Dead Island – Review (360, PS3, PC)

written by gazzara on 8.9.11

The first thing I have to say is that I am not madly in love with zombies, I am not a follower of all things zombie but I quite like the zombie concept.

When “that” trailer blew everybody away a few months back I think I can safely say that everybody’s ears pricked up, their eyes widened and Dead Island had cemented itself as one of the most anticipated releases of the year so far.  Not a bad piece of marketing from a game that has a low budget to work with and THIS is something we have to remember. This game has been developed not by a AAA studio or Publisher that can pump £50 million plus into it but a studio and publisher that have developed a game that although has various issues and bugs is one of the games that I have had the most fun with so far this year.

The beginning of the game sees you choose one of four characters, each with their own combat skill and levelling up skills tree to go with them. Waking up from your drunken slumber you start to see that something is not right on the island of Banoi and that a zombie outbreak has kicked off a story, that although not great in its delivery, moves the game along satisfactory.  Cue then a heady mix of RPG survival horror with some melee hack and slash goodness.

In true RPG fashion, quests are administered in healthy doses allowing you to proceed through each storyline, side or ongoing quest with ease using the menu and arrows on the HUD making it easy enough to not get too confused when accepting the many tasks you are required to do across the island.  Some quests can be quite menial and some important to the game which drive the story along but one thing is for sure, what you are required to do gets you walking around the island where you literally feel there is no areas of safety.  Apart from the small areas where your fellow survivors are holed up you know you’re in for one hell of a zombie ride, trying to find weak points in the open areas to exploit and find your way through without minimal fuss.

• Likes

  • Great Immersion and Tension
  • Addictive Gameplay
  • 4 Player Co-Op
  • Combat is fun
  • RPG elements add depth

• Dislikes

  • Graphically weak
  • Shady A.I. in places

As well as the normal health meter which can be topped up via medi kits for a large boost or energy drinks and food scraps that are a little more liberal in their application but can be found everywhere there is also a stamina bar.  This stamina bar will drop when you fight, run or do anything strenuous so it is important to be able to manage this whilst out “in the field”.  This stops constant running away from happening as you will become out of breath and also it stops you swinging at zombies like a mad man as you will gas yourself out and find yourself in a world of hurt very quickly.  The stamina bar is a great idea and concept for a game where you constantly feel in danger.  It adds another level to the tension and also makes you pick your shot a little bit better.

The game reminds me of two games in particular, Borderlands and Fallout 3, the latter we will talk about in a minute.  Borderlands is famed for its mix of RPG, looting and action which this has in abundance as well as its skill tree for each character that is developed here.  Although, the levelling up system per se is not that great, the skill trees that apply to each character is a work of art and allows you to play through the game in so many different ways.  From lockpicking to concentrating on weapon skills, there is something there for you to work on and develop each character the way you want.  The only downside to the way the levelling system works is that the zombies level up with you.  Normally this wouldn’t be too bad as it keeps you challenged during your experience but when you can run around with up to 4 friends in co-operative mode, you have to be around the same level as each other which is a pain.

Combat and weaponry are held in very high esteem as this is obviously what will get you through the horror.  Finding the odd bit of pipe or wood will help batter zombies away and each comes with their own stats for damage, longevity etc.  Finding random objects via rifling through boxes, suitcases etc will reap you some nice bric a brac or objects that can help you progress, build or upgrade weaponry via work benches found at various survivor camps around the island.  Sounding a bit like Fallout 3 here?  Yep, I think that too and it is not a bad thing at all.

The combat itself is a little woolly and can be hit and miss when it comes to distance and hit boxes but it is oh so satisfying as you smash zombies to the ground, breaking arms, legs and severing limbs in a frantic way.  One little touch here is the kick button which you need to get accustomed to almost immediately.  This will get you out of many a tight situation when multiple zombies are attacking.  Being able to kick them to the ground is paramount in taking out a small zombie horde hell bent on stripping your flesh.  Seeing the zombies get taken apart is a sadistic joy mixed with frantic panic as you hear another near by coming to join the festivities.

Graphically, the game is not so hot.  Running on the Chrome 5 engine, the game shows off the engine’s age a little as characters appear to not be textured properly and a lot of detail is missing.  Thankfully, the game is pretty and fun enough that you can overlook a lot of these issues.  That is, unless you are a person that outs looks over substance first and if that’s the case then this isn’t the game for you.

Overall, Dead Island is one hell of a ride.  There are a lot of glitches and bugs in the game but that does not make it bad.  After all, Matthew Smith created Jet Set Willy with a bug that stopped you from completing the game and it is a classic.  Thankfully, I never saw any game breaking bugs here and the atmosphere and addictive qualities that make Dead Island so great out weight the negative issues the game has.

All of the components are present to make this a game to return to time and time again and with a budget that was two or three times as much could have probably made this a masterpiece.  As it is, Dead Island is a diamond in the rough, with a little more polish, the game’s beauty would be there for all to see and not just the gamers that will appreciate fun and atmosphere over bugs and looks.  For all of the bullshit that will inevitably be slung around the media you have to give credit where credit is due and that is that I have very rarely played a game that is so steeped in atmosphere and tension as when I have been playing around on Dead Island.