Development Team States No Skill Trees in Dead Island 2

Dambuster, the development team behind the much-anticipated Dead Island 2, has decided not to include the conventional RPG progression system of skill trees. It looks like the first-person zombie slayer is looking to differentiate from other games in its genre by making some unique changes.

Originally planned to release in late April, the development of Dead Island 2 has been a long and difficult process. In the time it has taken to complete the game, the original Dead Island even received a spiritual successor in Dying Light , which was then followed by its own sequel seven years later. It has been four years since Dambuster took control of the game’s development, and now it is finally nearing completion.

The release date of Dead Island 2 was recently delayed, yet the developers have continued to work hard to make it available for players. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Lead Narrative Designer Khan and Creative Director James Worrall provided over 80 answers to various questions. Notably, they spoke about the Skill Deck, a user interface which will enable gamers to quickly and conveniently customize their characters’ abilities in lieu of a conventional RPG skill tree system.

By providing a Skill Deck for each of Dead Island 2’s character classes, Dambuster has created a system that allows the player to experience a heightened level of flexibility. Khan explained that one could utilize this Deck to switch between sets of abilities mid-air. Worrall noted that this system can have both positive and negative consequences, saying “You can take some real risks with your loadout; it sometimes pays off, it sometimes goes horribly wrong.”

Viewers can already check out plenty of Dead Island 2 gameplay footage. Rather than relying on a dark and depressing zombie shooter, Dambuster has made the decision to embrace the amusing tone of the IP. As a result, gamers can look forward to an outrageous experience, and should the characters’ abilities be indicative of what’s to come, the Skill Deck should make the whole journey even more enjoyable.

The anticipated wait for Dead Island 2 could be worthwhile due to its combat; there are reportedly multiple elements that players can utilize to develop their characters, and unlike other games, experimenting with these elements is encouraged for this title, as it is particularly peculiar.

Dead Island 2 will arrive on the 28th of April, available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.