Highlights
- Dead Island 2's Haus DLC will introduce major new storylines, central characters, and a new group of humans, potentially changing the game's combat mechanics.
- Including a human enemy faction in the DLC could provide narrative variety, necessitate ranged combat, and give a more lived-in feel to the post-apocalyptic world of Dead Island 2.
- With a "techno-death cult" set to feature, and likely being a threat as opposed to an ally, the Haus DLC will likely provide the human enemies the game has been lacking.
2023 is still set to be a massive year for Dead Island 2, with the zombie-slasher aiming to launch the first of two major story expansions in a few months' time. This first DLC is the Haus expansion, with a lot of details already being available for what the experience will entail. Of the known information, the enemy faction seems like it could make for the most impactful addition.
Loyal fans will be rewarded in a big way when Dead Island 2's Haus DLC eventually drops, as it is set to include major new storylines, central characters, and a new group of humans. By potentially adding an entirely new layer to how the game's combat operates, the Haus expansion could be a needed game-changer for Dead Island 2's post-launch existence.
The Narrative and Gameplay Benefits of Dead Island 2's Haus Cult
The Haus DLC for Dead Island 2 is shaping up to be a high-octane one, even when compared to the game's established focus on explosive humor in its take of a zombie-ravaged California. For example, it is confirmed that the DLC will feature a billionaire zombie prepper as well as a techno-death cult. A focus on these kinds of characters will breathe a lot of life and memorability into Dead Island 2's fist major expansion, as well as some potential changes to the release's core mechanics.
Crucially, Dead Island 2 decided to not feature human enemies in its story, with the player exclusively facing off against a wide range of lethal infected opponents in the base game. While there is room for a billionaire prepper to be a kind of ally within the narrative of Haus, the DLC's techno-death cult will most likely serve as a hostile force.
This would be a shake-up to Dead Island 2's formula, harking back to the presence of "Punk" human enemies toward the end of the original Dead Island's narrative. The high frequency of human enemies has become a divisive element of modern zombie games, but Dead Island 2 could be offering the best of both worlds by saving these foes for the Haus expansion. Not only will the potential inclusion of human enemies foster narrative variety over what the base-game of Dead Island 2 provides, but the cult could turn core mechanics completely on their head. For example, ranged combat could be necessitated for some encounters with human enemies, finally giving much-needed attention to the guns of Dead Island 2, which received a lot of criticism for being pointless since melee combat is so much more viable.
With that being said, this new human faction being a techno-death cult makes it likely that players will be encountering them as deranged melee-wielders, leading to a variety of combat encounters for the DLC. By figuratively and literally giving more life to the enemies of Dead Island 2, the title can smartly solve a lot of issues that fans have voiced while still offering a unique experience detached from the game's main story.
Going back to the narrative utility of the Haus expansion's human faction, it is also worth noting that these enemies could give better context as to how human life is adapting to post-apocalyptic society. While survivors featured heavily in the base-game, the showcasing of nefarious groups of humans beginning to form would ultimately give the world of Dead Island 2 a more lived-in feel. If these narrative and gameplay changes are as impactful as they appear to be, then the Haus DLC for Dead Island 2 could be a positive shift for the recent release.
Dead Island 2 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
