Sprawling over a variety of unique and dangerous locations within the Californian apocalypse, the world of Dead Island 2 is packed with optional side quests, hidden locations and violent flesh lusting adversaries at every turn. Surviving alone or in co-op with up to three players turns the SoCal sandbox into a brutal playground where the toys are weapons crafted into sadistic variants with various elemental attributes and bone shattering mods.

Rising from the dead to surpass its predecessor at every turn, Dead Island 2 is the over-the-top bloodbath fans have waited nearly a decade to experience. With a gorgeous world to explore and hordes of undead to slay in satisfyingly brutal, gory fashion, the hype train has reached its final destination.

A cinematic prologue introduces players to the six playable Slayers to choose from, each armed with a pair of unique traits and differing stats that set them apart from each other. Slayer selection has no impact on the course of the narrative, with all survivors leading the player down the same path regardless of their choice.

The story kicks off when a group of uninfected survivors board a plane to transport them to safety from the emerging turmoil of the outbreak. The emergence of an infected passenger casts the survivors hopes of salvation in doubt as the plane crashes, leading players into a series of combat and traversal tutorials to equip them with the tools necessary to survive.

To avoid spoilers, little can be discussed of the main story without giving anything away. The intentions of supporting characters, their motivations and allegiances take the Slayer on a roller coaster of plot twists and interesting developments that remain interesting, if not predictable throughout the course of the 24 quest campaign that can be finished in less than 14 hours.

This play time can be significantly increased with exploration, a variety of optional side quests and tasks that offer new weapons, blueprints for crafting and more XP and cash to upgrade the Slayer and their arsenal. Playing co-operatively with friends also greatly enhances the replayability of Dead Island 2 and offers more mayhem beyond the rolling of the credits.

Throughout the story the Slayer meets several survivors typical of the genre. Quirky characters that border on insane, self-serving manipulators and even washed up, underpants wearing rockstars that are watching the world crash around them from the bottom of a bottle. They’re entertaining, cheesy, stereotypical survivors that bring levity and balance to the apocalyptic tone of Dead Island 2.

Melee combat takes centre stage and though ranged options exist in the form of guns and throwable items, it’s the bone shattering, blood squirting dismemberment from close quarters melee attacks that are rightfully focused on. Every weapon has unique stats that consider damage, force, speed and durability to help Slayers equip the best tool for the job. Eight weapons can be assigned to the weapon wheel and an additional eight can be stored in the players inventory and switched in and out of the weapon wheel with ease.

When a weapons durability reaches zero, represented by a health-bar type indicator, it will break and a new weapon must be selected to continue the fight. Broken weapons can be dismantled to provide crafting materials or repaired at workbenches at a cost. Choosing what weapons to hold onto is challenging given the size of the inventory that can’t be expanded though there is a Storage Locker that allows weapons to be stored for later.

The Storage Locker can be found at a handful of safe areas, accompanied by a fast travel map, workbench and in some cases a trader/merchant to buy new weapons and resources and to sell unwanted items. What makes the Storage Locker more valuable is that weapons stored can be accessed in your other playthroughs, for example, playing as Carla and storing a crowbar will make that same crowbar available to a different save file played as another Slayer such as Jacob. As all weapons have a level requirement to equip however, you may not be able to use that weapon unless the player has reached that level with the different Slayer.

Workbenches are a Slayer’s best friend. Broken weapons can be repaired, they can have their stats increased to match the player’s current level and they can be upgraded by crafting a wide variety of mods that apply a range of stats buffs and elemental damage. Some mods also come with a negative trait such as reduced damage, force or durability though the positives typically make the trade-off worthwhile.

Crafting materials are found everywhere, lying loose on the ground, dropped as loot from slain zombies and in the ridiculous amount of containers and chests that litter every single location.

A tier system is in place for all weapons, ranging from Common to Legendary, with higher tier weapons obviously coming later in the game. As mentioned previously weapons also have a level requirement to wield. Players gain XP by completing main and optional quests and from defeating enemies, with stronger enemies and some of the more dangerous variants offering higher outputs.

The mods and blueprints that can be bought or unlocked can be applied to all weapon tiers except Common, with higher tier weapons offering additional mod slots to create even more high impact toys to play with.

Complimenting the core combat system is the excellent card-based Skill Deck system that allows players to equip unlocked cards to five different categories that apply all sorts of exciting abilities and passive buffs. Cards are awarded for story progression, completing quests and some can be found in the wild through thorough exploration. Additional slots for each of the five categories become available over time and allow for some fun experimentation and builds. One of my personal favourites is a drop kick that sends zombies flying and this particular skill can be stacked with additional cards that apply fire and higher damage in general.

Some cards can only be equipped if others have already been selected while some require the player to choose between one ability or the other. For example, Slayers can select the ability to block and counter melee attacks or they can opt for an evasion move instead. Both serve the same purposes in avoiding damage though they each offer different options in terms of mobility or how the player wants to stand their ground when surrounded by a horde. The block is great but it leaves the player stationary while the evade keeps them mobile, it’s these subtle choices that allow players to feel more in control of their build that certainly lend towards replayability and experimentation with different builds in subsequent playthroughs alone or with friends.

The excessive violence and brutality in Dead Island 2 offers up countless means to dismember zombies, leaving their jaws dangling after a high impact shot to the face, limbs flying after being cleaved through with a sword and layers of flesh being whittled away by the over the top force and persistence of the Slayer to eviscerate every enemy. Beating zombies down until only their skeleton remains is disturbingly satisfying.

Environmental awareness is significant not just for keeping tabs on the flesh-obsessed zombies but for capitalising on the diverse manners of which to inflict elemental damage with electricity, fire and toxic waste. Enemies can be forced into water and electrocuted via electrically charged melee attacks, throwing a car battery into it or destroying electrical boxes just to name a few methods while fuel can be ignited to turn the area into an inferno.  The flexibility on offer to destroy the enemies is varied and satisfying, rife for experimentation and maximising the chances of survival when outnumbered.

Slayers traverse the world by sprinting, climbing, crouching and sliding. Unlike the original Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide, there are no cars to drive, the world must be explored on foot or via fast travel maps to previously visited safe areas. Keeping players grounded furthers the immersion of the dangers of a world in turmoil and removes the safety net of added protection.

The streets are constantly populated with enemies and they constantly emerge to prevent Slayers from ever feeling particularly safe. The variety on offer features familiar types from Dead Island while introducing new variants to keep things hectic. Spitters, crawlers and towering hulk-like Crushers introduce new types of threats to each encounter that make crowd control just that little bit harder. A handful of boss battles throughout the story introduce even deadlier threats that can’t simply be clubbed like their street level counterparts and each offer exciting encounters that feel rewarding when overcome.

In a world littered with lifeless bodies, death and decay, Dead Island 2 presents a surprisingly beautiful sandbox for the apocalypse to unfold in. The streets of LA are joined by beaches, theme parks, piers and glamorous but abandoned mansions that are all so distinct and ominous in their own ways. Grotesque and visceral gore and detail animate the undead in a manner that is so excitingly disgusting and raw that it almost feels weird to say that death and decay has never looked so good.

The sound design is on point in every regard, presenting the type of squeamishly satisfying crunch and splatter with every strike and defeat of a zombie. When coupled with the blood splashing visuals the audio-visual presentation is everything you’d expect from an undead nightmare.

+ Beautiful visuals

+ Striking sound design

+ Excellent Skill-Deck system

+ Fun combat and customisation

+ Highly replayable

– Predictable story

– Feels familiar in many ways to others from the genre

– Supporting cast fail to stand out

* A digital code was kindly provided for the purpose of this review *

Developed by: Dambuster Studios

All digital photography was captured in-game by Games of DAYNE on Xbox Series X

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The post REVIEW – Dead Island 2 first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

  *Disclaimer: This review was originally written as a member for One More Game and Xbox Gamer Dad, edited by co-founder Adam Potts and/or founder Matt Brook. A review code for this title was provided by OMG/XBGD. This review was written from my perspective with editor input. Click HERE to read this review as originally published on onemoregame.com.au*

Fear of sharks is not unreasonable and many share it. The thought of swimming peacefully at a beach and being ripped away by a vicious shark does not seem like a lot of fun. However, from the shark’s point of view it sounds like a great source of amusement and this is where Maneater comes into the picture, placing the player in the role of a bullshark to rip, tear and eat everything that crosses its path, while also destroying boats and hunter patrols in this third person shaRkPG. If you have ever wondered what it would be like to swim fearlessly through the ocean, Maneater is for you. 

The prologue sees the player put through a brief but efficient tutorial, teaching the essentials of lunging, evading, knifing (which refers to swimming near the surface with only the fin protruding), using the tail–whip attack to knock back threats and of course, how to bite and mercilessly thrash some of the larger predators to deal significantly more damage. Following this, the player’s shark is captured and killed by shark hunter Scaly Pete. Realising his latest conquest had a pup ready to emerge, he marks the pup’s back with a cut and releases it into the wild, with his reasoning being that he knows he will come across this pup in the future and it won’t be so lucky. Scaly Pete’s cut-scenes are presented as a reality TV show, complete with comical narration from Chris Parnell, known from TV series such as Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock and Rick and Morty. These sequences are littered throughout the roughly 8 to 10 hour experience and serve as the only cinematic narrative. The narration humorously appears throughout the general gameplay and for the most part positively impacts the experience but repetition of lines soon becomes stale. 

As the player assumes the role of the pup destined to meet Scaly Pete again, they are placed into the first of 7 sizeable regions, with each of these regions introducing new types of aquatic wildlife to eat and predators to be eaten by, which include alligators, hammerhead sharks, orca whales and swordfish. These regions are diverse, ranging from a gritty bayou to posh beach resorts and offer a string of primary and secondary objectives to complete, such as killing certain amounts of a type of fish or humans, slaying stronger threats and defeating the regions apex predator, a powerful variant of the common threats found in the region. The mission variety is soon revealed to be shallow, offering up essentially the same combination in each new region. Completing a certain amount of region activities will activate a Scaly Pete cut-scene and open up a new region for exploration. Scattered throughout these regions are an assortment of collectibles to find, such as licence plates and landmark signs to destroy, many of which serve as clever easter eggs or references to pop culture that I will not spoil. 

Perhaps the most prized possessions of the sea are nutrient chests to be found and destroyed, rewarding the player with nutrients used to upgrade the shark’s evolutions. These evolutions are similar to mods that can be equipped such as bone armour or bio-electric enhancements for the shark’s head, fins, jaw, body and tail. These have their own passive and/or action specific stat increases that can provide an edge for each scenario, whether it’s destroying boats or dealing area of effect damage upon contact. These can be mixed and matched, with each additional body part equipped with the same type the shark receives a small and unique stat buff and increases with more parts of the set equipped. Organs can also have an assortment of abilities applied that can also be upgraded, such as the ability to spend greater lengths of time out of the water before dehydration sets in, the amount of health and nutrients gained from eating prey and wider range of detection when using the sonar ability. The sonar is helpful for identifying collectibles, predators and prey to hunt. 

The shark can only be upgraded or kitted out with evolutions inside each regions sole grotto, serving as a safe haven from danger. With each new grotto discovered, as long as the player is in no immediate danger they are able to fast travel between them, making it easier to backtrack to complete any outstanding objectives or collectibles. 

As a pup, the player is both the hunter and the hunted but as the player gains experience, the pup grows into a teen, adult, elder and ultimately mega shark. Each growth increases core stats and makes the shark physically larger but also stronger and more resilient, able to easily conquer those that proved difficult as a pup. Alligators for instance are best avoided as a pup but as a teen shark they soon become just another meal. Innocent humans can be attacked while they are swimming or snatched from land in hit and run style attacks, the shark has an oxygen meter that slowly depletes while it is outside of the water and can only afford brief windows to jump on land and lay waste to any unsuspecting bystander in sight.

As the human body count builds, a threat level increases and upon filling it waves of hunters will arrive to kill the shark. Destroying the hunter’s boats raises the sharks infamy level, a circular meter on the top right of the screen that when filled will trigger the arrival of a bounty hunter boss to defeat. Doing so will reward the player with a new evolutionary enhancement to equip. These bounty hunters will only relent if line of sight is broken for long enough, and as the player’s infamy level rises and the more bounty hunter bosses are defeated, the difficulty and damage they dish out increases. When the player has reached the later levels of the shark’s growth these begin to become less dangerous. 

Progression in the early part of the game is rewarding, as with each growth a predator becomes a prey and a new threat takes its place as the difficult enemy to be avoided. By the time the shark has become a mega, there is no mistaking who assumes the role of the apex predator. If the player has been exploring diligently, completing optional missions and conquering all those who dare attack it, the player will find themselves overpowered with little fear of defeat or difficulty that includes the final boss battle against an enraged Scaly Pete. 

The character models are impressive, with the shark, Scaly Pete and the bounty hunter bosses receiving the largest attention to detail when compared to the likes of the regular bounty hunters or human entrees. The aquatic wildlife is equally impressive and adds to the immersion of the menacing aquatic biomes. The animations are all smooth and believable; the attacks are violently satisfying and gloriously paint the sea red with blood and guts. 

The sound design is excellent, while submerged there is that distinct underwater sound which provides wonderful contrast when swimming on the surface. The sound effects of the various wildlife are accurate and fearsome, while the satisfying crunch of their lifeless bodies rarely disappoints. 

As this game has players ripping everything above and below sea level apart this is not one to be played or witnessed by younger players. The game can be paused at any time if the guilt of tearing through an entire beach full of people gets too much. 

Tripwire Interactive have created a world that is fun to explore and full of both predators and prey to rip apart that ultimately leans towards repetitive and lacking in variety as the game pushes on. The simplified gameplay featuring single button prompts is easy and accessible to become familiar with, but unfortunately as the shark grows and becomes more powerful, the threat and challenge of the game diminishes which puts the player in a position of power that is not likely to be overcome. The joy and satisfaction of mindlessly wreaking havoc on innocent swimmers is one that holds on through until the end and at the reasonable launch price of $59.95, Maneater is worth sinking your teeth into. 

Final Verdict:

+ Simple, accessible and satisfying gameplay 

+ Shark evolutions and upgrades are fun to experiment with 

+ Fun Landmark easter eggs 

– Mission lacking in variety 

– Challenge diminishes with player progression 

Games of DAYNE Rating

Developed by: Tripwire Interactive and Blindside Interactive

Published by: Tripwire Interactive and Deep Silver

Release date: May 22 2020

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC

The post Maneater Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.