Summary
Dambuster Studios’Dead Island 2was undoubtedly one of the biggest surprises of 2023. As the sequel to a game over a decade old, it wasn’t expected to be much, but that is precisely what led to its success. Such modest expectations thus allowed it to rise to the occasion and deliver an engaging story with intense combat, satisfying physics, and memorable characters. Last November,Dead Island 2received its first DLC,Haus, and another titledSOLA Festivalis still on the way, currently scheduled for a Q2 2024 release.
WhileDead Island 2:Hausended on a rather bizarre note, the cliffhanger at the end of the base game’s story still deserves some much-needed closure. Unfortunately, this puts immense pressure on the upcomingSOLADLC to clear up the base game’s open-ended conclusion, especially if Dambuster follows through with its desire to developDead Island 3. Specifically,Dead Island 3will be in a rather awkward position ifSOLA’s ending doesn’t somehow resolve the final moments ofDead Island 2’s main narrative.
The end ofDead Island 2’s main narrative was emotional and exhilarating, but it left players witha huge cliffhanger originally believed to set upDead Island 3. However, with the release ofHausand the upcoming release ofSOLA Festival, the final events ofDead Island 2’s story may somehow be connected toHausandSOLAinstead. Unfortunately,Haus' ending didn’t seem to wrap upDead Island 2’s story at all, and instead offered more cause for confusion. The hope, then, is thatSOLAwill make up for whatHauslacked and tie up the loose ends left byDead Island 2’s conclusion. Otherwise,Dead Island 3may be stuck in HELL-A once again, rather than being set in a new location.
Dead Island 2:SOLA Festivaldoes not yet have a confirmed release date, but an April 2024 release is probable consideringDead Island 2was released in April 2023.
At the end ofDead Island 2’s main story, Sam, Emma, and Patton are all seen fleeing Los Angeles via helicopter while the player character commits to staying until they find Tisha. As the player character watches the three friends fly to safety, the image of a crosshair aiming directly at the player appears on-screen, with Thurston saying, “Just think it, and it’s done.” Konradt and Cadenza then appear behind Thurston and Konradt asks the player character why they chose to stick around. The player character responds with “To save Tisha” and then makes their way through the horde of zombies with ease, and the story comes to an end.
The cliffhanger forDead Island 2’s endingis ultimately found in Konradt’s remark after the player character confirms the reasoning behind their choice to stay behind. Although the player character says that they chose to stay behind to save Tisha, Konradt still replies, “That the only reason?” This implies the player character had other intentions behind staying in Los Angeles, and it likely has something to do with their recent discovery about the connection between the Numen and the cure for the outbreak.SOLAneeds to clear this part up beforeDead Island 3. If it doesn’t,Dead Island 3will undoubtedly take place in Los Angeles once again to properly resolveDead Island 2’s story.
The only other way a new location forDead Island 3would make sense is if Tisha happened to escape Los Angeles at some point and the player character followed. However, that’s highly unlikely to happen given the circumstances. Whatever ends up happening, some sort of closure could arrive inthe upcomingSOLA FestivalDLC— ideally not only setting upDead Island 3’s story but also justifying a brand-new location.
