For those worried about needing any backstory going into Dead Island 2, you’ll be glad to know that the sequel won’t require you to play any of the past Dead Island games, though that’s not to say it won’t help.

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In a recent interview we conducted with Deep Silver Dambuster’s Lead Narrative Designer, Ayesha Khan, Ayesha commented on whether or not fans would see any callbacks, such as Easter eggs, while also addressing whether or not they would need to have played the previous two games. 

There are Easter Eggs, and we do encourage people to wander around, and one or two of them might have to do with situations from previous games.

That said, in general, we wanted to make sure that Dead Island 2 could be played and enjoyed by people who were coming to the franchise fresh and that you wouldn’t have to play Dead Island one or Riptide to like to really fully enjoy the story. Again, there is the odd easter egg.

So yes, you don’t need to have played either Dead Island, or its standalone expansion, Dead Island Riptide, to enjoy the story of Dead Island 2. This was something that was even backed up by the hands-on experience we had.

If you did play the last two games, you will want to pay close attention to the details in the world, as you might be surprised by what you come across if you’re hunting down some Easter Eggs. Ayesha did confirm that fans should expect to see some “cool” ones, but for obvious spoiler reasons, wouldn’t say exactly what. 

If you haven’t already, be sure to read our full hands-on impressions of Dead Island 2, as, despite its development history, Dambuster has managed to impress us for a number of reasons.