So I finally got around to finishing this game. Overall, it may not have the polish that other triple A games do. But I still had loads of fun with this game. I thought Left 4 Dead was alright, but really repetitive and simple. And Dead Rising 1 & 2 was a good concept, but the thing of having a time limit throughout the whole most of the game really heald back what could've been something awesome. Dead Island though, seems to do alot more right then wrong when it comes to a zombie outbreak experience.
Story: I gotta admit, the story and characters are probly this game's weakest point. It's not what you'd call bad, but it sure isn't gonna turn any heads or wow anybody. The game takes place on Banoi, a fictional island resort. The intro of the game shows some drunk guy at some sorta party at the resort where he ends up bumping into and pissing off the four main playable characters of the game. Logan, an american quarterback who recklessly put an end to his Career by killing two people and fracturing his knee in a street race. Purna, a former cop who lost her job after killing a wealthy sex offender and became a VIP bodyguard. Sam-B, a rap star famous for his one hit single: "Who do you voodoo, bitch?". And Xian Mei, A chinese employee of the Resort, choosing that line of work to leave her country. You see the drunk guy witness the beginning of the zombie outbreak as he sees somebody tackle and bite one person, and see a dead body in the women's bathroom. Afterwords he goes to his room, passes out on the bed, and then the game starts.
They're are some cutscenes, character development, and story in this game. Just only a small amount of it. It's just not gonna driving force of this game. So just don't go into this expecting a zombie story on par with something like The Walked Dead.
Gameplay: Okay, so we got it out there that the story isn't what makes this game special. But you know what does make this game awesome. Its gameplay. This is where the game truly shines in my opinion. The combat to this game is well done. You can kick loads of zombie butt. And by the end of the game, you'll feel like a bad-ass among the undead. But at the same time you always gotta be careful and keep your eyes open. Because in the end, it'll only take a few hits to take you out. It leaves you on your toes and being cautious, making sure you have a good defense in order to have a good offense.
Each of the four characters you play as has a different set of skill trees, and a preferred type of weapon. Logan likes Projectile Weaponry and throwing stuff, Purna likes the Firearms, Sam-B like blunt instruments, and the one I picked, Xian, likes blades and other sharp weaponry. You level up your character throughout the game, gaining and upgrading new skills. Each of their three skill trees focus on Combat, Survival and Rage. Your rage attack differs a bit from character to character. But essentially its a special mode you activate once you've done enough killing, once activated your character becomes alot more powerful for a short time. Short being about five seconds once you get this ability. This becomes useful for when you have to deal with a large number of enemies.
You'll have to scavenge in order to find weapons in supplies in Dead Island. You'll be looking in bags, boxes, bodies, cabinets to find new weapons, supplies and ammo. This feature I wish they had in something like Left 4 Dead. I know it was aiming to be more of an action game then Dead Island was. But having all the guns and ammo just on top of tables through out the game for you take, it just doesn't seem as fun to as having to look and hunt for supplies in order to survive like you do in Dead Island.
Though you do get guns in this game. Dead Island's combat revolves around melee combat. At first I was getting simple stuff like rowing ores, kitchen knives and the occasional baseball bat. But by the end of the game I had an arsenal consisting of three of four different types of Machetes, a Kitana, and a two-handed axe. You'll also be getting stuff like sledgehammers, giant baseball bats, Molotov Cocktails, brass knuckles and plenty of other kinds of weapons. You can also upgrade weapons to make them stronger and more durable. And then also mod them. You could make an electric machete, which will deal extra electric damage and have a chance to stun the enemy, a baseball bay thats constantly on fire so it can set enemies aflame. Or a two-handed axe that will poison zombies, causing them to puke non-stop when you hit them with it. Adding a nice level of depth to your weaponry. Though the weapons may bot be as crazy or exciting as you might find in other games like Borderlands. But you do still kick alot of ass with what Dead Island has to offer you. And beating the crap outta the zombies with what I had by the end of the game felt pretty awesome.
It's strange being in a zombie outbreak and having to still worry about money. But in Dead Island I guess people still seem to worry about that stuff. You'll be getting money from doing side missions, looting, and selling your gear. You'll use this money to buy stuff from other survivors, but for the most part you'll be using it to upgrade and repair your weapons. And the more you let your weapons break down the more its gonna cost to get it fixed. So make sure their condition never gets too low or else it'll cost you a fortune. And make sure you keep dying to an absolute minimum or else it'll take you 10% of your cash.
Another thing that this game has going for it is the quantity of side missions that it has. They're are plenty of people at the safe houses you'll find that want your help. You'll be doing Rescue missions, Fetch Quests, and other simple objectives. They may get really unique, but they're still fun to complete. And the rewards and experience you get for doing them is well worth it. The only real annoying part about it is having to deal with the rather flakey mini-map, that may sometimes constantly change which route you should go, or take you in the wrong direction in general. Luckily you have a bigger map in the pause menu that'll show you where your next objective is.
They're are six types of zombies you'll fight on Dead Island. Some of the cast include walkers, slow moving zombies that will either strike at you, or charge and try and grab onto you. Leaving you open for others to attack while you tried to get it off of you. Then there's the infected, running zombies that are reminiscent of those from 28 Days Later. If these guys get you from behind, they'll do some major damage with their flurry of strikes. Then there's the Thug, a big, tank like zombie. These guys are hard to take out. One hit from them and they'll knock you on your ass and take a big chuck of your health. You also get to fight humans as well. For the most part the use guns, which may have you at a disadvantage if you don't already one on you. Be prepared to die the first time you run into these guys. Because it'll only take a couple shots to bring you down, even if your at full health.
Online: While this game still alot of fun single player. Its the best when playing online and with other people. I found myself getting outnumbered and overwhelmed by the dead sometimes. And when you have at least one person fighting beside you, things seem to even out more. They can revive you when you run out of health if they get to you quickly. Getting into gunfights is alot easier, and taking on the tougher zombie types isn't as much of a chore. And finding people to play with is surprisingly easy. There's still quite alot of people who play this game. And the connectivity is pretty solid for the most part. I just wish they had split screen co-op like they did in Borderlands. That would've been awesome, I can't understand why anyone would decide not to put that in.
Presentation: The game's graphics is a bit of a hit or miss kinda deal. The outdoor locations look great. Proving ambiance and a good looking tropical look to the game. But stuff like the character models are mediocre. They don't have alot of expression on their face. And while you don't technically get to see it. Seeing the shadow of your character's running and walking animations look weird, like their constantly trying to show off their ass while they're on the move. The music in the game isn't what I'd call memorable. The only music that really plays are grim piano tracks that play when your at a safe house. Though I gotta admit, Hearing Sam-B's "Who do you voodoo, bitch?" song is pretty catchy.
Overall: Dead Island may be rough around the edges. And far from flawless. But its probly gotta be one of the better zombie games to come out since the early Resident Evil games. Its solid First Person-RPG thats takes alot of good cues from stuff like Borderlands. And I think it's worth at least checking out.
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