Dead Island 2

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Bitten, immune and stuck in a Los Angeles of the dead.

Platforms: PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox
Price: Paid
Rated: Mostly Positive on Steam (77% of 29,988 reviews); 4.21 out of 5 from 38,000 ratings on the PlayStation Store
Players: 1 to 3 (online co-op)
Controls: Keyboard and mouse or a controller.
Made by: Dambuster Studios
Released: 2023

Get it on Steam Epic Games Store PlayStation Store (PS4 and PS5)Xbox Mac App Store Official site

What frightens A zombie outbreak has sealed off Los Angeles, and you fight through its mansions, beaches and boardwalks in first person with blades, bats and wired-up weapons that strip flesh and break bones in close detail; packs of runners, bloated walkers and huge mutated infected rush you in dark houses and sunlit streets alike.
Content: extreme gore, violence, strong language, drug use.

A first-person zombie action game set in a quarantined Los Angeles. You play one of six Slayers who survives a bite and fights through Bel-Air, Venice Beach and Hollywood with brutal melee weapons, looking for a way out. It is gory and darkly funny, and up to three players can play together online.

About Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 was developed by Dambuster Studios and published by Deep Silver on 21 April 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S, after a long development. It reached Steam in April 2024 and Macs with Apple chips in July 2025. Two story expansions, Haus and SoLA, followed.

You pick one of six survivors, each with different strengths, and after a plane crash out of the quarantine zone you find you are bitten but not turning. From a mansion in Bel-Air you go out into a sealed city to find a way out and learn why you are immune, unlocking districts such as Beverly Hills, Venice and the Santa Monica Pier.

The game is built around close combat. You swing, slash and kick at zombies, and the damage model peels skin, snaps limbs and splits heads, while workbenches let you add fire, electricity or caustic effects to weapons. Skill cards change how your Slayer fights, and the infected range from slow shamblers to runners and hulking, mutated bosses.

The horror is gory more than frightening: some dark interiors and sudden swarms are tense, but the tone is a bloody satire of Hollywood. It suits players who want a zombie game to fight through with friends, and anyone who enjoyed Dying Light.

How to play Dead Island 2

Buy it for PC, Mac, PlayStation or Xbox and choose one of six Slayers, each with different traits.
Play through the opening to reach the Bel-Air mansion; co-op unlocks there.
Pick up and mod weapons at workbenches, adding fire, electric or caustic effects.
Equip skill cards to shape how you fight, block, dodge and heal.
Follow the story across Los Angeles, alone or with up to two friends online.

Screenshots

Dead Island 2 screenshot: a muscular zombie lunges at the player's spiked weapon on the Venice Beach boardwalk

Dead Island 2 screenshot: a bloody katana in a mansion living room strewn with zombie bodies and blood

Dead Island 2 screenshot: a zombie in a skate helmet staggers across the beach at sunset beside Santa Monica Pier

Dead Island 2 screenshot: the player fires a submachine gun inside a surf rental shop as a co-op partner swings a weapon

Dead Island 2 screenshot: zombies close in on a street at dusk as the player readies a wrench weapon

Tips

Use water and fuel puddles: an electric weapon in water or a spark near fuel can take down a crowd.
Learn to block or dodge; heavy zombies punish standing still.
Match weapon effects to enemies, as some resist fire or electricity.
Throw curveballs and use the environment before you get surrounded.