Review

Developed by:Techland Published by:Deep Silver Genre(s):
  • Survival Horror
  • Action RPG
  • Platform:
  • Microsoft
  • PC
  • Sony
  • Cost:$59.99 ESRB Rating:MATURE Players:1 (2-4 Online) Release date:September 6, 2011 Reviewed on:XBox 360
    9.4

    Dead Island

    What do you get when you take the RPG elements from Fallout, the great drop in/out co-op play from Borderlands, and the visceral melee combat from Condemned? You get Dead Island; an amazing survival horror game. Ever since my interview with Techland back in 2008, I’ve been waiting eagerly for this title. After the long wait, and many in-game changes later, I am pleased to say that Dead Island stands out as one of the best games released this year!

    The events of Dead Island take place on the fictional island of Banoi, located off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The game opens up on the night right before a zombie outbreak is unleashed on the island. We witness this night through the eyes of an inebriated partygoer who’s staying at the Palms Resort hotel. As this person makes their way through a party, we notice that things aren’t quite right. The next morning, the point of view shifts to our character, who wakes up to in their hotel room. Upon leaving the room, we notice that the hotel has been trashed. A strange voice is heard over an intercom, telling us to run as a large group of the undead charged at us. After a narrow escape from the hotel, we learn that the majority of the island has been overrun and that we (the four playable characters) are the only ones immune to this plague. It’s up to us to find a way off the island for everyone else.

    The story isn’t anything we haven’t seen before when it comes to any media involving zombies. What we haven’t seen however, is a game that plays quite like Dead Island. One thing I noticed while playing was Techland’s use of reality. Obviously there are things in the game that aren’t possible in real life. At the same time, there are threads of realism sprinkled over those mechanics. Take the way you find and use weapons for example. The gaming element comes in the amount of weapons that you can find and the ability to modify them. Gamers can take an axe and strap a large battery to it in order to have a weapon that can not only chop up the undead, but electrify them as well.

    Going back to finding weapons, there is a weird abundance of knives, cleavers, and machetes scattered all over the island. It’s hard not to come across large numbers of these items in any given session. Of course this works in the game world because…well, you need to be able to defend yourself. And being able to pick up any old thing (like a chair) wouldn’t be much fun. When it comes to being realistic however, Techland captured that in how things are found. Even though there are more weapons in Dead Island then I can count, their placement in the environment made sense. A large wrench can be found in a mechanic’s garage, deserted kitchens house different knives, and a fireman’s axe can be found in a box in an abandoned stairwell. True; there were some laying on the ground (probably next to a dead body) but for the most part, all of these items were found in the places that you’d expect to see them. The same can be said about firearms. While they are in the game, you won’t see them for much of the first half of the title. Why? Because most people tend to leave their shotguns at home when vacationing on a tropical island.

    This give and take of realism is also shown in how the game handles currency. Some characters in the game feel like this is just an isolated incident that will be cleaned up once the army steps in. They plan to sell items (like med kits, bullets for guns) to survivors in order to make a small profit. Things are already tough with the walking dead everywhere. Not having enough money for these items could prove fatal. Cash is also needed for your weapons. Understandably, the weapons that you use to kill zombies will need to be repaired after significant use. In order to repair them you’ll need to find a workbench and use cash you gained via missions or found in the environment. Cash can be found in the places you’d think to look (cash registers, abandoned luggage, etc.). Depending on where you are, you may have a hard time finding money. The beach had large sums of money lying around because the people there were the last to be affected by the plague. They didn’t have time to loot or scavenge. In the city however, things are different. Almost every store, shop, and apartment has been broken into and looted for items. You’ll still find things (this is a video game after all) but what you find and how much of it varies.

    I know I am going on and on about found items and not so much about the gameplay itself. When you think about it though, I’m really addressing the gameplay the entire time. The way these elements interact will certainly affect the way you play Dead Island. Take deaths for example. One thing that I thought was odd at first was the fact that when someone dies in game, the only thing they lost was money. It didn’t occur to me that frequent deaths resulted in me not being able to repair my weapons, making them useless in a fight. This can make completing missions extremely difficult. Then there is the weapon modification feature. After you’ve acquired the blueprints and items to make lethal weapon combinations, you’ll still need money to complete them. It can be worth it as modded weapons do significantly more damage than normal ones. At the same time, they cost more to repair. Players will have to decide what, when, and where to use items. There are plenty of times where just plain running away is the best option. Doing so will help you preserve your weapons longer, resulting in less repairs and more cash.

    Speaking of running, that’s something I did a lot of. Confronting the zombies often results in enjoyable, yet frightening encounters. Zombies can be tough to take down when their numbers are small; they can be nearly impossible to dispatch in large groups. Even if you decide to run away, you’ll have to consider your stamina. Doing anything (fighting, jumping, running, etc) other than walking results in depletion of this bar. If it runs out completely your character won’t be able to fight or run and can easily be knocked to the ground. One thing you have going for you is a system that allows targeting of specific limbs. A couple of swings of a bat at a zombie’s arm could break the bone. If you have a sharp weapon, you can remove limbs directly. Take away their arms and the zombies are less of a threat.

    There are other features that help in one’s survival. Players can level up their characters by killing zombies, doing mission, and completing challenges. Every time you level up, you gain points used to buy/develop abilities in three different skill trees. The four playable characters all have different attributes and are skilled in different areas. Sam B, for example, specializes in blunt objects so the skills he can unlock, for the most part, have to do with using those types of weapons. One skill that is unlocked pretty early for all the characters is the rage moves. Each character has a move that can turn the tide of a fight. The character I used (Purna) can pull out a gun with unlimited ammo and lay waste to multiple zombies in a matter of seconds. While these moves need to be earned (you build a meter by taking out enemies), they are extremely effective and very useful.

    All of these things I have talked about so far together make Dead Island a good game. What takes it over the top is its inclusion of four player co-op. Even though it can be difficult, fighting zombies and completing missions is really fun. Doing it with friends watching your back rivals the awesome co-op found in Borderlands. My brother and I had such a great time playing together, that after we completed the last mission in the game, we immediately started a new game (our characters retained their level and items). Our game was filled with crazy moments; one instance found my brother ramming a zombie with a car while I took pot shots at zombies from the passenger seat. Awesome! Also, having someone with you makes running into a special zombie less of a “oh crap” type of moment. The special zombies are similar to the ones found in Left 4 Dead. The Ram zombie is a bulky, “tank” like creature wearing a giant strait jacket that charges at the first site of humans. They can take a large amount of damage before going down. Then there are Floaters (think Boomer) that spew slime, fast and furious Butchers, and even Suiciders that self destruct when close to humans. Throw these guys in with a group of zombies and you’re in for one heck of a fight. Even though the game’s difficulty goes up with each additional player, having friends join your fight can help even the odds.

    There are just so many things to talk about when it comes to Dead Island. I can spend all day describing the multiple environments gamers will see. Techland made sure that gamers would be exploring for days. Each location has a distinct feel, featuring its own zombies, debris, items, and whatever else; i.e. a police station would have uniform –clad zombies and night sticks scattered about. Adding to the environments were the ambient sounds of screaming infected and distant gun shots. This background noise helped to create the dread one might feel if something like this really were to happen. Then there is the sheer amount of detail in…well, everything. Set a zombie on fire and you can see the flesh burning away, exposing bone in real time. Slash at their face and see the muscle underneath. The same amount of detail was given to weapons. Cut up a few zombies and before you know it your machete is covered in bits of flesh. Once it’s modified, a weapon will display the items that were used to alter its attributes (like seeing the flaming rags tied around a baseball bat). All of these things help to suck players into Dead Island’s world and keep them there till the credits rolled.

    I love survival horror games. Some of my most memorable moments in gaming came from this genre. Whether is was a zombie dog jumping through a window in Resident Evil, my TV being muted in Eternal Darkness, or witnessing a brutal murder in Clock Tower 3, I’ll always remember these events. However, over the past few years it seemed that this genre was losing its “survival” roots, changing how I see these titles. They are more action oriented with no scares in sight. If it wasn’t for a few titles, i.e. Dead Space, you’d be hard pressed to find a game representing the genre well. That’s not to say that these action titles were poor; it just means that to me, they were missing something. That changed when I played Techland’s latest game. There were times when I was really afraid for my character’s wellbeing. This almost never happened when playing some of the more recent titles in this genre. Techland has done an excellent job of bringing the “survival” back to survival horror!

    Gameplay:

    10

    If you played Dead Island, then you know there are glitches. However, they are so minute that I didn’t feel the need to talk about them in the main body of the review. When you stack up all the great gameplay elements the few existing flaws are crushed underneath!

    Graphics:

    9

    The characters can look a little stiff in cut scenes. Other than that, everything looked great and was highly detailed.

    Sound:

    10

    Everything from the moans of zombies to the sound of blades cutting through flesh were great.

    What's New:

    8

    The way Techland approached this game, combining multiple elements from different genres, actually created something new.

    Replay Value:

    10

    There is so much content here that it almost forces you to replay Dead Island just to see everything. Throw in the great drop in/out co-op feature and this score becomes clear.

    Final Score:

    9.4

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