Tools of the trade

Dead Island 2 keeps things simple. Zombies are infesting Los Angeles and it’s up to the resistant player to go around killing them, all the while helping locals with their own survival efforts. The story does enough to move things forward and justify traversing to and from the 10 districts, but I didn’t find myself invested in the characters or caring much about their survival.

This horror game leans more on comedy than on exploring the bonds of remaining humans. Think more Shaun of the Dead or Zombieland, than 28 Days Later or The Last of Us. Dead Island 2’s characters are funny, but pretty stupid, as are the errands they task players with.

Missions are fairly basic in structure and players get to do a bunch of fetching. Thankfully, the foundation of the gameplay, an extremely satisfying combat system, helps give Dead Island 2 a huge boost.

Powered by the “FLESH” system, combat is easily the best thing about Dead Island 2. Weapons hit hard, with blunt instruments slamming into zombies and sending them flying. Sharpened blades cut through enemies just as brilliantly, causing blood to gush out. And these are just the standard weapons, as the action only gets more entertaining when elemental damage is introduced.

Pick a card, any card

There are six characters to choose from, all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses. While there are differences between them, it quickly became clear to me that there are only two things you really need to worry about when making your selection. First, whether they Dodge or Block, as each character can only do one of these actions. Second, how they sound, as some characters are voiced better than others. I landed on Jacob as my favorite, both for his dodging and British accent.

Dead Island 2’s skill tree takes the form of cards that players choose from. There’s no deck-building or anything like that, it’s just a U.I. shift that functions in much the same way as traditional perk and ability trees.

Some skill cards are better than others, though my favorites enhance the player’s dodge/block abilities. As Jacob, I can weave and dodge a series of incoming attacks, recovering some health, before going on the counter-attack and enjoying increased damage with each subsequent hit I land.

Looks to die for

Visually, Dead Island 2 looks remarkable. The LA environments are beautifully rendered and the devs have clearly worked hard to add subtle details to each space. It’s hard not to explore each new room, as handcrafted scenarios hide in wait. An influencer’s bedroom, for example, features a whiteboard with a script for a not-so-sincere apology video, which I found especially hilarious.

The game runs well, too, with PS5 hitting the 60 FPS mark with very few hiccups. Perhaps the smaller levels help keep gameplay smooth? Whatever magic is going on here, Dead Island 2 achieves 60 FPS and looks good doing it, which really helps to sell those brutal melee swings.

What works well as a single-player game works even better in co-op. Up to two other players can be brought in to assist with the zombie slaying. Finding other players or having them join has worked flawlessly in my experience. It’s just unfortunate that you need to get through an hour or so of gameplay before you can invite your buddies in, which is always annoying.

Dead Island 2 Review: The final verdict

The odds were stacked against Dead Island 2, and yet here stands a solid zombie game with a compelling combat system that delivers exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to hitting the undead with a big stick. It’s gory, gruesome, and a ton of fun with friends.

Aside from the winning combat formula, however, Dead Island 2 doesn’t push the envelope in any other noteworthy ways. It’s a very safe game, which was perhaps the wisest decision made by Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver, given the development hell that the game has been through since its 2014 reveal. I’d count that a win, all things considered!

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Who can host a Dead Island 2 co-op session?

To host a Dead Island 2 co-op session, players must be using a PS5 console or a PS4 Pro console, otherwise known as a Generation 8+ console. Those using the base PS4 console, or an ordinary Generation 8 console, will not be able to host a co-op session on day one due to the game’s graphics requirements.

Developer Deep Silver Dambuster has said they’re “working on giving the option to host on all consoles in the future”, so it could be this functionality will be added for base PS4 players in a future game update. For now, base PS4 players will be able to join co-op sessions hosted by players on PS4 Pro and PS5 consoles.

Co-op play will be unlocked once players reach Emma’s mansion in the ‘Call the Cavalry’ mission, which is estimated to take about 20-30 minutes. Those aiming for the game’s Platinum trophy will need to spend some time in co-op to earn a couple of the game’s trophies that require that game mode.

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How to get more Dead Island 2 skill cards

Players will be able to earn skill cards by leveling up their character or by scavenging them from dead enemies. The collectible items can also be found scattered around the city, so exploration will also be needed.

First seen in today’s gameplay video, the cards grant special powers, abilities, and boons to help in combat. Skill cards are sorted into different categories — innate, abilities, survivor, slayer, and numen — with players able to select a different number of cards in each. These cards can be changed at any time during the game, even in midair if you choose. While the majority of cards can be used with all six Slayers, it seems like the innate cards will be restricted to one character only. These are just some of the cards we’ve seen so far:

• [INNATE] Thunderstruck – Dani’s heavy attacks trigger a forceful explosion on impact.
• [INNATE] Bloodlust – Dani regains health when slaying multiple zombies in quick succession.
• [ABILITIES] Block – Defend against incoming attacks. Well-timed blocks regain your stamina and stun zombies, leaving them open to a devastating counter attack.
• [ABILITIES] Dodge – Evade incoming attacks. Well-timed dodges regain your stamina and stun zombies, leaving them open to a devastating counter attack.
• [ABILITIES] Dropkick – Perform a forceful jump kick attack that can send regular zombies flying.
• [ABILITIES] Flying Kick – Perform a powerful jump kick attack.
• [ABILITIES] War Cry – Let out a fierce yell that boosts toughness for you and nearby squad members. It also weakens nearby zombies.
• [ABILITIES] Dash Strike – Dash forwards and strike zombies, leaving them weakened.

The exact descriptions of others haven’t been revealed, but the combination of Dash Strike and the Slayer skill Hammer Fist will “unleash a strike capable of launching zombies into the stratosphere”. Meanwhile, the Ground Pound Abilities card combined with the Survivor cards Flare Up and Quake will “create a truly devastating ground smash that topples zombies and ignites the floor underneath them”. Deep Silver Dambuster Studios suggests players will find a build to suit every situation and playstyle.

The post Dead Island 2 Skill Cards, Perks, and Abilities Revealed appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Examples of how Alexa Game Control works

While Amazon doesn’t have a specific breakdown of how Alexa Game Control works with Dead Island 2 on its website, it does have various examples of how you can use your voice in a game. First off, though, it’s important to note that Alexa Game Control only works with PC and Xbox at the moment, with no word on if or when it will be compatible with PlayStation consoles. It’s unclear why this is, given that the PS5 has voice commands too.

At any rate, the feature will allow you to use your voice, without requiring an Alexa device, to interact with NPCs, swap weapons, and ask the game to show you where the nearest quest is. The breadth of voice commands will depend on what the developer builds into the game. Part of the idea is that using your voice will lead to “fewer interruptions” and allow you to use vocal shortcuts, though using voice commands can be somewhat jarring in the first place.

Beyond that, you can have Alexa Game Control function like an actual Alexa device, allowing you control smart lights, set a timer, or even place a food order. You don’t need to use a wake word to activate it, nor will you need a Prime membership. All that is required is that you have a compatible headset or microphone and follow the in-game instructions to activate Alexa Game Control. Once configured, you can set it to follow push-to-talk (PTT) commands or use Voice Activity (VA) that will enable it to detect your voice at all times. So far, Alexa Game Control is only available in English in North America, but Amazon plans to have these controls be compatible in more countries and in more languages in the future.

In other news, Hideo Kojima announced the Brain Structure podcast for Spotify, and the PS5 DualSense Edge, which is essentially the PlayStation’s “Pro Controller,” has been revealed.

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A new Deep Silver Studio is coming – Free Radical Design pic.twitter.com/N5qTTcZfsW

— Official Deep Silver (@deepsilver) May 20, 2021

The last installment in the TimeSplitters franchise was 2005’s TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. While there were initially a few reports of a TimeSplitters 4 in the works back in 2007, plans fell through after Free Radical Design’s bankruptcy back in 2008. Crytek eventually bought out the studio and rebranded it as Crytek UK, before closing it yet again due to cash flow issues. Finally, the studio rebranded to Dambuster Studios after a buyout from Koch Media in 2014.

Dambuster Studios would go on to develop many games under Koch Media’s video game publisher Deep Silver. Some notable examples include Homefront: The Revolution, and the upcoming Dead Island 2. Prior to this, the studio also worked on the Crysis series of games as well as Ryse: Son of Rome. While many fans speculated the possibility of a TimeSplitters 4 after the acquisitions, publishers were quick to squash any rumors of a revival. Ellis even went on record in 2013 to state that he didn’t think there was “any chance” of seeing a TimeSplitters 4.

While there have been no official TimeSplitters games since then, there have been various Easter eggs and references in games developed by the former creators. TimeSplitters Rewind was a fan-made volunteer project to recreate the games using the CRYENGINE and was officially supported by Crytek. A 4K port of TimeSplitters 2 was also recently found hidden in Homefront: The Revolution but was a prototype that featured many glitches and bugs.

Then, in 2018, Deep Silver acquired the TimeSplitters IP. Deep Silver later announced that Steve Ellis had joined the company to help “plot the future course of the franchise.”  While Ellis states that he cannot tell fans “anything more at the moment,” he continues that they are “look[ing] forward to sharing information in the future.” With the reformation of the Free Radical Design studio and the return of the game’s original creators—not to mention explicit confirmation that a new game is on the way—the future looks bright for fans of the franchise.

[Source: gamesindustry.biz, Deep Silver Twitter account]

The post Deep Silver Working On New TimeSplitters Game With Studio Formed By Original Creators appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Wario64 shared the news in a post on Twitter, complete with a screenshot of the THQ Nordic report. Check it out in the tweet linked below:

From THQ Nordic report:
Volition is deep in development of a brand-new Saints Row game
Dambuster Studios leading development on Dead Island 2
Fishlabs working on new IP, unannounced projects
TimeSplitters co-creator Steve Ellis joining to help plot franchise future pic.twitter.com/aSue92sGen

— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 14, 2019

This change in studios is especially interesting, as THQ Nordic’s most recent update on Dead Island 2 in May 2019 suggested all was going well. During said update, though, the publisher made no mention of if Sumo Digital (LittleBigPlanet 3) was still hard at work on the title. Given the Dambuster Studios announcement, it’s no wonder why THQ Nordic has been mum for so long.

The development of Dead Island 2 carries with it a storied history. Announced during E3 2014, the sequel’s original launch window was set for the spring of 2016. However, Yager, the Spec Ops: The Line developer, was removed from the project within a year of the game’s unveiling. By early 2016, according to Deep Silver, Sumo Digital had taken the reigns on Dead Island 2’s production. Now, presumably after three years of development from Sumo Digital, the production team has once again undergone a massive change. What this means for the sequel’s future, and that of the nascent franchise overall, currently remains to be seen.

Much like the Dead Island follow-up, Dambuster Studios has quite the storied history of its own. In 2014, the team of developers from Crytek, UK was moved to the then newly formed Dambuster Studios, following Crytek’s selling of of the Homefront franchise to Deep Silver. Homefront: The Revolution hit store shelves in May 2016, failing to garner the mostly favorable reception of its predecessor. Dead Island 2 marks the first project since then that Dambuster Studios has worked on, as far as the public knows.

[Source: THQ Nordic via Wario64 on Twitter]

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Here’s the full list of patch notes for today’s Homefront: The Revolution update:

• Support for our third and final DLC, Beyond The Walls (Releasing March 8)
• Console Trial Mode with unlimited free access to Resistance Mode
• PlayStation 4 Pro Support
• HDR support on PS4 and PS4 Pro
• Various bug fixes

After installing the update, PS4 Pro owners will find that Dambuster is now “rendering the game world to a 1440p buffer before up-scaling it to 4K to achieve a greater level of graphical fidelity.” Additionally, the front-end menus and all of the in-game UI layers are being “rendered in a separate pass at 4K to the output buffer,” and the special Easter egg content is being rendered at native 4K.

Creative Producer David Stenton explained what to expect from Beyond the Walls:

Beyond The Walls is the largest piece of single player DLC among those we have released. The story is set in a new rural environment outside of the walls of Philadelphia which fans of the original Homefront will feel familiar with. Fans of the series may be interested to know that the overall story and ending for Beyond the Walls is actually a resurrection of a story line from the original proposal for the game early on in its development, so we really have come full circle.

As for the free Trial mode, you’ll be able to play the main campaign up to the point where Benjamin Walker reaches the first Yellow Zone (about two to four hours of gameplay). On top of this, the online co-op Resistance mode is fully unlocked in the Trial.

The free Trial isn’t up on the PlayStation Store yet, so it may not be available until Tuesday/Wednesday.

[Source: PlayStation Blog, Homefront]

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A story-driven prologue to the main campaign, The Voice of Freedom sees you playing as Resistance leader Benjamin Walker as he tries to infiltrate Occupied Philadelphia and meet up with Jack Parish’s Resistance Cell. “This tense, story-driven prologue will test the player’s stealth and combat skills as they encounter a sinister and hostile faction in the subways of Philadelphia – the ‘90’,” the description adds.

The Voice of Freedom is a 6.6GB download.

On Friday, Resistance Mode will also get these new items: Urban Combat Outfit, Black and White mask, Gunshot Mask, and Cobweb Mask.

Next up for Homefront: The Revolution, Deep Silver Dambuster will release the Aftermath single-player DLC later this year, with the much larger Beyond the Walls single-player expansion in 2017.

If you haven’t played Homefront recently, a performance patch is available that improves frame-rate and stability.

[Source: PlayStation Store, Homefront-Game]

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Here’s the full list of patch notes:

• Resistance Mode Map Pack #1 – 2 new missions, titled “Triage” & “Three Birds” are included
• Fix for missing map icons in Ashgate
• Fix for a vehicle blocking the SAM launcher convoy
• Performance optimisation on the mini map
• Save stall optimisation
• Autosave disabled on revive
• Animation performance optimisation
• Lighting optimisation
• Vehicle creation optimisation
• General bug fixes in Resistance Mode
• [PC] Fix for multiple binded keys being changed
• [Xbox One] Achievement fix for ‘Oh A Piece of Candy’

Three Birds and Triage are the first two post-launch missions to be added to the online co-op Resistance Mode, and here’s what you can expect:

Three Birds

• The KPA are using their Duster drones as weapons of terror against the civilian population. We have to show people the Resistance can protect them. We believe the Dusters are operating out of Elmtree, we need to find them and destroy them.

Triage

• Resistance hospitals are in desperate need of medical supplies. Your team is being sent to rendezvous with the Eagles in enemy territory and recover supplies, just don’t expect the KPA to stand by while you do it.

Earlier this year, Deep Silver Dambuster Studios said they were planning on releasing 20 free post-launch Resistance Mode missions in the first year.

In terms of paid content, there are three single-player expansions in the works.

[Source: Homefront Game]

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Focusing on restoring Hearts & Minds progression in Ashgate and fixing the Home of the Brave Trophy from not unlocking, here’s the full list of patch notes for today’s Homefront update:

• Fix for players Hearts & Minds progress not progressing correctly in Ashgate.
• Fix for ‘Home of the Brave’ achievement / trophy not being achievable.
• Further reduction in the number of checkpoints saves that occur whilst playing
• Some players who encountered issues with audio relating to the smartphone should now see it working as intended

However, for the Hearts & Minds progression, Deep Silver Dambuster Studios discovered that any player who had already hacked the transceiver in Ashgate wouldn’t see the icons that are revealed on the map. The good news is that this “doesn’t have any knock on effects, and simply re-discovering them by moving around will make them reappear.”

They say this minor issue will be fixed in the next patch.

Further in the future, Deep Silver will release paid single-player expansions for Homefront.

[Source: Homefront-Game]

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