Summary
A potentialDead Island 3seems much more possible now thanks to the surprising success of this year’sDead Island 2. After ten years of being stuck in development purgatory, developer Dambuster Studios finally broughtDead Island 2back from the dead, but the game’s setting falls flat of what the title implies. Despite havingtwo DLCs underDead Island 2’s belt, the second of which is releasing sometime in 2024, many fans are hoping for moreDead Islandin the future. If that means a third game in the franchise, featuring an actual island as the environment would be ideal.
There’s no doubt thatDead Island 2was a great surprisefor many, but the game not taking place on an island when the title implies the existence of one felt a little jarring at times. Although it felt natural after a while and there was an obvious charm in calling a zombie-decimated Los Angeles “HELL-A”, there was a small twinge of disappointment in not getting to actually experience an island setting.
AlthoughDead Island 2didn’t involve a literal island, the reasoning behind usingLos Angeles as a metaphorical islandat least makes sense. During the events ofDead Island 2, Los Angeles has become overrun by infected, isolating it from the rest of America. This isolation makes the city a metaphorical island, and although this worked for the game’s story, a third mainlineDead Islandneeds to return to what made it stand out: a true island environment.
A Possible Return to Banoi
The firstDead Islandgame took place on a fictional island off the coast of Papua New Guinea called Banoi. The ending of the first game gave fans a cliffhanger, and it would be incredibly interesting to see what Banoi is like now after the initial outbreak of the infection. A game following a hardened survivor who has managed to live on the island years after the outbreak could be a great recipe for a zombie story. Just like the first game,Dead Island 2followed the events of the beginnings of an outbreak, and it would be fascinating to see the next game explore what an infected community could look like long after an outbreak’s genesis.
If Not Banoi, a New and Exciting Location
IfDead Island 3doesn’t return to Banoi, the next obvious move would be for the game to take place on a completely new island that hasn’t ever been seen before.Dead Island’s settings make it more immersive, and although the second game’s version of Los Angeles was an exciting place to explore, a never-before-seen island that can have its own unique history made up completely by developers can prove to be even more immersive. Losing oneself in a fictional world is one of the greatest parts of playing games, andDead Island 3should embrace this.
Of course, there is currently no concrete news ofDead Island 3on the horizon, but the recent DLCs and overall success of the title leave room for another chapter in the story.Dead Island 2’s use of real-world locationsis fun, but the island of Banoi in the originalDead Islandmade the game even more charming, and it would be exciting to see a third mainline game return to what made the first entry so unique.
