Dead Island 2 is a triple-A, zombie-smashing extravaganza. It offers players a colorful cast of characters, and provides the playground-like Hell-A as a backdrop for their corpse crushing escapades. Boasting an expressive combat engine, an entertaining plot, and rich cooperative play options, there is a lot to love about this brash zombie basher.

Related: Dead Island 2: Beginner TipsHowever, while the game features a very tidy tutorial, there are still a number of questions players may have when looking to get in on the fun. For your convenience, we have pooled answers to the most commonly asked questions here.

Updated May 19, 2023: We've seen that a number of questions have been popping up in regard to co-op. So, we have done our best to answer all of these questions here.

What Are The Different Versions Of Dead Island 2 And How Do They Differ?

There are three versions of Dead Island 2 available for purchase. You can buy the Standard Edition, the Deluxe Edition, or the Gold Edition. These all include the base game, but the Deluxe and Golden Editions also include DLC.

The most notable of which appears to be the two Character Packs. However, despite their name, these packs do not include new characters, they instead give pre-existing characters a new outfit and a unique weapon. We do not, however, have official confirmation of who these characters are.

There is a pretty believable leak floating around which strongly indicates that Amy and Jacob are the characters getting costumes in the Character Packs. However, since we couldn't find official confirmation, we aren't going to present it is fact.

Beyond the Character Packs, both the Deluxe and the Gold Editions include the Memories of Banoi Pack. This pack will provide players with a unique weapon and a special skill card. Both editions also come with the Golden Weapons Pack, which, you guessed it, gives you golden weapons (a golden pistol and a golden mace, to be exact).

The Gold Edition has two exclusive pieces of additional content. It has the Pulp Weapons Pack (which gives players the “homewrecker” and “Eye Opener” weapons), as well as coming with the Expansion Pass. Unlike the Character Packs, we do know what content the Expansion Pass will include. It is said to bring two exclusive chapters to the game. That being said, it hasn't been confirmed that those chapters will be set in a unique location, or how long it will take to complete them.

We have provided a chart down below for your convenience…

Do I Need To Have Played The First Title In The Series?

Dead Island 2 is set in the same world as the first Dead Island game, and if you played the first title you will see at least one familiar face, but the story here is largely self-contained. So, there is no obligation whatsoever to have played through the first game. You will not struggle to understand that plot of Dead Island 2 if you haven't played the first game.

Does The Story Change Depending On The Slayer You Select?

Sorta. Each Slayer has highly individualized dialogue, but all the NPCs will reply to your chosen Slayer the same way no matter which character you choose. So, how things unfold will be unaffected by your character choice, but it will dramatically change their dialogue at least.

Where Do I Get Fuses?

Fuses are exclusively purchased from vendors in the game. You will encounter your first fuse box in the first mansion you explore as you work your way through the introductory section. However, your first opportunity to purchase fuses will be when you unlock Carlos’ shop after clearing out the zombies on Emma’s property.

Is There Fast Travel?

There is, indeed, fast travel. However, it doesn’t open up until you get to the Venice Beach section of the game (which is around half-way through the game).

How Do I Unlock Co-op Play?

You need to complete the first section of the game, from the Flight Of The Damned quest to the Bel-Air Brawl quest in order to unlock co-op play.

Unfortunately, you will need to complete the introductory sequence again if you want to switch to another Slayer. If you are in a hurry to get co-op set up, you can follow our guide to the introductory section here.

If you speed through it, you and your friends could be playing together within fifteen minutes of starting the game, though if you are playing through the game for the first time, and not rushing, it will probably be triple that length.

How Many People Can Play Co-op Simultaneously?

Dead Island 2 allows for you to play with up to two of your friends. So, three players are able to play the game simultaneously. However, one thing you should keep in mind is that the host for a co-op session will always be the player who has made the least progress in the game. On the plus side, progress made in co-op will apply to all players!

Does Dead Island 2 Have Couch Co-op?

Unfortunately, Dead Island 2 does not feature couch co-op. If you want to play with friends, you will need to do it online.

Is Dead Island 2’s Co-op Crossplay?

Unfortunately, crossplay is not something that Dead Rising 2 supports. Not between different console ecosystems, at least. Playstation 5 players can play with Playstation 4 users, and Xbox Series X players can play with Xbox One players. But that is the extent of the crossplay, unfortunately.

Who Voiced Dead Island 2's Main Cast Of Characters?

With such incredibly charismatic performances it is only natural for people to ask 'Who voices Dani?' or 'Who voices Carla?' Well, we have provided all the actors for each of the main characters below! And yes, if you were wondering, Valorant's Raze is, in fact, voiced by the same actor as Carla. Neat!

For those hoping to see the ever-talented Phil Lamarr's name on this list, we regret to inform you that Sam was recast for Dead Island 2. On the positive side, Cavin Cornwall does a bang-up job. So, at least Sam wasn't ruined in the sequel!

How To Unlock The Red Demise Katana?

The Red Demise Katana is a blue weapon that gives you a temporary damage boost with every zombie you slay. There are a lot of questions circling around out there, and there are a lot of conflicting accounts. While there were stories of this weapon being acquired by people with the standard edition of the game, that is definitely no longer the case. The Red Demise was always intended to be a DLC weapon.

It was only ever supposed to be able to be acquired by the people who own the season pass or who purchased the katana from the shop (for a whopping $2.99 USD). If you meet one of those requirements, this sword can be acquired from the vendor at the Blue Crab. Though, once again, you will need to have the season pass or to have purchased the sword separately from the digital store.

How Do I Block? How Do I Dodge?

So, we've seen this question pop up quite a bit. And we can understand why it would be confusing. You see, depending on the character you choose, you will either acquire the block or the dodge after you complete the tutorial section. Dani, Bruno, Jacob, and Amy all start with the dodge, while Karla and Ryan start with the block ability. But, worry not, you will unlock the defensive ability you are missing once you hit level 9. So, you will have a chance to try both options out!

If you are wondering which ability is better, we are of the opinion that both are equally good, though the dodge is clearly the better option when in more open spaces, and the block is clearly better in extremely tight spaces. Both give you the parry attack if you perform them the just before an enemy strikes you.

Next: Dead Island 2: Combat Tips