🧟 Into the Dead 2 (2017) Review

“This time, you’re not just running — you’re running for family.”


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Lets start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

🎥 Trailers

The trailers for Into the Dead 2 promised something the first game didn’t have: an actual story. Same endless running through swarms of zombies, but now with a narrative hook and cinematic flair to keep you invested.


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📖 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Unlike the original, Into the Dead 2 adds a full-fledged campaign. You play as James, a man trying to make his way home to his sister Helen and daughter Maggie after a zombie outbreak cuts him off. Each level pushes you further into the countryside, with messages from his family crackling over the radio driving you forward.

The gameplay still revolves around running endlessly through hordes of zombies while scavenging for weapons, but now every mission ties into James’ desperate journey. Branching story paths and multiple endings give the game more replayability and tension than its predecessor.


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🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Character Rundown

James (Protagonist): A desperate father figure, running through hell to get back to his family.

Helen (James’ sister): The voice of calm and reason, keeping Maggie safe while guiding James home via radio.

Maggie (James’ daughter): The emotional heart of the game — her safety is what makes the story matter.

Zombies: Once again, they’re the real stars — relentless, varied, and always hungry.



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⏱️ Pacing / Episode Flow

The game plays out like a road-trip nightmare. Levels move you through cornfields, forests, highways, and military camps, all while upping the difficulty with denser hordes and fewer supplies. Unlike the first game’s endless loop, Into the Dead 2 has a strong episodic flow, building toward its tense finale.

🎮 Compare: Into the Dead (2012) vs Into the Dead 2 (2017)

The leap from the first game to the sequel is night and day. The original Into the Dead was pure minimalism — you crash, you run, you die, repeat. It thrived on atmosphere and simplicity but lacked depth beyond high-score chasing.

Into the Dead 2 builds on that foundation by adding narrative stakes. You’re no longer running just to survive; you’re running to reunite with your family. Branching paths, multiple endings, and varied environments elevate it beyond a standard endless runner. In short: the first game is a nightmare you wake up in, but the second is a nightmare you have to live through.


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✅ Pros

Story campaign: Finally gives purpose to all the running.

Atmosphere: Expands on the bleak dread of the first game with more varied environments.

Replayability: Branching choices and multiple endings keep things fresh.

Combat variety: More weapons, more upgrades, more tactics.



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❌ Cons

Repetition still lingers: Despite the story, the core loop can still feel grindy.

Characters are thin: James, Helen, and Maggie add stakes but aren’t deeply developed.

Mobile roots: Microtransactions and grind-heavy progression can drag things down.



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💭 Final Thoughts

Into the Dead 2 takes the minimalist brilliance of the original and injects it with heart. Adding a story was the right move — it transforms the game from a simple “just survive” loop into a desperate, emotional race against time. It’s still an endless runner at heart, but with more variety, stakes, and replayability.


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⭐ Rating

10/10 — A worthy sequel that proves even a simple concept can evolve into something bigger with the right story and atmosphere.


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⚠️ Spoiler Warning ⚠️

🕵️ Spoilers

The story opens with James driving when disaster strikes — his car is wrecked, separating him from Helen and Maggie. Forced to continue on foot, he races across zombie-infested landscapes while hearing their voices over the radio, each message pushing him further.

Along the way, James finds other survivors, but trust is scarce in a collapsing world. Some paths allow him to detour for supplies or encounter hostile humans, giving the player branching choices.

The game builds to a climax where James finally reaches Helen and Maggie. Depending on choices made during the campaign, the ending can change: in one, he succeeds in rescuing them and securing a brief, bittersweet safety; in another, sacrifices are made, leaving James haunted by the cost of survival.

No matter the outcome, the story underscores the same truth as the first game: in the world of Into the Dead, survival is temporary — and it always comes with a price.


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