Dead Island

 PC
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1659 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 816 out of 1659
  2. Mixed: 578 out of 1659
  3. Negative: 265 out of 1659
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  1. Jesterhead85
    Sep 25, 2011
    9
    I want to start this off by saying Dead Island is an amazing game.
    Somehow it was put on for public execution when it had a rough release.
    I also want to add -- I had no problems technically with this game!! The bugs everyone complained about - for the last 3 weeks of playing this game I have only encountered one (1) bug and I can't even remember what it was. Also many games have the    I want to start this off by saying Dead Island is an amazing game.
    Somehow it was put on for public execution when it had a rough release.

    I also want to add -- I had no problems technically with this game!!
    The bugs everyone complained about - for the last 3 weeks of playing this game I have only encountered one (1) bug and I can't even remember what it was.

    Also many games have the same troubles when they launch. I think its ridiculous that Dead Island should be scourged for it and every other game skids by with no comment on its launching problems...

    ANYWAYS!

    From the get-go you start off alone, and in the middle of a mysterious zombie outbreak. The ambiance and environment your set it does a great job of unsettling you. Walking through a deserted hotel with nothing but the sounds of zombies groaning in the background takes me back to the good old scary experiences i had when i first loaded up Resident Evil 2 and felt like i was trapped in a horrifying city of zombies. Dead Island does a great job of selling the scene.

    The graphics are outstanding. Ive seen some other reviewers/critics dis the graphics and call them rough and low resolution and I have to question which rig they were using. Because Dead Island is on par with games like Crysis 2, better graphics than COD:Black Ops, and also on par with BFBC2. But I must say they are used much differently. Lighting plays a big factor. The sun will break through the leaves on palm trees. Debris will float through the air. Lots of detail has been put into the game graphics wise. Those who are downing the graphics either need a better computer, or need their eyes checked. The graphics are just fine and look great set on High Settings.

    Sound wise the game is decked out with the oh-so appropriate tension music. Background noises of zombies groaning, screaming, gunshots very rarely firing off. Its what you would imagine it would sound like. Unfortunately it does suffer from -some- poor voice acting. Gameplay. Its zombie survival meets RPG. You are forced to find many makeshift melee weapons as overtime these weapons will break and become useless to you. In the beginning of the game this is most noticed as most of the weapons you start with are just like the crappy dropped weapons you find at level 1 in Diablo II. But as you make your way through the game, pop open some weapons crates and find crafting recipes via sidequests you go from using a cracked boat oar to using a baseball bat with a motorized circular saw on the top of it. Your given the option of repairing, upgrading and crafting your weapons. NPCs in the game will also sell/buy any items weapons.

    Weapons can also be thrown for extra damage. This is important strategy as sometimes you will face superior infected zombies that are not phased as easily. But throwing a heavy crowbar to the face will knock them down in their tracks so you can more easily engage the NEXT zombie currently charging at you. A simple kick action is also added to your arsenal for knocking zombies back providing you more space to work. its best worked to kick 1 or 2 down at a time to work on a 3rd opponent more easily. To go with the RPG side you can upgrade your skills to make your kicks more deadly or even crush the skull of a fallen zombie for an instant kill. Easily preserving your melee weapons so they don't suffer wear and tear as quickly.

    Guns in game are rare, and so is ammunition. Best saved when you will end up fighting non-zombie looters who are taking advantage of the Dead Island. But do some in handy against a horde of zombies when you are injured and outnumbered. Much like all zombie games there are special types of zombies. Yes they are similar to the ones in Left 4 Dead. But i wouldn't call it a total rip off. I think there's just a general of idea of zombie scenarios that works and both L4D and DI have adopted the idea as the best one. That said, it doesn't take away from the game. They are all placed perfectly to challenge you. One zombie by itself is hard to kill. A special infected in a horde will cause you to consider your weapons, environment, and a backup plan and escape route. Your enemies are very effective at making you question your situation.

    RPG gameplay is set to standard. Kill zombies = exp. Quests = exp. Exp = skill points for talent trees and extra life. To save my text limit I'll simply say the RPG system is perfect. The storyline is more based around the mystery of the outbreak and trying to survive. Hidden recordings tell a haunting story of a reporter investigating the island and beg to be found to know what happens next. simply awesome.

    Multiplayer allows for an awesome drop-in/drop-out experience. Using either a lobby or simply picking up other users near the same part of the game as you. Very effective.

    In short conclusion. Do NOT believe the trigger happy critics. Dead Island is an awesome survival horror RPG with solid multi-player. 9/10.    … Expand
  2. bag
    Sep 29, 2011
    9
    I found the gameplay extremely addictive and impressed with how large the world was. You will stumble across glitches every now and then, and I felt the online interaction with players could have been improved, but overall its a great game.
  3. Endo
    Oct 6, 2011
    9
    Probably the best zombie game to date, with added RPG elements and online play, whats not to love. The first instance you find yourself with another player is when the comedy kicks in, theres hours of fun to be had in groups and even the solo play is rewarding. DLC's to be expected and can only make this title even greater. Recommended
  4. Qualitygamer
    Oct 8, 2011
    9
    A fantastically enjoyable romp through a zombie-infested island. This game is incredibly fun alone, and with others, everything just clicks. Melee combat is implemented well and surprisingly, gun combat is even more fun. Probably the goriest game today - every model has a full three layers: bone, muscles, and flesh. There is no present story, but agree with me when I say this - when youA fantastically enjoyable romp through a zombie-infested island. This game is incredibly fun alone, and with others, everything just clicks. Melee combat is implemented well and surprisingly, gun combat is even more fun. Probably the goriest game today - every model has a full three layers: bone, muscles, and flesh. There is no present story, but agree with me when I say this - when you want to get a zombie survival game, what will you expect to be DOING? Surviving! The lack of story does not bother me. The environments are beautiful, and so are the models. However, there are only two cons I can think of.

    1: All characters have botox faces and are not well-animated. (better than common characters used in Deus Ex: Revolution though)

    2: There is no excuse as to why your mouse has to be permanently at a very slow speed when using a menu or the inventory.    … Expand
  5. gilas18
    Mar 21, 2012
    9
    I saw for first this game from a trailer where a little girl was dead on the floor and then went all backwords from the beggining where the family took a photograph which caught my attencion. I absolutly love this game, really, it just has fabulous graphics with such a great gameplay. The story is awesome where we can enjoy great enviroments with a great variety of weapons and characterI saw for first this game from a trailer where a little girl was dead on the floor and then went all backwords from the beggining where the family took a photograph which caught my attencion. I absolutly love this game, really, it just has fabulous graphics with such a great gameplay. The story is awesome where we can enjoy great enviroments with a great variety of weapons and character customization. Also the co-op which can add to 4 players adds the fun part of this game. I cant spot a single negative thing despite some soft bugs which is irrelevant. I recommend everyone to try this game, its really fun and entertaining and if you like zombies or watched Walking Dead then this is your game. Also the Ryder White DLC adds those missing pieces of the puzzle.… Expand
  6. Vany
    Oct 31, 2011
    9
    Dead Island is awesome. I have 147 hours played so far. I even bought this game for my college friend who couldn't afford it so we could play the game co-op. Sure it has a few bugs, most were patched. There might be a few things that are slightly annoying at first, like the durability on items but as the game progresses it isn't as bothersome. My biggest complaint might be that it seemsDead Island is awesome. I have 147 hours played so far. I even bought this game for my college friend who couldn't afford it so we could play the game co-op. Sure it has a few bugs, most were patched. There might be a few things that are slightly annoying at first, like the durability on items but as the game progresses it isn't as bothersome. My biggest complaint might be that it seems like they are trying to hide what they are patching on steam. There are no patch notes after i download patches, i do not understand why. The major thing people are complaining about this game is the bugs and when they patch it they don't release patch notes.… Expand
  7. starsh3ro
    Nov 2, 2011
    9
    after i saw everything i have to change my first review.
    now the worst bugs are patched, some still remain untouched.
    but, even with some bugs, (dissapearing weapons, texture failures,...) this is a great game. the gaming world is very large, you have a lot of enemies to fight, especially after the 2nd chapter. the missions are okay, the story and the ending look like there will be a    after i saw everything i have to change my first review.
    now the worst bugs are patched, some still remain untouched.
    but, even with some bugs, (dissapearing weapons, texture failures,...) this is a great game.

    the gaming world is very large, you have a lot of enemies to fight, especially after the 2nd chapter. the missions are okay, the story and the ending look like there will be a sequel.
    the sound effects are nice, the graphics very detailed.- especially the water, the enemies and the nature. sadly the gaphics are missing some reflections, but probably on purpose to make the game playable, even on slower systems.

    if you dont feel like doing missions, you can just walk arround hours over hours, kill tons of zombies, with help of many different (craftable) weapons.

    you can play the campain alone or with 3 friends in coop, really alot of fun.

    50â    … Expand
  8. keefbaker
    Oct 27, 2013
    9
    I adore Dead Island, It might be a little on the clunky side but basically what you have here is a Bethesda style game which has optional multiplayer where you beat the crap out of zombies with baseball bats that have nails in...
  9. ShiftNMove
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Sandbox environment is always a plus, and Dead Island doesnt disappoint. The greatest feature is the coop that can be played with friends on your own game or their game. This is seriously the best use of co-op ive ever seen and a really hope many other games follow suit. The game can be fairly difficult at times and frustrating without a partner, but is definitely worth buying if you haveSandbox environment is always a plus, and Dead Island doesnt disappoint. The greatest feature is the coop that can be played with friends on your own game or their game. This is seriously the best use of co-op ive ever seen and a really hope many other games follow suit. The game can be fairly difficult at times and frustrating without a partner, but is definitely worth buying if you have a dedicated teammate that will play with you. Just falls short of perfect, but is a very enjoyable RPG.… Expand
  10. OmeNu
    Nov 15, 2011
    9
    the best zombie game out there thus far. it still needs allot of work in the animation department. as well as emotion. but its overall fun if i had to summarize it, i would say Fallout 3 meets Zombie Apocalypse. there was one thing i wish they had added it would have to of been the removal of the skill tree and implementing a learn as you go system based on how you playl. example if youthe best zombie game out there thus far. it still needs allot of work in the animation department. as well as emotion. but its overall fun if i had to summarize it, i would say Fallout 3 meets Zombie Apocalypse. there was one thing i wish they had added it would have to of been the removal of the skill tree and implementing a learn as you go system based on how you playl. example if you favor guns. then well the more you use it the better you get at it, the same would go for melee combat. oh and giving the option to play your own custom character.… Expand
  11. Afghani
    Jan 4, 2012
    9
    Very good polish action/RPG/FPP/survival horror game, that presents a new approach to zombie topic. Combining zombies and tropic island theme (which are contrasting with each other) was very good idea.

    PROS: * very nice graphic * RPG elements * fight system * weapon crafting and modding * good plot * open world * great game-play CONS: * lots of bugs on release day * flat main characters    Very good polish action/RPG/FPP/survival horror game, that presents a new approach to zombie topic. Combining zombies and tropic island theme (which are contrasting with each other) was very good idea.

    PROS:
    * very nice graphic
    * RPG elements
    * fight system
    * weapon crafting and modding
    * good plot
    * open world
    * great game-play

    CONS: * lots of bugs on release day
    * flat main characters
    * driving a car is difficult as hell
    * game saving system
    * and again: lots of bugs!    … Expand
  12. MoneyShot53
    Jul 26, 2012
    9
    Overall a fun experience, especially multiplayer despite a dodgy progression system. Only thing i disliked was the terrible voice acting and accents other than Sam B.
  13. Strewthard
    Nov 21, 2011
    9
    Gameplay: 9 - Amazing. 1st-person melee combat has never been better in any other game. Dead Island allows you to slice and break individual limbs of your undead foes. Different strategies are required for different enemy types. Thugs need their arms broken, and suiciders are best taken out from a distance. The only thing dragging this game down at all are the bugs (of which there areGameplay: 9 - Amazing. 1st-person melee combat has never been better in any other game. Dead Island allows you to slice and break individual limbs of your undead foes. Different strategies are required for different enemy types. Thugs need their arms broken, and suiciders are best taken out from a distance. The only thing dragging this game down at all are the bugs (of which there are many).
    Story: 8 - Great. Cookie-cutter zombie story with a twist: You're on a Resort Island.
    Graphics: 9 - Amazing. Banoi is beautiful. The environments are breathtaking. Enemies vary in appearance. Only people look strange. Faces seem unemotional, and many of the citizens of Banoi look aged when looking at their face, yet young when looking at their body.
    Sound: 9 - Amazing. Creepy music is accentuated by terrifying zombie screams!
    Overall: 9 - Amazing.    … Expand
  14. outfctrl
    Dec 27, 2011
    9
    I am really enjoying it, and my friend and Sons are having a blast. At first, I thought it was another Left4Dead type game. Boy, I was wrong. It turned out to be an RPG, with questing, leveling, skill points and a HUGE and I mean HUGE world. Even your weapons degrade over time and it shows on the weapon.

    I know it had a bad start, but through the patches and tweaks, it is starting to    I am really enjoying it, and my friend and Sons are having a blast. At first, I thought it was another Left4Dead type game. Boy, I was wrong. It turned out to be an RPG, with questing, leveling, skill points and a HUGE and I mean HUGE world. Even your weapons degrade over time and it shows on the weapon.

    I know it had a bad start, but through the patches and tweaks, it is starting to shine. People are working on MODS for it too. There is even a tool you can download from steam to help tweak the performance!

    Last night I played with my Sons, cooperative. When you do, they match the zombies to your level! I am level 13 and my Sons are level 5 and the same zombie we were bashing, matched our level. Online playing is still a little buggy and you may experience some lock ups. Single player runs smooth.

    This game is definitely not for the squeamish. Arms go flying, heads crack open and blood gushes everywhere. They use every 4 letter word in there also, so beware.    … Expand
  15. Vex
    Jul 7, 2012
    9
    This game is just sublime, I haven't had this much fun in ages. I've been looking for a decent game recently that would suck me in and wouldn't bore me to tears but I had no such luck until I picked up Dead Island. Graphics are just amazing and the game looks better than 90% of current games on the market. Visually, it's just stunning. Gameplay mechanics are pretty good as well,This game is just sublime, I haven't had this much fun in ages. I've been looking for a decent game recently that would suck me in and wouldn't bore me to tears but I had no such luck until I picked up Dead Island. Graphics are just amazing and the game looks better than 90% of current games on the market. Visually, it's just stunning. Gameplay mechanics are pretty good as well, considering it's basically an RPG crammed into a first person perspective. Now, the best part about this game is the open world setting that allows you to roam around the island as you please and just explore and do whatever you like. Lots of games these days are touted as "open world" but it's quite rare to find a truly open world game like this. Performance wise, the game runs perfect (everything maxed out) on a 5 year old PC with the only fairly new part being Geforce GTX 460. Draw distance is amazing and the island renders perfectly and with no performance drops over large distances as well.

    I haven't experienced any bugs, crashes and issues that everyone keeps talking about, but then again, I picked this game up 10 months after its initial release so I assume the developers have already fixed everything there was to fix.

    The only reason why it doesn't get a perfect 10 from me is because the dialogue part of the game (with NPCs) is binary and you get to only accept or refuse quests and there are no real dialogue trees. If this game had the dialogue on the par with Mass Effect, it would definitely be a 10 in my book.    … Expand
  16. impedido10
    Mar 31, 2012
    9
    I loved the game,its very fun, with friends or no friends , is a big open world , it have 4 beutifal and huge maps,there is a lot things to do , sometimes it has some glitches , but who cares ! It runs very good on all computers , i have 2 computers (this) it is very good and has good graphics , and another it is very slow but it runs perfect ! Everithyng on High! No lag , If u have aI loved the game,its very fun, with friends or no friends , is a big open world , it have 4 beutifal and huge maps,there is a lot things to do , sometimes it has some glitches , but who cares ! It runs very good on all computers , i have 2 computers (this) it is very good and has good graphics , and another it is very slow but it runs perfect ! Everithyng on High! No lag , If u have a laggy pc it doesnt matter , Buy it! Very awsome game… Expand
  17. Timber
    Jan 25, 2013
    9
    I played the goty Dead Island. I know nothing of how it was at release, what I know is how great this game is. Solid 100 hours of gameplay and satisfying action. Half horror half shooter. Its NOT an horror dedicated game but has its moments. Recommended.
  18. Ghoster
    Jun 2, 2012
    9
    I was suspicious about that game from the start. In one hand was really teased with trailers where you smash zombies with everything you can found. But in other hand I was skeptical about gameplay and overall feeling.

    Because of that I was waiting for Steam 66% off to buy this. I was not wrong. This game is not worth paying full price. I would be more happy if I would pass that one.
  19. Jacksgotskills
    Jun 20, 2012
    9
    This game is very cathartic. Chopping zombie heads off in slow motion is AWESOME. There comes a point later on where as the blade expert it is exactly like a samurai game and it's the best one I've played. The environments are great, the driving is fun, the missions varied. I played through on single player, it's easy to have strangers join up in your game, but I'm not so sure about addingThis game is very cathartic. Chopping zombie heads off in slow motion is AWESOME. There comes a point later on where as the blade expert it is exactly like a samurai game and it's the best one I've played. The environments are great, the driving is fun, the missions varied. I played through on single player, it's easy to have strangers join up in your game, but I'm not so sure about adding friends. The animations of other players aren't as good so in the end I preferred playing through single player to get a sense of when quests started and to be more challenging. Modding weapons is fun, and you wonder if you missed any designs. Cash didn't seem to be much of a problem. I'm about ready to play through again using a different Character to see what's different. Hammer time!… Expand
  20. monti_84
    Nov 5, 2012
    9
    Most of the bad reviews are old and complaint about bugs. Well, i played in end 2012, all bugs fixed and with a 360 controller. I must say that i do enjoy the game a lot. 20h or a little less of gameplay sticking with main quests. In top settings the game looks awesome and it is refreshing to play a first person slasher considering all the boring first person shooters around. Hands downMost of the bad reviews are old and complaint about bugs. Well, i played in end 2012, all bugs fixed and with a 360 controller. I must say that i do enjoy the game a lot. 20h or a little less of gameplay sticking with main quests. In top settings the game looks awesome and it is refreshing to play a first person slasher considering all the boring first person shooters around. Hands down the best zombie game i have played.… Expand
  21. LaytonLink1
    Dec 22, 2012
    9
    Story:9/10-Brilliant.
    Gameplay:9/10-Brilliant.
    Graphics:9.5/10-Brilliant.
    Music:8.7/10-Fantastic.
    Replay Value:8.7/10-Fantastic.
    Overall:9/10-Brilliant------An Amazing Open world game which will keep you entertained for a long time.
  22. Niko3211
    Dec 3, 2012
    9
    Dead island is a good game, but have lots bugs in the game meybe after fix that problem whit bugs but i like that game ,and i put 9/10,and peaple do more videos about that game it is fanny game killing zombies in that game is very very very good efects and i like to say play that game dont say that is crap because you got crap PC and youb say that is crap
  23. FrostyReviews
    Jan 13, 2013
    9
    Nonetheless, I reach Dead Island. This game is filled with zombie-murdering. You want a big tough colored guy that can hit people with things? You got it here. You want a guy that can chuck things twenty feet, hit the zombie, and come back to him like boomerang? You got it here. You want a chick that can murder zombies with bullets? You got it here. There are five characters total in thisNonetheless, I reach Dead Island. This game is filled with zombie-murdering. You want a big tough colored guy that can hit people with things? You got it here. You want a guy that can chuck things twenty feet, hit the zombie, and come back to him like boomerang? You got it here. You want a chick that can murder zombies with bullets? You got it here. There are five characters total in this game, choose one, and team up with your friends and kill some zombies, and complete quests!

    Onto some other parts of the game here, the game is not ALL about doing quests. You can trade with friends, you can buy things, sell things, team up with others and just have some fun, ect. I haven't gotten too too in depth with the story just yet, but eventually I will. If you love killing zombies, you will definitely like Dead Island. There is no doubt about it. Highly recommended.    … Expand
  24. jonblair
    Apr 25, 2013
    9
    Dead Island is an amazing game in it's mechanics and graphics. It also has a lot of content. It's a free-roam RPG focused on zombies. Those 3 sentences SHOULD sum up Dead Island, but unfortunately, there are shoehorned shooter sections, bland story, and odd dialogue in the mix. For what Dead Island focuses on, (which is killing zombies in creative fashion and leveling up), you can lookDead Island is an amazing game in it's mechanics and graphics. It also has a lot of content. It's a free-roam RPG focused on zombies. Those 3 sentences SHOULD sum up Dead Island, but unfortunately, there are shoehorned shooter sections, bland story, and odd dialogue in the mix. For what Dead Island focuses on, (which is killing zombies in creative fashion and leveling up), you can look past the minor things. I really like it for what it was made for, and you should too. Now go chop off some arms and smash some skulls.… Expand
  25. St1fleR
    Jul 5, 2013
    9
    You should play on the beautiful island resort. Smart hotels and bungalow, pools, bars, palm trees and beaches. Game is very pleasant from the visual point of view. All components of world around are traced very carefully, and the main thing by a svdokhnoveniye. Myrrh of game not so empty (as for the island embraced with an unknown infection). Zombies constantly wander about the island,You should play on the beautiful island resort. Smart hotels and bungalow, pools, bars, palm trees and beaches. Game is very pleasant from the visual point of view. All components of world around are traced very carefully, and the main thing by a svdokhnoveniye. Myrrh of game not so empty (as for the island embraced with an unknown infection). Zombies constantly wander about the island, you always risk to come across others survived, and nobody guarantees that the meeting will be pleasant to you. Even if anybody isn't present nearby, you never feel lonely, from is far loud breath of the zombie is distributed, and you is strained you wait from what party there is this creature... Besides an atmosfernost the game world is interesting by the interactivity. Many subjects it is possible to pick up, pump over, combine them among themselves and to make other pranks. Quests which you receive from minor characters almost always are rather original and are taken place with pleasure. Plus in game it is possible to have fun not only passing missions. It is possible to drive on jeeps and to press the zombie, to investigate world around and it is simple to play the fool. Especially cheerfully to do it in cooperative with friends. This game for certain has shortcomings, but I didn't find them... I claim that Dead Island game obligatory to passing! … Expand
  26. MLPChristian
    Jan 12, 2014
    9
    A pretty good game. It brought a new and exciting feel to the zombie slasher games we see today. Sure there were bugs here and there like the walk thru doors bug in the city. Over all i had fun
  27. yukichigai
    Mar 19, 2014
    9
    A fun zombie-killing experience that has the right blend of difficulty, horror, and whimsy. It's not the best game - tons of glitches for one - but it is hours and hours of fun, great solo or in multiplayer. There are shortcomings of course: the sections where firearms are required get a bit tedious, and firearms themselves seem pretty weak when stacked up against the ridiculous amountA fun zombie-killing experience that has the right blend of difficulty, horror, and whimsy. It's not the best game - tons of glitches for one - but it is hours and hours of fun, great solo or in multiplayer. There are shortcomings of course: the sections where firearms are required get a bit tedious, and firearms themselves seem pretty weak when stacked up against the ridiculous amount of melee weapons you can get your hands on. There's also a fair bit of dumb design decisions in there, like making Alcohol an item that can take up a weapon slot, or having higher level weapon modifications available before the lower level variants. Despite that, the melee combat is both fun and challenging. The game holds up decently well, though it loses a bit of its charm in the later levels when things veer away from the combination of beautiful scenery with horrifying zombies. Still, it's not like it stops being fun, it just loses a little bit of that humorous juxtaposition.

    All in all it's a great game, even moreso on the PC since it is HIGHLY moddable. Don't like some aspect of the game? There's probably a mod out there to change it.    … Expand
  28. Sandweech
    Feb 6, 2015
    9
    As like most people, I was initially drawn to 'Dead Island' because of it's mind-grabbing cinematic teaser trailer. However, unlike most people, when the game was actually released I wasn't disappointed in the least. And that's mostly due to the fact that 'Dead Island' has one of the most gorgeous and engrossing atmosphere's that I have ever seen in a video game. There's just somethingAs like most people, I was initially drawn to 'Dead Island' because of it's mind-grabbing cinematic teaser trailer. However, unlike most people, when the game was actually released I wasn't disappointed in the least. And that's mostly due to the fact that 'Dead Island' has one of the most gorgeous and engrossing atmosphere's that I have ever seen in a video game. There's just something about a zombie infested paradise that really does it for me and I can't get enough of it. The island of Hanoi truly is a vast and comprehensive environment that is worth exploring over and over again.

    Aside from how wonderful the environment is, the gameplay is also extremely fun and balanced. Bashing zombies heads in with pipes, wrenches, paddles, and whatever else you can find never grows old, and the lack of immediate firearms is surprisingly refreshing. In fact, one of the best aspects of this game is how long it actually takes to get some guns. At first I admit I was wondering how long it would take to get them, but when I finally did, I realized I had way more fun using just about anything else. Not to mention you can modify preexisting weapons to make them more powerful, such as adding barbed wire to bats, and so on and so forth.

    As for the story in 'Dead Island' it's nothing special and is pretty much what you would expect from a modern horror movie. A group of unlikely people are forced to work together as they take on zombie hordes and battle with internal conflict. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The dialog is minimal, which I found to be a good thing, and the progression makes about as much sense as it should. All-in-all the story does a fine job of moving the game forward, and considering most people aren't playing for the story, it's nothing to complain about.

    When it comes down to it, 'Dead Island' offers a gorgeous atmosphere, solid combat with a wide variety of weapons, tons off quests to get side-tracked with, a soundtrack that sets the tone perfectly, an acceptable storyline with acceptable characters, and an overall balanced XP system. Pick this one up if you're a fan of zombies, first person shooters, exotic island madness, and cheesy horror movies. And even if you're not a fan of any of those things, I mean, what's wrong with you? Not one of those things appeals to you? Are you sure you're okay? You haven't been...bitten...have you...!?!?!?!?!    … Expand
  29. AndrewMalandrew
    Aug 16, 2018
    9
    Dead island is an thrilling experience, and i love it, but it has performance issues for me and many bugs i wish to be fixed.
  30. Ernest_Figueroa
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    Un juego para los fans y no tanto de los zombis, una excelente entrega con 4 variaciones de personajes que dan mas variedad a un juego muy divertido y adictivo.
  31. Outdoorz
    Mar 31, 2023
    9
    Fiz o 100% dele na "Steam" e sei o quanto esse jogo é desafiador e empolgante, claro que em muitos momentos pensei em desistir ainda mais quando termina o jogo e ainda falta algumas conquistas para serem feitas.
    Nesse caso insisti e percebi que cada vez mais que tu jogo mais habilidade tu consegue desenvolver no jogo e nesse caso ele acaba te envolvendo pois te prende conforme tu insiste.
  32. Dalek
    Apr 17, 2012
    8
    Dead island is a fun game, but unfortunately the game is a console port, it works. It's a little bit buggy sometimes, I spawn like half way across the map and yeah... When this game first came out a week afterwards there was no push to talk key so you could hear everything on that persons mic which was stupid. But then Deep Silver grew a brain cell and thought oh! we should add it now! ButDead island is a fun game, but unfortunately the game is a console port, it works. It's a little bit buggy sometimes, I spawn like half way across the map and yeah... When this game first came out a week afterwards there was no push to talk key so you could hear everything on that persons mic which was stupid. But then Deep Silver grew a brain cell and thought oh! we should add it now! But there is no anti-aliasing which makes the game look terrible. The bloom is a bit over done, and there needs to be more options. Such as POV and shadows (not that I had a problem with pov) but some people did. It really is a shame they rushed this because it could had been a much better game. I love the beach map, it makes me feel like I'm there. The quests are ok, get this, come back, do this, come back etc. It's good fun. But this game could had been better.… Expand
  33. GameInterpretor
    Sep 6, 2011
    8
    Beautiful! This hell truly does look like paradise and feels like the best zombie slayer this year. The graphics are great and the game is incredibly easy to run! If you don't fall in love with the game play than you'll truly enjoy the rpg elements! Great game Play IT!
  34. LongtimeGamer
    Sep 11, 2011
    8
    After they made the first few patches and fixed the accidental release of the in-house dev version all in all its not too bad. The Player Characters themselves have Wonky and Strange Animations, but the Zombies are well animated. The graphics are good, The choice of weapons is decent. Little disappointed at the fact that there were so few guns. I love the idea of limited ammo and shotsAfter they made the first few patches and fixed the accidental release of the in-house dev version all in all its not too bad. The Player Characters themselves have Wonky and Strange Animations, but the Zombies are well animated. The graphics are good, The choice of weapons is decent. Little disappointed at the fact that there were so few guns. I love the idea of limited ammo and shots count but there's very few choices in guns. It has a few glitches mostly graphical, it is annoying though that all the dialogue in the game is centered around Co-op along with the Cinematics. If your playing solo it can be somewhat annoying and confusing seeing the other characters even though they arent with you.
    I did enjoy the game though. Story was pretty lame and quests were down right appalling as if they were written by 9 year olds. One such quest, "Were starving here! We need more food, Go to the gas stations and pick us up two boxes of Juice!" .... Um.... Ok..... Relevancy 0 Strange 1. Anyways if you can overlook the strange quest flaws its a good game to play-thru and then maybe shelve or sell.    … Expand
  35. Jason999
    Oct 22, 2011
    8
    I acquired this game from Steam less than 1 week ago. Let's take care of the negatives: Since I was not an early adopter of the game, I didn't suffer the 'corrupt' SAVE issue many users have mentioned. I can appreciate how that would infuriate many people. I believe that PC issue has been resolved in patches. What I have continued to experience though, is wonky inventory situationsI acquired this game from Steam less than 1 week ago. Let's take care of the negatives: Since I was not an early adopter of the game, I didn't suffer the 'corrupt' SAVE issue many users have mentioned. I can appreciate how that would infuriate many people. I believe that PC issue has been resolved in patches. What I have continued to experience though, is wonky inventory situations where an item just wont pick up even though I have space. Not a big deal though, as I've managed to understand how the problem occurs and how to rectify it. I'm sure it will be dealt with at some point. Another issue is the awkwardness of weapon selection, using the middle mouse button to bring up the now popularized circular selector. It would make things easier if I could hot key each item, rather than awkwardly select with the mouse. Once again, hopefully the developer hears this and sends out another patch.

    Positives: The game's quest system, whether it's primary, secondary or continuous quest lines are well designed with a helpful cookie trail to follow your way to the destination. The quests themselves are really enjoyable, I haven't gotten bored of any of them, nor do they seem repetitive or 'fed-exish' . This is important to me, as I will quickly lose interest in a game if quests become mundane or identical. Four unique characters to chose from. Pick your preference and have fun with him / her. There's co-op too, although playing with strangers can be annoying. Some people like myself, like to open all loot bags, chests etc. Whereas others I have played with like to fly through and ignore potential loots. For my own enjoyment, I prefer playing this as single player, so I can take my time by completing quests and looting at my leisure.

    The sound effects, background ambiance really set the mood, creating quite a scary scenario. Well done.

    The graphics are top notch in my opinion, with light / shadows being exemplary. I'm running crossfired ATI 5770's with an i7-860, 4gb ram, win 7/64-bit. Both cpu and graphics cards are at stock speeds. Not sure what the average frames-per-second is, but it's quite smooth, no complaints. Now, if I could understand what they've done with anti-aliasing and anisotropic settings, then I'd be happier. Yet, as it stands the 'High' settings across the board @ 1920 x 1080 looks like candy to my eyes. The artificial intelligence is quite good. The varieties of zombies will challenge you and you simply can't approach all encounters slicing wildly. The zombies can and will interrupt you, throw things at you and even straffe you to attack your side or flank [namely 'infected' zombies]. I have died many, many times due to being overwhelmed or performing a bad decision attack. Granted I'm not an avid video gamer, yet the challenge is definitely there. Worst case is you lose money and continue a few meters from where you died. Weapons degrade with use that you can 'repair' upon finding a repair/upgrade workbench scattered around. This feature alone makes you think twice about wildly swinging and instead makes you rely upon well placed hits or even kicking approaching zombie. Dismemberment is done with style.
    You can also throw your weapons, toss grenades or molotov **** at groups of zombies. At close proximity though, a grenade is likely going to blow you to smithereens as well, so don't go bonkers with explosives ;) For gun enthusiasts, there is one of 4 characters to chose whose specialty [read bonus damage] is guns. Otherwise, most of the time you'll be swinging your cleaver, knife, machete, or maybe breaking bones with sledge hammers and maces. There are upgrades you can buy for weapons and 'mods', which will gives you a chance to electrocute, poison or set ablaze your target for example.

    All in all, a fun game. Yes, this is a long game and so far I'm enjoying it and feel that I'm approximately 1/2 way through. There is very minor 'farming' to do to acquire cash. You don't have to, and there are alternate ways to acquire money to buy your goodies. I definitely recommend this game to all.    … Expand
  36. Rashaan87
    Sep 12, 2011
    8
    I dare to say I am one of the few lucky people who could get this baby go well. Played many hours now without bugs. And it is FUN. Much more realistic than any zombie game this far. Combat is reasonable, hit boxes too, damage system as well. My only problem is that sometimes repairing weapons with money becomes boring and frustrating. Bit of a cycle. But all in all, don't listen to trolls,I dare to say I am one of the few lucky people who could get this baby go well. Played many hours now without bugs. And it is FUN. Much more realistic than any zombie game this far. Combat is reasonable, hit boxes too, damage system as well. My only problem is that sometimes repairing weapons with money becomes boring and frustrating. Bit of a cycle. But all in all, don't listen to trolls, this game is fun, balanced and beautiful. Cheers!… Expand
  37. Randomsanity
    Sep 10, 2011
    8
    Game was a disaster on launch, however it was patched quite quickly. The game now runs stable and beautifully provided you edit the games video settings file. The FOV is still very narrow, though this is expected from a console port. The game itself is loads of fun, it is not the dramatic zombie survival game we were all hoping for however. Food and items re-spawn within minutes of leavingGame was a disaster on launch, however it was patched quite quickly. The game now runs stable and beautifully provided you edit the games video settings file. The FOV is still very narrow, though this is expected from a console port. The game itself is loads of fun, it is not the dramatic zombie survival game we were all hoping for however. Food and items re-spawn within minutes of leaving an area, ammo is hardly as scarce as was suggested.… Expand
  38. fryzee
    Sep 9, 2011
    8
    The game itself is and was great. There's no denying that I loved the game and what it has to offer. But after the rush of enjoying the zombie filled world you start to realize there are a lot of problems. The main problem being they shipped with a debug build of the game, which was basically a version they sent to microsoft built for the xbox 360, to find this out hurt me pretty bad, i'mThe game itself is and was great. There's no denying that I loved the game and what it has to offer. But after the rush of enjoying the zombie filled world you start to realize there are a lot of problems. The main problem being they shipped with a debug build of the game, which was basically a version they sent to microsoft built for the xbox 360, to find this out hurt me pretty bad, i'm very upset that they'd say to us and reassure us that our pc version is NOT A PORT, but look what happens, yes I know people make mistakes and the debug version on steam may just be an accident, but it's annoying, especially after waiting such a long time to finally play the game. I finally finished the game this morning and am happy to say I loved it and I cannot wait to go through and play it again with all the characters. When everything in the game works (co-op, graphics settings) it brings out the best in the game and it's fantastic.… Expand
  39. Levardos
    Sep 10, 2011
    8
    I like zombies a lot, though I can understand people who say that they are over-rated. I mean, there are so many movies and games about zombies, that making a game about zombies will not seem original. But, Dead Island is original. There is no other zombie game with such fantastic melee fighting, and such nice and open world. It is a lot of fun to just explore the island. The plot doesn'tI like zombies a lot, though I can understand people who say that they are over-rated. I mean, there are so many movies and games about zombies, that making a game about zombies will not seem original. But, Dead Island is original. There is no other zombie game with such fantastic melee fighting, and such nice and open world. It is a lot of fun to just explore the island. The plot doesn't seem original, and neither do quests really, but, at least for me, most of them are fun. It's really fun how many survivors are out there, that barricated themselves in huts or wherever. They'll always need our help one way or another. There are many weapons which we can improve, or craft new ones. Similar to Fallout:NV, except that here we use melee weapons most of the time. I didn't play co-op a lot, since as of now I don't have any friends to play with. But as much as I played with random people, I must say that.. I just don't know if there's a bigger sense in playing co-op mode. This game is nothing like L4D. Sure, it may be fun to kill zombies together but you'll never really feel like you're badly needed. Maybe it is tougher later down in the game, I wouldn't know, but so far I've been playing alone and I didn't have bigger problems. Died only few times. The truth is though ,when you play with friends.. every game is be fun. And playing Dead Island together with friends would be fun aswell, methinks. But as for playing with random people... I dunno, I think I'd just recoomend L4D better. The character skills tree seems to be done well. Our opponents' level is matched to ours, but when we join somebody's else game and they have low level... Opponents are matched to the host level and then we can truly see how stronger we became. As for the graphics, the models could be better, but how detailed the world is, the light effects and stuff like that, the views... It all makes the game beautiful. Makes you want sight-seeing. As for characters, there are 4 characters with background stories, explaining their life and why are they on the island... And they aren't bad. Each character has different specialities too. I think that's all I wanted to tell about the game, really. If you're a fan of Fallout/Oblivion and like zombies, you'll love this game. Ps. I just realised I'll add one more thing. Plenty of bad things could be said about the multiplayer but then again there is no other RPG with such well done multiplayer.. It's sorta like playing Fallout or Oblivion with someone. Pros: -Amazing melee fighting system. -Beautiful, open world that just makes you want to explore it. -Gore. -Well done character. Cons: -Plot. -Repetitive quests. -Multiplayer could be done better.… Expand
  40. TheangryOne
    Sep 7, 2011
    8
    In record time, Techland has taken most of the major bugs out of Dead Island, and it's finally playable, and I can assure you that you will love this game. The "paradise lost" environment you find yourself in is somewhat low-rez, but definitely does a good job of conveying the general feeling of Banoi, as the island is called. What really brings the whole island together, however, are theIn record time, Techland has taken most of the major bugs out of Dead Island, and it's finally playable, and I can assure you that you will love this game. The "paradise lost" environment you find yourself in is somewhat low-rez, but definitely does a good job of conveying the general feeling of Banoi, as the island is called. What really brings the whole island together, however, are the NPCs you come across. They react exactly like you would expect during a catastrophe, and no two are alike. Weapon wise, there are all kinds of pipes, paddles, divers knives, kitchen knives, sports equipment, and even some firearms end-game to keep you happy, and like Dead Rising 2, you can combine them in suprising ways to further increase your killing potential. Each character specializes in a certain type of weapon, and each of their skill trees vary widely. All in all, now that the glitches are less of a problem, I can now confidently say that this might be worth the buy.… Expand
  41. Johnny_Boy
    Sep 13, 2011
    8
    Loin d'être parfait, Dead Island a ce "petit truc" qui en fait un jeu accrocheur. Avec des référence évidentes et assumées à des jeux comme Borderlands ou Dead Rising il nous offre de bon petit moment de jeux. Ultra-gore, ambiance de films de série Z, environnements plutôt jolis, lesLoin d'être parfait, Dead Island a ce "petit truc" qui en fait un jeu accrocheur. Avec des référence évidentes et assumées à des jeux comme Borderlands ou Dead Rising il nous offre de bon petit moment de jeux. Ultra-gore, ambiance de films de série Z, environnements plutôt jolis, les geek fans de zombies devraient adorer!… Expand
  42. HighwayUK
    Sep 7, 2011
    8
    Having been expecting a turkey having seen "Call of Juarez 3 : The Cartel" (using the same Chrome5 engine), I was pleasantly happy to see this is pretty good. About 2 hours into the game and I find the crafting decent (nice to see pockets are not limited for crafting parts, only main weapons), Co-Op seems to be similar to idea in Borderlands (Harder and more zombies and loot for everyHaving been expecting a turkey having seen "Call of Juarez 3 : The Cartel" (using the same Chrome5 engine), I was pleasantly happy to see this is pretty good. About 2 hours into the game and I find the crafting decent (nice to see pockets are not limited for crafting parts, only main weapons), Co-Op seems to be similar to idea in Borderlands (Harder and more zombies and loot for every player that joins in) in that even solo mode is advertised as a LAN or Online game through Steam so folk can join if you want them to without need for solo and multi characters. Slighty disappointed with lack of customising on the graphics settings, maxed out in 1080p FRAPS was reporting 145fps which is impressive, but I'd rather have it limited to 60fps and better quality textures and tessalation for Dx11 owners etc. Overall the game does add a new zombie game to the collection and it's a worthy choice, unlike rubbish like dead rising 2 or resident evil 5 which suck.… Expand
  43. beeofdoom
    Sep 7, 2011
    8
    There's a lot of polish missing; but the fundamental game play (particularly the co-op), is a lot of fun. I give the game a solid 'B' grade. I've only played the game co-op, and can't comment on the single player. Pros: -Melee combat feels right, zombies are not paper-weights ala Dead Rising or Left 4 Dead. At least in the early stages, getting surrounded is a quick recipe for dying. -It'sThere's a lot of polish missing; but the fundamental game play (particularly the co-op), is a lot of fun. I give the game a solid 'B' grade. I've only played the game co-op, and can't comment on the single player. Pros: -Melee combat feels right, zombies are not paper-weights ala Dead Rising or Left 4 Dead. At least in the early stages, getting surrounded is a quick recipe for dying. -It's a lot of fun just fighting and exploring the environment. Cons: -Re-spawn mechanic. There's little consequence to dying. There should be a revive mechanic in place for multiplayer. Simply respawning minus some money is too trivial a death penalty. -Graphical glitches-some textures and character facial animations could have used more polish. -Voice acting could be better -Day one bugs... particularly on steam.… Expand
  44. ATG141
    Sep 20, 2011
    8
    Don't believe the people who strike this game down for all the "bugs". In my experience the game is no where near as broken as people say it is. I believe in "don't shoot the messenger" in this situation. The game is good and the developer is working hard to fix the issues that are arising. Yes it's inexcusable that the game was shipped in such a poor state but that's the developer's faultDon't believe the people who strike this game down for all the "bugs". In my experience the game is no where near as broken as people say it is. I believe in "don't shoot the messenger" in this situation. The game is good and the developer is working hard to fix the issues that are arising. Yes it's inexcusable that the game was shipped in such a poor state but that's the developer's fault and not the game's. Dead island is a fun and satisfying co-op rpg with some very unique elements to it that make it distinct. If I have any issues it's that guns feel weak and the game suffers similar balance problems to borderlands in that enemies become either too easy or too difficult in the higher levels. Though the game looks pretty in pictures it doesn't stand up as well when in motion. There's simply nothing eye catching about it's visuals. It creates what it set out to create well but the end result simply can't hold up against other recent games that feature tropical environments. Though I do recommend dead island Id'e say to wait maybe a month or so for bug fixes but be sure that dead island is good fun and doesn't deserve the hatred allot of people have for it.… Expand
  45. Talos84
    Sep 7, 2011
    8
    good idea, just expect the graphics to be so much better, as for the whole wrong version release i just don't buy it. the patch really didn't do much, also can not connected and play with friends unless we setup a VPN 1st. what happen with working with steam-works? i almost feel ripped off i expected a lot more for my 50 bucks, maybe after Friday everything will be patched up and workinggood idea, just expect the graphics to be so much better, as for the whole wrong version release i just don't buy it. the patch really didn't do much, also can not connected and play with friends unless we setup a VPN 1st. what happen with working with steam-works? i almost feel ripped off i expected a lot more for my 50 bucks, maybe after Friday everything will be patched up and working correctly but till then this game is almost a let down.… Expand
  46. dc42
    Sep 10, 2011
    8
    Dead Island is an entertaining game. It isn't a "open world" but instead a "map world" which forces the player to fast travel to each location. Each map is large enough to have a few hours in but exploring the island on your own isn't a possibility. Is the island (maps) huge? Simply stated, no. Although each map is large/medium it doesn't compare to other game in terms of world size. EvenDead Island is an entertaining game. It isn't a "open world" but instead a "map world" which forces the player to fast travel to each location. Each map is large enough to have a few hours in but exploring the island on your own isn't a possibility. Is the island (maps) huge? Simply stated, no. Although each map is large/medium it doesn't compare to other game in terms of world size. Even exploring is slightly boring and tedious. Only a few interesting things to find but nothing encourages you to explore since the developers put little effort in placing entertaining things/objects/locations to find. Explore, see zombie, kill zombie. That's about it for exploration besides a couple of locations. The graphics are dated but are just barely passable. There are some graphical issues like explosions that are invisible and areas of maps which haven't been properly edited. There are glitches but what game nowadays isn't plagued with them? Most will hopefully be dealt with in upcoming patches. The storyline is laughable and barely interesting. The developers wanted you to feel something for the characters but it never comes across. The voice acting isn't good and the characters themselves (main and side characters) are one dimensional with poorly written dialogue. The developer also made the characters a cliché. For example, the Chinese character has a horrible cliché accent glorified during the 1960-70s kung fu movies. The quests, and I've done most if not all of them, are repetitive. Not to mention there isn't as many as the developer alluded to during production and the promotion of Dead Island. All this stated, the game is fun whether on your own or with a few friends and you'll find yourself doing the quests just for the exp. Overall, this game shows promise but falls drastically short of being what it could have been. However, you'll never get bored of crushing a zombies head with your foot or slicing it's head off or even burning them "alive". I can see this game spawning a Dead Island 2 in the future. Oh and for anyone that thinks this game is going to be like the theatrical trailer for it (the one with the family), you won't get that. It was a theatrical trailer promoting the game (not gameplay) it was meant to put the game in the minds of consumers not to display what the game will or will not have.… Expand
  47. McDiddles
    Sep 10, 2011
    8
    Very very fun game with friends. If you can get past some of the game breaking bugs, ugly HUD, terrible voice acting, hilariously bad "tragic" moments then its worth a purchase.
  48. PresCthulhu
    Sep 12, 2011
    8
    If you are looking for a decent co-op this IS your game. I was playing with this game with 2 of my friends and I tell you we are having a real blast. There is nothing original in the game so to say, but it has every classic bit of zombie films including references.
    The graphic as others mentioned before: the humans animations are flat out horrible, the zombies look great however. The    If you are looking for a decent co-op this IS your game. I was playing with this game with 2 of my friends and I tell you we are having a real blast. There is nothing original in the game so to say, but it has every classic bit of zombie films including references.
    The graphic as others mentioned before: the humans animations are flat out horrible, the zombies look great however. The environment is gorgeous we stopped several times and said: wow while taking screen shots. The game has 5 different type of environment through the story and it does not feel rushed.
    The sound and background ambiance together with the music is also very very good.
    The bugs: I was lucky enough to play with the after-patch version only and played through the whole game without anything game breaking.    … Expand
  49. Felicrux
    Oct 4, 2011
    8
    Personally, I haven't seen much of these problems that people use as the driving force behind the negative reviews. The only problem I have is the fact that this game is unforgiving. Unforgiving, however, in a good way. I feel that if I get rushed by zombies, I need to pull something out of my ass to survive, and typically, it doesn't work out. This game feels like true Zombie SURVIVAL,Personally, I haven't seen much of these problems that people use as the driving force behind the negative reviews. The only problem I have is the fact that this game is unforgiving. Unforgiving, however, in a good way. I feel that if I get rushed by zombies, I need to pull something out of my ass to survive, and typically, it doesn't work out. This game feels like true Zombie SURVIVAL, and that's the thing that this genre really needed to refresh it. 8/10… Expand
  50. jmills
    Sep 12, 2011
    8
    This game is basically Borderlands with zombies, and bits of Left 4 Dead and Grand Theft Auto are mixed in for good measure. If you enjoy any of these games, you'll probably enjoy playing this too. There are some nagging problems, such as terrible voice acting and poor animations for the non-zombie characters. These don't ruin the experience, but it does cause Dead Island to fall a bitThis game is basically Borderlands with zombies, and bits of Left 4 Dead and Grand Theft Auto are mixed in for good measure. If you enjoy any of these games, you'll probably enjoy playing this too. There are some nagging problems, such as terrible voice acting and poor animations for the non-zombie characters. These don't ruin the experience, but it does cause Dead Island to fall a bit short of the usual standards. If you're thinking about buying this, you probably should go ahead and do it.… Expand
  51. SolesDN
    May 24, 2014
    8
    I would have given the game a higher score if it didnt have so many bugs still till this day. Love the game but the developers took too many shortcuts with the game and ruined it in certain areas. But i get which direction they wanted the game to head towards but just couldnt do so.

    Overall, its been 2.5 years and I still love the game.
  52. SoulReaver934
    Sep 11, 2011
    8
    Dead Island is a unique game that takes an overused genre, and completely redefines it. With the primary focus of the game being melee based combat, you'll get your hands on various things you can use to fight the undead. From the common pipe to the sharp as hell katana. Throughout the game, you assist other survivors in 'quests' and try to figure out how to get off of Banoi. The result ofDead Island is a unique game that takes an overused genre, and completely redefines it. With the primary focus of the game being melee based combat, you'll get your hands on various things you can use to fight the undead. From the common pipe to the sharp as hell katana. Throughout the game, you assist other survivors in 'quests' and try to figure out how to get off of Banoi. The result of that is an adventure of epic proportions. Single Player or Cooperative, you'll still have fun playing this game, as Techland makes sure fighting each individual Zombie is special. And even though it has some bugs and issues, it's still a great buy.… Expand
  53. MusAddict
    Nov 26, 2011
    8
    A beautiful, gory zombie killing game. I have not really played other zombie games (aside from Half Life or Silent Hill 2) so my rating is from a mostly unbiased standpoint, as far as zombie killing goes. The RPG element is nice, the MP element is fantastic (when it works), the story is ok, but what really pulled me in was the beauty. It gave the nice feeling of fear, while not beingA beautiful, gory zombie killing game. I have not really played other zombie games (aside from Half Life or Silent Hill 2) so my rating is from a mostly unbiased standpoint, as far as zombie killing goes. The RPG element is nice, the MP element is fantastic (when it works), the story is ok, but what really pulled me in was the beauty. It gave the nice feeling of fear, while not being demonic (other games can be disturbing in a spiritual sense, this game is not), so I felt comfortable while being scarred to death.… Expand
  54. cbibejs
    Sep 22, 2011
    8
    This game near classic but some bad decisions can make u mad.Like u can see all characters in cut scenes even you're playing single.That made me choose to skip all cut scenes.I were alone but after 1 sec i were swarmed with NPCs like i playing coop in cut scenes.And auto equip could be enabled or disabled in options menu.A few times i were attacking with alcohol bottle in my hand becauseThis game near classic but some bad decisions can make u mad.Like u can see all characters in cut scenes even you're playing single.That made me choose to skip all cut scenes.I were alone but after 1 sec i were swarmed with NPCs like i playing coop in cut scenes.And auto equip could be enabled or disabled in options menu.A few times i were attacking with alcohol bottle in my hand because of this.… Expand
  55. Proxy711
    Sep 9, 2011
    8
    Dead Island started out pretty rough. A developer build was released for steam users in NA that was incredibly buggy, and had developer tools like no clip and third person view. A quick patch was released the next day to update steam to the right build, but in the process corrupted game saves, created micro stuttering , and other graphical issues.

    Once 1.1 and 1.2 patches were released a    Dead Island started out pretty rough. A developer build was released for steam users in NA that was incredibly buggy, and had developer tools like no clip and third person view. A quick patch was released the next day to update steam to the right build, but in the process corrupted game saves, created micro stuttering , and other graphical issues.

    Once 1.1 and 1.2 patches were released a lot of the problems were fixed, not all but enough for the game to work as intended. However soon afterwards the stress on the multiplayer servers caused them to be overloaded and the awful in game multiplayer join system stopped working or just became super unreliable.

    On top of the techincal problems with the game there's a lack of graphic options that are easily changeable. No menu options for AA, FOV, filtering options, vsync, etc. The settings you can change in the menus don't have enough options. like shadow quality for example: high setting in the menu is pretty low at max, now if you go into the games files and make changes to video settings setting shadow map size higher the shadows are much better quality. The menus also exclude setting/changing options that the engine supports. Like FOV you can find workarounds to change FOV in the games files but the menu lacks these options. Why Techland doesn't allow users to set these options through the menu is a puzzling question.

    The game also lacks default support for modern game technology like SLI, crossfire, and multi-monitor setups. SLI and crossfire can be enabled with tweaks, but doesn't work from the start. When using a 3 monitor setup the game uses one monitor to display a huge mini map. While Dead Island technically works multi monitors the UI and way its displayed could have been done far better.

    So I've explained a lot that is bad about Dead Island, but whats good? Well for one once the game is tweaked and working, the game does look good. Animations could be a lot better, but you normally don't see the weird moving unless looking at your shadow.

    The game is a ton of fun and that's ultimately the most important factor. I had a lot of fun playing multiplayer with friends running and exploring an island full of zombies that want to take a bite out of your face. Killing zombies with melee weapons really never gets old. The ways to do so are also many. Want to smash a zombie with a paddle? no problem. Jump kick them down, then smash their head in? You can do that as well. Want to rig a baseball bat with a circular saw? Go for it! Which brings me to crafting.

    Crafting in the game revolves around finding or being rewarded with a blueprint, find the items needed and make a weapon, the quality of the main part(s) define the quality of the new item. every item has stats. so if i used a crummy bat to make a mace, that mace is going to be worse then if i used a superior bat in the design.

    Another well done thing in the game is the damage system. Like fallout 3 body parts have HP and can be destroyed. For example I walked up to zombie hit her arm and broke it. then I kicked her down, she attempted to get up but because of the broken arm she fell flat on her face again. When she finally managed to stand back up i broke her other arm, so instead of hitting me she attempted to bite at me.

    Game play is advanced through a quest system like an RPG there are quest hubs that you move in between and every now and then you'll discover a quest how in the world, like a man trapped by zombies you must save. Each hero you play has a unique back story and talent tree, and although you are playing a hero that is a gun expert your not forced only to use guns. The classes are flexible and unique in different ways. While not as dramatic as the trailers for the game, the sense of urgency and "zombie apocalypse" feel is done well, survivors are disturbed and scared by the nights events. You feel like danger is all around you as you explore the island.

    Despite the games draw backs, issues, and rough release, Dead Island deep down is a great game. Once you can overlook the bad and see the good the game is a blast, multiplayer is definitely a huge part of the game. With support for 4 player co-op that scales in difficulty and a length of around 25-30 there's a lot of fun to be had with this game.    … Expand
  56. Horrendus
    Sep 6, 2011
    8
    Just because people are upset about bug on a release. . which happens with most games anyways. Doesn't automatically make this a poor game. Also anyone who says it's a port should have their ratings taken away because they don't know that it's actually not a port the pc just got the wrong version upon release. But it's still has plenty of fun in it.
  57. hemmingjay
    Sep 6, 2011
    8
    If you are one of the lucky folks who have no problems running it, the game is a blast. Its no GOTY but it is tons of fun. I didn't enjoy it for the first 15 mins but after going back in I am absolutely loving it. If you are one of the people worried about losing progress, don't. I see it as an opportunity to try one of the other builds. Please ignore the irrational trolls who rated a 0If you are one of the lucky folks who have no problems running it, the game is a blast. Its no GOTY but it is tons of fun. I didn't enjoy it for the first 15 mins but after going back in I am absolutely loving it. If you are one of the people worried about losing progress, don't. I see it as an opportunity to try one of the other builds. Please ignore the irrational trolls who rated a 0 because it didnt work for them at launch. Also please disregard the 10's as anyone who cant find a single flaw is a fanboy.… Expand
  58. LaggyMclagster
    Sep 6, 2011
    8
    It seems that I was one of the lucky ones who managed to get his game running first try, was able to adjust the options to work perfectly on my computer and actually play it within 10 minutes (getting everything to the right balance). If you somehow become lucky to play this game, it feels like a cross between Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.
    Pros: - Fun concept - great combat    It seems that I was one of the lucky ones who managed to get his game running first try, was able to adjust the options to work perfectly on my computer and actually play it within 10 minutes (getting everything to the right balance). If you somehow become lucky to play this game, it feels like a cross between Left 4 Dead and Borderlands.
    Pros: - Fun concept - great combat - huge place to explore (good and bad to that) - Join others quickly

    Cons: - Lame uploading on the dev's part - way to bright in some areas - iffy first few days - some classes unable to use full potential till later access to their weapons

    Overall it seams like it's just a bit too early to judge the game. I have my faith in the devs to patch the issues that most people are having in less than a week.    … Expand
  59. bbaker3117
    Sep 8, 2011
    8
    First off to all the pc people saying that they dont buy into the accidental release of the wrong version, The console version works just fine. While this game has its bugs (which one doesnt) it still is a great game nonetheless. Now I can see how its boring if youre playing by yourself, but it encourages multiplayer so get some friends together. I enjoy dead island quite a bit and iFirst off to all the pc people saying that they dont buy into the accidental release of the wrong version, The console version works just fine. While this game has its bugs (which one doesnt) it still is a great game nonetheless. Now I can see how its boring if youre playing by yourself, but it encourages multiplayer so get some friends together. I enjoy dead island quite a bit and i believe alot of people just wanted some kind of instant gratification zombie killing game, like L4D. While L4D is fantastic, this is quite a bit different, and it was meant to be. I love the fallout games, and borderlands, and this is a great crossing of both games. While Deep Silver isnt a giant company, it shows in the games overall quality, while not fantastic, it gets the job done. This game obviously wasnt a big budget title like the CoD series, or valves L4D, so im giving Deep Silver credit for doing a damn good job with what they had. All in all i love it and will be enjoying it with friends (and solo) for many months to come… Expand
  60. RippleFX
    Sep 8, 2011
    8
    A review about a game is a criticism about the game itself, bug may come and go, usually at a game launch like this there's ALWAYS bugs. User that provide a score based on the technical issues should be banned from posting anything. Dead Island has a really creative approach to the whole zombie culture, the melee fighting system is well developed, the way the weapons are used, the goreA review about a game is a criticism about the game itself, bug may come and go, usually at a game launch like this there's ALWAYS bugs. User that provide a score based on the technical issues should be banned from posting anything. Dead Island has a really creative approach to the whole zombie culture, the melee fighting system is well developed, the way the weapons are used, the gore when bashing and/or cutting a zombie are phenomenal, the storyline is a little weak, but the fighting compensates for the game's shortcomings, Co-op style is a big weakness, they should have learned more from L4D, I would stick it out alone. I usually don't write reviews until I'm done with the game, but I felt is had to counter act the fake scores given by all the "I can't launch the game" morons.… Expand
  61. jackblack12
    Sep 10, 2011
    8
    Usually fun and fast paced, but sometimes frustrating and glitched...
    They're probably going to fix at least some of the bugs, so the game is going to get even better. Totally playable now and very immersible.
    I've played only the single player campaign, but it's obvious that a co-op is the best mode for the fun.
  62. sidesteal
    Sep 11, 2011
    8
    Despite the early whiners bashing the game on day 1, I've opted for a more long term view of it.

    Obviously first impressions count, so if you've got a nice rig you will be impressed at the gfx initially. I found the storyline very atmospheric and if you allow yourself to be carried along with the story you will be more than satisfied. Levelling up, quests and weapon crafting are the    Despite the early whiners bashing the game on day 1, I've opted for a more long term view of it.

    Obviously first impressions count, so if you've got a nice rig you will be impressed at the gfx initially. I found the storyline very atmospheric and if you allow yourself to be carried along with the story you will be more than satisfied.

    Levelling up, quests and weapon crafting are the mainstay of this RPG, so if you prefer more genric plug'n'play games then you might be overwhelmed with the amount of UI interaction. But once you get a hold of how the system works, your enjoyment will increase and you will become more skilled at killing zombies and completing quests.

    There are around a dozen or so major irritations with the UI, key mapping, FOV and physics which should get fixed in future patches. But nothing that really stops or overly hinders the games atmosphere or enjoyment (unless you're experiencing crashes - in which case I suggest you save up for a better rig).

    The graphics are solid, the story is solid, the game play is solid. This game *is* worth buying.

    I'd given it 9/10 if the present irritations weren't there on release.    … Expand
  63. ManOfX
    Sep 14, 2011
    8
    I waited before playing the game so never experienced the game before the early patches and fixes. As a result of this I can't see where all this rage is coming from. Dead Island is an enjoyable game which gives a real sense of "you against the zombies". The only negative point at the moment (and this is probably something I've done) is that my steam version doesn't seem to be updating onI waited before playing the game so never experienced the game before the early patches and fixes. As a result of this I can't see where all this rage is coming from. Dead Island is an enjoyable game which gives a real sense of "you against the zombies". The only negative point at the moment (and this is probably something I've done) is that my steam version doesn't seem to be updating on Steam Cloud correctly, annoying considering I'm at 50% on my laptop and only 30% on my PC, oh well.
    A word to the Haters: Stop hating, you'll live longer.    … Expand
  64. Hesgad
    Sep 14, 2011
    8
    So this game had really many problem when it launched and still has but regardless its does what it wants to do really well a action rpg with manymany quests and a brilliant coop (if it works) :P
    At first I thought man that game sucks but after I got a few hours into it I really started to love it and by now its my most favourite Coop experiance so far.
    So if you are into zombies splatter    So this game had really many problem when it launched and still has but regardless its does what it wants to do really well a action rpg with manymany quests and a brilliant coop (if it works) :P
    At first I thought man that game sucks but after I got a few hours into it I really started to love it and by now its my most favourite Coop experiance so far.
    So if you are into zombies splatter gore and with some rpg elements you will love that game and the best part...you can bring your friends with you    … Expand
  65. RulerofEvilzz
    Sep 16, 2011
    8
    When this game first came out it worked well for me, but it did have the occasional bug. One patch later and it froze every 5 seconds and deleted my progress. A couple days after when the game got more patches it ran extremely well. The graphics on this game are not amazing but they work well enough for the environment to look pretty enough to feel like you are actually on a tropicalWhen this game first came out it worked well for me, but it did have the occasional bug. One patch later and it froze every 5 seconds and deleted my progress. A couple days after when the game got more patches it ran extremely well. The graphics on this game are not amazing but they work well enough for the environment to look pretty enough to feel like you are actually on a tropical island. The game play is satisfying, the best description of this is condemned mixed with borderlands, melee works great and some of the mods for weapons are awesome but the guns don't feel too great. Each character plays differently and each plays well once you get used to their strengths and weaknesses, but the skill trees do kinda run the same course. This game runs well, plays well and looks good and a few bugs( every once in awhile it will freeze for a second at the most and one cut-scene has a background that looks like it dropped acid) and this fun gets multiplied in multiplayer. The quests are mostly the same brand that you would in WoW (go here kill these, go there get those). All in all this game is great, some flaws but nothing to cry about.… Expand
  66. vibe_boy
    Sep 17, 2011
    8
    A very immersive game with great combat mechanics and a lots of customisation for you character and his weapons . Graphism are realistic and zombies looks like real ones so you will be scared by a horde of them screaming all around you ! A must buy if you like to slaughter zombies and rescue people . The story could have been a lot better but the game will haunt you for dozens of hours ...
  67. Strohmann
    Sep 18, 2011
    8
    I love this game its Fallout 3 meets L4D. I like the survivalist type games and this definitely gives me that. Sure there are some issues, but I haven't had what allot of people are experiencing since release. People complain of not enough guns...well do you have a loaded AK-47 with 200 rounds in your closet if a breakout starts...didn't think so. I want real world and I think this is aI love this game its Fallout 3 meets L4D. I like the survivalist type games and this definitely gives me that. Sure there are some issues, but I haven't had what allot of people are experiencing since release. People complain of not enough guns...well do you have a loaded AK-47 with 200 rounds in your closet if a breakout starts...didn't think so. I want real world and I think this is a good start. Weapons degrade as they should...trick... always kick zombie to the ground and aim for the head w/blunt weapon and happy times for all. Overall a great game that needs a little polishing...but what new game is perfect from the start?… Expand
  68. Sickocrow
    Sep 21, 2011
    8
    5 minutes into it I thought, 'This is a melee version of Borderlands'. Which is great because I enjoyed Borderlands immensely. There are many similarities to BL as to how characters advance and their given talent trees. Even the weapons follow a similar naming and color coding to hint at how good a weapon is. A major difference is though weapons degrade and can be modded with extra5 minutes into it I thought, 'This is a melee version of Borderlands'. Which is great because I enjoyed Borderlands immensely. There are many similarities to BL as to how characters advance and their given talent trees. Even the weapons follow a similar naming and color coding to hint at how good a weapon is. A major difference is though weapons degrade and can be modded with extra damage types (fire, shock, bleeding, etc.) once you have the upgrade mod collected, and have found the components you need found randomly around the vast searchable areas. Plenty of side quests to do instead of the following the main quest line, or you can just explore the vast open areas scourging for cash and bits of gear to upgrade your weapons. The game is fun single player, but improves moreso with multiplayer (especially co-ord mates playing), and the game scales accordingly to the number and levels of players. Fighting goes from flanking and nipping at bigger opponents to full on carnage with breaking bones and flying limbs against weaker targets. Each character has a special rage ability which builds up and then gets unleashed at your time and choosing in the fighting style of your character, and can be a game saver when overwhelmed. A 9kg gas bottle makes for an impressive impromptu bomb when thrown into a mire of enemies and shot. Homemade deodorant can bombs and Molotov's also impress. Visually impressive and seems mostly bug free after the initial release problems. Runs very well on my modest computer (E5200 dual core @ 3.5Ghz and HD6950. Win XP). Sound is good with lots of crunching and slicing effects. Music is fair, but most of the time you listening for the zombies anyhow.

    Well worth the $50 dollars on Steam for my vote.    … Expand
  69. Contemptible
    Sep 27, 2011
    8
    This game is pretty good, but not great. The reason I'm giving such a decent score is because I am a massive fan of zombie games. I'll keep it short and I'm not going to be as long winded and critical as some people.. anyway, the game scenery is great. The combat is well done, although I wish there was a stronger gun focus (melee is good but there is a lot of it). The customization ofThis game is pretty good, but not great. The reason I'm giving such a decent score is because I am a massive fan of zombie games. I'll keep it short and I'm not going to be as long winded and critical as some people.. anyway, the game scenery is great. The combat is well done, although I wish there was a stronger gun focus (melee is good but there is a lot of it). The customization of weapons is pretty decent even if the weapons wear down fairly quickly. The game is definitely worth getting if you like zombie games.. it focuses on being as realistic as a zombie game can get (receiving high damage and getting knocked over constantly) and if quite addictive to play.… Expand
  70. headloser
    Sep 30, 2011
    8
    Dead island is what L4D and L4d2 should have been. You can go anyway and not be limited to a corridor . Side quests are excellent that will extend the mission even longer.
    There a few problem though that will make the experiences less enjoyable.
    First the flame bug, there is no flame you can see at all. PERIOD. But you get burned and damaged by them if you run into them. Secondly, the    Dead island is what L4D and L4d2 should have been. You can go anyway and not be limited to a corridor . Side quests are excellent that will extend the mission even longer.
    There a few problem though that will make the experiences less enjoyable.
    First the flame bug, there is no flame you can see at all. PERIOD. But you get burned and damaged by them if you run into them. Secondly, the zombies variety are limited but does have bonus that they all look different, not a clone copy like in L4D game.
    Third after a while you can predicted where the zombies up ahead will be, that going to be a big problem since L4D AI director can send more zombies in if you get good at it. That what this game needed.
    The best solution is to have both Dead Island And L4D, L4D2 game combine to have the best of both world while solving the problem each have. I am hoping that the patch and the DLC coming up soon will fix most of these problem.
    I would advise people to wait for it to go on sale especially during Halloween time.    … Expand
  71. remowilliams
    Oct 4, 2011
    8
    Once the initial bugs were ironed out (and they were quite a pain on day one), what was left was the game I had always wished L4D would have been. While the rpg elements aren't the most amazing in the world, and I don't have the desire (at the moment) to go through and replay the game, the multiplayer component was a blast, and the game gave me a good time exploring an island, shooting myOnce the initial bugs were ironed out (and they were quite a pain on day one), what was left was the game I had always wished L4D would have been. While the rpg elements aren't the most amazing in the world, and I don't have the desire (at the moment) to go through and replay the game, the multiplayer component was a blast, and the game gave me a good time exploring an island, shooting my guns, in a way i haven't had since the original Far Cry. I would recommend this game to anyone.… Expand
  72. Contagent
    Oct 18, 2011
    8
    The only problem i found with this game is the beginning stage at the beach. The graphics here were just horrible and of course having to pick up a new weapon after 1 fight blows. BUT, once i left that beach....the game did a complete 360 on me. I could not put it down. The story makes sense and draws you in. On top of that as you get closer to the end of the game, you find yourselfThe only problem i found with this game is the beginning stage at the beach. The graphics here were just horrible and of course having to pick up a new weapon after 1 fight blows. BUT, once i left that beach....the game did a complete 360 on me. I could not put it down. The story makes sense and draws you in. On top of that as you get closer to the end of the game, you find yourself putting in hardcore hours just to see the next part. Staying focused on the main story was difficult because the side quests were just amazing too. I just wish i could have gotten my friends to soldier through that beach area.....I believe they really missed out on this one.… Expand
  73. skyw4lk3r
    Oct 19, 2011
    8
    I liked the game, but it has some aspects which are just stupid (like the reactions of over survivors before or after you've rescued them) or the cutscenes in which all the 4 characters are shown, but i liked to look for weapons, mods, id cards and other stuff to lookf for. i'm sorry that i don't have time right now to restart the game with my character (which is around lv 50).
  74. Freez
    May 23, 2012
    8
    Dead Island is a awsome zombie FPS, theres little i didnt like on it, the gameplay and graphics are amazing. The reason i give this game an 8 is because personally, i dislike weapons with durability. This game is like Left 4 Dead 2, but much better graphics. The online play isnt near on par with L4D2. The only problem is....durability, i HATE games with durability (yes you can repair theDead Island is a awsome zombie FPS, theres little i didnt like on it, the gameplay and graphics are amazing. The reason i give this game an 8 is because personally, i dislike weapons with durability. This game is like Left 4 Dead 2, but much better graphics. The online play isnt near on par with L4D2. The only problem is....durability, i HATE games with durability (yes you can repair the weapons, but its all so unnecessary, pointless, theres no reason for it unless you want to waste time in a game feeling like your doing something thats required but accomplishes nothing, and so...it loses 2 points for that, i dont like to waste time, just to kill zombies and have a good time. Anyways a really fun game, id reccomend it to anyone who likes zombie fps, it was well done. I just wish that durability didnt exist. (its my personal prefrence to not have anything in a game that just wastes time, i prefer all action, but thats just me)… Expand
  75. bloodypuppet
    Nov 12, 2011
    8
    Just beat this game. Great graphics and it took me about 25 hours according to the save file. Couple times had me jump in my seat. The one drawback is that once you see the first couple waves of zombies, it becomes pretty repetitive. I still enjoyed it though and would recommend this to others. As for re-playability...I don't know if I will come back to this. It was fun.. now time to move on.
  76. AeroAtlas
    Dec 6, 2011
    8
    Dead Island is a FPS Zombie Killing Multiplayer Sandbox RPG. Its just as good as it sounds. Only problem is that all of the zombies level up at the same rate you do, so unlike most rpg's back-tracking is often just as dangerous as advancing and if you don't get better weapons as you level up you get **** :) 8/10
  77. LetTheWookieeWi
    Dec 11, 2011
    8
    This was a fun game to play. The game is a bit clunky and the dialog for single player is the same for the multiplayer, which makes for some strange dialog. Overall I had fun playing this game in single player mode and will play it again as another character and finish all the side quests this time.
  78. Gilatar
    Jan 2, 2012
    8
    Even though this game had a rough start, and still suffers from quite an amount of hate, it's a game worth buying. Three, or four, player co-op is a great way to play Dead Island from start to finish; it makes for good fun along the way. The open-world RPG theme fits perfectly with the good-feeling combat, and even though the story isn't really worth paying attention to, you'll getEven though this game had a rough start, and still suffers from quite an amount of hate, it's a game worth buying. Three, or four, player co-op is a great way to play Dead Island from start to finish; it makes for good fun along the way. The open-world RPG theme fits perfectly with the good-feeling combat, and even though the story isn't really worth paying attention to, you'll get immersed in this zombie-apocalyptic island-adventure right from the start.
    One detail I really love in this game, is the driving. It's not especially good, but it's fun! Smashing zombie-brains with a car have never been as fun as in Dead Island; a game worth buying!    … Expand
  79. Choppa
    Jun 3, 2012
    8
    It's too bad metacritic won't let you view a rating within a time period, the current rating is highly weighed down by a faulty launch that they patched. Also lots of the negative ratings are about lack of guns... this is clearly a melee zombie smashing game. Even some recent review say bugs -- the game NEVER crashed on me once, rock solid.

    On to the game. The scenery is spot on, you    It's too bad metacritic won't let you view a rating within a time period, the current rating is highly weighed down by a faulty launch that they patched. Also lots of the negative ratings are about lack of guns... this is clearly a melee zombie smashing game. Even some recent review say bugs -- the game NEVER crashed on me once, rock solid.

    On to the game. The scenery is spot on, you will never look at a resort the same, the hotels, bars, even the diving posters around the island look exactly like these places do, so much it's spooky. As you venture out into the jungle, the scenery maintains a high quality, you find yourself looking around the island... it's not the new Crysis graphics by any means, but it's very nice and well produced.
    I played this game single player and prefered it as such, only if you were going from beginning to end with certain / same people would I want to play multi. Random people joining online was a PITA, I felt most who joined my game were an unwelcome addition, luckily you can drop out easily.
    The end scene running through the dark corridors was so damn creepy, I hate it and love it. I felt such a sense of "GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!". I promise you won't leave the game until you beat it from that point because you'll feel haunted by it. That was the climax of the game for me. The storyline/cutscenes were a little cliche & fake, but that run through the hospital... damn. 15 hours of game play for me. Ideally I think they could have cut 3 hours out and it would have been better. I don't plan on playing the campaign again, the DLC arena looks like fun.
    The skill upgrade tree is fun. Weapons are not invincible and require maintenance (many people list this as a con, but I love it, added realism, added challenge when your weapons start failing). Weapon modification is fun.

    Cons: Like many games you find yourself as the game's **** every quest is doing something for someone, you advance the game by doing 'quests' that you're asked to do, ironically you are given an option to take them, but have to say YES to advance in the game. Everyone needs your help, I hate that, give me MY mission MY way, let me tell them what to do or they can figure their own way off the island. There's no explanation of how inventory works, how rage works, some things are left for you to figure out (you may not know they're even there, review binded keys, btw if you have no MMB use "C" for your weapon changes). I still don't know how to read the weapon stats, what the numbers/symbols mean, I just know which ones I like (nail'd baseball bat FTW) and that work well.
    No save feature! You have to go until you reach a checkpoint, usually within 15 minutes.

    Glitch: Your precious weapons can disappear!! I (once) threw all my weapons at a puker and as I went to pick them up, they disappeared with them!! Could not believe it. Restarted the checkpoint, then restarted the game, they were still missing. So be aware of this and DO NOT throw your favorite weapons.
    Also.. the rage is over powered, I beat the end boss within seconds by raging and running around him. It was over in a flash.
    No punishment for dying, you lose a little cash and get full health from where you died (so.. why use a health boost when you can just die and have full health in 2 seconds???). I've even had the game ADVANCE me when I died.

    Summary: I think (hope!!) we'll see more dead island. I got this on the 66% off sale and it was worth it. For $15 or less, it's an instant buy. Full price... not sure, watch the youtube gameplay videos and if you like what you see you'll like the game. I will be buying the arena DLC because I just want to mindlessly smash zombies and not be the island's #1 go-to **** I think I'd enjoy that more and wish it was included.    … Expand
  80. aJwer
    Feb 3, 2012
    8
    Dead Island is a good game but not the best. Many zombies, many quest, large island to explore. If you love killing zombies, this game is for you! Luv it
  81. smirky
    Feb 16, 2012
    8
    I really enjoyed this game. I think it went a long way to bring back the intensity of horror games, by combining some traditional zombie elements with more fast paced mutant varieties, it gives a tense, panicky feel to a lot of the encounters. It is definitely more dead space than resident evil, having an almost pure action feel to it. Still, there are lots of moments of tension whenI really enjoyed this game. I think it went a long way to bring back the intensity of horror games, by combining some traditional zombie elements with more fast paced mutant varieties, it gives a tense, panicky feel to a lot of the encounters. It is definitely more dead space than resident evil, having an almost pure action feel to it. Still, there are lots of moments of tension when entering new areas, particularly when you're cramped in a dark hallway or narrow corridor and hear that piercing scream of something getting ready to charge you. The graphics are really beautiful, especially the first act. I loved just travelling through the picturesque resort and seeing everything created to the smallest detail, with gruesome additions. The blood filled pools were particularly effective. Weapon crafting, specialization and character customization make the journey much more dynamic, as you have more choice how to dispense with the zombie hordes. Combat is gory and satisfying, and i think it's an amazing acheivement. The story isn't as engaging as it could be, and the npc's seem wooden and uninteresting, they keep sending you on extremely tedious sidequests that only put off the main story. That's why i couldn't give this a full score. But beyond that, the best zombie game in years, and a top notch horror game in general.… Expand
  82. Andreakossa
    Apr 22, 2012
    8
    After a rough launch i can say this is an amazing zombie game, alone in a giant island, or in coop mode with your friends, be the one of the few to leave the infected island of Banoii, fight for your life and the one of your friends, enjoy the side quest missions and the various selection of weapons, enjoy the high graphic of the game, this probably will be game of the year.
  83. alfaalex101
    Jul 19, 2012
    8
    We as FPS gamers are on a downward slope - everything is getting more and more boring where AAA titles are OK and anything less we don't have the interest to finish. Dead island was one of the first games in a long time (since...Quake 3?) that I couldn't put down - literally played through the night without realizing it (THAT right there is the sign that a game is good). For what it'sWe as FPS gamers are on a downward slope - everything is getting more and more boring where AAA titles are OK and anything less we don't have the interest to finish. Dead island was one of the first games in a long time (since...Quake 3?) that I couldn't put down - literally played through the night without realizing it (THAT right there is the sign that a game is good). For what it's worth, use the (gasp) Xbox 360 controller on the PC and switch the aiming to analogue. I just loved slicing zombies heads off, curb stomping them and beating them to a pulp to the ground (and then some like a dirty street scrap). Had many memorable moments and jokes among my friends with the game. Only downside is that once your done the game you really don't want to play through it again (at least me)- but hey, I paid $39.99 for it and I don't regret it.… Expand
  84. Siegfoult
    Aug 14, 2012
    8
    Pros: Good graphics, fun melee combat, Borderlands-style weapon drops and class system, lots of quests and areas to explore. Cons: still buggy (August 2012) graphics, sloppy map design (i.e. I jump into inaccessable areas a lot), repetative gameplay. Fun if you like zombie survival, open world, and co-op games, and don't mind a lack of polish. P.S. This game is perfect forPros: Good graphics, fun melee combat, Borderlands-style weapon drops and class system, lots of quests and areas to explore. Cons: still buggy (August 2012) graphics, sloppy map design (i.e. I jump into inaccessable areas a lot), repetative gameplay. Fun if you like zombie survival, open world, and co-op games, and don't mind a lack of polish. P.S. This game is perfect for necrophiliacs, as there is a disturbing amount of half-naked zombies. =)… Expand
  85. von_Werra
    Sep 25, 2012
    8
    Claro es: no es una historia brillante, pero es realmente entretenido por lograr la sensación de agobio al no haber lugar donde no exista la posibilidad de ser atacados por zombis. Al ser un juego pensado en el combate cuerpo a cuerpo se abona la posibilidad que nos ofrece de adquirir objetos del entorno y convertirlos en armas (las armas de fuego son escasas) y dejar aClaro es: no es una historia brillante, pero es realmente entretenido por lograr la sensación de agobio al no haber lugar donde no exista la posibilidad de ser atacados por zombis. Al ser un juego pensado en el combate cuerpo a cuerpo se abona la posibilidad que nos ofrece de adquirir objetos del entorno y convertirlos en armas (las armas de fuego son escasas) y dejar a decisión del jugador si es prudente o no entrar sólo o acompañado a una zona. La dificultad del juego es alta, dada la cantidad de estos seres que no dudarán en atacar en masa y hay variedad de ellos, cada uno con cualidades propias de su tipo. Recomendado para jugarlo en cooperativo (hasta cuatro jugadores).… Expand
  86. DexEngineer
    Jun 10, 2022
    8
    I would have given 9 if the game was a bit more polished. However if you like zombie RPG game with proper mood, you will like it like 10/10. I sent long hours and many evenings in this game... higly recommended.
  87. 4dagamer
    May 8, 2013
    8
    This game has great potential, I like the open world RPG ,LvL system and skills, Crafting weapons its cool,the art work and world design are great! but I think that there is a unbalanced weapon system and there is so poor weapons to find in the world and a short variety for the ammo the same, if they fix that and put like x20 more Zombies and add something like chainsaws, M60This game has great potential, I like the open world RPG ,LvL system and skills, Crafting weapons its cool,the art work and world design are great! but I think that there is a unbalanced weapon system and there is so poor weapons to find in the world and a short variety for the ammo the same, if they fix that and put like x20 more Zombies and add something like chainsaws, M60 flamethrowers, etc, I would give an A+ and a 10 :D… Expand
  88. Setsudo
    Feb 2, 2013
    8
    This is a very violent product. A lot of blood, a lot of stress because the threat is everywhere. You can join anyone who is around the map. The multiplayer's system is original. The difficulty is correct and fights are very dynamic. Enjoy
  89. drakenseng
    Feb 12, 2013
    8
    great game, with replayability from different characters to select. although the overall main story is likely the same, the personal stories are different. i wished they would have delve further into each character's personal stories tho. its a 1st person survival horror game that takes some time to get use to the controls. some of the levels also feel a bit like walking in circles, wellgreat game, with replayability from different characters to select. although the overall main story is likely the same, the personal stories are different. i wished they would have delve further into each character's personal stories tho. its a 1st person survival horror game that takes some time to get use to the controls. some of the levels also feel a bit like walking in circles, well since its on an island i guess. not really many, terribly infected monsters to battle unfortunately. only mindless zombies and the tougher zombie. i think left 4 dead is better than this. it can get boring at times when you wander around too much doing the same thing collecting things, saving people, killing zombies...over and over. the story is decent but nothing memorable to me.… Expand
  90. Seryin
    Jul 19, 2013
    8
    If you like zombies you can't go wrong. The survival horror feel of this game may possibly be the best I ever experienced. Smashing your way through zombies in first person with baseball bats and machetes just feels great. Some moments of the game are really intense and really made me feel that zombie survival couldn't be done any better than this game did it.
    Though this game does not    If you like zombies you can't go wrong. The survival horror feel of this game may possibly be the best I ever experienced. Smashing your way through zombies in first person with baseball bats and machetes just feels great. Some moments of the game are really intense and really made me feel that zombie survival couldn't be done any better than this game did it.
    Though this game does not shine in places like story or characters, it does not need to. The world and gameplay make up for it.
    My biggest complaint about this game is a serious issue with the throwing mechanic. If you do not play Logan, who specializes in throwing skills, you may never notice this at all. But occasionally, thrown weapons glitch out and vanish. After 60+ hours in the game, and spending my entire savings on fully upgraded and modded new weapons only to have them both vanish within 2 minutes of leaving town I rage quit for a few months.    … Expand
  91. Scumbag_
    Apr 7, 2013
    8
    This game is amazing. I've played through it singleplayer and both co-op. The co-op was the. Most fun with 4 players although 2 players was also good. An amazing open world game a lot of custumizable weapon selection, and fun (but repetitive) gameplay, this makes for a good experience. I can't wait for the sequel coming out this year.
  92. Mothman13
    Apr 23, 2013
    8
    If you happen to enjoy campy horror films, Dead Island is a game for you! The game is far from perfect, but the fun factor keeps me coming back for more zombie bashing mayhem. Also, bring along a few friends and (as most games) the game gets even better! Looking forward for more games in this series!
  93. ritardedartkid
    Jul 20, 2013
    8
    There's something really satisfying about all of the close combat fighting in Dead Island. Sure the game is a bit buggy and the UI isn't great, but nothing gets your heart pounding quite like turning a corner and finding a suicider in your path. Although the quests can become a bit tedious towards the end, I still enjoyed my time with this game.
  94. gerszom
    May 23, 2013
    8
    If You like zombie games You have to play this one. I had really great time with Dead Island. Crafting is interesting, graphics are nice, music is acceptable. If You close Your eyes for lots of small stupidities You will enjoy this game. Gameplay is nice and makes You play many hours without stoping. It is also very important to play Dead Island before starting Riptide.
  95. AWG
    Jun 10, 2013
    8
    Things from this game I loved: the very-big-but-not-TOO-big open world, the characters, the fact that missions are not against the clock, the friggin' champagne sidequest, the simple-but-yet-complete leveling system, the human enemies, Xian's sweet arse.
    Things from this game that could be improved: the graphics.
    Things from this game I hated those damn sewers missions. Almost 100    Things from this game I loved: the very-big-but-not-TOO-big open world, the characters, the fact that missions are not against the clock, the friggin' champagne sidequest, the simple-but-yet-complete leveling system, the human enemies, Xian's sweet arse.
    Things from this game that could be improved: the graphics.
    Things from this game I hated those damn sewers missions.
    Almost 100 hours of solid fun and a solid 8 overall.    … Expand
  96. busbfran
    Dec 2, 2013
    8
    Massive, Fun, and laughable characters is what Dead Island consist of. When I say massive I mean 40 hours plus massive. There are hundreds of side missions, many locations to find and exclusions notes which actually make for a better story compared to what the game attempts to portray. The Graphics are impressive and Banoi is a related destination for paradise holidaying. Basically theMassive, Fun, and laughable characters is what Dead Island consist of. When I say massive I mean 40 hours plus massive. There are hundreds of side missions, many locations to find and exclusions notes which actually make for a better story compared to what the game attempts to portray. The Graphics are impressive and Banoi is a related destination for paradise holidaying. Basically the game is about four main characters who have mutated an immunity which has given them the privilege to do 1000 fetch quests for pretty much everyone. The aim of the game is to get off this Island of hell and discover what actually is going on.… Expand
  97. RandomFandom
    Sep 10, 2013
    8
    Maybe Dead Island was a disappointment when it came out, but apart from the bugs and some of the unimaginative side missions this game was amazing, the places you can go and explore where awesome,
    scavenging money, weapons, and food hasn't been so fun before, this game I would say it's very underrated. This game is a must, especially if you have a friend to play with.
  98. matthew11
    Sep 19, 2013
    8
    This hell looks just like paradise. One of those games that can be played over and over again. Definitely not a perfect game (many bugs, physics is appaling, But damn it's really addictive fun. Nice vacation. 84/100
  99. Wukashi
    Nov 25, 2013
    8
    I found this game to be suprisingly excellent. Of course it does have its flaws and hicups, but they are extremely forgivable. I spent over 40 hours in this game, doing all the side quests, scavenging and doing the main story line, so it really gets a two thumbs up at that part. The coop is extremely fun, however the person´s animations that you play with seems kinda clunky, and also theI found this game to be suprisingly excellent. Of course it does have its flaws and hicups, but they are extremely forgivable. I spent over 40 hours in this game, doing all the side quests, scavenging and doing the main story line, so it really gets a two thumbs up at that part. The coop is extremely fun, however the person´s animations that you play with seems kinda clunky, and also the voice acting and overall acting of some characters is kinda derpy. Killing zombies is extremely satisfying and fun! One point i dont get is why everyone is complaining about performance issues, when i played it i had a phenom II 955 X4 and a hd 6870 and reached 60 fps static all the time with a tweaked ini file that pushed the overall pretty graphics/fov further then the normal. In the end i really like this game and it gets a super solid 8/10! Cheers… Expand
  100. HMG-MetaCritic
    Jun 9, 2014
    8
    Dead Island Is a mix between Borderlands and Left 4 Dead! The graphics are good despites the glitches that occurs often in the game! Also It is mostly made for Co-Op, If you play alone you will get to act 2 and also bored to death! Otherwise, play with 3 of your friends online and you will have a lot of fun! I recommend it for any fans of zombie games!
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Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best PC Game of 2011
16
#16 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
36
#36 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 24
  3. Negative: 0 out of 24
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 19, 2011
    91
    Dead Island is maybe rough around the edges, has things that could have been better and has some strange solutions to gaming mechanics, but really, who cares? The main thing, close combat with zombies on an open environment, is both exceptionally well done and most importantly, great fun. Even alone. In the land of blindingly pretty, but simplified tubeshooters the ugly zombie game is the king. [Sept 2011]
  2. Computer Games Online RO
    Oct 17, 2011
    88
    Dead Island has plenty of reasons to be likeable: a satisfying duration, enough freedom and interactivity to create addiction and enough potential to become a classic. And although it isn't what the elitists would call a mandatory title, I think it's infectious enough for me to pull my friend's sleeve to buy the game too.
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  3. Thunderbolt
    Oct 9, 2011
    60
    It's the mission design that proves most disappointing. Its scale is highly ambitious but Dead Island's population of living dead aren't enough to compensate for its barren lack of variety and an increasingly tedious structure.
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