A former head of communications at Lifeless Island 2 writer Deep Silver has opened up concerning the “eight-year product delay” Lifeless Island 2 endured after early playtests reported “horrific suggestions.”
On the finish of a Develop:Brighton discuss as reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Martin Wein — now at GameFlex Consultants — talked candidly concerning the sequel’s troubled improvement, and the way it was determined at a significant milestone assembly with then-developer, Yager, that the sport because it was then “sucked.”
Lifeless Island 2 was revealed at E3 2014 however quickly went quiet earlier than “mutual variations” separated Yager from Deep Silver. It was then moved to Sumo Digital earlier than being shifted once more in 2019 to its remaining house of Dambuster Studios. A brand new trailer and gameplay video was launched on December 6, 2022, throughout a Lifeless Island 2 Showcase that introduced it was delayed as soon as once more, slipping 12 weeks to April 2023. It was the primary correct take a look at the sport followers had because it was re-revealed after years of troubled improvement in August 2022.
“I used to be engaged on that with the artistic staff, and we have been mightily pleased with that [trailer],” Wein mentioned. “However then, about three to 4 weeks later, we had a significant milestone with the event studio that was in cost at the moment. And boy, that sport sucked.
“It had nothing to do with what [made] the unique Lifeless Island […] actually enjoyable. So we commissioned a play check and received horrific suggestions. And we sat down with the event staff and mentioned, ‘Okay, what is the plan of action?’ And so they mentioned, ‘Yeah, go away it with us.'”
However on the subsequent touch-point, Wein mentioned little had modified, with playtest suggestions indicating the sequel was “not enjoyable, not participating, [and] doesn’t really feel just like the Lifeless Island that I performed.”
“So on the finish of the day, we needed to take the sport away from that exterior developer, discover a new studio, and that put the sport on a journey of… nicely, it was speculated to launch in 2015. When did it come out? 2023?
“Typically it’s important to make exhausting selections,” Wein added. “As a result of we may have, at that time, put out a sh*t sport. It may need made some cash, however it could have killed the franchise.
“I can’t actually communicate to the dialog between the manufacturing staff and the event accomplice as I used to be not a part of these, however because the developer wished to pursue their imaginative and prescient somewhat than comply with participant suggestions, the last word choice was made to half methods.”
When it did lastly launch in 2023, IGN’s Lifeless Island 2’s evaluation returned a 7/10. We mentioned: “Lifeless Island 2 is a hilarious gore-fest and a reliable zombie-slaying journey, however lacks creativity outdoors of its nice humorousness.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and guide with 15+ years expertise working with a few of the world’s greatest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.
