As the anticipation of 2011's Dead Island sequel continues to ramp up, fans have been keeping a close eye on what to expect, primarily how the gameplay will be handled. Dead Island 2 has been through a plethora of changes and reconstructions for almost a decade, as multiple developers have passed over the project before it finally landed in Dambuster Studios' hands. Since the original developers of the franchise won't be developing the title this time around, many have wondered just how much of Techland's mechanics and structure will be implemented within the upcoming title.
Based on the footage revealed, it appears as though Dead Island 2 will be sticking close to the classic Dead Island (2011), whilst also showcasing some elements from more recent Techland games such as the Dying Light (2015) and Dying Light 2. Since this has been clear for many fans to see, there are numerous aspects and mechanics that fans will hope Dead Island 2 will emulate from the aforementioned titles.
5 Fast Paced Parkour
While Dead Island (2011) certainly enlightened the vision for a parkour title in the Dying Light games, it did not heavily feature it. The main focus within the franchise was around slaying zombies and having fun while doing so, which has very clearly been maintained in the upcoming sequel. Players had to use a parkour mod in order to get the best out of the game's bare minimum parkour elements, but with both Dying Light (2015) and the recent Dying Light 2, fans of the zombie-centric development team Techland were able to get their fill of both parkour and action.
Considering the fact that the Dying Light titles have been successful so far, the implementation of more parkour aspects to Dead Island 2 would certainly be pleasing to see. Whilst it is less likely for the game to contain full-fledged parkour abilities since the focus is much more narrow on the action of killing zombies, it could take the title up a notch and introduce new ways and elements to players' experience.
4 Chase Sequences
The scenarios in which players would be hunted down by zombies, especially during the night within Dying Light 2, were ones to behold. The contrast between day and night was drastic as players were far much safer and protected during the day, as some of the more ferocious foes were hidden away in tunnels or dimly lit buildings. When players are too loud at night or spotted too close to enemies, a chase sequence will ensue which will increase gradually if they are not fast enough in their escape.
Despite the Dead Island titles taking a stance at which the player is the danger with the variety of weapons and abilities within their arsenal, an element of anxiety and urgency in escaping the grasp of faster and more aggressive zombies would most definitely spice up Dead Island 2 and add a new layer of excitement to its gameplay loop.
3 Optional Dialogue
While some fans may not have received the dialogue options well in Dying Light 2, seeing the addition compared to its predecessor stepped the story up to a new and unique level. Similar to titles like Mass Effect, The Witcher, and the Telltale Games' positively received ones, Dying Light 2 gave players a choice between a variety of dialogue options which helped to narrow down the story beats they were most interested in rather than hearing all exposition.
Given the overall look and presentation of Dead Island 2, it would be a huge miss if developers did not include some sort of dialogue-oriented cutscenes and allow players to choose their responses to other characters. Whilst it does not guarantee a good story, it is another layer of freedom of choice for players.
2 Choices
Speaking of dialogue options, Techland ensured that Dying Light 2's dialogue options contained crucial choices to the overarching story, as the game has multiple endings that players can attain depending on those said choices. This has become a very common feature within RPG titles and has mostly flourished at doing so, and while many fans may not be fixated on whether or not Dead Island 2 will have an engaging story or not, the inclusion of this will serve very well.
As the showcase of the combat and the new 'FLESH' system has left many fans pleased and excited for the game's release, the chance of Dead Island 2 containing choices in regard to the story will heighten Dambuster Studios' success with the title, especially with their hopes for a third title.
1 Horror Oriented Segments
The tone between both Dying Light titles and Dead Island 2 based on its released footage, is drastically different. Despite a world of zombies roaming around every corner, Dead Island 2 appears to present a beautiful backdrop in Los Angeles, where everything is vibrant, colorful, and full of life, whereas Dying Light 2 also contains plenty of zombies but in a dark and gritty atmosphere.
It seems as though Dead Island 2 will have a heavy focus on the mindless zombie-killing fun, but it would be very interesting to see how the idea of genuine scares and horror would play out in a world as such.
Dead Island 2 is set to release on April 21st on PlayStation 5 and 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC.