Dead Island 2 Review Roundup: Mixed Takes on Its Zombie Combat and Depth

Dead Island 2 has spent almost a decade in development limbo, which naturally set expectations at an uneasy level. Against those odds, the flood of newly published reviews paints a surprisingly split picture: some reviewers complain that the game doesn’t offer much in terms of depth, while others argue it delivers exactly what it promises—high-impact zombie combat, a striking post-apocalyptic version of Los Angeles, and enough momentum to keep playing past the main story.

In other words, Dead Island 2 seems to understand a simple truth: if the core loop is satisfying, the rest can be good enough. Here’s how critics have broken down the experience.

What the better scores focus on: gore-forward combat and LA’s swagger

GamesHub’s managing editor, Edmond Tran, landed on a positive verdict, describing the game as “a satisfying, perpetual cycle of gory combat, set in sunny surroundings that are just inviting enough to keep you going.” For Tran, the charm isn’t subtle—it’s the ongoing rhythm of hacking, smashing, and watching enemies fall apart, wrapped in a bright, inviting atmosphere.

Tran also framed the game’s colorful presentation as something that doesn’t need to fully justify itself. The “extraneous colour and flavour” can be seen as a flashy cover that still works because the real substance is the constant, visceral melee—“a cocktail of extreme queasiness,” with gore and body parts flying in every direction. In that sense, the reviewer’s takeaway is that the game fulfills its own promise.

• Gory, repetitive melee combat is seen as the main reason to play
• Bright Southern California visuals help sell the fantasy
• Some reviewers treat the style as a thin layer over pure “kill zombies” momentum

Mixed ideas, steady fun: paradise vibes and varied zombie-hunting

Press Start Australia’s James Berich was less impressed by the game’s bigger concepts, but he still highlighted two major strengths: close-quarters combat and its idealized California setting. In his view, the world design is the hook—ranging from hillside neighborhoods like Bel-Air to the sunny coastline of Venice Beach—capturing a “sense of paradise.”

Berich drew a comparison to the earlier Dead Island, noting that the series’ “paradise” feeling is present, just expressed differently. He also acknowledged shortcomings, yet said he continued having fun. Even playing alone, he didn’t tire of wiping out endless zombie waves in ways that felt “exciting and varied,” despite the expectation that such a loop might grow stale “on paper.”

Why the game still lands for some: identity, systems, and momentum

Video Games Chronicle reviewer Jordan Middler wasn’t deterred by what he felt was campaign blandness. He described Dead Island 2 as “unabashed zombie schlock,” emphasizing that the game has a distinct personality rather than trying to be more serious than it is.

For Middler, the experience is “extremely silly,” “comically violent,” and consistently enjoyable. He singled out the slapstick-style spectacle of limbs flying off in every direction, saying it’s difficult not to smile while playing. He also pointed to the skill system and the breadth of weapons as reasons the pace stays fresh throughout the brisk main campaign, which he characterized as roughly 15 hours. The reward loop, in his telling, is repeatedly “liberating heads from the shoulders” of undead enemies around Hollywood.

Where criticism concentrates: story afterthoughts, gunplay, originality, and depth

GameSpot’s Mark Delaney offered a more nuanced endorsement. He praised the game’s combat overall, but his opinion of its gunplay wasn’t as generous. Delaney said the game is a “minor miracle” given how long it took to reach players. He also argued that it’s in a condition where players can have fun both during the story and after it, even if the story itself is treated as secondary.

At the same time, Delaney called out multiple weaknesses. He cited a lackluster story, poor gunplay, and some balancing concerns as factors that hold the game back. Still, he concluded that the deep melee combat systems and the setting make Dead Island 2 better than the original—an important point, especially when viewed in light of the game’s troubled history.

Not every review landed on that side. PC Gamer’s Lewis Parker was notably tougher. He described the experience as “a crash corpse in designed a game with no backbone,” and criticized the lack of originality and surprises. While he conceded that the game’s technical performance is impressive and that the combat feels responsive and intuitive, he argued it doesn’t overcome the title’s broader problems.

Parker specifically noted that the gameplay barely changes across the game’s roughly 20-hour campaign, which makes the lack of progression feel more damaging than it might in a shorter loop.

Taken together, the overall pattern is clear: Dead Island 2 looks like it will satisfy players who mainly want a brutal, repeatable zombie-killing routine. But the recurring complaint—especially about insufficient depth—may push away players who want a more substantial narrative or long-term evolution in systems. As a result, the game may be something of an acquired taste, where trying it firsthand matters more than trusting the pitch.

Dead Island 2 launches for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PC on 21 April 2023.

Release context and community-facing details

The game’s availability spans both current and last-generation consoles as well as PC, which helps explain why review impressions vary so widely—players can experience the combat loop in different performance and control environments, but the core structure remains the same: melee-forward zombie slaying set against a post-apocalyptic Los Angeles.

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