

Alongside those special character traits is the inclusion of skill cards that are spread out across the following categories - Abilities, Survivor, Slayer, and Numen. It's worth noting that each playable "Slayer" comes with their own signature stats, which will play a big part in how you approach combat during subsequent playthroughs. My first trek through HELL-A was with the rocking Englishman who looks just like Lenny Kravitz, Jacob. From a graphical and audio standpoint, Dead Island 2 shines.

The sounds that come from the blood-curdling cries of "Screamers" and the bone-crunching swings of your sledgehammer against zombies' heads are highly commendable. You'll have an even better time traversing each section of the game once the sun goes down - you'll feel a bit tense as you bump into special zombie types that you'll hear go bump in the night before you encounter them face-to-face. It's pretty fun when you make your way through those areas in the daytime and are treated to the shockingly impressive visual splendor on display - simply put, Dead Island 2 looks pretty damn good. HELL-A is a lot more varied than one might think - you'll run across beachside hangouts, boardwalk carnivals, sewers, military bases, etc.

I agree with the sentiment that not every game needs to be a massive open-world endeavor - Dead Island 2 avoids that error since it makes the simple task of exploring less of a chore and more of a rewarding activity thanks to the implementation of interconnected hubs. Moving to another area doesn't feel extremely overwhelming since each area is sectioned off from each other and sizable enough to give you its own litany of side missions and collectibles to go out of your way to discover. Like the first Dead Island, players will be tasked with navigating large sections of the game's vast open world. Never mind that geographical error, however - exploring the sunnyside locales of both hub areas ends up being a highly engrossing undertaking. So let's get the obvious out of the way first - Los Angeles and San Francisco are not considered islands whatsoever.
