8 Terrible Games That Didn't DESERVE Sequels
2. Dead Island
Is there a game more categorically set up to fail by its amazing reveal trailer than Dead Island?
The cinematic teaser trailer, which depicts a young girl transforming into a zombie and being thrown out of a window in reverse, suggested an emotional resonance and artfulness that just wasn't present in the final game.
In reality, Dead Island was an incredibly schlocky open world action-RPG without much of a story to speak of.
Furthermore, the gameplay was packed to the brim with jank, it launched with an obscene amount of bugs, and the visuals were repellent even for 2011.
It was a passable slice of zombie-killin' junk for short play sessions, but ultimately so piecemeal in basically every aspect that it failed to hold the attention long. Not great for a game with a 20-hour critical path.
But Dead Island still sold well enough for a DLC, a spin-off, and eventually a bonafide sequel in 2023.
In the very least, Dead Island 2 boasted more personality and polish than its predecessor, which is a basically miraculous result after a near-decade-long development period.