Sunshine, palm trees, and decomposing celebrities: Welcome to HELL-A! Set 15 years after the original game, Dead Island 2 drops you into a darkly funny zombie apocalypse, set among the glitzy mansions and sprawling sound stages of a quarantined Los Angeles.

Meet fading film stars and self-absorbed influencers as you unravel the secrets behind the plague that turned L.A. into a living horror movie. Craft electrified golf clubs, fire-starting nail guns, and other wacky weapons to battle the undead—or unleash supernatural skills, like a ground pound that flattens nearby foes. And don’t forget to update your slayer’s outfit with sweet new looks. It’s the end of the world—might as well go out in style!

What we love: Dispatching zombies in ridiculous ways. Chuck a car battery into a pool of water, then whack a ghoul so it lands in a shocking puddle of doom. Or use meat to lure the infected to a rooftop, remove a limb or two with some well-aimed shuriken, then slide-tackle foes right off the edge. The only limit to the mayhem is your imagination!

Quick tip: In the #Clickbait side mission set in Bel-Air, keep an eye on the objectives on the upper right corner. Influencer Amanda Styles wants you to kick six zombies off the roof of the mansion, maim another 12 with weapons, then set six more on fire—in that order. For the last step, use the jerry cans conveniently scattered about, or just boot enemies into poolside fire pits.

Meet the creator: Dead Island 2 was developed by Dambuster Studios, a division of publisher Deep Silver based in Nottingham, England. Founded in 2014, Dambuster initially included many employees from now-defunct developer Crytek UK.

This game contains mature content and may not be suitable for children under the age of 17.