Dead Island 2, the sequel to the popular 2011 video game Dead Island, was announced by publisher Deep Silver in 2014. The game was set to be set in Los Angeles, with a possibility of also featuring San Francisco, causing excitement among fans. One question on many minds, however, was why the sequel was set in a city rather than an island like the original game.
To answer this question, I traveled to Nottingham, England to visit Dambuster Studios, the team behind the development of Dead Island 2. Lead narrative designer Khan explained that Los Angeles has become an island metaphorically speaking. In the game, the city is quarantined and cut off from the rest of the world after a zombie outbreak occurs and the evacuation of LA is attempted. The decision is made to quarantine the city in order to allow the infection to run its course and hopefully die off. As a result, no one can enter or leave the city, causing it to be cut off like an island.
This explanation serves as the lore for why Los Angeles is the setting for a game series about being stranded on an island with zombies. There are also practical reasons for the choice of setting, such as the iconic and easily marketable location of Los Angeles and its variety compared to the resort island setting of the original game. It is also likely that the developers at Dambuster Studios found it fun and enjoyable to design a zombie game set in the city.
During my conversations with the team at Dambuster, the developers described the game’s setting as “postcard” Los Angeles. The open-hub design of the city will allow players to visit iconic locations such as Bel-Air, Hollywood, the Santa Monica Pier, and Venice Beach. These locations have been caricatured to some degree to match the over-the-top gore and larger-than-life characters in the game.
Players will also encounter a variety of characters and factions with their own motivations and agendas as they progress through the game. The story of Dead Island 2 will unfold based on the choices and decisions made by the player. Despite the zombie apocalypse setting, the developers wanted to maintain the vibrant and colorful atmosphere of Los Angeles, described as a “fantasy version” of the city with a “Hollywood lens.”
In addition to the immersive story and setting, Dead Island 2 also promises to have exciting gameplay with new weapons and items to discover and use. The developers at Dambuster Studios have worked to keep the gameplay fresh and enjoyable. Dead Island 2 is sure to be a hit among fans of the zombie genre when it is released.
