8 Greatest Video Game Second Chances

Ok so hands up, I really bounced off of Dead Island.

Outside of the admittedly entertaining opening area, the game became an utter slog of both terrible resource management and confusing tones, whiplashing between B-movie schlock and trying (and failing) to be a tearjerking examination of the human condition. The graphics were rough enough to cut beef on and the bloom effects were blinding in places, making the game an experience that you might want to love but was impossible to overlook the faults.

The series was kicked further in the throat with Riptide releasing with all the same issues, and then seemingly capped in the head by Escape Dead Island which I can confirm, was indeed a video game and I'll end my praise there.

Add in the huge gestation of Dead Island 2 and things seemed done and dusted for the series. Or so I thought.

After recently playing Dead Island 2, I gotta say this is the game I always wanted. Vibrant, beautiful looking, and genuinely funny in places. Don't get me wrong there are still some wonky controls and iffy combat to deal with but overall this feels like a much better game, and a title that took it's time to produce something decent over just flopping onto the marketplace to be thoroughly gutted by critics.

There's still time to be proven wrong, but I really hope it doesn't.