For those who like their action games to be particularly gruesome, the team behind the upcoming Dead Island 2 has shown off the sequel's procedural dismemberment feature in what's being called the "FLESH System." A lot of people are excited about this upcoming zombie game, which has been in development for some time. Originally scheduled to launch back in 2015, fans have been waiting patiently for the follow-up to Techland's 2011 release, and finally the game is within reach.
While the first Dead Island was not amazingly well received, releasing at a time when the zombie genre was starting to die down, many people felt that it had one of the best horror game trailers around. Expertly pulling at the heart strings, the teaser played in reverse and told the harrowing story of a family torn apart by the outbreak. In fact, it was probably this trailer that initially drew people in. However, the sequel has gone for a much more irreverent, even overtly comical, approach and gamers are looking forward to what's on offer.
In the meantime, there's been some additional footage from Dead Island 2 which specifically shows off the game's procedural dismemberment mechanics. In a recent video uploaded to Game Informer's YouTube channel, Dambuster Studios' Senior Render Programmer Aaron Ridge and Technical Art Director Dan Evans-Lawes discuss what players can expect when they go head-to-head with hordes of zombies in Dead Island 2. In the footage, the FLESH System can be seen in action, in which Ridge says players can continue to damage enemies with a "progressive feeling" that leads to so much more damage as flesh, clothes, and limbs are hacked and sliced away with each swing.
It's a very gory, almost realistic, system by the looks of things, so it should appeal to gamers who like the idea of mutilating a zombie into a bloody pulp. Ever since Dead Island 2 revealed new trailers in August 2022, fans have been excited about this long-awaited follow-up. At a time when the zombie franchise seems to be coming back in vogue, Dambuster's inbound release could stand tall among other contemporaries like Dying Light 2 and the remake of Resident Evil 4.
It's also been confirmed that Dead Island 2 won't have skill trees, as is tradition in action RPGs. Instead, the developer has opted for the Skill Deck system, which will change how players switch up their character's skills. Whether this system will play to the game's strengths remains to be seen, but all being well, there isn't much longer to wait to find out.
Dead Island 2 launches on April 28 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
