Anyone checking this one out? Epic only, unfortunately.
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/dead-island-2
Posting here from the Friday thread for posterity:
Getting into Dead Island 2 and I'm loving it so far. It's a simple and straightforward melee-focused game, and it's more focused and less open world than the first which I find refreshing. The combat is incredibly satisfying. When you bash on the zombies, they get bloodied up and then chunks of them start bashing off. Excellent gore animations and whatnot. There's also a nice variety in the style of zombies from goopy gorey fresh ones to old, dried out zombies who clearly came out of a grave somehow.
Here's an example of a zombie who had a fully formed head before I got through with him. It sounds morbid, but the way zombies fall apart when you hit/slice them is extremely satisfying.
NSFW/NSFL realistic gore, be warned:
https://i.imgur.com/al2ZI3i.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/byYNtMV.png
I enjoyed the early levels of the first one when you were scrambling around the beach resort and having to use improvised weapons to fight of the zombies. I felt it lost something once you got out of the resort and started getting firearms.
I'll likely grab Number 2 but not at the current asking price.