"Dead Island 2" in the Zombie Apocalypse: Survival or Destruction

The development of the game "Dead Island 2" has been full of twists and turns, like a cursed legend. Starting from the jaw-dropping promotional video released in 2014, after 10 years, developers were changed three times along the way, and the studios involved were either disbanded or reorganized, as if it was some kind of inevitable fate. Now, the development has finally been completed not long ago and is now available to the players.
 
In the game, you can purchase fuses that can be used to open locked garages that contain valuable props and weapons. Other areas are guarded by powerful zombies marked with skulls, which can kill with one hit.

Speaking of characters, Dead Island 2 allows players to choose from six different zombie killers, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

1. Jacob is a British stuntman who specializes in the Beast and Critical Recoil skills, which have a huge health bonus, making him a berserker but with low resistances.
2. Bruno, who grew up on the streets of Los Angeles and specializes in backstabbing and razor-sharp retaliation, reveals the character to be a measured killer, but one with low health points and each missed hit increases his chances of going to the grave.
3. Carla is an indestructible woman with a dance area in front of the stage and a skill that deals extra damage in order not to give up, as well as a survival skill with less fatal damage.
4. Dani is a roller derby star and the gameplay is very interesting. His skills include Thunder Strike and Bloodthirst, which help to quickly eliminate enemies and restore health. The massive stamina bonus lets you use skills more often, but the base health regeneration is lower.
5. Ryan makes a living by performing exotic dances and has retribution and rise and fall skills that greatly increase his survival rate. The high stamina attribute makes you not afraid of a lot of blows, but the base movement speed is the lowest, making it difficult for you to avoid the battlefield.
6. Amy's right leg is a prosthesis, but this does not prevent her from becoming a real athlete. Her skills include relief pitching and divide and conquer, adept at handling thrown weapons, and single target combat. A huge agility bonus provides excellent mobility, but low durability, making every wound potentially fatal.

In addition to the different base values, the game also provides a skill card system that allows you to customize your character according to your own play style. The skill card system is refreshingly streamlined and intuitive compared to the complex skill trees found in many modern action-adventure games. You can choose basic ability cards, such as blocking and dodging, and then add skill cards to enhance those abilities.

Most weapons can be upgraded with different mods and skills. For example, I used the Slaughter skill to upgrade a pair of Wolverine claw-like weapons that increase damage to limbs, while adding nails to the baseball bat that cause long-lasting bleed damage with each hit.

However, some mission objectives feel repetitive. Despite plenty of weapon modifications and skill enhancements, combat often becomes one-dimensional in the game's first few hours, with most of the time consisting of clumsily bashing zombies on the head with a variety of blunt objects. Killing different types of zombies becomes easy once you get used to the thrill of knocking their jaws off and knocking their eyeballs out.
Luckily, the developers have two story expansions planned. The first expansion update "Haus" will be released in the fourth quarter of 2023, while the second expansion update "SOLA Festival" will be released in the second quarter of 2024.

The development process of "Dead Island 2" was full of ups and downs, but in the end it presented an exciting game. From survival to combat, from skills to upgrades, the game provides a rich and diverse experience, allowing players to explore and survive in the apocalyptic world. This is a true survival challenge, whether you choose to be a heroic warrior or a resourceful assassin, you will find your place in this zombie-infested world. It’s up to you to judge whether ten years of persistence is worth it.