Dead Island 2’s long-anticipated release has been welcomed with open arms by many long-term fans of the franchise, who have waited well over a decade for a follow-up installment to the zombie survival IP. Sensibly, the game maintains a lot of the core game mechanics of its 2011 predecessor, but of course, adds its own improvements and expansions to this framework in order to please fans and curate its own identity.
One of the main appeals ofDead Island 2concerns the eccentric and varied ways in which players can tackle the zombie threat, with much of its core gameplay seeing the player collect, craft, and modify a wide arsenal of weapons. While hacking and slashing with melee weapons may be more synonymous with the franchise’s combat,Dead Island 2also boasts a range of firearms. At face value, these particular weapons offer a safer and more deadly alternative to melee combat, yet the guns ofDead Island 2are in need of a serious buff if they are to be considered weapons worth using.
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While some fans may not remember, guns have always been an element ofDead Island’s combat, being present within the original title as well as inDead Island: Riptide. Alongside melee weapons and throwables, firearms have long been one of the main three avenues of fighting within the franchise. Unlike the much more common method of melee combat, guns inDead Islanddo not deplete stamina when used, and additionally do not require repairs after extended use.
By allowing players to engage threats from a distance, the primary downside to firearms inDead Islandis the rare nature of ammunition, as well as guns themselves. There is a huge range of different weapon categories that can be used by the player, with weapons also being able to be modded in the same way that melee weapons can. With the resultant depth and variety that is present withinthe gunplay of theDead Islandfranchise, many were delighted to hear of its return withDead Island 2, although many feel the current state of the new release’s firearms is lackluster at best.
The range ofweapons inDead Island 2excels beyond that of its predecessors, with the game boasting many different choices in the way of melee weapons and firearms. Like previous games, the guns ofDead Island 2maintain the same rarity as before, with guns themselves being hard to come by and ammo being relatively rare.
Given the relative difficulty behindobtaining and being able to use firearms inDead Island 2, many feel that the current state of guns is far too underpowered, and is in need of serious change. While higher-end guns can be useful in certain situations, it remains that the vast majority ofDead Island 2’sencounters are better tackled with the much easier-to-acquire and upgrade melee weapons of the game.
This particular controversy could be easily remedied by a dedicated buff toDead Island 2’s guns, with there likely being many tweaks and changes for other mechanics in the coming weeks. The main way to go about this buff would simply be to increase the damage that firearms do across the board, as well as to increase the presence of ammo available in the game world via natural exploration. Whilethe long-awaited launch ofDead Island 2has been well-received in most aspects, some dedicated improvements to the game’s firearms would be a very welcome change.
Dead Island 2is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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