Lifeless Island 2 was introduced just some years after the discharge of the primary Lifeless Island and slightly over a 12 months after Lifeless Island Riptide – the forgettable and repetitive sequel that did, a minimum of, proceed the story of the primary sport’s survivors. Writer Deep Silver launched some spinoffs after Riptide, like Escape Lifeless Island, Lifeless Island: Epidemic, and the 16-bit beat ‘em up Lifeless Island Retro Revenge, however a full-scale, numbered sequel hasn’t but occurred, regardless of being introduced practically a decade in the past.
The primary iteration of Lifeless Island 2 was helmed by Spec Ops: The Line developer Yager, as Lifeless Island developer Techland had parted methods with the property and labored on Dying Mild. Deep Silver then handed over improvement of the sport to LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital in 2016, however then, in 2019, Deep Silver introduced that Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster Studios can be dealing with Lifeless Island 2. And that studio has been engaged on this sport since 2018. In my cowl story journey to Dambuster’s Nottingham, England studio, numerous members on the group advised me it began with a contemporary, clear slate for Lifeless Island 2. However curiously, Lifeless Island 2, due out in April, continues to be set in Los Angeles, California, the setting revealed within the sport’s first reveal trailer in 2014.
![Dead Island 2 Dead Island 2 Dambuster Studios Deep Silver](https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/12/20/7eaca1e0/venice_streets_thug.jpg)
Regardless of seemingly having the chance to make Lifeless Island 2 exactly what it needed it to be in each method, Dambuster caught with LA, lovingly referred to in-game and by the studio as Hell-A. I requested sport director David Stenton about this resolution and apparently, a distinct setting was by no means actually on the desk.
“I don’t bear in mind there being lots of debate about doing something aside from LA,” Stenton tells me. “I feel for us, we needed to use actual focus to the sport… to the fight and that additionally extends to the setting as properly. LA is such a unbelievable iconic location, we didn’t actually really feel like we wanted to usher in another areas.”
Stenton is probably going alluding to the sport’s authentic emblem when it was first revealed in 2014. The D in “Lifeless” options the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco’s iconic landmark. Dambuster tells me that Lifeless Island 2 will happen in Los Angeles solely, so don’t plan on making your solution to San Francisco or another California areas in the primary marketing campaign.
“It simply offers us a lot alternative… for the sport that we needed to make, so it wasn’t actually an enormous debate,” Stenton says.
![Dead Island 2 Dead Island 2 Dambuster Studios Deep Silver](https://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2022/12/20/a1d52d3b/ds_pier_screamer.jpg)
It’s necessary to notice, nonetheless, that regardless of what the group says about sticking with LA, utilizing the identical location from the unique reveal – the placement followers have assumed Lifeless Island 2 takes place in for practically a decade – doesn’t harm the advertising of this sport. Whereas the group feels assured LA is the place for its zombie sport, it may additionally simply have made the choice to stay with the placement followers have presumed as this sequel’s setting for therefore lengthy.
“We began with a clear slate, completely, with our personal imaginative and prescient,” Stenton says. “We’re not trying an excessive amount of at form of what occurred previously or too many different video games on the market. We’re simply actually targeted on, ‘How can we need to make Lifeless Island 2 completely phenomenal?’ and convey it updated and ship a sport that we expect followers will actually take pleasure in.”
For extra, learn our characteristic about why Dambuster Studios thinks Los Angeles makes for an amazing Lifeless Island expertise, even when the town isn’t an precise island.
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