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Developer: Techland
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release Date: September 6, 2011
Official Site: Dead Island
For fans of RPG’s, Zombie gore-fests, survival horror, open world exploration & co-op action, Dead Island is the place to be…
Dead Island comes across like an amalgamation of several great games. It features the frantic action of left 4 dead, a leveling system reminiscent of Borderlands, and open world elements that are like a cross between Dead Rising and Fallout. While it isn’t necessarily the groundbreaking experience that everyone might have been dreaming of, it is still a leap forward as far as zombie games are concerned. What truly sets Dead Island apart is that it is essentially a zombie-centric open world RPG with continuous 4 player co-op.
Of course it’s not without its problems; many have complained about the way the camera continuously moves, for example. While either moving or swinging your “implement of carnage” your first person camera view tends to bob and weave. This is apparently meant to mimic natural movement(s) and suck the player into the game world. The game achieves both of these goals, but it may take some gamers a few hours to adjust to the movement of their character.
Weapons, weapons, weapons
In, or rather, on Dead Island weapons can be found everywhere. In fact, nearly anything can either be used as a weapon or combined with other implements in a mod to create specialized items. The weapons modification system can be best described as fallout: New Vegas meets borderlands. What kind of weapons are we talking about here? On the lighter side of things you can use sticks and boat paddles to whack zombies, but there’s simply no substitution for a good modded machete, axe, or katana.
[hdplay id=5 ]I’ve been playing the game on and off for a couple of weeks and I’m still collecting and modding new weapons. Firearms are also present in the game, though the mechanics leave a little to be desired and of course, ammo is in short supply.
The bottom line?
If you like zombies, co-op, gore, exploration, looting, leveling up, completing quests, frantic combat, or apocalyptic gaming scenarios, this is an amazing title for you. If however, you are the type of gamer that prefers to be “directed”, or enjoys watching cut scenes, you probably won’t “get it”. Dead Island is the first game of its kind, and it delivers an engaging experience. This game raises the bar (and future gamer expectations) for post apocalyptic zombie mayhem.
Rating: 8 / 10
Pros:
- Weapon selections
- Action Packed
- New Genre
- Beautiful open-world setting
Cons:
- Bad voice acting
- Boring Characters
- Unsteady Graphics