Yes you read the title correctly. Dead Island 2 was officially announced just today and it’s coming to the Xbox One, Series X/S, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, PC via Epic Games Store, and I guess Goggle Stadia February 3rd, 2023.

Gamescom 2022 opened today with a slew of announcements, and this being one of the most surprising of all (with one of the most epic and gruesome CGI game trailers ever). Many will remember when this game was first announced in 2014 with a gory but lighthearted CGI trailer. With development being tossed around like a hot potato, it seems like Deep Silver Dambuster Studios has kept said potato. Deep Silver acquired the studio in 2014, and rebranded them from their former moniker Free Radical Design who famously worked on the Timesplitters series, and in recent years took over development of the Homefront: Revolution.

Dead Island 2 is a first-person action RPG set in the hellish, apocalyptic landscape of Los Angeles, nicknamed “HELL-A.” As the zombie apocalypse ravaged the city, the military quarantine and abandoned the city when all hell broke loose, and left the survivors alone to fend for themselves. Your character has been bitten, but seemingly resistant to turning into a zombie. Instead, your character’s been able to harness their “powers”, trying to figure out how you’re going to use this power for good and help humanity. Expect plenty of dark humor and witty dialogue in your adventure.

The entirety of HELL-A is at your disposal in this open-world sandbox as you bash in zombies brains on Venice Beach, and decapitate heads in Beverly Hills. If the gameplay trailer above indicates anything, there’s TONS of ways to brutally kill, maime, slaughter, burn, and implode the shambling hordes of zombies standing in your way. There are dozens of zombie types to go after, all with their own special abilities and attributes that will test your creativity in killing, as well as your tactics and strategy.

There are six characters to choose from, each with their own unique dialogue and personality, and all have unique skill trees to truly customize your experience. The campaign itself is up to three player co-op, and offers tons of side quests and events, so there’s plenty to do in HELL-A.

Dead Island 2 will also be incorporating Alexa Game Control into the gameplay. Reminiscent of the Kinect feature in a few Xbox 360 games way back, Alexa Game Control (developed by Alexa Games) will let you use your own voice in the game.

“Gamers will enjoy a more immersive gaming experience by using their voice to goad zombies, ask for help, activate special abilities during combat, and more, without having to say ‘Alexa,’ use an Echo device, or purchase any special hardware.”

Steve Bernstein, Director of Alexa Games

Never thought I’d see voice features make their way back into video games, but now it looks like it’s back, and without the use of any additional peripherals.

Follow Dead Island 2 on their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for additional updates leading up to the game’s release this coming February. Are you pleasantly surprised and looking forward to getting your hands on this game? Sound off in the comments, and head over to our Discord at the link or use the QR code at the bottom of the page to let us know!

Source: PLAION Games