Dead Island 2 had an incredible release in 2023, with many players falling in love with the mindless zombie-killing gore and incredible story. What really sets Dead Island 2 apart from the other zombie titles is the variety of zombies players encountered throughout their exploration of Hell-A.
This didn't only cover the regular zombies that came with their own variants but also the more challenging zombies known as Apex Variants. Players were gradually introduced to these zombie types throughout the main story of Dead Island 2, with some of them being more of a challenge to defeat than others. These eight are by far the most challenging for players to overcome.
8 Bursters
Bursters die quickly, but if a player is unaware of their presence, then they are likely to take a lot of unnecessary damage. Unlike many of the other Apex Variants on the list, players will want to keep their distance when attacking Bursters.
This doesn't exactly make them difficult, but a player that is lacking in an available Shuriken or doesn't want to risk throwing a melee weapon will struggle to take them down. It also depends on the situation for Bursters, as attacking them in the open is a lot easier than the possible tight corridors of the Sewers or Metro.
7 Firestorm Slobbers
While the regular Apex Variant Slobber in itself is a tough battle to work around, eventually there will even be variants of these Apex Variants that appear around Hell-A. The Firestorm Slobber replaces its once acid bile with fire that leaves the ground burning around it.
While it carries a lot of weaknesses to it, the hardest challenge for a Slayer is being able to get close enough without being set alight. Having a handy Chem Bomb equipped or searching for an opening is the only way of getting past these flames as it's far more beneficial to attack them up close, even if it is dangerous.
6 Inferno Crushers
Continuing on the theme of flaming zombies, the Inferno Crusher is another zombie that players are likely to have a problem defeating in Dead Island 2. While the regular Crusher is something players will master defeating early on, the Inferno Crusher is sure to set the ground ablaze every time it overhead smashes.
Similar to the Firestorm Slobber, this foe's flames can be temporarily quelled by using the Chem Bomb, though it will quickly set itself ablaze again. Learning how to avoid the fire while remaining up close is the only way to win this battle.
5 Putrefied Slobbers
Slobbers continue to be one of the most challenging Apex Variants in the game. The Putrefied Slobber manages to not only annoy the player in combat but also out of direct combat as its fleshy bombs that stick to surfaces tend to hide out of sight in future missions of Dead Island 2.
If hit by a bile bomb, the player will not only take a lot of initial damage but also begin to bleed profusely. Unlike the usual Slobber, this creature filled with explosive Bile is immune to bleed damage which therefore forces the player to find alternatives to deal with the large zombie before the battlefield becomes a bile minefield.
4 Voltaic Screamers
Screamers themselves are arguably one of the easier Apex Variants for players to deal with. Especially as a lot of her power is through summoning other zombies to do the dirty work for her and then enraging them to hit harder. Meanwhile, Voltaic Screamers are able to not only summon a crowd to deal with the player, her screams now also electrocute them.
This makes Voltaic Screamers a lot harder to deal with as players won't be able to slowly advance to her through her slow screams as it will injure them. Not to mention that her swipes are also incredibly lethal, making this zombie better to deal with from afar if players don't want to risk using blunt damage.
3 Butchers
The difficulty of Apex Variant zombies takes quite a leap when it comes to Butchers as they are not only incredibly tedious to deal with but also have a large amount of defense as well as lethal attacks. If those two things aren't horrible enough to hear, when the Butcher's health begins to lower, it will run away to eat and regain all its health back if not interrupted.
The only way to really deal with a Butcher in many situations is through brute force of quickly dispatching them before they can continue the cycle of healing. This isn't made any easier when their blade arms are immune to all damage as well as Butchers, in general, being resistant to bleed, fire, and blunt.
2 Vicious Butchers
If Butchers weren't hard enough already, they too have another variation known as Vicious Butchers that continue to be just as lethal as the regular kind. However, this zombie doesn't even need to run away to find corpses to feed on, as it will happily eat from itself to gain back its health.
Players may find it easier to simply run away when encountering a Vicious Butcher as hitting it will only make it more aggressive, and therefore it will hit harder and quicker in the hope of defeating and devouring the Slayer.
1 Mutators
Unsurprisingly, the hardest Apex Variant of zombie for players to deal with is the last variant players uncover through the Dead Island 2 story. The Mutator may at first look like any other regular zombie when encountered in the wild; however, after being alerted, it will quickly mutate into a monster that rivals Dead Space.
Thankfully Mutators are incredibly rare to encounter when roaming, and therefore players are less likely to find themselves under attack constantly. This doesn't stop them from being a challenge when they do find the Slayer, though.
Dead Island 2 is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.