Console: Sony Playstation 3
Developer: Techland
Release Date: 6th September 2011
Another entry into the zombie genre which seems to be a little overpopulated recently, Dead Island includes elements of survival horror, a weapon customisation system, the option to play story mode with four LAN players and an RPG style level up system where players can choose which upgrades are made to their stats. The story of the game is almost central to the gameplay, with the player being given quests by survivors of the virus outbreak to assist them in their survival.
Alongside the main quest path there are sidequests which don't need to be attempted but can provide cash, experience and weapons to aid the player in their main quest. Some of the sidequests are a little ridiculous such as collecting teddy bears or champagne for particularly unconcerned survivors. Mostly though, the quests involve getting rid of zombies from places or fixing things to aid a chance at escaping.
In the game there are several types of zombies which the player will encounter. The most common types are Infected which act like those from 28 Days Later, running quickly towards the player to attack and Walkers who amble slowly towards the player but can be deadly in large groups. Added to these are Thugs who are essentially larger, more powerful walkers, Rams, as pictured above, Suiciders which explode when the player gets close enough, Floaters who spit poisonous liquid and Butchers which are essentially Infected with weapons for hands.
The controls are well laid out and weapons are easy to wield and throw, there's a powerful kick available to the player and you're able to upgrade your selected player to stomp the heads of zombies in order to kill them faster. There's a stamina bar which limits the amount of consecutive attacks a player can launch, and each selectable character has a special 'rage mode' which can help to cut through hordes of zombies.
There are various weapons available in the game, most of them melee style blunt or sharp weapons such as baseball bats, wrenches and machetes but there are also firearms available to the player with limited ammo. Vehicles can be used to run over zombies too and there's also fire based weapons such a molotovs available to players. To further increase the weapon selection there are modification blueprints hidden about the map which allow players to customise their existing weapons into ultra-powerful destructive machines.
When melee weapons are used in battle, they lose durability and need repairing at workbenches throughout the map to be effective. All weapons have their own stats based on the current level of the player, which decrease if they become too damaged. All of this means that players must be careful with how much they use their best weapons and need to keep a stock of weapons in good condition on them at all times.
The gameplay is generally similar to most survival horror games, in that play alternates between 'safe' areas and areas infested with zombies. It's possible to evade most types of zombie by running past them, and in escort missions and other types of quest this can be advisable. While there's not a truly limited amount of weapons in the game, the damage system works well and there's still a fair amount of difficulty in getting through hordes unscathed.
The story is good in most places, becoming a little anticlimactic at the end of the game in a lot of ways. It's also affected by the game's strong suggestion that you play with others online in co-op style. If you play alone you'll only see your player when you have control of them but in cutscenes, all four selectable players are present and it tends to challenge the immersion somewhat. It's a shame they couldn't have rendered different cutscenes based on who was selected and/or playing at the time.
Graphically the game is impressive in its location design and both the tropical island of Banoi and indoor locations on the island look very good. Sometimes the textures will noticeably take a moment to load onto the walls, and there's clipping at times if zombies are waiting behind a closed door. In terms of sound, the zombies retain a fairly scary roar throughout the game, and this helps to create a legitimate horror feel. At times the sound stops and starts if there's a lot of things going on, but it's not enough to ruin the immersion of the game as a whole.
Overall Dead Island is a lot of fun to play with plenty of replayability due to its level upgrade system and weapons customisation. Killing zombies is satisfying and can be done in many different ways. At times the number of quests you're given can seem overwhelming but you're always told which are relevant to the main plot and which aren't. It's a shame that the story isn't quite as believable as it could be, although it does attempt to be moving at times. As a zombie themed survival horror game this does pretty nicely, but I wouldn't put it above the true classics.
Rating: 81/100
Grade: B
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