Dead Island 2 released on April 21, 2023, following nearly ten years of quiet development. Despite long periods of silence and rolling hype for the title, it has managed to launch to critical and commercial success. While it doesn't step too far from its predecessor, it delivers a largely solid zombie-slaying experience chock-full of comedy. Players that enjoyed the first Dead Island and its sequel, Dead Island: Riptide, will likely find a familiar comfort on the streets of LA, alone or with friends. However, the success of Dead Island 2 carries more significance than simple capital gain.
Development on Dead Island 2 was announced in 2014 but was first assigned to Yager Development in 2012. Eleven years and at least four individual development teams later, it's a miracle that Dead Island 2 even saw the light of day, let alone performed so successfully. After the somewhat lukewarm response to the arguably expansion-sized sequel subtitled Riptide, Dead Island 2 had a lot to prove. Despite the pressure brought on by hype and the rough reception to Riptide, Dambuster Studios have released a surprisingly successful product, albeit somewhat too reminiscent of the original. For all of its similarities, however, the Dead Island 2 side quests are rewarding, and the combination of gore and comedy might be enough to distract players from the end of the world.
It's Time to Bring Back Splinter Cell's Sam Fisher
Many games find themselves churning in development for several years, and just as many popular titles find themselves shelved in favor of fresh or more popular IPs. One such franchise that hasn't seen the light of day for nearly a decade now is Ubisoft's Splinter Cell, which fizzled out in 2013 after fan anticipation for new entries in the franchise appeared to have tapered. Dead Island 2's good reception after its development hell defies expectations, so a mostly well-regarded franchise like Splinter Cell should have no issue making a comeback.
The Splinter Cell franchise debuted in 2002 with a sophisticated stealth-action game using the name and reputation of Tom Clancy to carry it against the titan of the time, Metal Gear Solid. The game was gorgeous, particularly its use of lighting, which doubled as a central stealth mechanic. SplinterCell remained a near-annual staple following its debut, until a hiatus between 2006 and 2010. SplinterCell:ChaosTheory, the 2005 entry which sits neatly at the center of the franchise's release catalog, is often lauded as the best in the series due to its focused narrative, continuously impressive visuals, and mechanical polish. Chaos Theory also introduced coop to the series, and the improvements later made by Splinter Cell Conviction's co-op game mode make it a memorable entry.
SplinterCell returned in 2010 and again in 2013, with Conviction and Blacklist, respectively. The later entries were panned for their divergence from the core of SplinterCell, taking a more action-focused turn. To many, ChaosTheory was a tough act to follow. Despite this, Sam Fisher's iconic multi-vision goggles cemented his silhouette in the shadowy stealth-action corner of the gaming industry, and fans are eagerly awaiting his return. Even at what Ubisoft would consider a low point, the entire stealth-based Splinter Cell franchise remains consistently highly rated, save for a few poorly received portable spin-offs.
In 2020, Sam's Italian voice actor teased Splinter Cell fans when he argued that there should at least be a conclusive entry, which sparked debate about an unannounced sequel among players. In the years leading up to this inadvertent tease, Sam Fisher has made multiple appearances in the Ghost Recon franchise, his first being a mission in Ghost ReconWildlands introduced in 2017. Sam returned for a series of missions in Ghost ReconBreakpoint in 2020 and was added to Rainbow Six Siege as a playable operator later that year. His cameos in both franchises excited fans, and many saw these appearances as Ubisoft testing the waters.
In such a competitive industry, it might be surprising to find that Dead Island 2 is quickly catching up to Dying Light in terms of popularity and recognizability, despite its dormancy. Dead Island 2's ability to claw its way from a grave that any other game might have succumbed to should inspire Ubisoft developers to take another crack at Splinter Cell. Despite the recent departure of its Splinter Cell remake director David Grivel, perhaps Ubisoft can bring the franchise back with a bang that will entice new and old fans, much the way Dead Island 2 has managed to do.
Dead Island 2 is now available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
