Do You Need to Play Dead Island 1 Before 2?

Are you wondering if you need to play Dead Island 1 before Dead Island 2 so you can understand the story or enjoy the gameplay more? Dead Island 1 came out in 2011, and there have been comics, books, and several spin-off games since then. This means there is a lot of potential content for you to catch up on before playing Dead Island 2. So, do you need to play or read any of this content before playing Dead Island 2?

What Dead Island Games Are Important to 2?

No, you don’t need to play Dead Island 1 before 2. In fact, you don’t need to play Dead Island 1 or its spin-off Riptide to enjoy or understand the story in Dead Island 2. This is because Dead Island 2 is set in the same universe as the other games but does not share the same story. It is also in a completely different location than the original game, with Dead Island 1 taking place in Banoi Island and Dead Island 2 in Hell-A.

Since Dead Island 2 is in the same universe as the rest of the Dead Island media, you will see the return of Slayers like Sam B, one of the four available Slayers from Dead Island 1. However, you will still enjoy his inclusion in the sequel without playing the original game because he was included more for fan service than anything else.

Related: Dead Island 2 Review – The Dead Will Walk Hell-A

However, suppose you want to understand the lore of the Dead Island franchise without playing Dead Island 1, then you can watch the below YouTube video to see the complete story prior to Dead Island 2. But, again, this is not necessary to play Dead Island 2, and not doing so won’t impact your understanding or enjoyment of it.