2023’s Dead Island 2 was gaming junk food in the best possible way. It was dumb fun surrounded by smart humor and satire. In SoLa, none of that has really changed. Melee combat is still visceral — literally — and bloody good fun. The game’s visuals remain sharp, detailed, and full of humorous touches. The new DLC is an improvement over Haus, but there are more and more moments where things feel a bit stale, too. Come to SoLa with realistic expectations for more of the same, and it’ll be a pretty good time. Let’s hope that the planned third DLC shakes things up.

It is likely that Dead Island 2: SoLA is the last major update for Dead Island 2. It’s a shame then that it’s the weaker of the two post-release add-ons

SoLA is a brilliant addition to Dead Island 2. The music festival it is set in, combined with the new weapons and enemy types build on what made the main game very successful already. The DLC fits perfectly into an ongoing playthrough of the game or adds a neat little experience for players who have already seen the credits of the game itself.