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It's been approaching a decade since the reveal of Dead Island 2, the highly sequel to the 2011 zombie survival game Dead Island. Since its proclamation, the game has undergone multiple changes in development, with different studios taking over the project. The initial of Dead Island 2 was being developed by Spec Ops: The Line developer Yager, but Techland, the developer behind the original, had separated ways with the franchise and was working on Dying Light. In 2016, publisher Deep Silver handed the reins over to LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital, but then in 2019, Deep Silver announced that Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster Studios, 4bestprofessionalgames2.wordpress.com, would be taking over the project. Dambuster Studios has been working on Dead Island 2 since 2018, starting off with a blank canvas.
Despite the shifts in development and the possibility to create a new setting, Dambuster Studios has decided to stick with the original location: Los Angeles, California. In-game and at the studio, this location is referred to as "Hell-A". Game director David Stenton mentioned there was never much debate about setting the game in a new location, as LA offered so much opportunity for the game they wanted to make. Stenton also stated that the team is not looking too closely at the past or other games, but rather focusing on how to make Dead Island 2 "absolutely phenomenal" and bring it up to date for fans to enjoy.
It's worth pointing out that while the team may have a strong in LA as the ideal setting for Dead Island 2, it's also likely that they chose to stick with the location that fans have been waiting for the sequel for nearly a decade. The original logo for the game, announced in 2014, featured the Golden Gate Bridge, an iconic landmark of San Francisco. However, Dambuster Studios has confirmed that Dead Island 2 will take place only in LA and will not include any other California locations in the main campaign.
Despite the lengthy development process and the changes in development studios, Dead Island 2 is finally set to release in April of this year. The game promises to bring a fresh on the zombie survival genre, with a focus on combat and the iconic setting of LA.
Feedback:
As a big fan of the first Dead Island, I'm ecstatic to see what Dambuster Studios brings to the table with Dead Island 2. While it's been a long wait for the sequel, it's heartening to see the team starting with a blank canvas and focusing on delivering a game that they believe will be "absolutely phenomenal". I'm intrigued to see how the team utilizes the setting of LA and if they are able to bring something new zombie survival genre. I'm also hoping that the game will offer a fulfilling continuation of the story from the first Dead Island, although I'm not getting my hopes up on that front. Overall, I'm cautiously optimistic about Dead Island 2 and am eager to diving into the game when it releases in April.