A key part of any piece of zombie fiction is the survival aspect, the part where the heroes must hunker down into a less than desirable location in order to stay alive. It's a tried and true way to make sure that your characters get pushed to their limits, forcing them into scenarios that test their mettle. Take the prison from The Walking Dead, a location that almost became a character in itself. It was a breeding ground for insanity, and it allowed the characters to grow into either confident leaders or loyal followers. For Dead Island 2, the concept of zombie survival needs to be addressed in a way that it wasn't in the first game. Part of this was because the main characters were made immune to the zombie virus, which is a good idea on paper but took away from the danger element of being eaten. Dead Island 2 needs to bring back that fear; the notion that you are on the run and need a place to stay and fortify. Riptide was a step in the right direction with the hub defense missions, but now it's time for Yager to take full advantage of it.
