If you’ve got a PS4 then you might get to play Dead Island 2 before anyone else

By Will Fulton December 3, 2014

techland open to developing dead island 2 screenshot 5 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Dead Island 2, Yager Developments’ upcoming sequel to Techland’s zombie-slaughtering RPGs Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide, brings its public beta test to PlayStation 4 a full 30 days before it’ll be available for Windows and Xbox One. According to the game’s FAQ page, the beta is exclusive to fans that pre-ordered November 2014’s cel-shaded (and execrable) spin-off Escape Dead Island through GameStop or EB Games.

If you are eligible, go here to enter the code you should have received when ordering Escape Dead Island. It is possible to switch platforms if you did not order it for PS4 initially and now want to change to take advantage of the Sony console’s early taste of zombie flesh. There is no date yet for when the beta will begin, but the developer promises that fans will get a two-week warning to prepare them.

Unlike the previous two games in the main series, which were developed by Polish studio Techland, this new entry is the work of Yager, the studio behind the critically-acclaimed Spec Ops: The Line. That 2012 game garnered immense praise for elevating the power of storytelling in the staid genre of modern war shooters. Many of the top creatives behind Spec Ops have since moved on to other opportunities, but the studio’s pedigree bodes well for what it can potentially bring to the saturated zombie survival genre.

Dead Island 2 expands upon the series’ open world loot hunting and item crafting with additions like more cooperative play (with up to 8 players, over the previous game’s 4), dual wielding, and — a medium first, publisher Deep Silver claims — a motion-captured cat. Adding more players and providing space to explore weapon combos akin to BioShock‘s system of weapons and Plasmids/Vigors should both add an exciting level of variance to the proven gameplay, along with an exciting level of motion-captured cat.

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Will Fulton is a New York-based writer and theater-maker. In 2011 he co-founded mythic theater company AntiMatter Collective…

Gaming

How to find the heirloom sword in Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2.

The first Lost and Found quest you're likely to stumble upon in Dead Island 2 is the Clean and Snatch quest that promises to lead you to a stolen heirloom sword. We say it's the most likely to be found first, but only because you can reach it fairly early in the story. This quest isn't marked anywhere on your map, and unless you are seeking it out, you will probably pass it by. What's worse is that this quest requires a lot of searching around based on not-so-helpful clues. While not all those who wander are lost, we'll save you plenty of aimless walking around and help get you the heirloom sword in Dead Island 2.

Gaming

How to get fuses in Dead Island 2

A group of survivors looking stressed and annoyed.

eThere are going to be tons of things blocking your progress when trying to escape LA in Dead Island 2. Aside from the, you know, hordes of zombies, you will find plenty of gates and doors that need power to open. Most can be worked around by installing a battery or circuit breaker, but some require something else. Fuses aren't required at any point in the main story, but instead are limited keys that hide away some of the game's best loot. If you've been spotting all these gates and garage doors taunting you to open them, but lack the fuses to do so, we'll tell you how you can get your hands on some in Dead Island 2.
Where to get fuses in Dead Island 2

Unlike batteries or circuit breakers, fuses won't be found anywhere on the map while exploring. Instead, the only way to get these electrical devices is to purchase them. Obviously, your local hardware store isn't open for business anymore, so your options are limited to the vendors you come across such as Carlos in Emma's house or Ezekiel on The Pier. No matter who you get them from, you're going to be paying a premium. Each fuse costs $1,500, and the sellers usually only hold a few at a time. Even if they had the stock and you had the cash, your character can only hold three fuses at a time before needing to spend them to get more.

Gaming

How to fast travel in Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 zombie

In a somewhat curious design choice, Dead Island 2 doesn't feature a fully connected open world. Instead, you go to individual zones that are connected via loading screen as you progress through the game. Early on, this might lead you to think that there's no fast travel function, however, that isn't the case. You don't get the ability to quickly zip between locations for longer than you would in most other games, and it does have restrictions, so here's everything you need to know about fast travel in Dead Island 2.