Lifeless Island 2 was introduced just some years after the discharge of the primary Lifeless Island and slightly over a 12 months after Lifeless Island Riptide – the forgettable and repetitive sequel that did, at the least, proceed the story of the primary recreation’s survivors. Writer Deep Silver launched some spinoffs after Riptide, like Escape Lifeless Island, Lifeless Island: Epidemic, and the 16-bit beat ‘em up Lifeless Island Retro Revenge, however a full-scale, numbered sequel hasn’t but occurred, regardless of being introduced almost a decade in the past.
The primary iteration of Lifeless Island 2 was helmed by Spec Ops: The Line developer Yager, as Lifeless Island developer Techland had parted methods with the property and labored on Dying Gentle. Deep Silver then handed over improvement of the sport to LittleBigPlanet 3 developer Sumo Digital in 2016, however then, in 2019, Deep Silver introduced that Homefront: The Revolution developer Dambuster Studios can be dealing with Lifeless Island 2. And that studio has been engaged on this recreation since 2018. In my cowl story journey to Dambuster’s Nottingham, England studio, varied members on the workforce informed me it began with a recent, clear slate for Lifeless Island 2. However curiously, Lifeless Island 2, due out in April, continues to be set in Los Angeles, California, the setting revealed within the recreation’s first reveal trailer in 2014.
Regardless of seemingly having the chance to make Lifeless Island 2 exactly what it wished it to be in each method, Dambuster caught with LA, lovingly referred to in-game and by the studio as Hell-A. I requested recreation director David Stenton about this determination and apparently, a unique setting was by no means actually on the desk.
“I don’t keep in mind there being a variety of debate about doing something aside from LA,” Stenton tells me. “I feel for us, we wished to use actual focus to the sport… to the fight and that additionally extends to the setting as properly. LA is such a incredible iconic location, we didn’t actually really feel like we wanted to herald every other areas.”
Stenton is probably going alluding to the sport’s authentic brand when it was first revealed in 2014. The D in “Lifeless” options the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco’s iconic landmark. Dambuster tells me that Lifeless Island 2 will happen in Los Angeles completely, so don’t plan on making your method to San Francisco or every other California areas in the principle marketing campaign.
“It simply offers us a lot alternative… for the sport that we wished to make, so it wasn’t actually a giant debate,” Stenton says.
It’s necessary to notice, nevertheless, that regardless of what the workforce says about sticking with LA, utilizing the identical location from the unique reveal – the placement followers have assumed Lifeless Island 2 takes place in for almost a decade – doesn’t harm the advertising and marketing of this recreation. Whereas the workforce feels assured LA is the place for its zombie recreation, it may also simply have made the choice to stay with the placement followers have presumed as this sequel’s setting for therefore lengthy.
“We began with a clear slate, completely, with our personal imaginative and prescient,” Stenton says. “We’re not wanting an excessive amount of at form of what occurred up to now or too many different video games on the market. We’re simply actually centered on, ‘How will we wish to make Lifeless Island 2 completely phenomenal?’ and convey it updated and ship a recreation that we expect followers will actually take pleasure in.”
For extra, learn our function about why Dambuster Studios thinks Los Angeles makes for a terrific Lifeless Island expertise, even when the town isn’t an precise island.
Do you suppose Los Angeles will make for a terrific Lifeless Island setting? Tell us within the feedback beneath!
