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. MrSniker
    Feb 3, 2012
    4
    Perseverance, that's what it took to complete this game. Let's start off with the good, nice open world with zombies and combat is fun albeit repetitive. The bad, the game has numerous bugs, awful character development, boring quests, awful leveling structure and a checkpoint system. Lets start with the bugs, which are still pretty bad even after half a year of release. The game hasPerseverance, that's what it took to complete this game. Let's start off with the good, nice open world with zombies and combat is fun albeit repetitive. The bad, the game has numerous bugs, awful character development, boring quests, awful leveling structure and a checkpoint system. Lets start with the bugs, which are still pretty bad even after half a year of release. The game has issues with sound, such as loud crackling and popping noises every once in a while. It progressively gets worse and worse until you reach the sewers where I had to throw my headphones off the audio was so loud. After that it sort of tapers off, but the sewers are a good ~10 hours in the game. The game's character development, as an RPG you'd think they'd invest some time into explaining characters. Nah, you're just there and the only information is the bio at the beginning, they introduce characters but they're cliche and you can't wait until they die. The quests are stupid and repetitive, Dead Island has two types of quests and doesn't even try to hide it. Fetch and escort, that's it. You may have one or two go here, fetch item and protect guy, but that's as interesting as the quests get. One of the problem with quests is there's no reason to do them. The enemies follow a strict level scaling and you never get the feeling that you've ever leveled up. Often times games introduce new abilities to offset this mechanic so it appears you get stronger compared to your opponent but you actually don't, Dead Island does none of this. Once I realized this towards the end of Act 2, I just stockpiled on decent weapons and avoided enemies and quests because I knew the faster I leveled the more obsolete my weapons would become. The checkpoint system is awful because of two reasons, it means I can't leave the game whenever I want; but the real problem with the checkpoint system is it's bugged. The checkpoint system leaves you in unexplained places upon your return. It happens from my count at least a third of my checkpoints left me in weird areas, two of the most noticeable were in Act 2 I left the game, when I returned the game placed my in the Jungle, which is Act 3. So I drove around for an hour trying to figure how to leave and finally just reloaded my last checkpoint which put me back in Act 2. Another checkpoint problem was I left the game and the quest had be going to some control panel to unlock doors, guess what the checkpoint did? It put me right in front of the control panels with the doors unlocked. There's plenty of WTF moments in Dead Island, and while I was able to beat the game by 50% of the main plot progress it was beating me down. The game's shortcomings all slowly start to beat you down until you no longer want to play. You'll spend more time screaming at the screen because of bug's than the actually difficulty. Game took ~16 hours for me to beat but towards 50% I was just rushing through everything just for the sake of completion and not fun.… Expand
  2. 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
  3. dracoblues
    Feb 3, 2012
    2
    If you played Borderlands, expect to see the same with zombies but more boring quests. Poor guns and extremely limited options. I was hoping this game didn't suck this much but indeed it is no more but a copy of Borderlands.
  4. Dakka
    Feb 2, 2012
    1
    Enjoyed the game for a week or so than bought the arena pack and was gutted with the quality of that after having to pay for it, and I see another overpriced DLC is for sale. STAY AWAY FROM THIS GAME.
  5. Qwertie
    Feb 1, 2012
    4
    This is a game based on scarce resources--good weapons are scarce, molotovs are scarce, alcohol is scarce, ammo is very scarce, and weapons break much too quickly. Unfortunately, numerous bugs keep cheating me out of my stuff! Near the starting point there's a guy who supposedly gives you ammo for saving him, but the ammo was nowhere to be found in my inventory. And you can't just buy ammoThis is a game based on scarce resources--good weapons are scarce, molotovs are scarce, alcohol is scarce, ammo is very scarce, and weapons break much too quickly. Unfortunately, numerous bugs keep cheating me out of my stuff! Near the starting point there's a guy who supposedly gives you ammo for saving him, but the ammo was nowhere to be found in my inventory. And you can't just buy ammo from any vendor, that would be too easy. Harlan Johnson should give a molotov for every three alcohols, but if your inventory is full he will silently take the alcohol and give nothing in return (I lost two molotovs this way). And you can't just buy molotovs, that would be too easy. Every time I close my inventory, my weapon swings, but if I'm holding a molotov then it is thrown! (I lost two more molotovs this way.) If you pick up an alcohol when you have an empty weapon slot then it becomes the active "weapon" but there is no indication that this has happened; so next time to try to attack an enemy, you will become drunk instead and lose your alcohol. All these bugs would have been OK except that you have to spend a lot of time to acquire these items, so losing them due to bugs is unacceptable (especially as it was released over 4 months ago.) I'd give this game a 7 or 8 if it weren't so frustrating. In multiplayer, I don't want an open mike (the Steam options offer push-to-talk, but it doesn't work) and there is no way to kick AFKs or troublemakers.… Expand
  6. DameLCFC
    Jan 29, 2012
    5
    Without doubt, the official trailer to this game is astounding - THE best trailer ever produced.
    It also worked aswell as it made me part with £30 via Steam - even pre-ordered as I do like an occassional zombie-fest - I played the resident evil series since the beginning + silent hill + left 4 dead so I hope my opinion is valued in the genre.
    Review; Simply the worst of all    Without doubt, the official trailer to this game is astounding - THE best trailer ever produced.
    It also worked aswell as it made me part with £30 via Steam - even pre-ordered as I do like an occassional zombie-fest - I played the resident evil series since the beginning + silent hill + left 4 dead so I hope my opinion is valued in the genre.
    Review; Simply the worst of all the games mentioned above and I sooo wanted to like it. The graphics are better than average, controls simple enough, story is ok, its just gets very very boring very very quickly. Initial novelty wears off fast, the first part of the game adjacent to the beach is rather nice, the next level - the city, is not as appealing and then the sewer, less appealing. Its almost like the Dev's started to get bored half way through as well. I have not completed this game and doubt I will as its just not worth booting up. Shame it could have been much more with a little more commitment as it only does 60% well what it could have done at least 90%. Atmosphere is good, voice acting is shocking. Quests v v repetative. Although I do not hate this game, so far its the lowest scoring of all my reviews.    … Expand
  7. DeiCide
    Jan 12, 2012
    10
    This is one of those games you need to grab 3 friends and sit back and enjoy the ride! Played right through loving every bit of it, because even if a couple of parts are boring your mates come to the rescue and brighten it up! The gore is beautiful, some scenes are so nice they actually made me stop just to take a good look. So many people would of played this solo or with randoms and IThis is one of those games you need to grab 3 friends and sit back and enjoy the ride! Played right through loving every bit of it, because even if a couple of parts are boring your mates come to the rescue and brighten it up! The gore is beautiful, some scenes are so nice they actually made me stop just to take a good look. So many people would of played this solo or with randoms and I feel they're just missing out on what could of been an awesome experience. I can tell I'll be picking this up again after a while :) 10/10.… Expand
  8. daimmonr757
    Jan 10, 2012
    3
    Attempts to developers to make the game too well, has led to the fact that the game was really quite boring. Personally, I do not really like it and go on a huge island in search of the next quest, met for a total time 10 zombies, breaking with his favorite subject of close combat. And how do metal pipe can bend specifically on two strikes?
    Boring, no paddle
  9. CastleFox
    Jan 9, 2012
    5
    Before you accuse me of just being another hater, know that I REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this game. The entire idea of being stuck on a island when an outbreak happens and trying to get off of it, sounded fun! However, the design was just as dead as the zombies. This game feels like it was designed and developed by a couple of college kids fresh out of programing school with noBefore you accuse me of just being another hater, know that I REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this game. The entire idea of being stuck on a island when an outbreak happens and trying to get off of it, sounded fun! However, the design was just as dead as the zombies. This game feels like it was designed and developed by a couple of college kids fresh out of programing school with no knowledge of good gaming design. Setting aside all the bugs, glitches, and errors this game is filled with, not to mention poor graphics even on the highest setting, this game is just bad. In some areas you can break glass. I've seen better glass and glass breaking visuals from Games created in 1999. The marketing and hype made this game out to be a serious horror zombie game, yet the mission in the game are out of Sesame Street. Example - You are stuck on a zombie infested island fighting for your life and a woman asks you to go find her Teddy Bear. (WTF MOMENT) right there. Another lady asks you to get her necklace. WTF AGAIN. The game starts by giving you no real reason as to how or why you got on the island other than it looks like a Holiday resort. There's no story line between any characters. The game just dumps you onto a sandy beach to start hacking zombies and figure out what the heck you are doing. After hours of playing this game I found myself making comments to myself like "WTF, I'm stuck on this island about to be eaten by zombies and this fool wants me to get him beer?" Or "Gee, that suitcase must have been restocked with cash since the last time I checked it, 10 seconds ago" Or" Wow, everybody in this island keeps cash in suitcases and dressers?"
    Not to mention just about every zombie owns some sort of knife or weapon. I wonder how they got those past TSA. Any interaction you have with characters is an experience you want to just ran away from. Bad choice of voice actors, bad cut scenes and scripting. I could go on and on about the very bad design, programing and graphics, but I think you get the point. This game was released in what seems to be the ALPHA version. To the credit of the creators, the idea was a good one. The zombies AI is good, ability to break arms, legs, or cut them off, and not just hack and slash until they fall is good as well. I'm running this game on a custom system with an intel I-5, Windows 7 64, 16GB or Corsair Ram, the NVidia GTX560 video card, a 1TB system drive, and the graphics still look bad set to full resolution. Sorry guys, I would have turned the game and mission design over to Professionals and let them take your idea and make it great. If you plan another episode of this game, please put your money and effort into the following.
    1: GAME DESIGN
    2. TESTING, TESTING, TESTING.
    3.STORY TELLING. 4.Hire a good copywriter 5.Invest in good audio design and sound effects
    6.Programing
    7.Quality Control 8.Beta Testers    … Expand
  10. poot
    Jan 6, 2012
    1
    I was hoping this would be as good as left 4 dead based on the trailer if not better.
    Sadly not!
    The game simply involves endlessly running around doing mundane tasks. I think the lack of weapons at the start only added to this boredom.
    To me this is definitely a lazy console ported game rather than a pc game
  11. countryfarmer
    Jan 6, 2012
    10
    Well I first got this game in September 2011 shortly after it was released and played if for about 10 hours. I then left it and came back to it at the beginning of 2012 and then saw what an amazing game it was...addictive...emotional...amazing. I really can't explain how real it feels to be in Banoi, the city. You really do feel like you are there and it really is the end of the world.
    I    Well I first got this game in September 2011 shortly after it was released and played if for about 10 hours. I then left it and came back to it at the beginning of 2012 and then saw what an amazing game it was...addictive...emotional...amazing. I really can't explain how real it feels to be in Banoi, the city. You really do feel like you are there and it really is the end of the world.
    I can't stop playing it now and I can guarantee you will feel the emotional side of this game by the end.
    All I can say is buy it now! You don't know what you're missing.    … Expand
  12. v00d00m4n
    Jan 5, 2012
    7
    Potential gem, flawed by some bad design decisions and rushed release of beta or even alpha version.
    This game was announced long before Left 4 Dead, it started as zombie mod for Call of Juarez 1, for almost 5 years it was in development Techland managed to release Call of Juarez 2 and 3 and started Chrome 2. I was waiting for it for a long time and was impressed by screenshots, promises    Potential gem, flawed by some bad design decisions and rushed release of beta or even alpha version.
    This game was announced long before Left 4 Dead, it started as zombie mod for Call of Juarez 1, for almost 5 years it was in development Techland managed to release Call of Juarez 2 and 3 and started Chrome 2. I was waiting for it for a long time and was impressed by screenshots, promises and dramatic trailer with music which reminded LOST tv series music a lot.
    When game was finally released i was dissapointed - instead of full open world steaming island it have zones with loading and some realy weird map, i still cant get how one zone alligned to another and where on island it should be, worst thing - even many in-doors done as seperate zones with annoying loading. Despite game looks pretty good and optimised pretty well - it lacking advanced gfx settings and have object pop-in issues, aslo some ugly things like VIGNETTE EFFECTS (red blood corners and general darkned corners and upper side of sreen) cant be turned off, most of NPC are copy-pasted and number of animations is pretty limited which makes them repetitive. And gameplay areas are pretty limited and you will have annoying "you are leaving gameplay area" messages and respawns in so many places which you could and should explore without problems. Also resort area dont have any weather or day-nigh cycle, while other areas have.Thats all about tech-gfx.
    As for gameplay - oh its troubled, this game is another victur of curse of checkpoint, but its worse case i saw this year. This is freaking open-world RPG, in games like this you need to save like every 5 minutes to keep your progress, but this game dont have quick or manual saves, only checkpoints, very little number of checkponts with very big number of bugs related to checkpoint, starting from broken quest progress, like dissapearing or repeating quests (i mean regular quests, not infinite), ending by the fact that text "checkpoint" doesnt mean that your progress since previous checkpoint was really saved. Lost of progress, inventory items, skills, upgrades etc is regular issue in this game, and the only way to save game is to get through scripte checkpoint of some story-quest or to get quest or finish it - despite you cant die in this game, it gets really repetitive and borring, when after your death and respawn all the zombies in cleaned area just gets respawned at same places and your weapons almost demaged, and you want to quit this game because it annoyed you too much for today, but you cant, because you need to finish quest to save progress and you dont want to lose hour or progress - at times like this i really want to trow gamepad in my display! Game really needs patch with proper savings and at least need to trigger checkpoints every 5 minutes and after every time you buy, mod, sell, upgrade ot openclose your inventory! Another big problem - respawn of everything, even cars that wrecked some bungalow. Game really fails in saving game world state and turns into endless Boringlands (Borderlands) style grind and looting. Co-op gameplay flawed too - all the cut scene designed with appearance of 4 different chars, but you can play alone or with 4 same charactes in team and this really seems annoying, why there are no 3 bots when you play alone like in l4d? Why not show other players as unique characters? Its realy weird when you have clones in team. When you play at different levels, most of weapons dropped of zombies belongs to higher level players and lower level players cant use it, only sell (again same problem as in Borderlands), also sync is pretty lame, flashlights of others players not visible, if some of players will initiate dialog with NPC and start quest, other players will miss this part of story etc. Also progress save in co-op is even more broken than in single.
    And the story itself, well - trailer cheated a lot of people, we are all expected dramatic hearbreaking expirience and a lot of LOST influence, while we have a lot of LOST influence in game (actually it in every corner, you will even have Oceanic airplain) it not very dramatic, it dull mostly, because most of npc stays in one place and just giving you orders, and most of cut-scenes dont have anything that can brake your heart, except for only very few scenes.
    And game doenst really have solid story and cut-scene kinda screwed and make no sence - especially intro, the guy in intro was not any of 4 characters, since he saw them all, but you start game exactly at place this guy have fallen asleep and i havent seen any point where all 4 characters meets together for the 1st time.
    And actually cut-scenes are pretty rare, most of times you will have borring NPC standing in front of you and telling what you need to do.
    This game have even more flaws that i described, however these flaws cant ruin game totally, generally its a good game which needs really good patch with a lot fo gameplay changes and bugfixes.    … Expand
  13. malexXx
    Jan 5, 2012
    10
    This is simply the maximum that people who loves zombies wants. Bugs, glitches and no clips were fixed, graphic is not like a film, but like REAL. Game-play is higher to others for fighting and moving liberty. The sound is so perfect...nothing to say. In the other games, the zombies are only animated forms, but in Dead Island the zombies have bones, muscles, tendons, skin...you can cutThis is simply the maximum that people who loves zombies wants. Bugs, glitches and no clips were fixed, graphic is not like a film, but like REAL. Game-play is higher to others for fighting and moving liberty. The sound is so perfect...nothing to say. In the other games, the zombies are only animated forms, but in Dead Island the zombies have bones, muscles, tendons, skin...you can cut some parts or break some bone, or smash the ribs and you can see inside. If you love zombies this is the game for you. If you love to buy games, you MUST buy this!… Expand
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. Sorrowmoon
    Dec 30, 2011
    10
    Zombie mashing at it's best. If you like zombies, this game delivers. The combat is exciting and multiplayer makes it even more entertaining. I've got nothing bad to say about this game.
  17. 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
  18. Protectereli
    Dec 26, 2011
    10
    Wow, where to begin, a simply amazing game that is a MUST get for zombie lovers, the sheer horror you experience when you see the undead feasting as you wander the streets of dead island, with flimsy weapons and a small cardio tank, you will always be on edge while playing this game whether you are running from a horde of infected or battling against a swarm of walkers, this gameWow, where to begin, a simply amazing game that is a MUST get for zombie lovers, the sheer horror you experience when you see the undead feasting as you wander the streets of dead island, with flimsy weapons and a small cardio tank, you will always be on edge while playing this game whether you are running from a horde of infected or battling against a swarm of walkers, this game capatilizes and delivers on everything i expected and more. There is no loading screens between you and the zombies i must add (such as dead rising) as soon as you open the door to the outside world the zombies are there and ready, this game is the definition of the survival horror genre, and even if you are not a zombie lover you will still enjoy this game, a must buy.… Expand
  19. jazzboxer
    Dec 24, 2011
    10
    The low scores on here made me laugh!!....anyways this has to be one of the best zombie games out here at the moment, ignore the **** in other reviews the game runs perfectly fine, nice and smooth, amazing graphics and storyline, very addictive to play through in single player and then theres the co-op!
  20. murut87
    Dec 24, 2011
    7
    Dead Island is a great game and a very strong Co-OP Game i played,graphics are good,but the story is kinda weak.And from what earlier release of dead island, just consider a bug-fest game.
  21. Astralis
    Dec 18, 2011
    5
    If you've watched the sublime trailers to this game and want it because of what you saw, then do NOT buy this game. This is because you will end up purchasing a game that has nothing to do with what you saw. This game is simply an arcade button smasher. There is no story, skill or character development that is part of this story. While the trailers alluded to a story with meaning thatIf you've watched the sublime trailers to this game and want it because of what you saw, then do NOT buy this game. This is because you will end up purchasing a game that has nothing to do with what you saw. This game is simply an arcade button smasher. There is no story, skill or character development that is part of this story. While the trailers alluded to a story with meaning that you'll participate in, the game is so divorced from the trailers that it actually has as much meaning as Pac-Man.

    While some may find this game entertaining, you will not find anyone thrilled with it. If you're looking for a button smasher with team-play and no story, stick to Team Fortress 2 -- it's at least free and has higher quality gameplay.

    As for the company that created the trailer (often a different company that produces the game), there are three things:

    1. You should develop games. You clearly understand how to tell a story and the meaning of life. 2. You should be fired. You presented a game that doesn't exist.
    3. The developers who approved these trailers should have stepped back and realized that they do not represent the game whatsoever.

    So this game is a definite miss for me, as much as I really wanted to enjoy it.    … Expand
  22. GameplayCrush
    Dec 12, 2011
    7
    This game is a 1st person RPG, very simmilair in gameplay as borderlands with the diffrence that recourses are very limited, like ammo and such, wich can cause you to be quite fragile some points, ofcourse its filled with zombies!!!
    Its a good fun game if you got a friend to play with.
  23. 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.
  24. BillGR17
    Dec 7, 2011
    3
    ah dead island .. the best coop game and the best bugs in one game !!
    it was mutch fun to me when this was out ! yes i love it i was playing with a lot of friends and they was loving it too ! the first update was very good the most bugs was fixed and it was stable for co op !
    but there was a lot of bugs again so they did another update in one month... and they destroyed everything ! they    ah dead island .. the best coop game and the best bugs in one game !!
    it was mutch fun to me when this was out ! yes i love it i was playing with a lot of friends and they was loving it too ! the first update was very good the most bugs was fixed and it was stable for co op !
    but there was a lot of bugs again so they did another update in one month... and they destroyed everything !
    they just fixed a glitch witch the players was using it to make money WOW thnx and nothing else and the internet connection once again was having problems.. they said a new dlc will be out soon and then they cancel it for fixing the bugs ! and then after 2 months a new update was out with nothing fixed (from the serious problems) andthey just put some new stuff (nothing cool) and u was able to be up to 60lvl the internet for co op with microphone and with 4 players was having a lof of problems and crashes ...
    and my favorite skills for my sam is now sucks coz i lose all the stamina when i do some of them and the game now is stupid and worthless the dlc we all waiting is out and it was like they did it in one day the arena wasnt have something special just a simple mini map and the zobies spawning from everywhere even form ur back so u need to play it with friends and not alone !u better buy it in a console and not the pc version cos the deep silver thinks we are morans or fools for saying all those lies about the worng version (if it was wrong version they just cold fix it with the good one ) and the fast updates? what ? in one month they did the second update and till now i thing they make 3-4 updates ....
    i will never trust deep silver again    … Expand
  25. 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
  26. JymmyQuidd
    Nov 28, 2011
    4
    Dead Rising 2 made as a First person shooter, that's Dead Island, zero creativity, zero innovation, very linear, nothing different from any zombie-like game, the graphics are good, the MP is the only remarcable thing, i had fun playing CoopMP, like 2 weeks, then i quitted. i want to like this game (zombie life style fan xD), but i think they made a very linear game, i don't feel any kindDead Rising 2 made as a First person shooter, that's Dead Island, zero creativity, zero innovation, very linear, nothing different from any zombie-like game, the graphics are good, the MP is the only remarcable thing, i had fun playing CoopMP, like 2 weeks, then i quitted. i want to like this game (zombie life style fan xD), but i think they made a very linear game, i don't feel any kind of "freedom" on it (a big world with almost no range of actions), finally the price is like a joke on a funeral, i had to sell it, so... score:4… Expand
  27. zaninif
    Nov 26, 2011
    6
    First off, full system disclosure: I have an i7-2600, 8GB RAM, Win7-64, Creative SB X-Fi Titanium and GTX-580 with 1.5GB VRAM. One would think that this should suffice to play this game as the recommended system requirements are Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Win7, GeForce 9600 with 1 GB VRAM. However, the game stutters all the time even when I change the graphic settings to the "MaximumFirst off, full system disclosure: I have an i7-2600, 8GB RAM, Win7-64, Creative SB X-Fi Titanium and GTX-580 with 1.5GB VRAM. One would think that this should suffice to play this game as the recommended system requirements are Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz, 4 GB RAM, Win7, GeForce 9600 with 1 GB VRAM. However, the game stutters all the time even when I change the graphic settings to the "Maximum Performance" preset. I had to install a third-party helper (i.e., EXE file) to tweak the graphic settings in order to make the game stutter-free. This was not a successful port to PC as the code was not optimized for PC and the graphics look dated (circa 2007). The good news is that the gameplay can be fun at times. A word to the wise: don't pay more than 20 bucks for this game: at the current state, it's just not worth it… Expand
  28. shikamarunin
    Nov 26, 2011
    3
    I was greatly disappointed with this game. Honestly this game could do with another few months in development before it's in anyway fun. It is a shame as the game has so much untapped potential but the developers obviously rushed it and that is where things go wrong. Firstly the graphics are fairly good, amazing normally but there are several things that stand out. Faces are renderedI was greatly disappointed with this game. Honestly this game could do with another few months in development before it's in anyway fun. It is a shame as the game has so much untapped potential but the developers obviously rushed it and that is where things go wrong. Firstly the graphics are fairly good, amazing normally but there are several things that stand out. Faces are rendered terribly and the supposedly sexy bikini models sometimes look really old. The pick-up truck is also badly rendered. Game-play is quite good but the characters and level system is pretty much a direct rip-off to Borderlands. When I heard of this game I thought I would be able to create a character to escape the zombie apocalypse but no, each character is pre-designed and offer very little customization. Also their background stories are far from average every day people creating some distance from the zombie game most were expecting. The sound and music are not impressive either. Can't really say much else. The voice acting is terrible, the music is practically non-existent and the sound is buggy. Overall the game is terrible and barely playable. i suffered a bug for 2 weeks on my game where I actually couldn't save the game at all. This game needs taking back to hte drawing board, taking apart with a chainsaw and put back together with time and patience. Then, maybe, we could have the amazing game that we should have got.… Expand
  29. 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
  30. 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
  31. 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
  32. cunningmunki
    Nov 15, 2011
    7
    Much better than I'd expected, and far more enjoyable than the impression I got from the reviews. I was surprised that so little was written about the graphics, which in my opinion were easily as good as Farcry 2 or Crysis 2. I don't have the most powerful PC in the world, but even at medium settings the environments in Dead Island were probably it's strongest feature. That, and theMuch better than I'd expected, and far more enjoyable than the impression I got from the reviews. I was surprised that so little was written about the graphics, which in my opinion were easily as good as Farcry 2 or Crysis 2. I don't have the most powerful PC in the world, but even at medium settings the environments in Dead Island were probably it's strongest feature. That, and the perversely satisfying sounds you hear whilst beating zombies to death with a wrench.
    The main problem I had with the game was that I just didn't follow the plot at all. By the time it reached the finale (far too soon) I had no idea what the story was that led me there, or who these people were. Also, if you choose to play the story on your own, instead of enlisting random strangers, the cut-scenes contain all four characters, even though I was alone.
    The characters themselves were also a failing. Rather than having four distinct individuals (like say, Left4Dead) you just get two shallow alpha-males and their female equivalents. I'd like to have seen a couple of 'everyman' characters, like the father from the now infamous trailer. You know, normal people.    … Expand
  33. BriTisH
    Nov 14, 2011
    5
    At first i hated it then it grew on me probably alot of fun on co op but sp is kinda boring go here get this bring it back over and over. You can just run past most zombies, But one you start upgrading your weapons it starts to get more interesting, that dies off quick as zombies don't pose no real threat they cant walk up a 45-50 degree slope and cant see you if you are far enuffAt first i hated it then it grew on me probably alot of fun on co op but sp is kinda boring go here get this bring it back over and over. You can just run past most zombies, But one you start upgrading your weapons it starts to get more interesting, that dies off quick as zombies don't pose no real threat they cant walk up a 45-50 degree slope and cant see you if you are far enuff away story on a island with zombies trying to get off soo meh don't matter to me pc performance 130fps looks ok but its old looking to with bloom… Expand
  34. 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.
  35. CorporateGreed
    Nov 11, 2011
    0
    Game doesn't work. Wasted money. Some bug prevents me from getting past elevator 2 minutes into the game. I can leave it on all night right before the elevator with no problems, cross that little line and boom, games down. I've only see the first 5 corridors, but I have 1.5 hours of playtime trying over and over with different settings. The company that makes this game is no officialGame doesn't work. Wasted money. Some bug prevents me from getting past elevator 2 minutes into the game. I can leave it on all night right before the elevator with no problems, cross that little line and boom, games down. I've only see the first 5 corridors, but I have 1.5 hours of playtime trying over and over with different settings. The company that makes this game is no official forums at all for support... meaning you're on your own. If you have a 5xx series NVIDIA, don't even consider buying this game.… Expand
  36. Elsingo
    Nov 11, 2011
    5
    Nice open world game that is fun to play with friends but horrible to play with random ppl and boring to play solo. Imo way to bright enviorments for a zombie slasher.
  37. Mike_0x
    Nov 10, 2011
    5
    Extremely visceral mighty foot simulator. I was really looking forward to this game's release, however, it has shown to have several gameplay and graphical issues. There are times when you feel totally immersed in a world devastated by a zombie apocalypse, yet, with it's many and in some instances game breaking glitches serves to pull you right back out. All in all it's a decently mediocreExtremely visceral mighty foot simulator. I was really looking forward to this game's release, however, it has shown to have several gameplay and graphical issues. There are times when you feel totally immersed in a world devastated by a zombie apocalypse, yet, with it's many and in some instances game breaking glitches serves to pull you right back out. All in all it's a decently mediocre game, with mediocre gameplay. I just love killing zombies though.… Expand
  38. Zanklodvandam
    Nov 10, 2011
    10
    Its a great game if you want open world RPG action with zombie killing and weapon costumisation you got it.Sure there are a few bugs and that but nothing game breaking.Buy it you wont regret it.
  39. 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
  40. Wikki
    Nov 9, 2011
    7
    Platform: PC.
    Graphics (Details on highest): 9/10. Only notices some glitches in the form of clipping. Otherwise beautiful. Audio (5.1): 8/10. In the city, i found myself always tense because I of the zombies off somewhere else that I knew were going to destroy me.My only dislike it the slim audio track of the characters and the poor voice acting overall. The environmental audio pushes    Platform: PC.
    Graphics (Details on highest): 9/10. Only notices some glitches in the form of clipping. Otherwise beautiful. Audio (5.1): 8/10. In the city, i found myself always tense because I of the zombies off somewhere else that I knew were going to destroy me.My only dislike it the slim audio track of the characters and the poor voice acting overall. The environmental audio pushes this poor feature away, however.
    Controls/Navigation: 7/10. No real complaints. I did have to rebind a few keys to make it more my style, but that was easy enough. My only complaint about it is the game obviously being created for console gamers because of the menu navigation. I refuse to give more than a 7 to lazy developers who don't do a PC specific menu navigation and just give it the console version. Dragon Age and Dragon Age 2 are good examples of what developers should be doing.
    Plot:5/10. Wow, I'm immune to and doing chores for people. Very exciting... Mediocre at best.
    Game play: 7/10. Good action in the game. I like the ability to hack off limbs, grab various weapons that i can use without any skill, and the ability to kick your opponent to stun is a nice feature different from other similar games. Game play was very repetitive.
    Overall: 7/10. If you like Zombies and repetition, get it. If not, avoid. I like zombies.    … Expand
  41. fraGer
    Nov 7, 2011
    9
    After seeing all the negative reviews I had to put in my two cents. I think this game is fabulous! Dead Island is what I wanted l4d to be. I think what really makes this game work is the close hand to hand combat. When a horde of dead are chasing you down, you can't just turn around and shoot them with your machine gun. (at least at the beginning of the game) You actually have toAfter seeing all the negative reviews I had to put in my two cents. I think this game is fabulous! Dead Island is what I wanted l4d to be. I think what really makes this game work is the close hand to hand combat. When a horde of dead are chasing you down, you can't just turn around and shoot them with your machine gun. (at least at the beginning of the game) You actually have to face them at close range and crack each and everyone of them over the head with a bat. it really gets the adrenaline going! I find myself constantly looking around anytime I hear a zombie scream thinking they're going to chase me down around every corner. And do you ever get sick of bashing or slicing into a zombie? NO!

    The other thing I love is the open world environment. I am a huge fan of Just Cause 2 and I get the same feeling in Dead Island to an extent. Being able to go where you want and do what you want is great. You don't get that linear feel like many fps games. Sure, the story isn't great but who gives a rats! Part of the fun is doing all the side quests. So what if Paco wants you to go and get a picture of his daughter and bring it back to him, or if Susan want's to know if her sister is dead or alive. Just Do It!
    (Plus you get cool stuff for completing the side quests.)

    If you're on the fence about playing this game, don't be. Don't listen to all the negative reviews, they're just nit picking. Just play it and see for yourself.    … Expand
  42. 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
  43. Curt
    Nov 2, 2011
    1
    Dead Island is your basic hack & slash with a tolerable main story-line. I wouldn't bother with the side quests, because the quest tracking system is very frustrating with map waypoints and paths showing up or glitching and showing nothing. Also the quick-travel locations are so far apart you will find yourself hacking and slashing your way up and down the same paths over and over toDead Island is your basic hack & slash with a tolerable main story-line. I wouldn't bother with the side quests, because the quest tracking system is very frustrating with map waypoints and paths showing up or glitching and showing nothing. Also the quick-travel locations are so far apart you will find yourself hacking and slashing your way up and down the same paths over and over to complete multiple side quests. The side quests are nothing more than your basic retrieval, kill this zombie, or button pushing in multiple locations. The Auto-Save feature isn't adjustable and you can't save before quitting the game so you will likely lose progress each time you quit the game. There is also no real penalty for death so you can just flail around bashing zombies heads in till your health hits 0 and repeat. I jumped more in Minecraft when a zombie jumped out from behind a corner and hit me... But hey if you have severe OCD and get a kick out of bashing zombies heads in over and over until the next cut-scene then this may be the game for you. I gave this game a "1" because at least the graphics looked nice and gory.… Expand
  44. 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
  45. Gib_Lemon
    Oct 30, 2011
    7
    I can imagine a good way to describe this game. It's basically Borderlands and Left 4 Dead combined. This game has many good qualities to it: The combat is fun and satisfying, the mods on the weapons are entertaining to use, the story isn't bad, considering it's a zombie survival game, and the environments are beautiful (especially the forest). However, there are also many qualities ofI can imagine a good way to describe this game. It's basically Borderlands and Left 4 Dead combined. This game has many good qualities to it: The combat is fun and satisfying, the mods on the weapons are entertaining to use, the story isn't bad, considering it's a zombie survival game, and the environments are beautiful (especially the forest). However, there are also many qualities of this game that will weigh in on you as you play, such as how fast weapons are destroyed and how much of your money you will be spending repairing them rather than upgrading and modding them. Also, the inventory has some major flaws to it, as there were multiple moments when i equipped a Molotov and clicked "Exit Inventory" only to throw the Molotov at my friend because the game registered me as clicking M1 outside of the inventory screen. The length of the game was fairly short, and the characters are pretty boring. Despite these flaws, Dead Island's good outweighs the bad, for the most part, but I would wait a few months for the price to drop a little more. Go for Borderlands, or Left 4 Dead.… Expand
  46. phades
    Oct 30, 2011
    7
    Rather than rehash basic introduction for the game, i'll skip right into the meat and potatoes.
    First, the bad.
    Even after the patch in October, the game still has bugs and glitches within it. None of those that exist are show stopping. You will encounter some floating items here and there, some texture errors occasionally, an item falling into the world or erased via world clean up. Those    Rather than rehash basic introduction for the game, i'll skip right into the meat and potatoes.
    First, the bad.
    Even after the patch in October, the game still has bugs and glitches within it. None of those that exist are show stopping. You will encounter some floating items here and there, some texture errors occasionally, an item falling into the world or erased via world clean up. Those aren't really big deals though. The AI is mostly dumb, but the opponents are zombies and some human opponents, but even the humans aren't that smart. There are some hit registration errors involving the firearms as well, but for the most part it is not that big of a deal either.

    There are some items of game preference that can turn folks off. If you are offended by women in bathing suits who are rotting into zombies or trying to hide out somewhere, this game isn't for you. If you are offended if native peoples are exploited for whatever reason, this game isn't for you. If you are offended by implied sex or rape, this game is not for you. Hint: the game is rated mature for a reason...

    If you have issues with suspension of disbelief with items re-spawning, enemies re-spawning, players re-spawning or story continuity issues and some cut scene bugs; well you are probably an elitist and this game isn't for you. The game could use some tweaks in the item damage and modification arenas, but those are pretty minor issues at best.

    What the game does well are two things. First, the melee combat and location damage system are done pretty well. There are some continuity issues with striking limbs in the middle of an attack, but that is fairly minor (IE, an enemy can swing at you and then you swing towards where the limb would be and nothing connects or only you get hit as your character steps in while swinging). This would be a lack of parry and block mechanics found in other older games like Bushido Blade. The second thing the game does really well is the co-op game play allowing you to join on the fly or search for others with similar progress within the story line. The built in voice chat leaves something to be desired, with the lack of controls or push to talk. The digital controls for PC are the most responsive though, despite having the concept of free range motion using a game pad and the analog control set. However, the analog controls are not setup very intuitively and require full swings, rather than swings from a neutral stance to be performed. This causes over exaggerated movements to occur, despite the actual striking area to be rather limited.

    Unfortunately, the characters are not balanced well against each other or the world. This would be an issue of the game was harder. Although the designers could have labeled the characters with different difficulty levels implied while playing though. All but one character have many useless filler skills and the worst character forces you to allot points into some of them in order to get down into better skills. After the player attains the stomp skill, the game becomes ridiculously easy as it not only saves on the weapon durability, it also makes for quicker kills in most instances. The kick now uses stamina, which is a change from launch, but jump kicks do not seem to drain as much stamina anymore.

    Overall the game is fun and that is what is important. There are many things that could be fixed down the road, or done differently in the design phase which would make the game better. Hopefully there will be more developed titles following Dead Island's lead in the future.    … Expand
  47. Agent5
    Oct 27, 2011
    10
    Didn't really expect Dead Island to be a good game, as I had weird experience with other games of techland, which were in my opinion not really good, but, since most of my friends played it, I thought, hell, why not to try it out too? After 25 hours of game play I can say, that this game worth 8/10, if you like open world, cooperation, RPG elements (perks & so on) you must buy it too
  48. Bedlam
    Oct 26, 2011
    6
    It has a neat system for assembling custom weapons, and a large environment to explore. Truly a gritty and gory melee game. However the storyline is rather drab with highly predictable quests. It has a terribly clunky interface. Developers need to stop releasing games with so many bugs, then working on a fix. I don't pay $60 to beta test bugs.
  49. Nacirema
    Oct 26, 2011
    0
    Very slow, boring, horrible soundtrack, weird animations, excessive blur, headaches. I wish it was all I could say about Dead Island, but it's so terrible that I have a feeling something is left in its cons. Well, I really think its not worthy 5$.
  50. DubFire
    Oct 25, 2011
    5
    The game has the potential, but sinks in its inconsistency, the interface problems and the feeling of being in an arcade.
    The problems with the mouse in the game and in menus, the problem with the assignment of weapons and drunkenness that attack us without notice.
    The downside of seeing this incredible game, we create a sense of realism rarely saw the world to have a zombie to roam. But    The game has the potential, but sinks in its inconsistency, the interface problems and the feeling of being in an arcade.
    The problems with the mouse in the game and in menus, the problem with the assignment of weapons and drunkenness that attack us without notice.
    The downside of seeing this incredible game, we create a sense of realism rarely saw the world to have a zombie to roam. But however this is thrown on the ground thanks to the damage system you use.
    If you have extracted many good ideas from other games, so it seems, one that certainly miss all those who are fans of hard and realism is the damage system. You can be as hard and tough as you want, but a shooting death forever. 1 headshoot 1 death ever forever.    … Expand
  51. 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
  52. kravenhart
    Oct 21, 2011
    3
    Good concept... very bad execution, too much hype. This could be a great game... but at the end it's a mediocre game. Now its a hack'n slash in first person... unplayable... a lot of bugs, unfinished game. Boring voices, boring ambient, invisible walls and corners.... Useless savegame method... who the hell wants save by chapter, and replay again and again the same hard scene nowadays? TheGood concept... very bad execution, too much hype. This could be a great game... but at the end it's a mediocre game. Now its a hack'n slash in first person... unplayable... a lot of bugs, unfinished game. Boring voices, boring ambient, invisible walls and corners.... Useless savegame method... who the hell wants save by chapter, and replay again and again the same hard scene nowadays? The same as The Walking Dead tv series,... all the time the same and nothing happens...… Expand
  53. 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).
  54. 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
  55. Phos
    Oct 17, 2011
    2
    Rushed console port. PROCEED CAUTIOUSLY IF YOU SUFFER MOTION SICKNESS. I typically don't but something about this game causes eye strain and headaches (even after tweaking the FOV). So much potential, I regret buying but hoping the developers patch it up or the mod community fixes it.
  56. jordan93united
    Oct 12, 2011
    1
    I have this game for the xbox 360 and everybody I know is having this problem: when WE hit level 40 with any character we can no longer reload our progress if we exit to main menu or turn the xbox off, it wont reload when we come back to it please sort this out as it is a good game and i feel like I have been ripped off
  57. Swadhams
    Oct 12, 2011
    6
    I got this game looking for a button-mashing, mindless fun, weekend of zombie killing and that is what i got and i have barley touched it since. It suffers from several graphical glitches and a lack-luster story. Towards the end of the game it starts to feel tedious as you are required to run from point A to point B and then back again.
    In summary if you spare cash and time to kill i would    I got this game looking for a button-mashing, mindless fun, weekend of zombie killing and that is what i got and i have barley touched it since. It suffers from several graphical glitches and a lack-luster story. Towards the end of the game it starts to feel tedious as you are required to run from point A to point B and then back again.
    In summary if you spare cash and time to kill i would recommend it especially if you have friends who want to play the co-op with you, but don't expect this to win Game of the Year.    … Expand
  58. miro9781
    Oct 9, 2011
    10
    For me the best RPG in a long time. Love the setting - horror survival with pleasant environment. Zombies, first person hand-to-hand combat, weapon upgrades, contemporary settings. Quests feel natural and fitting, and are well located, no need to travel around over extensively. The graphics on the PC (GTX 560) is insane. If the graphics development stopped here I'd be fine with that :). ItFor me the best RPG in a long time. Love the setting - horror survival with pleasant environment. Zombies, first person hand-to-hand combat, weapon upgrades, contemporary settings. Quests feel natural and fitting, and are well located, no need to travel around over extensively. The graphics on the PC (GTX 560) is insane. If the graphics development stopped here I'd be fine with that :). It has the right mix of everything, kept me hooked up till the end which rarely happens even with AAA game. Yeah, it has bugs, but every new game does, don't care as long as they fix quickly. Will remember for a long time. In fact, I WANT DLC or part 2. PLEAAAASEE!!! :)… Expand
  59. chiroben
    Oct 8, 2011
    10
    After having played this game for dozens of hours now both in single and multiplayer I can safely say it is the most fun I have had gaming in a long time. I have been gaming since the Commodore 64 days and it takes something a bit special to pique my interest these days. Dead Island was this game. Fairly derivative, true, but it combines all the elements so well. The story isn't going toAfter having played this game for dozens of hours now both in single and multiplayer I can safely say it is the most fun I have had gaming in a long time. I have been gaming since the Commodore 64 days and it takes something a bit special to pique my interest these days. Dead Island was this game. Fairly derivative, true, but it combines all the elements so well. The story isn't going to win it any awards but it doesn't need to. It is simply a tool for pushing you forward to the next beautifully detailed area. Single player tends towards a paranoia inducing survival game - having you jump out of your seat every time you get set upon by some unsuspected shamblers. Multiplayer I think of almost as a thug simulator; your group charging around smashing the heads of everything in sight. It is a great fun romp and pretty to boot. Is it perfect? No. But it is tremendous fun and highly replayable. 10/10 for being the most fun I have had playing a game in ages.… Expand
  60. 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
  61. elessar101
    Oct 8, 2011
    4
    Whilst the idea of the game itslef is good. The exexcution once more was rather average. Innumerable glitches dragged this game down. Let alone the fact that at the very last stage of the game, whilst fighting the boss, the game decides to crap itself making it unplayable, whilst only using up half of my processor and ram power..

    Really wish people would put time into making a smooth    Whilst the idea of the game itslef is good. The exexcution once more was rather average. Innumerable glitches dragged this game down. Let alone the fact that at the very last stage of the game, whilst fighting the boss, the game decides to crap itself making it unplayable, whilst only using up half of my processor and ram power..

    Really wish people would put time into making a smooth engine and fix the hundreds of bugs glitches in the game, it is so annoying. Over all the game starts of great, but finishes in a disgraceful manner.    … Expand
  62. 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
  63. spmxvc
    Oct 5, 2011
    0
    What happened to PC games? At some point along the line did the developers lose their way? Did they all get together and just make games for the console and then port them to the PC without bringing along any of the options that PC gamers have been used to for decades? Dead Island was released initially on PC extremely buggy, which shows how much time and effort these companies spend onWhat happened to PC games? At some point along the line did the developers lose their way? Did they all get together and just make games for the console and then port them to the PC without bringing along any of the options that PC gamers have been used to for decades? Dead Island was released initially on PC extremely buggy, which shows how much time and effort these companies spend on the PC version of recent shooters. In particular itâ… Expand
  64. Psy_pmP
    Oct 5, 2011
    6
    - many,many Bugs, perpetual respawn NPC is too close to player (It is a lot of places where npc eternally respawn near to the player ), dizbalans, booring missions.

    + open world, action rpg It could be a great game...
  65. 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
  66. 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
  67. noobr
    Oct 2, 2011
    2
    Once you get past the novelty in the first hour or so, it becomes a brain dead trudge to victory **** you dont even have to know what your doing half the time. Not to mention the plot is of the calibre of an 11y/o's attempt at creative writing. Total waste of money :(
  68. 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
  69. Spore
    Sep 29, 2011
    7
    It's pretty hard to give this game a fair review. It's incredibly addicting and slashing up zombies and collecting loot is fun. But it's also incredibly glitchy and the animations in coop are absolutely terrible. The textures and models all look pretty good though.
    So good things:
    I completed the campaign in about 3 days doing all the sidequests so there is plenty of content. There is also    It's pretty hard to give this game a fair review. It's incredibly addicting and slashing up zombies and collecting loot is fun. But it's also incredibly glitchy and the animations in coop are absolutely terrible. The textures and models all look pretty good though.
    So good things:
    I completed the campaign in about 3 days doing all the sidequests so there is plenty of content. There is also a new game+ feature where you can start over with all your items and skills.
    The weapons are varied and the crafting system is pretty neat. You can upgrade weapons with different types of add-ons to give them different properties. There are a good variety of add-ons but many of them do the same thing (just a bit better). Even the guns in the game are pretty satisfying to use.
    The cooperative feature is good, with drop in - drop out at any time. It even has a display showing when another player is nearby when you're playing solo and then it gives you the option to join their game.
    The gore is great, you can hack off limbs or bash in heads or break bones all the while blood splatters everywhere and your weapon gets soaked in it. If you want a splatterfest, go with the sharp weapon expert and hack away.

    Bad:
    It's very glitchy. I haven't come across anything gamebreaking but I've seen my share of unintentional bugs. For example some of the cars become invisible but people can still drive them. One of the attack moves wont activate if the zombie you're trying to do it on is hit by something else (which is frustrating).
    Invisible walls, this becomes most apparent in the 3rd act. You might feel like exploring but you can't stray off the road like you would expect from a sandbox game. You'll meet glitchy terrain, invisible walls, big holes you can't get out of easily, stretched textures and all that good stuff.
    The difficulty is pretty much non-existant as long as you pick the right class. Almost every single zombie you meet will fall over if you jumpkick them and kicking normally doesn't cost anything so they wont ever get up. All zombies have weaknesses to exploit but in the end, there isn't really anything challenging.

    What you have in the end is a fun, addicting game with a fair share of problems. The overall experience makes up for the big lack of polish. I would say this is definitely worth buying IF you have friends to play it with.Though I would only recommend this to fans of the genre.    … Expand
  70. placiddream
    Sep 29, 2011
    3
    let me tell ya... this game was so much fun when i first started. then the bugs and glitches that should of been fixed long before release. but i dealt with it and played and played sometimes losing hours gameplay from some glitches. then the final straw. after beating the game 3 times and lvling my char to 43 i get the worst error yet. my game data is corrupt,,, basically that means yourlet me tell ya... this game was so much fun when i first started. then the bugs and glitches that should of been fixed long before release. but i dealt with it and played and played sometimes losing hours gameplay from some glitches. then the final straw. after beating the game 3 times and lvling my char to 43 i get the worst error yet. my game data is corrupt,,, basically that means your whole game is lost. 63 hours of gameplay out the window. i promptly traded the game in the next day and will never buy a deep silver product again. test your games before releasing them...noobs… Expand
  71. 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.
  72. imatt
    Sep 28, 2011
    10
    This is one of the better games I've ever played. I'm typically a FPS mouse/keyboard gamer, but this one is perfection using a XBox360 controller on a 50" TV on a high-end system. I have played it since a week after release, and have had nearly zero issues. I did have to turn on vsync to keep the tearing down, and it now runs silky smooth. I really enjoy the open world feel, and is aThis is one of the better games I've ever played. I'm typically a FPS mouse/keyboard gamer, but this one is perfection using a XBox360 controller on a 50" TV on a high-end system. I have played it since a week after release, and have had nearly zero issues. I did have to turn on vsync to keep the tearing down, and it now runs silky smooth. I really enjoy the open world feel, and is a welcome change from linear shooters. Brilliant game! Yes some people may have issues but I have had none. I honestly have no clue how anyone can claim this game appears rushed, as it has meticulous details throughout. I am burning untold hours on this game. It definitely has playthrough value!… Expand
  73. 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
  74. songouki
    Sep 25, 2011
    9
    regression the early hours of a zombie infection Dead Island: regrea a classic zombies. could play this out from the mind of George A. Romero, rarely find loading screens, ensuring free exploration few are accustomed to first-person games with melee weapons, but I liked the change ami to other games ... he usually does worse in some cases
  75. 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
  76. Boro666
    Sep 25, 2011
    10
    Awesome game, especially for someone who has friends to play it with. Really nice graphics and logical controls, not like many of those console ports offer today. Well, maybe menu is a little weird to operate at times, but nothing major. The big plus is length and difficulty level. It's really hard sometimes to play it solo, and even with friends. Prepare to die a lot if you're not payingAwesome game, especially for someone who has friends to play it with. Really nice graphics and logical controls, not like many of those console ports offer today. Well, maybe menu is a little weird to operate at times, but nothing major. The big plus is length and difficulty level. It's really hard sometimes to play it solo, and even with friends. Prepare to die a lot if you're not paying attention. Also game length is awesome. There are many side quests, random events and places to explore. Some people say there are technical issues. I didn't experience any. MUST HAVE FOR EVERY ZOMBIE FAN… Expand
  77. scott_wa
    Sep 25, 2011
    5
    Techland's quality control standards are the reason why Dead Island isn't a "great game". The whole thing felt rushed, incomplete and unpolished. From glitches to stereotypical characters (that you never develop empathy for) Dead Island and it's story fall very short from the game it could have been. Maybe next time.
  78. Thampsan
    Sep 24, 2011
    9
    Welcome to Dead Island! Please enjoy your stay on our scenic (if some what glitchy) tropical island. A few comments I want to make about the game; one it's glitchy - you can and will fall into scenery from time to time, or in between objects and get stuck. Occasionally sprinting zombies will phase through closed doors, and sometimes you will fall off ladders because you passed too close toWelcome to Dead Island! Please enjoy your stay on our scenic (if some what glitchy) tropical island. A few comments I want to make about the game; one it's glitchy - you can and will fall into scenery from time to time, or in between objects and get stuck. Occasionally sprinting zombies will phase through closed doors, and sometimes you will fall off ladders because you passed too close to another object. On the brightside, reloading from the last checkpoint doesn't change anything on your character. You keep all items, experience and durability - for better or worse.

    Two; the story is shallow and so is the voice acting. The main characters all have fairly solid voice acting, but every supporting character sounds like an archetype, especially the Australian accents which sound right out of Crocodile Dundee 2. Three; the combat is clumsy. Every character feels like they are drunk and it is hard to tell exactly at what angle you should be spamming attack at to get the most hits off on a zombie before your character starts clumsily trying to adjust for proximity to target.

    Four; great visuals... so long as you don't look too hard. Ditto, the sound effects. You see everything is gorgeous, it's not Crysis gorgeous, or even Farcry 2 pretty, but it's magnificent. The problem is that there is texture ripping, you will see weapon reflections in the water distort, or water effects disappear in blood filled pools. It's a problem. As for the sound, it's possible that maybe my speaker setup isn't ideal, but all too often the screaming of the flesh-hungry infected doesn't correspond with where they are actually located.

    Five; lack of killer instinct. A small complaint, but Left 4 Dead zombies weren't afraid to put the boot in when you went down, Dead Island zombies knock you down and proceed to leave you be... until you stand up again. More punishment please, make me more scared to get into combat.

    But stay with me here; these three things do NOT hinder the game in the least, they are things that can be fixed later on or with mods. What matters here is the ATMOSPHERE, and this game has an unlimited supply of it. From the minute you escape the hotel, to your first fight on the beach, you will be awed by the beauty of the game, from the way arms and legs break, to your first head splatter or decapitation kill on a zombie. Combat, while clunky feels good when you land a blow. A sledgehammer to the head knocks zombies on their ass, while to the arm likely breaks it and forces the zombie to attack with the other arm - and if that goes, headbutting and biting you instead.

    When you finally get a firearm, late into the game you will hoard your limited ammo and save it for your human antagonists who, like yourself, are much more sensitive to a bullet in the brain pan than even the zombies. This game is all about melee and thrown weapons and it works in it's own special way, because it makes you fear getting surrounded or surprised, you worry about hordes of zombies and you will panic when you hear and then see your first infected screaming and sprinting at you. All weapons have stats, durability and are randomly generated, they can be upgraded, modded and otherwise improved. This gives the game longevity, especially when combined with the Borderlands-esque levelling and skill progression system. Finally, co-op. Just like Borderlands it's drop in/drop out, you get to keep all your loot and experience, as well as quest progress - provided you're close enough in level to the person you are playing with. All in all this is a game well worth getting, even with it's many flaws, if only for the satisfyingly visceral combat and tense atmosphere.    … Expand
  79. 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
  80. Mothas
    Sep 22, 2011
    10
    Nice Game, blood everywhere. Xp, and evolution tree for characters, nice... physical combat is intuitive and really fun, weapon mods and upgrades gives a new taste to games like that, for me is a left4dead mixed with fallout and borderlands all together. if you like one of this games, go ahead for Dead Island.

    ++++ recommended.
  81. 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
  82. IvanOvalle
    Sep 20, 2011
    10
    Dead Island is one of the most entertaining cooperative experience that i ever played, because even if it was a little buggy, it managed to have a funny gameplay, awesome graphics and a lot of guns.

    The character need to slay zombies with all of your crazy weapons and other stuff to earn experience for leveling up. Also it manages an amazing skill system that contain amazing upgrades to    Dead Island is one of the most entertaining cooperative experience that i ever played, because even if it was a little buggy, it managed to have a funny gameplay, awesome graphics and a lot of guns.

    The character need to slay zombies with all of your crazy weapons and other stuff to earn experience for leveling up. Also it manages an amazing skill system that contain amazing upgrades to your character or your arsenal.

    The story was solid, with a lot of drama and it have amazing creative main quests and unique side quests that gives the game a sense of great entertaining.

    Dead Island may have some bad things like the shipload of bugs or graphic problems, but it still being one of the best action, horror, zombie slashing games that i ever purchased in my entire life.    … Expand
  83. RedxLeader
    Sep 20, 2011
    9
    tl;dr: In a nut shell, Dead Island is like playing Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Borderlands, and a touch of Condemned all at the same time. Some of the bells and whistles that give each of those individual games part of their charm is absent, but concocted together like this makes for a completely unique, innovative experience. Despite the odd glitch or two, Dead Island is a solid entry intl;dr: In a nut shell, Dead Island is like playing Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Borderlands, and a touch of Condemned all at the same time. Some of the bells and whistles that give each of those individual games part of their charm is absent, but concocted together like this makes for a completely unique, innovative experience. Despite the odd glitch or two, Dead Island is a solid entry in the zombie genre that deserves its place among the greats.

    If you're a cynical, jaded, veteran gamer, then like me, you sincerely had no expectations for Dead Island. Well you may have if you saw that exceptional pre-release trailer, but then Deep Silver producer Sebastian Reichert dashed all hopes when he made it a point to say that it was not reflective of actual gameplay, but merely meant to set a tone. After underestimating the deadliness of my first zombie encounter, and consequently getting annihilated, I'd say he has it all wrong. Unlike the zombies in Dead Rising that prove to be little more than road hazards, Dead Island zombies are comparatively terrifying. Slip up your guard once when you're surrounded and you're likely to become zombie chow. Not only that, but al a Condemned 2, once you do finally get your hands on a gun, good luck finding ammunition. Although it becomes much less scarce later near the end of the campaign, you will never feel like a double ammo-belt wearing, gun toting, killing machine. Alone or with friends, the tension you feel in knowing this remains constant. What more could a zombie apocalypse game fan ask for?

    Amazingly enough, I could go on, but between drop in and drop out online co-op that works just as well as either Left for Dead game, as well as modifiable/upgradeable/repairable weapons, why are you even still reading this? Go buy it.

    Before you do though, I should mention one teansy little problem. Although none of the bugs in this game are deal-breakers, there are enough of them to warrant a point deduction. My hope though is that this game is very successful and that a proper sequel with all the necessary improvements wont be far behind.    … Expand
  84. Forceflow
    Sep 20, 2011
    9
    I'm 20 hours in and loving this. The combat doesn't dissapoint, the looting is even more addictive than in Borderlands, the graphics are up to standards, and the interesting environment makes the sidequests (which are basicly fetching, or going to touch a button) worth it.

    Surprise hit of the year, for me. Thumbs up.
  85. AK-47
    Sep 20, 2011
    5
    I really liked this game at first because of the somewhat orginal concept and graphics, but i soon realized how much this game is just like borderlands has that same very annoying system of leveling up that doesnt really entertain you because you constant encounter harder enemies and your weapons are less and effective so you buy new ones this game a a LOT of glitches too, i have lost aI really liked this game at first because of the somewhat orginal concept and graphics, but i soon realized how much this game is just like borderlands has that same very annoying system of leveling up that doesnt really entertain you because you constant encounter harder enemies and your weapons are less and effective so you buy new ones this game a a LOT of glitches too, i have lost a many of my powerful weapons because of a autosave glitch or i threw a knife and couldn't pick it up i even lost all my levels and weapons about of no where and was level one and unarmed all over again i got this game through a torrent it was fun but i would never pay for it… Expand
  86. 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
  87. R4PTUR3
    Sep 19, 2011
    2
    Useless until patches arrive. I have stopped playing this game until bugs like the slow cursor and autosave glitches are fixed. It seems like it'll be great when it works though.
  88. JoeH
    Sep 19, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best zombie game I have played in a long time. The rpg elements are great, the co-op is a welcome bonus, and the combat, very cool how you can sever limbs and break bones. I highly recommend this game to anyone who likes rpg and/or zombie games.… Expand
  89. bearsdenred
    Sep 19, 2011
    0
    Got this game via steam just before launch on friday preloaded. enjoyed myself all the way to Chapter 13. Then the nightmare comes in... YOU CANT RELOAD SAVED GAME... the way the devs have done the saving in this game is a joke! wait until you experience the "corrupt save game bug" Pop on Google at any time and type in this issue, this is a game breaker, why waste hours collecting andGot this game via steam just before launch on friday preloaded. enjoyed myself all the way to Chapter 13. Then the nightmare comes in... YOU CANT RELOAD SAVED GAME... the way the devs have done the saving in this game is a joke! wait until you experience the "corrupt save game bug" Pop on Google at any time and type in this issue, this is a game breaker, why waste hours collecting and doing quests when at chapter 13+ ITS ALL RUINED by some bug in game, no tech support from Techland either. so this game gets an amazing 1 and a STAY CLEAR warning until its fixed… Expand
  90. hcookie
    Sep 18, 2011
    7
    Dead Island suffers from a far too early release. The game 'looks' polished, but when you get down to business, there are a lot of details that are missing. As we all know, the devil is in the details. From missing animations, awkward movements, strange design decisions, strange design executions, design decisions which should have be shelved, some of the weirdest looking facialDead Island suffers from a far too early release. The game 'looks' polished, but when you get down to business, there are a lot of details that are missing. As we all know, the devil is in the details. From missing animations, awkward movements, strange design decisions, strange design executions, design decisions which should have be shelved, some of the weirdest looking facial animations, smooth animations in some areas, awkward animations in others, it is a proverbial list of things to do, but never done.

    The game plays like a very strong beta, so it's safe to say, the game was released at least 3 to 6 months too early.

    Dead Island is fun, if you can forgive the unpolished bits. The game is violent and the language foul, well suited for the teen and mature audience who are howling for gore. Definitely not one for the kiddies.

    The game shoots for realism, with it's body part damage system and the realistic graphics. But it all ends when you start realizing you're carrying 4 oars, 3 knives, a modified chain saw, pistol, 6 large batteries (from cars), glue, bits of scrap iron, etc. Which totally goes off tangent from the 'realistic' setting the game tries so very hard to portray.

    It's hard to put a finger on whats really wrong with Dead Island. It's a fun game, for sure, but the immersion is a strange mix of hit and miss, more miss to be honest.

    The only way I can describe the feeling when playing dead island is like putting a round peg into an oval shaped hole, 'almost fits', but not quite.    … Expand
  91. polonium11
    Sep 18, 2011
    1
    I feel like I'm playing an alpha version of a 5/10 game. This is clearly a console port. There are so many frustrating issues I don't know where to begin.
  92. CyanAvery
    Sep 18, 2011
    10
    Dead Island is one of the best games this year it is unique and has tons of replay value i find it satisfying to chop off a zombies head legs arms and going into a blood rage and killing zombies in bloody gory fashion if you like RPG's Zombie Apocalypse's you will love this game the only problem is pop in and that's not even a big deal i suggest you pick up this game as soon as you can
  93. Skifan180
    Sep 18, 2011
    9
    just to get one thing straight i DONT give high or low scores to balance out others(which is stupid) so when i say 9 i mean 9. This game started out with a lot of bugs but they have been working hard and fix the major ones. as far as the game goes it was very well done but where it really shines is the co-op. the co-op is not only fun but was done very well, when you have others with youjust to get one thing straight i DONT give high or low scores to balance out others(which is stupid) so when i say 9 i mean 9. This game started out with a lot of bugs but they have been working hard and fix the major ones. as far as the game goes it was very well done but where it really shines is the co-op. the co-op is not only fun but was done very well, when you have others with you there are sightly more special zombies and my favorite is the loot scales. so if you are a higher level and you are helping your lower level friend you can still get useful stuff for you! Overall its a fun game with good combat, rpg, and co-op.… Expand
  94. 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
  95. Rime
    Sep 18, 2011
    5
    What is there to say about this game? For the price tag of $50, it is hardly worth it. This game was hastily designed, obviously. It is a decent looking game graphics wise, but it is filled with game ruining bugs. Invincible mobs clipping through walls, my upgraded top tier weapons disappearing into THIN AIR, rooms being literally black. I think they only recently announced the release ofWhat is there to say about this game? For the price tag of $50, it is hardly worth it. This game was hastily designed, obviously. It is a decent looking game graphics wise, but it is filled with game ruining bugs. Invincible mobs clipping through walls, my upgraded top tier weapons disappearing into THIN AIR, rooms being literally black. I think they only recently announced the release of this game, it wasn't in development for very long (AND IT SHOWS.)

    Hopefully they address these bugs in the next patch. As I am pretty upset that both of my orange weapons disappeared.    … Expand
  96. Nasher
    Sep 18, 2011
    7
    An original game, which is something we've been lacking for the past few years. It is not like Left 4 Dead so don't go in expecting that. It's more like Fallout 3 mixed with Farcry 2 (but without being **** like Farcry 2). The combat system is not like anything I've seen before and it works really well, most of the weapons are melee and guns/ammo are scarce (as they would be in thisAn original game, which is something we've been lacking for the past few years. It is not like Left 4 Dead so don't go in expecting that. It's more like Fallout 3 mixed with Farcry 2 (but without being **** like Farcry 2). The combat system is not like anything I've seen before and it works really well, most of the weapons are melee and guns/ammo are scarce (as they would be in this situation). Multiplayer is persistant and feels kinda like an MMO. If someone is in your area, you can join them if you wish, no loading screens or anything, your games will be instantly joined and it becomes co-op. I gave it a 7 because it's to buggy in places at the moment, performance bugs especially.… Expand
  97. GLaDOS
    Sep 18, 2011
    6
    In a nutshell: It's entertaining, gory, and addictive.
    Aside from that, it's hit-and-miss. The story-line is (quite frankly) missing almost entirely. This isn't the first game to put you in a quarantined area with unexplained zombies, give you a weapon and say "go to town," but aside from gathering supplies, you're never really given a reason for having to move from survivor camp to camp.    In a nutshell: It's entertaining, gory, and addictive.
    Aside from that, it's hit-and-miss. The story-line is (quite frankly) missing almost entirely. This isn't the first game to put you in a quarantined area with unexplained zombies, give you a weapon and say "go to town," but aside from gathering supplies, you're never really given a reason for having to move from survivor camp to camp. If the summary is true, and you're trying to find a missing wife, then I apparently wasn't paying attention at all during the introduction, because I have no idea what that's referencing. This game has many bugs, and they can be crippling. Running V1.2, some of the bugs I've encountered include:
    1) I occasionally have to toggle between full screen and windowed and back to re-enable the sprint feature, which is crippling (It took me awhile to figure out something was definitely amiss)
    2) I lost a very powerful weapon into thin air after I had just spent a couple thousand repairing and upgrading it, which isn't crippling, but just plain disappointing
    3) A horrible, HORRIBLE UI port from what was PLAINLY a console menu to the PC. The mouse is incredibly slow on the menus, everything has to be clicked on because the arrows are very clunky, and some options are simply grayed out for no reason (usually because you have to have an Xbox 360 controller plugged in)
    4) Weapons on your "quick select" menu tend to be replaced by whatever you pick up off the ground, with the most popular being alcohol. This tends to result in irritation if you notice it in time, or at the worst, you find yourself charging into a fight and then quickly downing a bottle of Jack instead of slashing a weapon. Definitely not a fun brawl.
    This game is still fun, and definitely worth a rent for its sandbox environment, collectibles, upgrade and deterioration systems, weapon modifications, and the intense firefights (when you face human enemies). The zombie slaying doesn't really get stale, but it does lessen in excitement from the beginning of the game. As of where I am right now, I have seen about 5 different classes of zombies, and each definitely had their own unique attacks and corresponding player strategies I needed to use. A good rent (assuming you stick with the PC version, Xbox version might be better).    … Expand
  98. awildseaking
    Sep 17, 2011
    6
    Dead Island looks decent enough, the melee is a nice break from the usual slough of gun games, but there are simply a few problems in the PC port. The frames are still choppy even at a high rate (I'm running it on max settings/resolution at 60-70 FPS). For whatever reason, player movement and environmental interaction just looks choppy. Also, putting QTE on the lmb/rmb is just an idioticDead Island looks decent enough, the melee is a nice break from the usual slough of gun games, but there are simply a few problems in the PC port. The frames are still choppy even at a high rate (I'm running it on max settings/resolution at 60-70 FPS). For whatever reason, player movement and environmental interaction just looks choppy. Also, putting QTE on the lmb/rmb is just an idiotic choice for a game, let alone the existence of QTE in itself. The inventory and control setup reveals very lazy choices towards the PC port. The lack of customization makes it even more annoying to deal with. Dead Island is a decent game, but like many titles of late, the PC version simply isn't up to par.… Expand
  99. battlejesus
    Sep 17, 2011
    0
    What an absolute POS. Chinese must have developed this crap. What a waste of $50 bucks. It's so amazing that this is even offered on Steam that I'm going to stop buying games there.
  100. 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 ...
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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

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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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