zombies being exploded in a screenshot of Dead Island 2 - the word ‘maimed’ is popping up from them a lot

Second was the golf club, the first melee weapon I properly clicked with.

As the combat system unfolds, it reveals itself to be surprisingly creative.

Even certain zombies, like undead soldiers jangling with grenades, can be used as ad-hoc weapons.

Zombies set on fire in a carpark in Dead Island 2

It should be noted all of this isastoundinglyviolent.

Dead Island 2 really dwells on the interaction between hazardous implements and the human body.

The strength of Dead Island 2’s combat is undoubtedly what carries the game.

A zombie being axed in the skull with an electrified fire axe, in a screenshot from Dead Island 2

Nothing else in it is anywhere near as involved or interesting.

The survival mechanics are downright token by comparison.

The abundance of loot also undermines Dead Island 2’s secondary content.

Two zombies shamble towards the player on Venice Beach in Dead Island 2

Meanwhile, more interesting ideas go underutilised.

The more structured side missions fare better.

As for that main story, again, it’s oddly reminiscent of Cyberpunk.

“The bodybags started to hatch like cocoons” your character mutters in a rare moment of earnest clarity.

But then you’re back to punching your whole arm through a zombie’s face using reinforced knuckledusters.

And to be perfectly honest, Dead Island 2 is better for it.