Dead Island 2released on July 14, 2025, following nearly ten years of quiet development. Despite long periods of silence and rolling hype for the title, it has managed to launch to critical and commercial success. While it doesn’t step too far from its predecessor, it delivers a largely solid zombie-slaying experience chock-full of comedy. Players that enjoyed the firstDead Islandand its sequel,Dead Island: Riptide, will likely find a familiar comfort on the streets of LA, alone or with friends. However, the success ofDead Island 2carries more significance than simple capital gain.
Development onDead Island 2was announced in 2014 but was first assigned to Yager Development in 2012. Eleven years and at least four individual development teams later, it’s a miracle thatDead Island 2even saw the light of day, let alone performed so successfully. After the somewhat lukewarm response to the arguably expansion-sized sequel subtitledRiptide,Dead Island 2had a lot to prove. Despite the pressure brought on by hype and the rough reception toRiptide, Dambuster Studios have released a surprisingly successful product, albeit somewhat too reminiscent of the original. For all of its similarities, however, theDead Island 2side quests are rewarding, and the combination of gore and comedy might be enough to distract players from the end of the world.
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It’s Time to Bring Back Splinter Cell’s Sam Fisher
Many games find themselves churning in development for several years, and just as many popular titles find themselves shelved in favor of fresh or more popular IPs. One such franchise that hasn’t seen the light of day for nearly a decade now is Ubisoft’sSplinter Cell, which fizzled out in 2013 after fan anticipation for new entries in the franchise appeared to have tapered.Dead Island 2’s good reception after its development helldefies expectations, so a mostly well-regarded franchise like Splinter Cell should have no issue making a comeback.
TheSplinter Cellfranchise debuted in 2002 with a sophisticated stealth-action game using the name and reputation of Tom Clancy to carry it against the titan of the time,Metal Gear Solid. The game was gorgeous, particularly its use of lighting, which doubled as a central stealth mechanic.SplinterCellremained a near-annual staple following its debut, until a hiatus between 2006 and 2010.SplinterCell:ChaosTheory, the 2005 entry which sits neatly at the center of the franchise’s release catalog, is often lauded as the best in the series due to its focused narrative, continuously impressive visuals, and mechanical polish.Chaos Theoryalso introduced coop to the series, and the improvements later made bySplinter Cell Conviction’s co-op game modemake it a memorable entry.
SplinterCellreturned in 2010 and again in 2013, withConvictionandBlacklist, respectively. The later entries were panned for their divergence from the core ofSplinterCell, taking a more action-focused turn. To many,ChaosTheorywas a tough act to follow. Despite this, Sam Fisher’s iconic multi-vision goggles cemented his silhouette in the shadowy stealth-action corner of the gaming industry, and fans are eagerly awaiting his return. Even at what Ubisoft would consider a low point, the entirestealth-basedSplinter Cellfranchiseremains consistently highly rated, save for a few poorly received portable spin-offs.
In 2020, Sam’s Italianvoice actor teasedSplinter Cellfanswhen he argued that there should at least be a conclusive entry, which sparked debate about an unannounced sequel among players. In the years leading up to this inadvertent tease, Sam Fisher has made multiple appearances in theGhost Reconfranchise, his first being a mission inGhost ReconWildlandsintroduced in 2017. Sam returned for a series of missions inGhost ReconBreakpointin 2020 and was added toRainbow Six Siegeas a playable operator later that year. His cameos in both franchises excited fans, and many saw these appearances as Ubisoft testing the waters.
In such a competitive industry, it might be surprising to find thatDead Island 2is quickly catching up toDying Lightin terms of popularity and recognizability, despite its dormancy.Dead Island 2’s ability to claw its way from a grave that any other game might have succumbed to should inspire Ubisoft developers to take another crack atSplinter Cell. Despite the recent departure of itsSplinter Cellremake director David Grivel, perhaps Ubisoft can bring the franchise back with a bang that will entice new and old fans, much the wayDead Island 2has managed to do.
Dead Island 2is now available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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