It’s been close to a decade since the reveal of Dead Island 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2011 zombie survival game Dead Island. Since its proclamation, the game has undergone multiple changes in development, with multiple studios taking over the project. The debut of Dead Island 2 was being developed by Spec Ops: The Line developer Yager, but Techland, the developer behind the original Dead Island, had split ways with the franchise and was working on Dying Light. In 2016, publisher Deep Silver transferred the reins over to LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital, but then in 2019, Deep Silver made known that Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster Studios would be taking over the project. Dambuster Studios has been working on Dead Island 2 since 2018, starting with a clean slate.
Despite the shifts in development and the possibility to create a new setting, Dambuster Studios has decided to stick with the original location: Los Angeles, California. In-game and at the studio, this location is referred to as «Hell-A». Game director David Stenton mentioned that there was never much debate about setting the game in a different location, as LA offered such an incredible opportunity for the game they wanted to make. Stenton added that the team is not looking too much at the past or other games, but rather focusing on making Dead Island 2 «absolutely phenomenal» and bring it up to date for fans to enjoy.
It’s worth mentioning that while the team may have a strong in LA as the perfect setting for Dead Island 2, it’s also possible they chose to stick with the location that fans have been expecting the sequel for almost a decade. The original logo for the game, announced in 2014, featured the Golden Gate Bridge, an iconic landmark of San Francisco. However, Dambuster Studios has verified Dead Island 2 will take place exclusively in LA and will not include any other California locations in the main campaign.
Despite the prolonged development process and the changes in development studios, Dead Island 2 is scheduled to release in April of this year. The game promises to bring a fresh take on the zombie survival genre, with a focus on combat and the iconic setting of LA.
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As a big fan of the original Dead Island, I’m thrilled to see what Dambuster Studios brings to the table with Dead Island 2. While it’s been a long for the sequel, it’s encouraging to see the team starting off with a clean slate and focusing on offering a game that they believe will be «absolutely phenomenal». I’m intrigued to see how the development team utilizes the setting of LA and if they are able to bring something new zombie survival genre. I’m also hoping that the game will offer a rewarding continuation of the story from the first Dead Island, although I’m not getting my hopes up on that front. Overall, I’m cautiously positive about Dead Island 2 and am eager to diving into the game when it releases in April.
Emilie Cole Web 