Last year brought a plethora of outstanding games to both PC and consoles, highlighted by the unexpected arrival of Dead Island 2. After being mired in development limbo for what felt like an eternity, Dead Island 2 may not have been a Game of the Year contender, but it certainly packed a lot of quirky appeal. For those who have been eagerly awaiting its release, the upcoming Dead Island 2: Ultimate Edition offers the base game along with a wealth of additional content for $70. This edition is set to launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X on October 22, with preorders now open.
If you missed the initial release, Dead Island 2 is a horror-action first-person title set in Los Angeles, which has been overrun by zombies. The game boasts a great sense of humor, a variety of engaging gameplay mechanics, and stands as one of the best 7/10 games of 2023. While it does have its share of annoyances, the positives significantly outweigh the negatives.
"Games deemed to be in 'development hell' often emerge in a state that few would desire—if they ever see the light of day. With Dead Island 2, however, Dambuster Studios manages to shake off a decade of development woes as if they were a zombie lunging at its throat, delivering an imperfect yet enjoyable and innovative undead RPG," Mark Delaney noted in GameSpot's review of Dead Island 2.
