Dead Island (Xbox 360) > Reviews (11)

DEAD ISLAND

Dead Island finally arrived after months of waiting for what we all knew would be a survival horror game similar to that of Left 4 Dead but with more quests and a better story. Dead Island is a first person survival horror game as is Left 4 Dead and its available for the PC and PS3 as well as the Xbox 360. This is yet another horror game that involves zombies and its becoming a regular thing and I absolutely love zombie games. The games publishers are Deep Silver and the developers are Techland who have barely made a game worth mentioning except Call Of Juarez until now. Dead Island features a main quest which can be followed really well but there are side quests which in turn lead to different parts of the story to the game.

You get the choice of four characters at the start of the game. The game is also set on a fictional island by the name of Banoi which is located just off the coast of Papua New Guinea. Your character who you pick at the start wakes up in the Palms Resorts hotel to find the hotel has been overrun by endless zombies. Upon exiting the hotel you find its not just the hotel and it is in fact the entire island that has been overtaken by these flesh eating zombies. You character is immune from being turned into one of these and now your character must explore the entire island in search of remaining living survivors and help them whilst you also look for a way off the island.

GAMEPLAY

Dead Island is a really enjoyable game to play but there is only one game mode available which is story mode but its not at all disappointing because its fairly long compared to some story modes in other survival horror games such as the Left 4 Dead series or the Dead Rising series. There are 4 average looking characters to choose from who barely look the part. Each character is good at certain things for example one of the characters will have advantages to using firearms whilst another character will have advantages at using blunt weapons. This doesn't mean you have to just use those weapons for those characters because any character can use any weapon what so ever.

Whilst on the subject of weapons I have to mention that there are absolutely hundreds of different weapons available scattered throughout the island in which you can pick up and use against the hordes of zombies. You can use weapons such as paddles, wrenches, daggers, axes, scythes, hammers, guns, even your fists and there are a lot more. You can also find mods scattered through the island which enable you to create special weapons. For an example you can create a machete and add electricity to it to fry zombies. To create weapons you also need the parts which can be hard to find. Your weapons can only withstand so much usage and will get damaged. Damaged weapons wont do as much damage either. You can repair weapons at workstations that are also all over the island usually in safe places. You have to search everywhere on the island for items. There are also many other items scattered through the island which include things like med packs, food and snacks which heal a certain amount of lost health and you can also find different files all over the island.

There really is lots of different items.

The quests in the game are really good and you can see the developers have worked a lot into this with the variety of the side quests and main quests available. To take on a side quests you have to find survivors who require your help. They could ask you to do absolutely anything from collecting food supplies, delivery items to other survivors, transporting survivors to safety, stopping looters and many more. Basically surviving quests that will involve survivors living longer. The main quests are also varied and some of them are extremely long but they are really good and enjoyable. Completing quests can earn you bonuses such as experience, money or even special items/weapons. With the experience you earn your character can automatically level up. In the top left corner of the screen is your health but just underneath is you experience points and how far you need to go to achieve the next level. Gaining a level gives you one skill point. You can use the skill point to increase an ability on your character or learn something new. There are three different groups each with different skills. There is Fury, Combat and Survival and all of them have different abilities and I also have to say the leveling up is fantastic and works really well.

There are endless amounts of zombies on the island and there are also so many different types of zombies. You will come up against the runners in which will run at you and these are my worst because sometimes they come from behind to get you. There are the usual gormless zombies which barely cause any problems unless they are in massive groups. There are also Thug zombies which can take a massive beating before you can kill them. There are also the zombies I like to call nutters because they wear straight jackets and come at you like maniacs by charging. If they hit you they send you flying and do severe damage. There are also suicide zombies which explode if your near them and it can instantly kill you. There are a lot of different zombies and I think this works really well. The best thing is you can break zombies legs or arms with blunt weapons like clubs or baseball bats and you can also cut limbs off with axes or other sharp weapons.

The island is fantastic because you visit a huge city there which is very challenging and you will also visit the beach, a jungle and many other places. To be honest at first I thought it was a really small island but its not. Its incredibly huge. I would also go as far as saying the game is almost realistic except for the zombies. You have to do everything you can to survive and at times it seems very real. The way the game plays is great at times but the game has millions of glitches that does ruin the game sometimes. Sometimes the game feels like it has been rushed and pushed for release by the company. I also think there are a few faults in the game. However the game is still really enjoyable and its definitely one of the best survival horror games out there today.

GRAPHICS

Upon seeing pictures of the game it really looks impressive and beautifully designed. I would even go as far as saying its brilliantly designed. The characters are a little disappointing because they look extremely boring and nothing like main characters but to be fair you don't hardly see your character because its a first person game. The island is magnificently designed in every way. The beaches look stunning and you can certainly tell it was once a great holiday destination (if the island actually existed). The zombies are also really well designed and very well detailed. Even the characters have really good facial expressions and it works well.

Now for the reason why I have marked the graphics as just okay. Well the game features way too many glitches in the graphics and its very disappointing. The first day playing the game I barely noticed them but the next day things were really bad. I was playing online with my cousin for most the day and with a few other people at a different time as well and each time the game had major faults. For example there were zombies getting stuck and not being able to move. My cousins character had turned invisible on my screen whilst on his he wasn't. Also someone else's character was stuck in the floor with me only being able to see half there body. Then there was silly parts where we had done a quest and all of a sudden the game would lag really badly (both connections are fantastic) and end up crashing our systems. Its really disappointing because the game could even be a contender for Game Of The Year if it didn't have so many glitches.

SOUND EFFECTS

I really like the sound effects to the game and feel they outshine the graphics because of the glitches and its really rare to find that sometimes. Every character in the game is voiced and they all sound fantastic. I am also very impressed with the sound effects that all of the zombies make especially the runners because they go ballistic and you can always tell when your near a bunch of them. The suicide zombies are the worst because the only time they make a noise is when they explode. Half the time they explode on you which is annoying. The music in the game is actually really good at times and definitely fits the mood of the game. I have to say most of the sound effects really impressed me and there are only a few bits that could be improved so overall it was great.

DIFFICULTY & LONGEVITY

The games difficulty actually varies as does most games. You cant actually pick a difficulty setting with this game so if you find it hard your going to need to learn quickly. I found the game fairly easy to follow and I also found the game simple to start with but as you progress further in the game it does get harder. Also the quests tell you how hard they are. Some will say very easy, some will say very hard and there are also other difficulties but its always best to do them all anyway. Doing harder quests will result in more experience and money plus items.

The controls to the game are fairly simple but for some reason I keep using the Left 4 Dead run button so I guess it is confusing sometimes. The different types of zombies also have different difficulties. Of course the runners are one of the more trickier zombies because if you run they're just going to run after you. The game overall is good in my opinion in terms of difficulty. It may take a while to get the hang of it but once your away you should be fine.The length of the game is really pleasing. When I realized that the only game mode available was story mode I had guessed it was actually going to be a long story mode and it did please me. There are far too many games with numerous game modes but they only last a couple of hours. In Dead Island there are 4 acts with several chapters to each act. Along with this is over 100+ different side quests and there is also a massive island to explore. With Dead Rising your looking at a 30 or even 40 hour game maybe even more if you enjoy exploring as much as I do.

ACHIEVEMENTS

There are a total of 48 achievements in Dead Island and most of them are time consuming which is great. Most of the achievements are very much like the Left 4 Dead achievements and involve killing so many zombies with different weapons or in different ways. There are a few achievements that are acquired as you progress through the games story. There are also different achievements for travelling so far on foot and so far in a vehicle. There are also a few secret achievements but most are simple as long as you play the game a lot.

PROS

• Lots of quests that include over 100+ side quests.
• Customize your own weapons and make special weapons.
• Play co-op story mode with 3 other people at once!
• The island of Banoi is beautifully designed and its massive!
• Some of the sound effects to the game really shine.
• There are an endless amount of zombies in the game and they just keep coming!

CONS

• The glitches and the faults the game has are seriously annoying at times.
• Could be quite a difficult game to some gamers.
• No other game modes other than story mode.
• You cant kick people out of your game and you cant stop them joining unless you alter it in the main menu.
• The game is rather addicting and time certainly zooms on by!

FINAL THOUGHT

Zombie games have always been something that interest me and I would most certainly say I would do okay if we were infested by zombies here in real life. I love any kind of survival horror game but when zombies are involved on a beautifully designed island then what more can you ask for. I love the fact the game is a little like Left 4 Dead but not an awful lot a like. It does also have a resemblance to Dead Rising with the huge amount of survivors that you have to help. I have to say the way in which the weather changes is brilliant and also the way the wind blows the trees is beautiful. I did find that the graphics would of been a perfect 10/10 if there wasn't any glitches but that is where the game is severely letdown.

The game has so much potential and has so much to offer.

I love the game and I would never let glitches in a game put me off too much. I would seriously recommend the game to any fan of the Left 4 Dead series because its a lot better than that series. I would also say its better than the Dead Rising series but its still early because this is the first one but it looks like there will be a second that's for sure. I would also like to see a better company take over in the next game. If your a fan of survival horror games and FPS (first person shooter) games then this is definitely for you and you wont be too disappointed because the overall gameplay is a masterclass.

The game has an age rating of 18+ because it contains strong bloody violence throughout and some extremely strong language. The worst part of it is the gore because there are flying heads and limbs which could put some people off. The game manual is really good and is definitely one of the surprises to me. Its perfectly designed with all relevant information and help inside. I bought the game on release day and it cost me only £32 from ASDA which is fantastic for a new and popular game. The game is retailing at £39.99 in Game and Gamestation and is much cheaper from supermarkets or even on eBay and Amazon.

Dead Island is a great game and it would be even better without the glitches. I would give the game a solid 8/10! Would of been a 10 if it never had the glitches and faults and at times didn't feel like it was rushed for release.

Review also on dooyoo under the username: simon020187!