Dead Island 2 Gameplay Showcase Features Zombie Kills, Weapons Galore, and Alexa Integration

Dead Island 2’s gameplay showcase has arrived and it gave fans a gory, brutal, and fun look at the upcoming zombie apocalypse game that is set to be released on April 28, 2023.

The showcase featured gameplay and details delivered via a live-action “pulp adventure” that starred three characters also living in a zombie apocalypse. They happen upon a mansion in Los Angeles that happens to have Dead Island 2, and that’s how we learn more about the game.

The bloody star of the show was the ‘Welcome to HELL-A’ gameplay trailer that gave us our best look yet at Dead Island 2 in action. On display were the game’s brutal combat system that see zombie limbs flying every which way, the wide array of weapons and ways to customize them to a devastating and awesome effect, and the cast of zombies that come in all shapes and sizes.

The zombies themselves were the star of the show and the trailer showcased the variety of enemy types players will face off against in Dead Island 2. There was everything from massive zombies to smart zombies to noisy zombies to ones that literally look like walking skeletons. The last one really emphasized that zombies in this world have different levels of decay.

Dead Island 2’s combat system features katanas, machetes, swords, hammers, guns, and more, and the battle with the undead is cranked up to 11 with the ‘Fully Locational Evisceration System for Humanoids (F.L.E.S.H.)’ that lets you kill zombies in countless, horrific ways.

As if weapons weren’t enough, Dead Island 2 will also allow players to take advantage of the fact that they have been bitten to unleash powerful attacks. Using this infection to your benefit puts you into a bit of an overdrive mode and zombies will wish they would have stayed dead.

Dead Island 2’s HELL-A Limited Edition, Amy Statue, and Alexa Voice Control

Alongside the gameplay, the Dead Island 2 showcase also gave fans a look at the game’s limited HELL-A Edition. This package includes the Season Pass, an exclusive steelbook, a Venice Beach map, Dead Island 2 pins and patch, unique slayer cards, and a handful of bonus weapons – Sam B’s Pistol, Abuela’s Ashes Mace, Eye Opener, and Homewrecker.

Players who pre-order any edition of Dead Island 2 will be gifted the Memories of Banoi pack that includes the Banoi War Club and Banoi War Bat, two weapons that honor the original game, and a skill card.

For players looking for a bit more, there will also be a hand-painted resin collector’s figurine of Amy, one of the main characters who, for this statue, is ‘chilling in the iconic Burger 66 diner after a zombie slaying session.’ The figurine can be purchased exclusively at www.DeadIsland.com

Lastly, the showcase previewed some of the Alexa integration in Dead Island 2, which will allow players to perform such actions as getting a zombie’s attention, automatically equip their favorite weapon, or activating their zombie powers.

Dead Island 2 is set to be released on April 28, 2023, on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via the Epic Games Store.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.