Los Angeles, colloquially abbreviated to L.A. and referred to as Hell-A by survivors, is the main setting of Dead Island 2. It was the largest and most popular city in the American state of California, but following a zombie outbreak has become completely overrun by zombies.
Background[]
Los Angeles was once the largest city in California as well as its financial, commercial and cultural center. However, with the outbreak of a contagious and lethal disease, the city has become almost completely overrun by zombies, with most human residents having been killed or evacuated from the city. The city became dubbed as "Hell-A" by its survivors.
With the initial onset of the outbreak, the military attempted to control the outbreak, placing the city under strict quarantine, controlling movement between districts, and facilitating its evacuations. Both cellphone and internet service were cut off by the military to prevent all communication to outside world. However, due to the extremely potent nature of the disease, the zombies eradicated almost all military presence in the area. Further damaging the city was abnormal seismic activity which destroyed much of the city through earthquakes. Currently, most survivors remain isolated and with little hope of rescue.
It was revealed that the outbreak was deliberately started by Dr. Reuben Reed. Concerned with an imminent global mass extinction event caused by the eruption of the Autophage, Reed started the infection to track down immune individuals, known as Numens, to experiment on and develop a cure. However, with Reed eventually becoming a zombie himself, all efforts to cure the disease have been halted.
Districts[]
The city is divided into eleven separate districts, each with their own environments, hazards and notable locations. It is important to note that many of these locations do not represent real districts of Los Angeles in the real world. Some of these locations are also not located in Los Angeles, as some districts are located in the neighboring city of Santa Monica (although they're still located in Los Angeles County as well as the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area).
Hollywood Hills[]
Hollywood Hills is a neighborhood and the first district in Dead Island 2. Once a quiet neighborhood featuring the historic Hollywood sign on one of its mountains, part of the hills became damaged by the crash of Flight 71 Heavy. On the aircraft when it crashed, the Slayer escaped the plane's wreckage and took refuge with other survivors.
The one quest in this district serves strictly as an introductory tutorial and thus this district cannot be revisited upon completion of the quest.
Bel-Air[]
Bel-Air is a neighbourhood in Los Angeles and the second district in Dead Island 2. An affluent neighbourhood, this district features four mansions, each being inhabited by a Hollywood celebrity. Colt Swanson, Emma Jaunt, Curtis Sinclair, and all members of the GOAT Pen inhabit this region. However, with the zombie outbreak, all mansions have been left abandoned except for actress Emma Jaunt's mansion, which became a place of refuge for many nearby survivors.
Halperin Hotel[]
The Halperin Hotel is a hotel in Los Angeles and the third district in Dead Island 2. Based on the real-world Beverly Hills Hotel, the Halperin Hotel was once a five-star resort hosting the wedding of Becki Russo and Aidyn O'Connor. With the initial onset of the zombie outbreak, the military gained control over the hotel, halting the wedding and using the establishment as an evacuation muster point. However, military efforts were hindered by the quickly-mutating zombie variants, as well as earthquakes centred at the hotel which largely damaged the building, the military failed to contain the situation, leaving the hotel completely abandoned.
The Slayer visited the hotel to inform authorities of their immunity to the virus. They eventually contacted Dr. Reed from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), who invited them to his base of operations in Santa Monica.
Beverly Hills[]
Beverly Hills is a city and a district in Los Angeles. A suburb of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills features the homes of many prominent celebrities as well as a . However, most of the houses were abandoned following the zombie outbreak, with one notable house, Roxanne Kwon's home, remaining inhabited. The Slayer visited the district to rescue one survivor, Michael Anders, who chose to flee Emma Jaunt's mansion.
Monarch Studios[]
Monarch Studios is the fifth district in Los Angeles. A movie set compound, Monarch Studios featured sound stages used to film many Hollywood films. With the zombie outbreak, the studio became abandoned. The Slayer visited Monarch Studios to rescue Anders and send him back to safety in Bel-Air.
Brentwood Sewers[]
Brentwood Sewers is the sixth district in Los Angeles. A large system of tunnels and pipes, Brentwood Sewers served as the sewage system for multiple regions within the city. In response to the zombie outbreak, the military dumped dissolved biomass into the sewers, polluting the sewage system and filling the septic tank. The Slayer entered the Brentwood Sewers from Bel-Air to travel from Los Angeles to Venice Beach.
Venice Beach[]
Venice Beach is a beach town and the seventh district in Los Angeles. One of the largest districts, Venice Beach contained a large beach, several local businesses, and a police station. Following the zombie outbreak, most of the businesses were abandoned (except for the Blue Crab Grill), and the military built a makeshift base on the beach, led by Warrant Officer Rodriguez, to separate Los Angeles from the neighbouring city of Santa Monica. The Slayer arrived at this district via the sewers to travel to Santa Monica and meet with Dr. Reed.
Ocean Avenue[]
Ocean Avenue is an avenue and the eighth district in Los Angeles. A coastal road in Santa Monica, Ocean Avenue is most notable for the Serling Hotel and Lotusville Mall, where Dr. Reed's base of operations is located. The Slayer initially travelled to this district to meet with Dr. Reed and contact the CDC to create a cure for the disease, but it was discovered that Reed's intentions were not as benevolent as initially assumed.
The Pier[]
Santa Monica Pier, simply referred to in Dead Island 2 as the Pier, is a fishing pier and formerly one of the most notable tourist attractions in Santa Monica, being the ninth district visited. The pier featured a small amusement park and various shops. With the onset of the zombie outbreak, the CDC built their headquarters on the beach to allow for investigation of the zombie disease. The main dome in particular allowed for the autopsy of zombie specimens. However, due to the rapid spread of the virus, both the pier and the CDC headquarters were abandoned. The Slayer visited the CDC headquarters to obtain a blood sample for scientific experimentation, as well as obtain the equipment needed to analyze the sample from the Pier.
The Metro[]
The Metro is a subway station and the tenth district investigated. Previously a major public transit system used to travel across Los Angeles and Santa Monica, the metro ceased operations following the zombie outbreak. After Dr. Reed abandoned the other survivors in Ocean Avenue, the Slayer traversed the underground tunnels of the metro to follow Reed to his laboratory.
Hollywood Boulevard[]
Hollywood Boulevard is a major street in Los Angeles, being the eleventh and final district visited in Dead Island 2. Featuring Hollywood's iconic "red carpet," Hollywood Boulevard become the center of Los Angeles' film industry. The Slayer visited the district to find Dr. Reed in his hidden laboratory and confront him for starting the zombie outbreak.
Trivia[]
- Angela Guerra was from Los Angeles before joining the peace corps and ending up on Palanai Island amidst the outbreak there.
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