Dead Island

Let’s cut the crap and get straight to the point. Dead island is a game that will likely divide the masses. Fans of the RPG genre should at least take it for a spin. Those familiar with the Fallout games will find something vaguely familiar, even if they can’t quite put their finger on what that something is. There will be those that find a level of charm and intensity within the world that at times can be truly unique. Unfortunately though, this game is not for everyone, and will annoy as many as it pleases. More than many other games out there, the need to read a review from somebody you trust is vital before any decision to pick up this game is made… but hey, that’s why you’re here right?

Set on a sunny resort, players will select and take control of one of four survivors who for some reason immune to the virus that has engulfed the island. Your task then is to help others around the holiday haven who aren’t so lucky. Picking up supplies and clearing out areas are just a few of your tasks. Set across three different regions of the same island, each area brings with it its own challenges and atmosphere that require the player to adopt different methods of playing if they hope to survive to the end.

So what’s good about Dead Island? Quite a lot actually. Visually the game is quite pretty, even for its size. The first third of the game takes place around a beach resort, and the beautiful scenery, with relaxing sunshine is a fantastic contrast between the horror that has befallen paradise. The result of this is a game that is often brimming with atmosphere and tension. Players will find themselves creeping across deserted beaches and swimming pools clutching a baseball bat, desperately listening for any sign of danger. Zombies play dead, so you never quite know if a body is about to sit up in front of you or not, and the speed of some enemies can create some jumpy moments.

Story wise, there’s a real sense that the survivors want nothing more than to do just that, survive. At the beginning this is refreshing, there seems to be no higher cause, you’re just someone trying not to die. Unfortunately though, the initial freshness of this soon wears off, and once this happens, the world begins to betray its flaws to us.

The game seems to lose its way after such a strong opening, and never really progresses beyond the basic fetch quest. It also doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be either. One minute, it is the serious zombie RPG we’ve all been waiting for, and the next, it makes about as much sense as a bottle of crisps. Need an example? I was sent out to pick up some parts for a truck to make traveling around the island a bit safer and faster. Unfortunately though, a more pressing matter took president. A grown woman had lost her teddy bear, and there was just no way my character could stand for this. So, with plank of wood in hand, off he went on a forty five minute trek across the island to find this wandering scamp and return it to its owner who was now confined to her bed because of the trauma. Note the fetch quest. It is because of this madness that the game loses much of its atmosphere. Dead Islands attempt to walk the line between serious story, and insanity means that it achieves neither, falling somewhere between the two that will satiate nobody.

It is because of these short fallings that many players will be turned off, and the fact that most of the game revolves around fetch questing is quite frankly boring. There is one dim ray of light that saves the title somewhat though. The whole game can be played in multiplayer with a friend, and mostly it’s fun. Tearing around an island over run by the undead with a buddy (or three) at your side is loads of fun. It does dispel the tension though, but this is a small price to pay and extends the life of the game by a few hours. The disappointment of later regions will also probably confine players to tearing around the beach resort though, which is a shame.

Mechanically though, the game is fine, so players should enjoy the gameplay. Players will find themselves conferring between one another as to how they should approach the bigger enemies, only for a few sprinters to rush in and throw your plans out of the window as everyone runs in different directions desperately trying to stay alive. Some of the missions lend themselves well to multiplayer as well, and it is a lot of fun coming up with strategies. Discussing who defends an area whilst team mates sweep a ruined petrol station for supplies is brilliant.

Do not let the first hour that you play Dead Island trick you into thinking that this is a great game. It definitely is not. In addition to this though, don’t let this review trick you into thinking it’s a terrible game. It is not. Those looking for that serious zombie related RPG that video game fans have been awaiting for years will be disappointed, as it falls some way short of the mark. It also fails to be a mad roller coaster ride of the same ilk as Dead Rising. There is fun to be had though, and if gamers can buddy up to play through the game, banter will probably see players further through the game than anybody would get on their own. There is though the sorry reality that the name Dead Island and word boring can and will be used in a sentence together, and that is never a good thing.