Dead Island Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on September 13th, 2011

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There was one absolute gem of a bug which meant I missed out on the game finale cut-scene. Playing in a group of two my partner quit the game just as the cut-scene initiated, prompting the game to ask me whether I wanted to return to my previous single player save in order for my progress to be saved.

I clicked '˜yes'. Big mistake. I was returned to start of the game and told to set off on my '˜new game plus' adventure in which I could play through again but begin with all the skills I'd accrued in my prior playthrough. With no way of viewing cinematics from the main menu the only way to see the ending is to play through again. Great design.

And yet, despite all that (and more), Dead Island was entertaining. The combat, the weapons, the surprisingly varied environment and the fact that it features zombies was enough to just about overshadow the horde of crap you're forced to plough through.

Think of Dead Island as a B-game and you'll be fine. It seems like a bit of an insult to reel off the old cliché of (if you can ignore the bad stuff and only look at the good,) but for Dead Island that line actually rings true.

Thanks to the sort of non-linear, open-world path through the game, with innumerable side-quests, that RPG aficionados demand, Dead Island's single-player experience is pretty meaty, and it can be played co-operatively by up to four people. Teaming up with others who have different skills to you adds a welcome twist to the game.

A sour note is introduced, though, by occasional bugginess, but at least a patch is available to fix that. Any true RPG fan will be well aware that such games (Fallout New Vegas being a classic example) are rarely bug-free, but can still be great fun.

If you value polish and smoothness in your games above all else, you'd be best advised to steer clear of Dead Island. But if you crave wickedly satisfying zombie-dismemberment, a full, deliciously time-wasting RPG experience and a depiction of a zombie infestation which rings surprisingly true, Dead Island should float your boat.

As a solo experience, Dead Island feels mediocre. It's an average zombie slaying game that falls back on lazy ideas in the face of a great, open-world sandbox setting. With friends, the experience is richer. As long as no one minds the occasional technical issue and as long as veterans are willing to help their beginner buddies along, groups will find some fun on their trip to Dead Island.

We say this a lot over the course of a video game year but what matters the most about (Dead Island) is a simple judgment it's FUN. It's a game that demands you keep coming back to it one more mission, one new weapon, one newly-opened area of this massive world. It calls to you and begs you to keep playing in the middle of the night. Despite its flaws, that's what really matters.

If you like zombies, RPG's, FPS's, Borderlands, or if you have warm blood flowing through your vein and are not a zombie, then you will love this game. The environments are beautiful, the gameplay is fun, and the amount of play time that you get for your money is astounding. I have been playing close to 30 hours and I know I am not even close to half way through. I also know that when I beat it, I will just start with a different character and begin again.

Although it's a hugely ambitious affair, Dead Island is writing cheques that the game engine can't cash, and it will probably be consigned to history as a heroic failure. Undoubtedly set to garner a cult following, it's essentially the gaming equivalent of a B-Movie. If this were Hollywood, they'd already be talking about a big money American remake. Which might not be the worst idea.

Despite the hype, Dead Island is a technically crippled affair with none of the panache hinted at by the stylish marketing campaign. Nevertheless, for those prepared to overlook its shortcomings, there is a deeply involving role-playing game that lures you into its nightmarish shambling world.

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