I've played a little bit of Dead Island (got past the gas station level), but never beat it like I did DL. DL1 has an insultingly bad story -- truly horrible, in fact. I mean,
the secret agent they send in is bushwhacked by thugs immediately, then gets bitten like a dumbass, then destroys the huge supply of medicine he could've used instead of having plot-induced zombie seizures, etc
. I'd be surprised if DL2 was worse than that, but doing co-op and having parkour run-and-gun entertainment smooths over some of the misgivings for me.
But I didn't regret the time I played Dead Island, so hopefully Riptide learned some past lessons and got even better.
Take me down from the ridge where the summer ends
And watch the city spread out just like a jet's flame