Dead Island 2 is set to drop players into the streets of Hell-A to fight hordes of the undead in the hopes of surviving and maybe even escaping. Dead Island 2 will launch with six playable characters, each with their own innate skills and backstories, numerous weapons that can be modified to the player’s content, and the option to enjoy zombie slaying alongside a friend in co-op. The game will also feature multiple zombie types, and while the full list of undead creatures coming to the game has not been released, the three types that have been revealed paint a picture of an action-packed game with tons of different zombies to encounter.
Dead Island 2 has been eleven years in the making, and while the first game was not a massive success, the sequel seems to be taking things to the next level. Thanks to the new FLESH system in Dead Island 2, zombie kills will look even more gruesome, and with the various types of zombies coming to the game, players can expect to have many gore-filled sessions in Hell-A. Dead Island 2 has confirmed three overarching zombie types coming to the game, with more yet to be revealed prior to the launch of the game, forcing players to stay on their toes while patrolling the streets.
Infected
Infected are the classic zombies with no real special abilities and will likely be the most populous type of zombies in Dead Island 2. So far, the game has revealed three types of Infected: Shamblers, Walkers, and Runners, with the main difference between the three being how long they have been zombies. In Dead Island 2, the older an Infected is, the more it rots, and as a result the less mobile it becomes, so freshly turned Infected will be able to keep up with most players, while older ones are usually slow, with some even forced to crawl.
Shamblers are the old zombies with decaying bodies that are ready to fall apart, making them easy to deal with individually. However, they are likely to move in large groups, so they can easily surround an unsuspecting player. Walkers are the zombies that every player is already used to seeing; they are not quick, but will move in large groups and will likely be the most populous group of zombies in Dead Island 2. The last revealed infected is the Runner, which are freshly turned zombies that still have the capability of chasing down players, making them a tricky enemy to face.
Apex Zombies
Apex zombies will be the biggest threat for most players in Dead Island 2 due to their unique abilities that can quickly change the tide of a fight using special attacks or by attracting other zombies to the area. Each of the three revealed Apex zombies - Screamers, Slobbers, and Crushers - possess abilities that can quickly take out a low-level player in Dead Island 2, making them important to avoid or eliminate as fast as possible. Further, Apex zombies are unlikely to be alone, as players should expect to encounter them around other types of zombies, making dealing with them a lot trickier than it seems.
Screamers demand that the player relies on stealth to sneak up and take them out quietly, since failing to do so will lead to the zombie letting out a loud scream that could not only disorient the player but also bring in large numbers of zombies to their location. Slobbers possess the ability to fire off toxic vomit that can harm a player and even block off escape routes, giving them long-ranged attacks. Finally, the Crushers are huge and powerful zombies that will be extremely difficult to stop, especially for unsuspecting players. They will not only attack humans, as they can also swing at other zombies, perhaps even hurling zombies at the player.
Variants
Variants are zombies that fall into the Infected or Apex type that have certain mutations that make them extremely dangerous to players. These mutations not only make these zombies dangerous, but they will also force the player to switch their strategy when dealing with them. For example, Runners can be dealt with using melee, but Spiky Runners will cause damage to the player that tries to punch or kick them. Thankfully, there is a way to take away these mutations from some of the Variants by using throwable items, though that does not fully stop them from being lethal since many of them will turn back into an Infected or Apex zombie.
The first of the confirmed Variants is the Inferno Crusher, which is a Crusher that is set on fire and makes fire-modded weapons useless, forcing players to first extinguish the flames before dealing with their brute strength. The aforementioned Spiky Runners are simply Runners with shards of glass or pieces of barbed wire sticking out of their flesh, which will hurt any player that decides to get in close and cause melee damage. Finally, the Grenadier Walker is the somewhat armored Walker with live grenades attached to its body that can blow up when hit by a player, but they can also be used to quickly take out big groups of undead in Dead Island 2.
Dead Island 2 will fill the streets of L.A. with countless undead for the players to fight, and while these nine types will appear, the game will likely feature many more zombies that have not yet been revealed. Players will need to use everything at their disposal, from stealth tactics to modded weapons and skill cards to ensure their survival in Hell-A. Thankfully, Dead Island 2’s six Slayers are perfectly equipped to handle any undead problem that could arise, and will undoubtedly enjoy taking out the various types of zombies in the game.
Dead Island 2 launches on April 21 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.