Summary
- Dead Island 2 exceeded low expectations with its quality, story, and characters, leading to a successful launch in 2023.
- Fans eagerly await a possible sequel. A second expansion pass could keep the community engaged with more content.
- The future of Dead Island 2 remains uncertain, with potential for continued story expansions to increase the game's value and lifespan.
Dead Island 2 was perhaps one of the biggest success stories of 2023, primarily because expectations were set rather low for it after continual reports of a rocky development cycle. Gamers everywhere were pleasantly surprised by the overall quality of Dead Island 2, including its gameplay, story, and characters. Developer Dambuster Studios then went on to release Dead Island 2: Haus, a DLC expansion for the game that garnered plenty of attention, even with what many have considered a rather abnormal ending. Now, with its second DLC expansion, SOLA Festival, just around the corner, one wonders what's in store for the franchise beyond that.
A sequel to Dead Island 2 has yet to be announced. However, Dambuster previously confirmed that it is prepared for Dead Island 3, so fans should expect the franchise to move in that direction, especially in light of Dead Island 2's success. Since there were twelve years between Dead Island and Dead Island 2, despite that being due in large part to development issues, fans will likely still have to wait years before another sequel arrives. As such, Dambuster may want to consider moving a bit further with Dead Island 2 in the process — namely, in the way of offering a second expansion pass with even more content for the game.
Dambuster Should Consider a Second Expansion Pass for Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 would be missing a big opportunity if the game receives no additional content after the release of SOLA Festival. Since Dead Island 2's launch, many fans have consistently expressed their desire for more endgame content in the game; even playing through the story with each of its six Slayers can leave one wanting more. While Haus provided a few hours of extra content for players to enjoy, it still hasn't proven enough to keep them back in the game long-term. The hope is that SOLA Festival will accomplish that to some degree, but that's unlikely if it functions similarly to HAUS both in terms of length and gameplay.
Dead Island 2's Story Doesn't Have to End Yet
While expectations are high for SOLA Festival to wrap up the main story's massive cliffhanger, continuing to leave it open-ended after the next DLC could be an opportunity for even more story expansions to be added to the game. Simply giving players a reason to return to and remain in the world of Dead Island 2 after SOLA Festival's credits roll could be enough, but something more substantial in the form of additional story content may be a better route to take. As such, a second expansion pass might be the best option for Dambuster to consider, both to satisfy the requests of Dead Island 2's loyal fans and to increase the overall value and lifespan of the game in the process.
Dead Island's Future is Unclear For Now
There are currently no known plans by Dambuster to continue expanding upon Dead Island 2's story after the release of SOLA Festival. However, as many fans have expressed their enjoyment of Dead Island 2 and their want for more content, Dambuster would be leaving money on the table without obliging them, especially if Dead Island 3's release won't be happening for several years. At the very least, providing players with a worthwhile reason to dive back into Dead Island 2 and remain there for an extended period of time would keep the zombie survival game at the forefront of everyone's minds and continue to pave the way for a sequel.
Dead Island 2
- Released
- April 21, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
The open-world zombie slaying action RPG makes its long-awaited return. Dead Island is back, and with it comes a host of enhancements to its winning combination of creative first-person zombie slaying, pitch-black humor and open-world exploration. Welcome to HELL-A. The City of Angels has been transformed into a hellish sprawl, its populace now mutated into disgusting zombies with an insatiable appetite for humans. In this extensive, visceral RPG experience you’ll journey to iconic LA locations, taking on quests, meeting eccentric survivors and enjoying a joyously pulpy narrative along the way. The game’s brutal melee combat gives you access to an expansive array of inventive zombie-slaying weaponry that lets you slice, smash and tear through the hordes before they get the chance to do the same to you. Can you survive HELL-A?
- Developer(s)
- Dambuster Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
- Franchise
- Dead Island
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 15 Hours
- Metascore
- 73
- PS Plus Availability
- Extra & Premium
