Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 315 sampled Steam reviews (250 positive / 65 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing30% mention it
- Combat13% mention it
- Visuals & art12% mention it
- Bugs & crashes6% mention it
- Grind & repetition5% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing38% mention it
- Combat17% mention it
- Visuals & art12% mention it
- Bugs & crashes12% mention it
- Multiplayer & servers9% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
51%
55 reviews
5-15h
76%
82 reviews
15-40h
88%
108 reviews
40-100h
93%
55 reviews
100h+
93%
15 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 75 | 146 |
| Creator reviews (4 tracked) | – | 75 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 77% | 72 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 74 | 453 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 77% | 72 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Dec 10, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 16276 total reviews in window · weighted 191.3 up / 37.1 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (200)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“Dead Island 2’s witty lines, weapon system, and combat customization options save it from obscurity, but let’s hope the next installment offers a lot more variety and creativity to compete with the other zombie titles out there doing it better.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“As a mindless distraction played while mentally checked out, Dead Island 2 has merit. It is enjoyable for good periods of time, and it’s done a solid job of refining the messy hack n’ slash of the original game while improving ranged combat alongside it. As fun as all the zombie slaying can be, however, an intense lack of variety coupled with dreary exploration is outright exhausting at times, and I wouldn’t blame any player for moving on long before finishing the story. It’s not a game that’s entertaining while it lasts - it’s entertaining while you last. ”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dead Island 2 is a straight-up Hollywood ride. We are supported by a "flash" system that creates a symphony of destruction with every strike. The reactive environment highlights this symphony we can use for our destruction. This is primarily thanks to the reactions of electricity and fire. Unfortunately, there are scripted gameplay and procedures behind the RPG elements and the open world. However, these adverse facts did not prevent us from enjoying the game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A vibrant zombie action game which came out and didn't disappoint - against all odds. Artists did a great job recreating Los-Angeles, designers made locations fun to explore, and gamers received a great, engaging game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dead Island 2 is a pleasant surprise, but unfortunately it doesn't offer anything new. I’d go so far as to say it’s just a better version of its predecessor. It’s a bit more fun, more brutal, more polished, and definitely works better in co-op mode. Still, after nine years of development, I would have expected something more. The combat system is flawless, and destroying the undead is the best part.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dead Island 2 straddles the line between these wins and its demonstrable failures.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Dead Island 2 has its fair share of technical issues but there is still an extremely satisfying, if imperfect, zombie-slaying adventure here.”
read full review ↗ - 84
“Dead Island 2 is a great sequel. This provides an easy choice when looking for reasons to play it. If you know what to expect, you will find plenty and more. Don’t ask for too much, and you will surely have a blast. A genuinely bloody blast indeed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dead Island 2 does not fool you into thinking it's another deep virtual drama or an epic RPG. It's simply a great action comedy designed to make you relax, provided you like bloody hordes of zombies.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Dead Island 2's glorious zombie-slaying and humorous antics are sadly contrasted by repetitive missions and dull level design.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The best thing I have to say about Dead Island 2 is "It's a zombie game that released in 2023.". It's a generic, repetitive title that thinks it's funnier that it really is. After 15 hours, I was begging for it to be over.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“It’s incredible that Dead Island 2 made it through it’s development issues and is a game we can finally play in 2023. It offers a really fun sandbox to explore and tear zombies limb from limb but don’t expect a groundbreaking story or dialogue. If you’re looking for a fun first person zombie slaying experience then Dead Island 2 is going to be right up your alley. Let’s just hope it’s not another 10 years before we get to see more from this series, as I can’t wait to see how it’s awesome FLESH system evolves going forward.”
read full review ↗
Gamepressure
The Jimquisition
INDIANTVCZ
3DNews
Gaming Professors
Gadgets 360
eXputer
PLAY Zine
GRYOnline.pl
Seasoned Gaming
Fun Factor
ani-game.com…and 188 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch Notes #7 - Changes and FixesDec 10, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 6 - Changes and FixesOct 22, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Steam Hotfix 1.1May 14, 2024
- Steam Hotfix v1.0Apr 25, 2024