E3 2014: Dead Island 2 brings the infection to the mainland

The zombie scourge spreads from the tropics to mainland California in the US, as the Golden State becomes the setting for the first numbered sequel to the hit zombie melee-fest, Dead Island 2. Think there’s an awesome trailer to go along with the announcement? Yup.

Seriously, does anyone have better trailers than the DI series? True there’ve only been two including this newest video, but they’re both so awesome (in almost completely different ways) that I think they deserve some serious recognition. And these games tend to be more than just a pretty trailer too as Dead Island and Riptide both had an interesting mix of RPG and FPS, combined with a melee combat engine that no other game is really doing right now.

For Dead Island 2, Deep Silver has contracted developer Yager, which is a departure from the usual debs at Techland. Yager has a similar theme cooked up for DI2, but with a new setting and what might be a much larger playground. Using the Unreal Engine 4, the game will also offer a robust 8 player multiplayer experience, which is double that of its predecessor. Yager is also promising in-game systems that’ll let players truly not only craft their weapons, but also their heroes through the use of an “in-depth” skill system and several classes like berserker and hunter.

Several months after the events on Banoi, the United States military has put the Golden State under full quarantine. Now a restricted zone, California has become a bloody paradise for those who refuse to leave their homes and an action-packed playground for renegades who seek adventure, glory and a fresh start. Combining the classic Dead Island elements of immersive close combat, action and role-playing, Dead Island 2 features crazy, never-before-seen handcrafted weapons and over-the-top characters in taking players from the iconic Golden Gate to the celebrated beachfront boardwalk of southern California’s Venice Beach.

A next-gen only game, Dead Island 2 is set to infect the PC, Xbox One, and PS4 some time in the spring of 2015.