The Dead Walk (and sell)
Dead Island 2, the open-world horror sequel that took a over decade to launch and everybody was entirely convinced was going to be complete shit, has now sold two million copies, becoming the biggest launch title in publisher Deep Silver’s entire history.
“I am happy to state that the game has now reached a sell-out of well over two million units,” notes Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors, in a written statement where you can actually hear a sigh of relief. “It is rewarding to see that the decision to give [Dambuster] time to polish the game has paid off.”
The ultra-gory monster-masher finally hit the shelves in late April, following a torrid development process that saw the project pass through multiple studios and stumble over each and every hurdle on its way to fruition. Hit with years of delays, and based upon an IP that had already failed to prove itself in the past, Dead Island 2 was a title that practically nobody was willing to bet on. A fumbled project destined for comical collapse.
And yet, Dambuster Studio utilized its talent and passion to craft a stylish, fun, and cathartic open-world experience, as a pack of the worst protagonists in history hack, slash, shoot, and cleave their way through an apocalyptic Los Angeles, overrun with hordes of zombies and mutants, and packed to the rafters with brutal, adaptive weaponry and a cast of interesting, flawed, and desperate characters. While perhaps not anybody’s GOTY, Dead Island 2 absolutely defied the odds, its critics, and even the stigma of its own branding, to become one of the happiest endings of the year, and a helluva lot of fun to boot.
Dead Island 2 is available now on PlayStation, PC, and Xbox platforms.
