Dead Island 2’s New Game+ mode will ‘make damn sure’ to test skilled players with new difficulty

A few weeks back, Dambuster Studios announced an upcoming update for Dead Island 2, with mention of its new Neighborhood Watch mode. On top of that, fans are now being treated to New Game Plus, which promises to be quite the grueling challenge for even the most ardent zombie killers.

A recent post on Steam from the developer talks about Patch 6, which should be rolling out soon, and is definitely one to watch out for if you’re after a challenge. If you need a reason to dive back into Dead Island 2, then this could be it, especially since Dambuster seems keen to lure in anyone who thinks they’ve got the game down to pat.

The whole point of NG+ is to “mix up enemy encounters and make damn sure that even skilled DI2 vets face a serious challenge.” By the studio’s own admittance, the update – particularly New Game Plus mode – “isn’t taking any prisoners.” Ye have been warned.

Almost as though they’re goading you on

Some changes that are coming include zombies in new locations, new revenants, and tougher enemies in unexpected places. In a nutshell: the rule book has been casually thrown to the wolves. The zombie wolves, perhaps.

Here’s how it’s going to go down:

Once players arrive in Bel Air – New Game Plus skips the campaign’s prologue – they’re going to find the action very different. They’ll encounter familiar zombies in new locations, and some tougher zombies where they wouldn’t previously expect them. Even the basic walkers have had their health upgraded along with their damage, while Apex Zombie variants aren’t going to wait for their turn in the spotlight.

However, all is not lost:

Luckily, players come in with a few advantages. Not only can they bring in their existing skill cards and capabilities, but they’ll have more slots to fill in every category. This allows for builds players couldn’t create before, where they can explore new tactics and killer skill and weapon combos. Meanwhile, every weapon that drops in New Game Plus will be more powerful than those in the main game, with more fixed-rarity weapons to collect and wield. The team hopes this will encourage players to make the most of weapons that they might previously have left behind.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I found Dead Island 2‘s base game quite a tough experience. In fact, I never even completed the main campaign all the way through. With that knowledge, it’s safe to assume Patch 6 might not be aimed at people like me. But who knows how I’ll feel once the update actually starts rolling out.