PAX Prime 2014: Dead Island 2 Preview

With the release of Dead Island Epidemic and both Dead Island 2 and Escape From Dead Island on the horizon, it looks like the next several months are shaping up to be all about DI. Having enjoyed the combat and environments of the previous installments, I've always hoped the series, which borrows heavily from Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising and Lost, could eventually break away and establish an identity of its own. With a new developer and a new engine (the sequel makes the move from Chrome Engine 5 to Unreal Engine 4), is this their chance?

Well, I can't answer that question yet. The PAX Prime demo, perhaps more aptly titled Dead Island: Suburbia, was rather limited and only covered a very small area. One of my biggest problems with Dead Island was sluggish UI and inventory system, and there was little opportunity to explore either of those in the short time I was given with the game. The environments are still lush and beautiful (though of course the lighting is much different now, thanks to the Unreal Engine) and the combat is satisfying, but I dislike the Xbox One controls and did not appreciate having to double tap the left thumbstick to run (obviously, I'll be playing this one on PC). I also found the 8 person multiplayer a bit chaotic, but then, I always played Dead Island solo anyway.

During the demo as I navigated the hordes and jumped on vehicles to find custom weapons I felt more like I was playing Dead Rising 3 than Dead Island, which wasn't necessarily bad, despite my hope that the series will evolve. I would love a better Dead Rising, and perhaps Dead Island 2 will achieve that. The weapons can now be crafted from within the inventory system, and that improvement may be a sign of good things to come.

Undoubtedly what makes the series is the scenery and the combat, and those seem to be on track. I enjoyed my time on the demo, but I'd like to see a meatier portion of the game. I'm interested to see how dialogue and cut scenes will be handled, given the first game's legacy as having not lived up to the hype of its trailers.

Dead Island 2 is coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 in the spring of 2015.