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. PenetratorGod
    Sep 3, 2023
    7
    Ancestor of the Dying Ligt series. It was never successful as a series, but first game never felt mediocre. Even though it got seriously boring towards end of the game, it was a game with different ideas for the time it was released and inspired many games today. Downside of this game is that it was developed with multiplayer in mind. Main story would have been much more successful if itAncestor of the Dying Ligt series. It was never successful as a series, but first game never felt mediocre. Even though it got seriously boring towards end of the game, it was a game with different ideas for the time it was released and inspired many games today. Downside of this game is that it was developed with multiplayer in mind. Main story would have been much more successful if it had been developed as a single player game.… Expand
  2. Rhex98
    Jul 7, 2023
    7
    es divertido jugarlo en cooperativo, si puede ser bastante simple el juego, solo apaga tu cerebro y disfruta.
  3. CodaHensley
    May 29, 2023
    6
    The opening of this game absolutely hits, even over a decade later I still think this opening is really solid. It surprisingly manages to get the player invested, and the visuals of a tropical paradise torn apart by zombies is very striking. However, the later half of the game is trash. The difficulty is raised significantly by the fact that your character has no defensive capabilitiesThe opening of this game absolutely hits, even over a decade later I still think this opening is really solid. It surprisingly manages to get the player invested, and the visuals of a tropical paradise torn apart by zombies is very striking. However, the later half of the game is trash. The difficulty is raised significantly by the fact that your character has no defensive capabilities despite the fact 80 percent of the game is focused on melee. Even the 'dodge' seems to be less of an actual mechanic and more of an unintentionally exaggerated backwards jump. This game goes from fun to being a chore incredibly quickly, and it never manages to pick the levels of enjoyment back up.… Expand
  4. Taken_Hades
    May 19, 2023
    5
    -5/10 story
    -4/10 gameplay
    -5/10 environments
    -6/10 characters
    -5/10 music
  5. kolarz3
    May 19, 2023
    8
    Pretty nice game. It's not a masterpiece but for 2 games it's pretty nice game. I enjoyed beating zombie with my GF :)
  6. OMGitsTHEMEMI
    May 18, 2023
    7
    A clasic zombie game with a decent history and a pretty good combat system with 4 protagonist have different abilities, a fun solo experience that is 10 times better if you play it coop with friends.
  7. adrian0071
    May 11, 2023
    0
    Average game, run from here to there, bring me 2 packs of soda but if I bring 4 wont even take the other 2, combat is meh
  8. Hyperfailure
    Apr 29, 2023
    7
    As a first exposure to the first person zombie survival/crafting game, especially with co-op, this game felt fresh and pleasant.
  9. KolesAdlerov
    Apr 24, 2023
    6
    A surprisingly high-quality opening, the legs and the kicks - and such a sharp slide into a crappy SJWRPG...
    I was never able to reach the final (the rest of the 2nd city): fell asleep every time I tried.
    Gameplay: combat mechanics 8/10 combat logic: RPG atmosphere [1st city only, wonky coop rules] 6/10 Gameplay as immersive horror (indoors, first hours only) 5/10 Gameplay as RPG:    A surprisingly high-quality opening, the legs and the kicks - and such a sharp slide into a crappy SJWRPG...
    I was never able to reach the final (the rest of the 2nd city): fell asleep every time I tried.

    Gameplay:
    combat mechanics 8/10
    combat logic: RPG
    atmosphere [1st city only, wonky coop rules] 6/10
    Gameplay as immersive horror (indoors, first hours only) 5/10
    Gameplay as RPG: 5/10

    Story 4/10

    Graphics [a year before FC3] 9/10

    Sounds & music 7/10

    .
    A good rehearsal before creating DL1, but in itself it's an absolutely niche product.    … Expand
  10. Naked_Snakee
    Apr 7, 2023
    7
    Just text (crutch) to save the game to the list. Such things. Maybe I'll do a review later.
  11. Outdoorz
    Mar 31, 2023
    9
    Fiz o 100% dele na "Steam" e sei o quanto esse jogo é desafiador e empolgante, claro que em muitos momentos pensei em desistir ainda mais quando termina o jogo e ainda falta algumas conquistas para serem feitas.
    Nesse caso insisti e percebi que cada vez mais que tu jogo mais habilidade tu consegue desenvolver no jogo e nesse caso ele acaba te envolvendo pois te prende conforme tu insiste.
  12. Pmstz
    Jan 31, 2023
    7
    Very nice, fun and solid open world zombie game !
    recommanded.
    +++++++++++++
  13. CausticMisery
    Jan 28, 2023
    7
    Fun little zombie game with good soundtrack, charming characters and wonderful environments. It's just brainless melee fun.
  14. Crypt
    Jan 15, 2023
    8
    Its a good game. Repetitive at various times. Open world, very good atmosphere.
  15. Tomas95
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    dead island ist ein fantastisches spiel mit einen unglaublichen Atmosphäre und tollen Insel kulisse. Die waffen mods bis hin zu schusswaffen und Nahkampfs waffen sin Abwechslungsreich und die story ist auch ganz okey.die zombies sind bedrohlich die spezial zombies sind eglig und der sound ist gewaltig.Das einzigste kritik punt ist die träge Steuerungs und machmal vor kommenden bugs.92/100
  16. Giero
    Jan 3, 2023
    3
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  17. jirny
    Nov 7, 2022
    8
    для меня однозначно лучшая игра про зомби, хотя и не люблю эту тематику. Dying Light мне не зашел абсолютно
  18. petrkozak13
    Sep 28, 2022
    7
    Clunky controls, awful story but surprisingly fun gameplay loop with lot of different weapons. It's nice to see what Techland did before Dying Light. Not a bad game at all.
  19. The_D4RknesS
    Jul 28, 2022
    4
    who knew that this crap here was created by the same developer that made the amazing DYING LIGHT 1
  20. Azelowspecgamer
    Aug 12, 2022
    10
    One of the best zombie games. Good for low spec pc. Good story and gameplay and open world
  21. Rob-Piton
    Aug 2, 2022
    8
    Fun cooperative game, simple and good, played with friend, just fun and chill
  22. KapralDominik
    Jul 25, 2022
    7
    Долгострой, который не испортило время. В этой игре отменно практически все: тропический курорт с бескрайним морем и фешенебельными отелями превратившийся в настоящий ад; разнообразный крафт всего подряд в орудие смерти способное рвать, расчленять, поджигать и дробить на куски; изобилие видов оживших мертвецов и арсенал способностей в древе навыков способствующий их умерщвлению, а такжеДолгострой, который не испортило время. В этой игре отменно практически все: тропический курорт с бескрайним морем и фешенебельными отелями превратившийся в настоящий ад; разнообразный крафт всего подряд в орудие смерти способное рвать, расчленять, поджигать и дробить на куски; изобилие видов оживших мертвецов и арсенал способностей в древе навыков способствующий их умерщвлению, а также исследованию окружающего мира. В общем и целом Dead Island отличная, которая пока что плотно держит планку проверки временем. Оценка: 7.… Expand
  23. DexEngineer
    Jun 10, 2022
    8
    I would have given 9 if the game was a bit more polished. However if you like zombie RPG game with proper mood, you will like it like 10/10. I sent long hours and many evenings in this game... higly recommended.
  24. Izoeros
    May 29, 2022
    5
    qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
  25. StarkAgentos
    May 2, 2022
    5
    Именно эта игра породила великий даин лайт. Графика очень красивая. Пляжи, курорт. Паркура, к сожалению, вообще нет, в отличие от даин лайта. Есть какие-то хреновые непонятные элементы РПГ. Сюжет очень трэшовый. В такое не стоит играть в наше время, в отличие от даин лайта.Именно эта игра породила великий даин лайт. Графика очень красивая. Пляжи, курорт. Паркура, к сожалению, вообще нет, в отличие от даин лайта. Есть какие-то хреновые непонятные элементы РПГ. Сюжет очень трэшовый. В такое не стоит играть в наше время, в отличие от даин лайта.
  26. RickPedroStalke
    Jan 23, 2022
    10
    Mi juego favorito de zombies Dead Island es uno de los mejores juegos que jugué. A todo fan de Zombies se lo recomiendo muchisimo, y quien lo compro quiero que me diga en los comentarios cual es su opinión. Para los que no se lo compraron, os recomiendo ahorrar y comprar este magnifico juego
  27. vova22379
    Dec 18, 2021
    5
    ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
  28. ChampionofDeaTH
    Oct 25, 2021
    6
    круто резать молнии и ставить оружие графика приятная для тех лет машины от первого лица миссии полный кал
  29. VigilanteOito
    Oct 13, 2021
    10
    Um dos melhores games de zumbi que já joguei.
    Zerei e já to com vontade de zerar novamente.
    Como é gostoso cortar zumbis.
  30. Asp_klg40
    Aug 27, 2021
    5
    По началу игра была интересная, но это продолжалось первых пару часов. Потом начались однотипные задания, подай принеси и стало просто не интересно играть, дропнул на 7 часу игры.
  31. Ignatiy
    Jul 26, 2021
    7
    Сначала игра показалась крутой, но после нескольких часов, проведенных там, могу сказать - игра уж очень посредственная. Из плюсов хочу отметить: разнообразие оружия ближнего боя, цветокор и сам процесс уничтожения нечисти. Реально очень круто. А что по делу? А на деле в игре: тупят НПС (редко, но тупят), скучные миссии по типу возьми-принеси (и причем это считают СЮЖЕТНОЙ веткой!), и то,Сначала игра показалась крутой, но после нескольких часов, проведенных там, могу сказать - игра уж очень посредственная. Из плюсов хочу отметить: разнообразие оружия ближнего боя, цветокор и сам процесс уничтожения нечисти. Реально очень круто. А что по делу? А на деле в игре: тупят НПС (редко, но тупят), скучные миссии по типу возьми-принеси (и причем это считают СЮЖЕТНОЙ веткой!), и то, что персонаж зачастую куда-то проваливается (не физически, а с виду, т.е. когда смотришь на то, когда твой персонаж встает после удара зомби, то его рука просто наполовину растворяется в песке и прочих материалах, ну как так?)
    Коротко, это все, что я могу сказать. Моя оценка игре 6.5/10, но я решил сщедриться и накинуть ей до 7/10    … Expand
  32. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    7
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good
  33. KepasaAmigo
    Jul 16, 2021
    8
    Better then L4D but worse then dying light. Was fun in a time that i played. 8/10
  34. JohnoDeruno
    May 21, 2021
    5
    Dead Island - The game itself is a really fun style zombie action survival game. The goal of the game itself is to escape the island and help its members and civilians. The atmosphere of the game is fascinating and abandoned after the onset of the zombie apocalypse. The story of the game itself is not very engaging because your goal is to escape the island and perform other duties whileDead Island - The game itself is a really fun style zombie action survival game. The goal of the game itself is to escape the island and help its members and civilians. The atmosphere of the game is fascinating and abandoned after the onset of the zombie apocalypse. The story of the game itself is not very engaging because your goal is to escape the island and perform other duties while helping people. Personally, I really liked the mechanics of combat, but there wasn't some good block just from the leg, it made me a little sometimes nervous, because you were attacked not by one or two, but it was harder for you to unblock, but I just say what I didn't like. The game itself is certainly not short if you perform the Side missions themselves, but some side missions are repetitive and uninteresting because the same action takes place. Sounding like a character I wouldn’t say it’s very engaging and real so much cheaper because it sometimes cringes. Difficulty of the game: I would say starting is always easy, but the point is that as you rise to the level and your enemies rise to the level. In my opinion, I would rather have each enemy have their own number of lives and my effect I think would make it easier to play the game. I certainly wouldn’t say it’s a bad game, but in my opinion I would dedicate 5/10.… Expand
  35. kndr
    May 15, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't normally play zombie games but this one got my attention. Imagine far cry 3 but with zombies, this is that.

    You are tourist stranded in a island, trying to get out alive and I love this kind of story. Characters however are annoying as hell. I just can't stand them. They keep repeating the same dialogue when you pass near them.

    I loved exploring the island. Atmosphere is really nice and relaxing. Resort especially is really fun to explore. Moresby is ok. Jungle needs more work, probably most disappointing map.

    Melee combat is fun and violent.

    Guns are weak.

    Sometimes slow motion happens when you perfectly cut zombies head or limbs.

    Infected are annoying. They are like virals from dying light. Less annoying but still annoying.

    Last levels are in prison and this hurt the game. After exploring beaches, jungles and city, stucking in tight corridors are just bad and you can't even go back to previous maps. That fight with Ryder White is a joke.

    Can be repetitive but still worth playing.    … Expand
  36. johnnyleon
    Apr 29, 2021
    10
    really great game that is fun with friends. great mixture of pure mindless fun and RP aspects. only recently rediscovered it due to it having being banned in germany in the past. everyone who wants an action driven game with a nice story and great graphics to play with friends cant do anything wrong with buying dead island.
  37. Thyreli23
    Mar 13, 2021
    8
    Yes, Dead Island has its bugs and problems. But you know what? That's okay. It's still incredbily fun, and the combat & crafting system is satisfying through and through. The world is gorgeous, the characters, interesting, the quests fun. Dead Island is one of those games I'll boot up every couple of years just to start a new game and enjoy the zombie hunt whose story I'm actuallyYes, Dead Island has its bugs and problems. But you know what? That's okay. It's still incredbily fun, and the combat & crafting system is satisfying through and through. The world is gorgeous, the characters, interesting, the quests fun. Dead Island is one of those games I'll boot up every couple of years just to start a new game and enjoy the zombie hunt whose story I'm actually interested in uncovering.… Expand
  38. kultigin
    Dec 17, 2020
    10
    Can tell the open-world zombie games started with this game. Thus, it needs to be known and respected.
  39. ErayTellezi
    Nov 17, 2020
    7
    Techland'in Dying Light öncesi ısınma turu. Birçok açıdan eksik bir oyun olsa da döneminde oynaması eğlenceliydi.
  40. Toz123
    Nov 1, 2020
    10
    This is a really cool game.I play this game on pc and Xbox and that was really really cool !
  41. MatikTheSeventh
    Oct 11, 2020
    7
    While rough around the edges, it's still an enjoyable experience to play with friends.
  42. Bloodnes
    Sep 30, 2020
    8
    Добротная игра для своего времени, проходилась весело, увлекательно с неплохой графикой как мне показалось. Любителям зомби шутеров рекомендую 8/10
  43. dlcatalin
    Jul 12, 2020
    7
    Very poorly optimized, i don't remember if i even finished the game, but i enjoyed it, the first 3-4 hours where amazing ,then it got a bit repetitive and boring. Guns are like nerf guns ... very little dmg even if aiming for the head.
  44. Henker
    Apr 20, 2020
    8
    The game is very good but I expected MUCH more from it when I saw the game trailer, it seemed to be something much better than it really is, and with the trailer I thought the game would be a little more melancholy. But it is still a good game when you play for the first or second time, then it starts to get very nauseating and not to mention that the secondary missions are practically theThe game is very good but I expected MUCH more from it when I saw the game trailer, it seemed to be something much better than it really is, and with the trailer I thought the game would be a little more melancholy. But it is still a good game when you play for the first or second time, then it starts to get very nauseating and not to mention that the secondary missions are practically the same, the main ones are the best and most recommended to do, the secondary ones being always basic and repetitive are good for earning XP, and collecting items that can help you throughout the game.… Expand
  45. r03vg
    Apr 17, 2020
    4
    Весьма однообразная игра. Ну, может начало интересное, а так больше и нечего делать.
  46. Ohhmuckomg
    Apr 7, 2020
    7
    Dying light'ın atası.Parkur mekanikleri yok.Bazı bölüm atmosferleri çok daha iyi aslında.Fakat özellikle ilk oyun başı harita gerçekten sıkıcı ve tümden bakarsak bomboş bir hikayeye sahip.
  47. PanMrkvicka
    Feb 11, 2020
    7
    Well I enjoyed it but i was a kid back then maybe if I played it now I would have a different opinion. But at that time i havent seen anything like this but the quests felt repetitive and so much backtracking.
  48. Kiatzu
    Dec 6, 2019
    7
    Brutal and bloody zombie game. Some bugs can be frustrating or even game breaking which sucks. Otherwise it is what you expect from a zombie game. Fun gameplay, lots of weapons, lots of blood.
  49. Misza123
    Apr 5, 2019
    5
    After the great trailer I really expected story driven survival game. I got generic, multiplayer action game. It is entertaining, yes. But I for me that game could become something far more better. And lots of childish, toxic gamers in it don't help me to enjoy it properly.
    If you wanna play it, than just with friends, not with random players!
  50. Ernest_Figueroa
    Nov 23, 2018
    9
    Un juego para los fans y no tanto de los zombis, una excelente entrega con 4 variaciones de personajes que dan mas variedad a un juego muy divertido y adictivo.
  51. AndrewMalandrew
    Aug 16, 2018
    9
    Dead island is an thrilling experience, and i love it, but it has performance issues for me and many bugs i wish to be fixed.
  52. Diegochocho
    Jul 3, 2018
    5
    La verdad no me pareció un juego tan divertido si lo jugas solo, pero si lo jugas con un amigo es para cagarte de risa, pero hasta ahí.
  53. user12
    Nov 26, 2017
    8
    Dead Island is a somewhat fun game, with a fantastic, gripping plot and very, very well-written characters. It's a bit weak in the gameplay department, because there's little challenge and it's fairly repetitive, but decent nevertheless. The characters, their personalities, and their voices are very well acted. You have a wide range of weaponry with which to defeat zombies and hostileDead Island is a somewhat fun game, with a fantastic, gripping plot and very, very well-written characters. It's a bit weak in the gameplay department, because there's little challenge and it's fairly repetitive, but decent nevertheless. The characters, their personalities, and their voices are very well acted. You have a wide range of weaponry with which to defeat zombies and hostile survivors, everything from shovels and spades to military assault rifles. From the moment you boot up Dead Island, you can feel the story start to grab hold of you- someone is visiting a tropical island, and a zombie outbreak occurs. You'll play as one of four characters: a stereotypical black rapper, a football-playing white American douchebag, a cute Chinese girl,and a feisty Australian **** Each character is skilled in a particular weapon type, so you need to choose wisely. Dead Island does admittedly tend to follow the zombie survival cliche, but it does it well. The final verdict for Dead Island is an 8- it's a great game which is worth playing, but it's nothing extraordinary.… Expand
  54. Ruegrong
    Apr 19, 2017
    5
    Repetitive back and forth missions for characters you do not care about. No server room option to join other players, you have to be similar level or similar spot in campaign and wait for their room to show up.. LAN doesn't work. The driving in this game is dumb, vehicles have little turning radius. Better off getting dying light
  55. jalu
    Mar 28, 2017
    2
    Hardest Game ever i"ve ever played,Sucks gameplay and many more i die almost twice while doing mission very rare good blueprint and weapon damage so small but zombie damage to mush wtf game idiot game harddd
  56. szogyenyi
    Aug 20, 2016
    6
    I always had a really difficult "relationship" with Dead Island. I tried to start this game at least three times but i always gave up, because the whole game mechanics just... not well made. Now i have decided to give it another try, maybe i just gave up too earlier and i have to say, this game is still not impressed me. Of course it's fun to play, but it has a lot of issues. The biggestI always had a really difficult "relationship" with Dead Island. I tried to start this game at least three times but i always gave up, because the whole game mechanics just... not well made. Now i have decided to give it another try, maybe i just gave up too earlier and i have to say, this game is still not impressed me. Of course it's fun to play, but it has a lot of issues. The biggest of them is probably the moving mechanics. This dynamic movement is really a huge pain in the ass. Jumping across an object, making fast moves or just passing through in a tight place could be challenging and this annoyed me very much. The combat system is almost the same, especially when the system cannot decide who attacked first: you or the undead - which ends up the zombie is already on your neck and you just received a big heal loss. But there are other mayor bugs like such as when the inventory system just get totally broken, and you cannot even sell a god damn thing. The AI is so braindead, it's really not a big challenge to outsmart them. Most of the times when you jump to the top of a car you just receive a huge advantage, because they cannot reach you from the ground (unless if they somehow find a way to get up to you) Money is playing a pretty big role in the game, because for repairing or upgrading weapons you will need money, such as trading of course, but you can grind out as much money as you want, since the weapons are always respawning to their place. So basicly you just need time to collect loads of money, throwable weapons, bullets and XP to be overpowered as hell. It's not a big negative, you can do the same in a lot of game but come on. For a couple of hours it looked like this is a true survival horror game, but when i discovered this exploits i was like: "What the hell man!?". There are so many little things i could complain about, but there is no point of that, you have to play the game to understand what i am crying about. Aside from these the game offers a lot of stuff. It took me about 35 hours to complete it, with most of the side missions. You can upgrade your weapons and craft unique ones by finding blueprints, which turned out is kinda cool. I did not believe in this system first, but later i was really impressed how cool hand crafted weapons are. Banoi Island is huge and i have to say it is a pretty view, but hell... the Chrome Engine still look like **** It has some kind of plastic sense like the Glacier Engine based games (Kane & Lynch is a perfect example if you know what i mean) The blur effects are gave me cancer, but on the other side the whole game looks ok. BUT(!!!) the Ryder White DLC... oh my God... that's like a completely different game. So broken, so stupid, so annoying, i hate that, but i could not stop it at the half because i wanted to finish it once i started it. I don't recommend that. (haha, anyway you will got it since you cannot buy it separately on Steam)

    So: Is Dead Island a good game? No. Of course not. Dead Island is a really silly game, but it's enjoyable and offers a lot. I must admit i enjoyed it, but it has so many issues i am really thinking about to not buy Dying Light. I don't care how much people like it. Get your **** together Techland! Fix this engine or change it, i don't care, but come on... you are better than this! I know it!!!    … Expand
  57. AbeMC
    Jul 22, 2016
    6
    The best way I can sum up Dead Island is that it tries to catch the co-op flavor of games like Borderlands and bring it to a tropical paradise with weapon crafting. But fighting the same hordes over and over again in the hopes of getting that one special component for my ultra-rare weapon build wore out its welcome quickly. The game is much better in co-op, though, and it's still quiteThe best way I can sum up Dead Island is that it tries to catch the co-op flavor of games like Borderlands and bring it to a tropical paradise with weapon crafting. But fighting the same hordes over and over again in the hopes of getting that one special component for my ultra-rare weapon build wore out its welcome quickly. The game is much better in co-op, though, and it's still quite easy to join a match; just hope you don't land in a game populated with obnoxious teens more interested in showing off and hacking the game than playing the game.

    + The world is huge. Be glad there are vehicles and fast travel, because there are a lot of places to discover. It's not a true sandbox – it 's a number of large connected areas – but it will take a lot of dedication to complete the list of missions.
    + The graphics are decent and not too stressful. Expect high framerates even if you have a basic gaming rig like I do at the time of writing (A10-6800k + R7 260X).
    + Four different characters to play as, each with their own bonuses and skills. (I played as Purna most of the time because of her firearms bonuses).
    + Crafting is good, adds some unique effects to the weapons and increases damage.
    + The co-op element works well. Very easy to drop in / drop out of games. Leveling happens much faster, and I had no trouble finding other people to play with.
    + Decent characters, if you can ignore side missions and stay focused on them. Thematically Dead Island has a lot of mature elements. It's just cloaked in this B-movie zombies-on-a-tropical-island setting. Jin's story is touching.

    - / + Not really a positive or a negative, since your experience may be different, but the player-base I encountered while pugging coop matches was – immature would be a kind description. I encountered one youngster who asked me if I wanted to go join him in Minecraft. Another person was hacking the game, making everyone die repeatedly (it costs in-game money to respawn, so I didn't find it funny at all). And another player was constantly begging for attention: “Look! Hey, look! I can punch zombies! Look at the size of my fists! Did you see that? Hey, look!” If you have a group of friends you want to play with, you'll have a much better co-op experience than I did.

    - Despite the decent story and some good characters, there is very little time is spent with these characters; take time to do plenty of side-quests, and any sympathy built for any of them will have gone by the time we return to the main quests. Don't do the side quests, then; but the risk is going into an area under-leveled – and trust me, you are in for a frustrating time if that happens.
    - The combat gets boring after the first few hours. Guns only work well against human targets, not zombies. Melee weapons and throwables are for zombies. Run up to an enemy, hack their arms or legs off, dodge a few incoming blows, kick to stagger, kill, rinse, repeat. And enemies respawn REALLY fast, so get what you want from an area quickly, or you'll have to do it all over again. What a chore. By Act IV I just didn't feel like fighting anymore; fortunately you can just run by the enemies in the final levels (a few will chase you, but those can be dealt with easily).
    - Weapons decay FAST. Stay on the lookout for workbenches to repair your weapons (especially blade weapons), because they'll fall apart in your hands in the middle of a fight with a “weapon broken” message (you don't lose the weapon; it just sits in your inventory until you drop it or repair it).
    - Finding materials to craft is a pain. Even if you loot every single corpse or house that crosses your path, you'll frequently be short of materials. Much better to join a co-op game in the hope of finding someone to trade with.
    - The quests are repetitive. “Get 5 cans of food” “Find parts for the generator” “My friend / wife / husband / father / mother was infected, they had a memento / letter that I'd like to have back, can you help?” “Get 5 cans of food”
    - Maybe because the missions all feel the same after a while, I stopped caring. I rescue this one guy who is trapped in a bungalow with zombies beating on the door. Down the street is a gas station. I rescue him, he opens the door and says, “Thanks mate. You saved my life. But I really need gas for the generator. Think you can help me out?” And I'm thinking, “The gas station is literally right there. Get your own gas.” Main story missions are a bit better, but even those suffer from an over-use of escort missions.

    Dead Island makes a great first impression with its beautiful island paradise and aggressive zombies, but the copy-paste missions, same-y combat and rapid weapon decay left me feeling annoyed and ready to move on to something else.    … Expand
  58. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    4
    2/15/2012: Dead Island is a textbook case of why videogame trailers should not be trusted. While I enjoyed the game enough to stick with it to the end of that first playthrough, I have no want to play it again and could not recommend it to anyone before, say, Borderlands. The trailer I speak of promised me a grim and gritty return to Dawn of the Dead style zombie fiction, with a focus on2/15/2012: Dead Island is a textbook case of why videogame trailers should not be trusted. While I enjoyed the game enough to stick with it to the end of that first playthrough, I have no want to play it again and could not recommend it to anyone before, say, Borderlands. The trailer I speak of promised me a grim and gritty return to Dawn of the Dead style zombie fiction, with a focus on emotional trauma and the bitter struggle to survive. Dead Island is not that game. It is instead an insipid, lootwhoring grindfest consisting largely of fetch and kill quests. Maybe if it were a free to play MMO or something would be worth it, because it does have entertaining combat- for like the first twenty zombies or so. After the umpteeth time you've broken a weapon, been duffed over by a Thug zombie or purged your inventory of vendor trash, you will wonder where the fun and drama went- and your money. Avoid this game if you can.… Expand
  59. SPARTACVS
    Jun 5, 2016
    6
    Unimpressed. The game has a good potential but its is flawed by drawbacks. They are all pretty much minors but I found there is too many. To the point that I found the game to be too much balanced between enjoyment and...frustration. I hesitated to give it a 7 btw.
  60. Maladjester
    May 30, 2016
    8
    Take Far Cry's open-world tropical islands, add zombies, tack on a Borderlands-style skill system, and take away the guns. Don't look for a story, just kill zombies.

    The vast majority of the time you will do this up close and personal as you brutally bash, slash, and curb-stomp your way through annoyingly tough walking dead. I hate to use the word realism in reference to a zombie game,    Take Far Cry's open-world tropical islands, add zombies, tack on a Borderlands-style skill system, and take away the guns. Don't look for a story, just kill zombies.

    The vast majority of the time you will do this up close and personal as you brutally bash, slash, and curb-stomp your way through annoyingly tough walking dead. I hate to use the word realism in reference to a zombie game, but their resilience makes it feel like you're actually trying to put down angry human corpses that can't feel pain and just don't quit. To give you an idea, three walkers at once is a handful. You will not casually blast away hundreds of cardboard zombies as you do in other games.

    Zombie activity levels range from screaming 28-Days-Later sprinters to corpses that simply lie there until you get close, then struggle awkwardly to their feet. This variation adds a suprising amount of interest and timing to encounters. For instance, my group is great at reacting to sprinters, but takes an embarrassing number of hits from the sneaky shufflers. There is a mechanic for breaking/severing zombie limbs to make them less dangerous (or kill via decapitation,) and for at least one type, this is almost essential to do. In ten hours I have only seen a couple of special zombie types, perhaps there are others later on.

    I bought Dead Island when it came out. I was underwhelmed and gave it up after a few hours. Zombies had been done before, 1000 iterations of fetch quest had been done before, skill systems and breaking weapons had been done before. One of the marks of a great game is that it can do the same things other games have done, but do them so well you don't notice you've "played this already." Dead Island falls short of greatness. The whole thing feels like a copy of a copy. While I stand by that assessment, I did make one serious mistake the first time around: I played alone. Dead Island is like Left 4 Dead in that you simply do not get the proper experience by yourself. This is a co-op game through and through. My weekly team game night has been Dead Island the last few times and we're having a blast. Hence my return, 4 1/2 years after the most recent review, to write my own.

    Visuals were top notch at release but no doubt can now be played on cheap machines. The repair/upgrade mechanic is fine, but zombies are apparently made of tungsten, because you will fix your weapons WAY too often. Controls are fine with two notable exceptions. First, getting too close to your teammates creates a shoving effect that can and will get you in trouble or keep you from getting out of it. Second, the cursor moves with maddening slowness on the menu screen. Plot and characters are so utterly forgettable I almost forgot to put this line in. But we're not here for plot or characterization. We just want to fight the dead.

    Bored of Borderlands? Cashing out of CoD? Take your friends to Dead Island.    … Expand
  61. czjohns
    May 29, 2016
    7
    Buggy, but fun! This is basically Borderlands with less humour, zombies, more realistic graphics and (mostly) melee combat. I played it solo, so there were definitely some boring moments, but I recommend this game.
    I'm interested in playing definitive edition and curious if it will receive higher or smaller score from me.
  62. Shadow1
    May 15, 2016
    7
    Dead Island has got normal graphics and this game is funny , but has got very many blood . In this game are many zombies . Good game about zombie . One of the best game about zombies . Dead Island worse than Dying Light , but good too . Dead Island is very good on PC . 7/10
  63. Voyou
    Mar 15, 2016
    2
    It looks alright and it sounds alright. And then, you start playing and it's a different story.

    For starters, the controls are so abstruse that I couldn't figure them out without reading the manual. I never read a game manual. Ever. Never had to. Probably never will again. That says it all about the level of genius of the particular interface designer involved here. Also, classic    It looks alright and it sounds alright. And then, you start playing and it's a different story.

    For starters, the controls are so abstruse that I couldn't figure them out without reading the manual. I never read a game manual. Ever. Never had to. Probably never will again. That says it all about the level of genius of the particular interface designer involved here.

    Also, classic major flaw of action games, you can't save. In this particular instance, it means that you will spend your time looting 200 pieces of luggage (for some reason, you need dollars during a zombie infestation,) get killed, then restart the entire looting sequence. An unbelievably bad concept.

    And then, the first action sequence isn't even a fight. You have to run randomly until you either get killed or you find the right spot, with no help from logic or visual clues.

    If zombies don't kill me, boredom will. Bye game.    … Expand
  64. ave
    Dec 24, 2015
    5
    First I'd like to say that I love B and Z movies, and like to play games where I have to survive a zombie apocalypse (or any kind of apocalypse, like Fallout, Metro or Stalker).

    Dead Island seems to got it all, but many choices in the game ruined the experience for me in spite of its qualities. This game has major deal-breakers for me : - Zombies respawns (almost at the same    First I'd like to say that I love B and Z movies, and like to play games where I have to survive a zombie apocalypse (or any kind of apocalypse, like Fallout, Metro or Stalker).

    Dead Island seems to got it all, but many choices in the game ruined the experience for me in spite of its qualities.

    This game has major deal-breakers for me :

    - Zombies respawns (almost at the same place). Not only it kills the fantasy of globally reducing the threat and leaving some places safer, but it becomes annoying after a while to cut through them again (and again...). I know it's a fairly common choice in games with leveling and role-play, but I just don't like it. I don't feel rewarded by money and loot. The better reward for me would have been : a simple "gone forever" zombie.

    - Lack of direction in open world. Even with quest and flags, I found the navigation pretty confusing : I had to go back and forth between the quest page, the map page, and the radar icon just to figure out how far a mission goal was. Add to this the relative "openness" of the world and I got myself lost and confused too many times for my taste.

    - Getting no assistance from the survivors. Except the introduction, most of the times I do the dirty work for all the survivors. The story tells me I'm immune, but considering the fact zombies are respawning, some brave assistance in the field would have been appreciated. If you add on top of this the fact some "missions" are self-centered (like "bring me champagne" from the russian girl) you just want them to die of their stupidity right here for not contributing to the greater effort.

    Dead Island has also minor negatives aspects ;

    - The way weapons are assigned on slots and selected by the mouse during play are counter-intuitive. Many time I found myself struggling with a simple equip action, or abandoning weapons for a moment just to switch one in my hand with one in my bag-pack.

    - It takes a looong time before you can get firearms so you have to bash or slash your way through hundreds of zombies before you can start to choose between a close combat and a ranged weapon.

    - The weapons become useless after a while due to leveling up and that bothers me. It's nice to have to manage your durability or ammunition resources, but it quickly turns to busywork at the workshop and number comparison. It's very common in RPGs, Some people like this, I just don't.

    - The world is filled with luggages with mini loot. I don't find fun the fact of searching each one of these, but if I don't I might just run out of money to repair and upgrade a more efficient weapon.

    I'm really sad the game didn't work out for me, because I enjoyed the idea of playing it.    … Expand
  65. arctic_fox_sa
    Nov 10, 2015
    4
    When I first loaded it up, I thought it was pretty fun and exciting. Then about 20 minutes passed and I realized it was just the same thing again and again. There was no challenge to it, no fear nor excitement. It was a colourful chore at best. It has a few interesting ideas in terms of game mechanics, but these only matured by Dying Light, a far superior game.
  66. muzmuz
    Nov 4, 2015
    3
    While Dead Island has many potentials and is highly ambitious, it still failed to serve as an entertaining and exciting first-person zombie survival game.
  67. PrincessRose
    Jul 9, 2015
    7
    As soon as I started playing this game I like it and don't want to stop playing.

    I like the combat, kicking an enemy down then hacking off it's head. I like exploring everything and finding loot. lovely scenery. like the open world. I like how shock weapons send Thugs into a epileptic shock dance, it makes me laugh every time. No matter how many times I play it, I don't    As soon as I started playing this game I like it and don't want to stop playing.

    I like the combat, kicking an enemy down then hacking off it's head.

    I like exploring everything and finding loot.

    lovely scenery.

    like the open world.

    I like how shock weapons send Thugs into a epileptic shock dance, it makes me laugh every time.

    No matter how many times I play it, I don't feel bored.

    Getting and crafting developer weapons is a must, just for the very useful proc when thrown. Makes it much easier to deal with hordes on your own, I like to use the mindblower on walkers, plaguebearer on the greater zombies as it causes them to be wracked with puking.

    Beach balls are deadly, I was kicking one around and it rebounded off a building and hit me, I ended up near death from a beachball. So be careful when kicking them around they are more deadly than a hit from a thug.

    Guns are pretty useless, only useful against enemy humans which there aren't a lot of.
    I enjoyed this game.    … Expand
  68. Epik_Ninnja
    May 22, 2015
    7
    Dead Island is a semi-open world first-person post-apocolyptic action-RPG that centers around getting off the island you're stuck on and dispatching the undead in the process. As you chop ad shoot through countless zombies with many creative weapons that you can find or craft (such as a blade that shocks yor foes with each cut), you gain XP and level up. With your level ups, you can buyDead Island is a semi-open world first-person post-apocolyptic action-RPG that centers around getting off the island you're stuck on and dispatching the undead in the process. As you chop ad shoot through countless zombies with many creative weapons that you can find or craft (such as a blade that shocks yor foes with each cut), you gain XP and level up. With your level ups, you can buy different abilities. This game can be played with up to four players and contains a pretty decent number of side missions, among the possibility of exploration, although this never feels like a major part of the game. Chopping through zombies and other humans alike with ample blood and gore on display and crafting awesome weapons is a lot of fun but it doesn't quite earn an 8/20 because the story and characters are forgettable. Also, the gameplay could have been improved in a number of ways that I won't bother getting into. It's nothing truly remarkable but it's a fun gore fest with nice RPG elements.… Expand
  69. Sandweech
    Feb 6, 2015
    9
    As like most people, I was initially drawn to 'Dead Island' because of it's mind-grabbing cinematic teaser trailer. However, unlike most people, when the game was actually released I wasn't disappointed in the least. And that's mostly due to the fact that 'Dead Island' has one of the most gorgeous and engrossing atmosphere's that I have ever seen in a video game. There's just somethingAs like most people, I was initially drawn to 'Dead Island' because of it's mind-grabbing cinematic teaser trailer. However, unlike most people, when the game was actually released I wasn't disappointed in the least. And that's mostly due to the fact that 'Dead Island' has one of the most gorgeous and engrossing atmosphere's that I have ever seen in a video game. There's just something about a zombie infested paradise that really does it for me and I can't get enough of it. The island of Hanoi truly is a vast and comprehensive environment that is worth exploring over and over again.

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

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

    When it comes down to it, 'Dead Island' offers a gorgeous atmosphere, solid combat with a wide variety of weapons, tons off quests to get side-tracked with, a soundtrack that sets the tone perfectly, an acceptable storyline with acceptable characters, and an overall balanced XP system. Pick this one up if you're a fan of zombies, first person shooters, exotic island madness, and cheesy horror movies. And even if you're not a fan of any of those things, I mean, what's wrong with you? Not one of those things appeals to you? Are you sure you're okay? You haven't been...bitten...have you...!?!?!?!?!    … Expand
  70. AnnoyedatThis
    Jan 27, 2015
    1
    Zombie killing FPS OK in between the mind numbing looking droning along to the weak story and pathetically no zoned maps with poor support on release and very badly configured graphics for an established game engine. tolerable then came the QTE

    Quick time events are for developers who don't know how to.
  71. SiAScORCH
    Nov 4, 2014
    6
    This is a pretty fun game to play, but after you beat the game once it's seemingly pointless to play again. You can keep all your upgrades and such but it's just virtually the same thing over, which is expected but it was never all that fun from get go. I don't regret the time playing the game, or anything so I'm basically saying you should try the game, but don't set very high expectations.
  72. N1nja_Jesus
    Sep 28, 2014
    0
    This game has hardcoded aimassist on PC! How could anyone give it more that 0?!!
    I don't even want to mention other technical dificulities with this game....
  73. Llaerrick
    Sep 12, 2014
    6
    this was a good fun game especially with disciplined co-op play (playing with douchy-strangers on open mic can suck). it incorporates quite a few genres: zombie-survival fps (L4D-style) and ARPG loot/treasure hunting and crafting. the different characters/skill-sets make this game very viable for multiple playthroughs and the open-world concept with decent enough graphics make for athis was a good fun game especially with disciplined co-op play (playing with douchy-strangers on open mic can suck). it incorporates quite a few genres: zombie-survival fps (L4D-style) and ARPG loot/treasure hunting and crafting. the different characters/skill-sets make this game very viable for multiple playthroughs and the open-world concept with decent enough graphics make for a generally enjoyable experience.… Expand
  74. crackingclub
    Aug 13, 2014
    6
    Dead island is one of those games made to play with someone else ideally with a mic. How ever played by yourself or without a mic and you will find a sub-standard experience. During my solo play through i spent around 14 hours completing the story and and a hefty amount of side content. The side content falls on the flat side as many are the same repeated fetch quest formula the "go overDead island is one of those games made to play with someone else ideally with a mic. How ever played by yourself or without a mic and you will find a sub-standard experience. During my solo play through i spent around 14 hours completing the story and and a hefty amount of side content. The side content falls on the flat side as many are the same repeated fetch quest formula the "go over the and bring it back". The story fails to deliver the previously promised emotional story from the fantastic trailer as the characters are far from deep. Also the four main characters could of been borught down to two as Logan and Purna abilities don't vary much and the same goes for the other two. Despite all these negatives there are some positives as i said before played with friends is the only way to play as it gives us a gaming experience that rivals borderlands. The skill tree is the rpg element of the game and is a welcome addition to the tired zombie formula and lets you power up different zones such as a special attack and strength. Also there are no shortages of things to do even if most of them get repetitive completion to 100% would take a hefty amount of time. Also there are no shortages of places to visit from a rough urban area filled with gangs and zombies to a jungle and more the island is huge

    To summarize dead island is a fun game meant to be played with friends but playable by yourself    … Expand
  75. SQG_Slasher
    Jul 9, 2014
    7
    Sure, it has some bugs here and there, but this is only a minority of a well-rounded game. The story is a little boring at times, but the game compensates for this by allowing you to leave the story altogether and focus your sick mind on forging together weapons of much carnage. Not one of the best zombie games, but it is good.
  76. Zhero
    Jul 1, 2014
    1
    It started out okay, there was a story going on, but then it takes a sharp turn and crashes. Real early in the beginning main storyline quests tell you to go do some 'side' quests. Movement is sluggish, trying to strafe while moving makes you slow to a crawl. The weapons break way too fast. Random enemies that are far stronger than anything else around that without a ranged weaponIt started out okay, there was a story going on, but then it takes a sharp turn and crashes. Real early in the beginning main storyline quests tell you to go do some 'side' quests. Movement is sluggish, trying to strafe while moving makes you slow to a crawl. The weapons break way too fast. Random enemies that are far stronger than anything else around that without a ranged weapon leaves you running in circles. The mouse sensitivity defaults way too high and when you adjust it the mouse moves too slow when you enter the menu. There is very little point to have a level system in a game if you're going to just make everything scale with you. It's a low quality PC port.… Expand
  77. Viruzzz
    Jun 29, 2014
    5
    The game is fun for the first few hours, but the story gets very predictable very fast and progresses very slowly, the player characters aren't that interesting and the gameplay gets very stale very fast. There are a few effective ways to deal with zombies, and a lot of ineffective ways to do it, you end up doing the same for every situation.

    the graphics are pretty and the gameplay    The game is fun for the first few hours, but the story gets very predictable very fast and progresses very slowly, the player characters aren't that interesting and the gameplay gets very stale very fast. There are a few effective ways to deal with zombies, and a lot of ineffective ways to do it, you end up doing the same for every situation.

    the graphics are pretty and the gameplay flows pretty well if you look away from the repetition.

    Mediocre game, fun for a few hours, doesn't have much replay value.    … Expand
  78. Ecresis
    Jun 24, 2014
    8
    Dead Island might seem like another zombie game, but it's not. It's sunny outside, your character runs like an idiot, and that's what makes this game different.

    Once again, the added value comes from the mutliplayer experience, as you can get all together in car and break some zombie bones on the way. It's a bit buggy but it's not ruining the game at all The storyline is not the best    Dead Island might seem like another zombie game, but it's not. It's sunny outside, your character runs like an idiot, and that's what makes this game different.

    Once again, the added value comes from the mutliplayer experience, as you can get all together in car and break some zombie bones on the way. It's a bit buggy but it's not ruining the game at all

    The storyline is not the best one, but it's decent, and some parts of the world are really challenging. It's horror, rpg, action, range and melee. I love it !

    The weapon crafting is nice, even if you have to repair your weapons twice during the missions, but you can create pretty much everything and you find new weapons all the time to replace the old ones.

    Conclusion : Forget the bugs, forget the sensation of unfinished game, this is fun and you know it !    … Expand
  79. QuitBeingStupid
    Jun 20, 2014
    10
    Loved the game. Great graphics, gameplay, and storyline. The vehicle driving is well done as well.
    There is a long and short campaign that merge the stories at the endgame.
    The long campaign is the main storyline featuring one of 4 characters. Every level is detailed and lengthy, but not boring. Even the side quests (technically the grinders) move smoothly as the collection rate for    Loved the game. Great graphics, gameplay, and storyline. The vehicle driving is well done as well.
    There is a long and short campaign that merge the stories at the endgame.
    The long campaign is the main storyline featuring one of 4 characters. Every level is detailed and lengthy, but not boring. Even the side quests (technically the grinders) move smoothly as the collection rate for necessary items isn't high at all.
    The short campaign follows a law officer trying to find his wife, and eventually meeting up with the 4 survivors from the main storyline.
    The ending has a twist.
    One any difficulty the game is still challenging. Ammo, and carry space, are realistically done, and there is a surplus of good weapons to be found. I didn't want the game to end, but felt satiated and satisfied when it was finished.    … Expand
  80. HMG-MetaCritic
    Jun 9, 2014
    8
    Dead Island Is a mix between Borderlands and Left 4 Dead! The graphics are good despites the glitches that occurs often in the game! Also It is mostly made for Co-Op, If you play alone you will get to act 2 and also bored to death! Otherwise, play with 3 of your friends online and you will have a lot of fun! I recommend it for any fans of zombie games!
  81. SolesDN
    May 24, 2014
    8
    I would have given the game a higher score if it didnt have so many bugs still till this day. Love the game but the developers took too many shortcuts with the game and ruined it in certain areas. But i get which direction they wanted the game to head towards but just couldnt do so.

    Overall, its been 2.5 years and I still love the game.
  82. Infearno666
    Apr 5, 2014
    4
    It's an unfinished mess. Textures are dreadful, lighting is from 1998 and whoever signed of those menus has never used a computer before. That and the fact my character seems to be ice-skating make it all but unplayable.
  83. Jodeth
    Apr 2, 2014
    6
    Not as exciting as the trailer led me to believe. I like the open world, melee combat and beautiful lighting and water, but those were not enough to keep me hooked for more than 2 hours. There's a lot of map glitches and AI bugs. The story isn't very interesting... I thank The Walking Dead for spoiling me there lol. There's a lot of object pop-in and frame-stuttering even tho my fps is aNot as exciting as the trailer led me to believe. I like the open world, melee combat and beautiful lighting and water, but those were not enough to keep me hooked for more than 2 hours. There's a lot of map glitches and AI bugs. The story isn't very interesting... I thank The Walking Dead for spoiling me there lol. There's a lot of object pop-in and frame-stuttering even tho my fps is a solid 60. The brightness adjust screen is misleading. Bad support for surround sound headsets. I tried to enjoy the game multiple times, but I can't after a short period of time. It had high potential. I won't ever play it again, but I'll forever remember how satisfying it was to smack a zombie in the face with a boat paddle.… Expand
  84. yukichigai
    Mar 19, 2014
    9
    A fun zombie-killing experience that has the right blend of difficulty, horror, and whimsy. It's not the best game - tons of glitches for one - but it is hours and hours of fun, great solo or in multiplayer. There are shortcomings of course: the sections where firearms are required get a bit tedious, and firearms themselves seem pretty weak when stacked up against the ridiculous amountA fun zombie-killing experience that has the right blend of difficulty, horror, and whimsy. It's not the best game - tons of glitches for one - but it is hours and hours of fun, great solo or in multiplayer. There are shortcomings of course: the sections where firearms are required get a bit tedious, and firearms themselves seem pretty weak when stacked up against the ridiculous amount of melee weapons you can get your hands on. There's also a fair bit of dumb design decisions in there, like making Alcohol an item that can take up a weapon slot, or having higher level weapon modifications available before the lower level variants. Despite that, the melee combat is both fun and challenging. The game holds up decently well, though it loses a bit of its charm in the later levels when things veer away from the combination of beautiful scenery with horrifying zombies. Still, it's not like it stops being fun, it just loses a little bit of that humorous juxtaposition.

    All in all it's a great game, even moreso on the PC since it is HIGHLY moddable. Don't like some aspect of the game? There's probably a mod out there to change it.    … Expand
  85. Kvasi
    Mar 16, 2014
    6
    Read some review before I started playing that said it borrowed a lot from Fallout.
    Having played the game for a couple of days I can agree to some extent.
    The problem is that it doesn't improve on anything compared to Fallout. The open world, isn't that open. You get the "You are leaving the playable area" whenever you try to explore places. Your weapon needs repair all the time. Bugs    Read some review before I started playing that said it borrowed a lot from Fallout.
    Having played the game for a couple of days I can agree to some extent.
    The problem is that it doesn't improve on anything compared to Fallout.
    The open world, isn't that open. You get the "You are leaving the playable area" whenever you try to explore places. Your weapon needs repair all the time. Bugs and glitches even though I'm playing the final patch. Repetitive as hell. So far I've not encountered any enemy that's not a zombie, probably never will. Driving controls is probably the worst I've ever experienced.
    Still, there are some fun parts. The sunny beach environments is a nice alternative to most games gloomy caves.    … Expand
  86. Ilham
    Feb 12, 2014
    10
    Well,, The Graphic is Incredibly welldone and the Combat system with those zombies is thrilling I just loved it,, It is the best FPS Zombie horror genre game I ever played
  87. MLPChristian
    Jan 12, 2014
    9
    A pretty good game. It brought a new and exciting feel to the zombie slasher games we see today. Sure there were bugs here and there like the walk thru doors bug in the city. Over all i had fun
  88. randy_khoo
    Dec 30, 2013
    0
    I run a high end laptop that is capable of playing all the new titles in the market (Lenovo Y-410p).

    Dead Island just gives me a blank screen, and despite numerous attempts to correct this through forums, and support, this game has not been playable for me.

    I highly discourage you to purchase it, and encourage you to seek an alternative zombie game.
  89. Grismar
    Dec 20, 2013
    4
    This is not exactly a game with an open environment, as there is quite a bit of railroading going on. The voice acting is mediocre at best and the game looks and plays very much like a poor console port. There's all kinds of glitches, like sound fragments restarting over and over or sounding way too close. Or puddles reflecting like perfect mirrors until you get a feet closer and theThis is not exactly a game with an open environment, as there is quite a bit of railroading going on. The voice acting is mediocre at best and the game looks and plays very much like a poor console port. There's all kinds of glitches, like sound fragments restarting over and over or sounding way too close. Or puddles reflecting like perfect mirrors until you get a feet closer and the reflection disappears. The controls are stiff and feel like something from a decade back.

    The setting is not bad, but hardly original. Far Cry with Zombies pretty much sums it up. Except that Far Cry is a better game for its execution and mechanics. If you absolutely must have zombies in your game and you like it to be set in a tropical paradise, Dead Island might be your thing.

    The crafting is a nice idea, but a few dozen bland adjective to distinguish item quality, a workbench that accepts dollars to upgrade items, only allowing 7 slots for weapons but dragging around a truckload of junk to upgrade them with, etc. All of this makes it feel very poorly thought through. Fallout, Tomb Raider, Far Cry, they all did a better job of it. Sure, there's a lot of variety in naming and simple looks, but in the end it's still a wrench with a damage number that gets a bit higher.

    Healing is similarly silly you have to ingest insane amounts of snacks, fruit and energy drinks to deal with the mutilation inflicted on you by the zombies and every single one forces you to sit through a boring animation with annoying sound effects. As a game mechanic it's no fun and the realism is on the level of Serious Sam; but unlike Serious Sam, it takes itself too seriously and can't decide between zany and serious. It ends up picking the worst of both worlds.

    Dead Island reminded me a lot of Hellgate London and that's not a good thing. Who cares about game mechanics? Me, a gamer. There's plenty of titles out there that are more fun, have better zombies, better guns, better crafting, prettier islands and certainly more in the way of plot and voice acting. Unless you can get it for a few dollars on a crazy sale, I recommend against it. I paid 5 dollars, but I should have waited until it was 2,50.    … Expand
  90. busbfran
    Dec 2, 2013
    8
    Massive, Fun, and laughable characters is what Dead Island consist of. When I say massive I mean 40 hours plus massive. There are hundreds of side missions, many locations to find and exclusions notes which actually make for a better story compared to what the game attempts to portray. The Graphics are impressive and Banoi is a related destination for paradise holidaying. Basically theMassive, Fun, and laughable characters is what Dead Island consist of. When I say massive I mean 40 hours plus massive. There are hundreds of side missions, many locations to find and exclusions notes which actually make for a better story compared to what the game attempts to portray. The Graphics are impressive and Banoi is a related destination for paradise holidaying. Basically the game is about four main characters who have mutated an immunity which has given them the privilege to do 1000 fetch quests for pretty much everyone. The aim of the game is to get off this Island of hell and discover what actually is going on.… Expand
  91. ExtremeIroning
    Nov 30, 2013
    4
    I SO wanted to like this, I really did. It's a beautiful looking game with some fun gameplay to be had. It is however, ruined by a nonsensical, cliché ridden and disjointed story that is less half baked than completely uncooked, with voice acting that, while never awful is never truly convincing, either. There is also no sense of character development, with each cutscene (which barely evenI SO wanted to like this, I really did. It's a beautiful looking game with some fun gameplay to be had. It is however, ruined by a nonsensical, cliché ridden and disjointed story that is less half baked than completely uncooked, with voice acting that, while never awful is never truly convincing, either. There is also no sense of character development, with each cutscene (which barely even appear until the halfway point) showing the characters, both playable and no randomly changing their personality with no real explanation as to how or why, even within said scenes. The facial animations are at best laughable, while I did notice the zombies seemed to display a convincing look of rage, the characters the player interacts with always seem to look blank, even if they're supposed to be terrified for their lives. The combat AI for humans is also hilariously bad, with enemies directly in front of the player seemingly shooting right past them. The item break mechanic also seemed to make no sense, with the player going and seemingly paying a workbench to repair a weapon with cash, which given the large variety of items the player seems to run across makes it seem like a really lazy solution to an unnecessary feature. The combat was fun enough, although with zombies and specials pretty much spawning in the exact same place not minutes after the player cleared it out made it repetitive and quite frankly tedious.
    The item loot mechanic, which not only looks lifted from Borderlands was highly unsatisfying. I think this game had a lot of ambition, with some excellent ideas, a solid concept and a beautiful world but it was ruined by poor execution in many aspects of the game. It could have been something special but will probably be confined to the depths of mediocrity like so many other potentially great games. Still, it was better than Walking Dead: Survival Instinct.    … Expand
  92. kenaedawna
    Nov 29, 2013
    10
    I loved this game, and have played it and completed the game with all four characters. It is so confusing to me when I see a few bad reviews about this game, because I completely disagree. For me, I like the first-person view, the multiple weapons you can use and craft, the beautiful gameplay environment, and also when you search backpacks for money and other materials. That's always fun.I loved this game, and have played it and completed the game with all four characters. It is so confusing to me when I see a few bad reviews about this game, because I completely disagree. For me, I like the first-person view, the multiple weapons you can use and craft, the beautiful gameplay environment, and also when you search backpacks for money and other materials. That's always fun. I like how each character have their own separate personalities, and say witty things. Playing online is also fun, because sometimes you will meet people you don't even know, and join in their game, and help each other in hard missions.... First time I played this game, I was so freaked out. I got so consumed with the game, that's all I was ever doing, playing it, especially the City of Moresby. But learning your character's signature moves, and how to level up, which gets you more upgrades. Try it, it's the best game, to me, I ever played.… Expand
  93. RosmaroMorsa
    Nov 28, 2013
    5
    Dead Island could have been a brilliant game, the gameplay is as smooth as you make it and the multiplayer is great if you have friends to play it with. The positive parts of the game are, unfortunately somewhat equal to the negative aspects. The adventure mechanic works well, with free roaming and having a level on the enemies, means you can grind up your level, or just kill for fun.
    The    Dead Island could have been a brilliant game, the gameplay is as smooth as you make it and the multiplayer is great if you have friends to play it with. The positive parts of the game are, unfortunately somewhat equal to the negative aspects. The adventure mechanic works well, with free roaming and having a level on the enemies, means you can grind up your level, or just kill for fun.
    The most unfortunate thing in the game is the story, it feels like the writers just took a day off or something, and never finished it. This really shows in the last few levels, and final boss fight.
    A big negative for me, being an Australian myself, was the truly appalling and i'd even say racist American mockery of the way we speak. American voice actors play all the Australian characters, and only speak in the stereotypical way people see us.
    Regardless, get this game cheap, if you want intense multiplayer but don't care about story.    … Expand
  94. Wukashi
    Nov 25, 2013
    8
    I found this game to be suprisingly excellent. Of course it does have its flaws and hicups, but they are extremely forgivable. I spent over 40 hours in this game, doing all the side quests, scavenging and doing the main story line, so it really gets a two thumbs up at that part. The coop is extremely fun, however the person´s animations that you play with seems kinda clunky, and also theI found this game to be suprisingly excellent. Of course it does have its flaws and hicups, but they are extremely forgivable. I spent over 40 hours in this game, doing all the side quests, scavenging and doing the main story line, so it really gets a two thumbs up at that part. The coop is extremely fun, however the person´s animations that you play with seems kinda clunky, and also the voice acting and overall acting of some characters is kinda derpy. Killing zombies is extremely satisfying and fun! One point i dont get is why everyone is complaining about performance issues, when i played it i had a phenom II 955 X4 and a hd 6870 and reached 60 fps static all the time with a tweaked ini file that pushed the overall pretty graphics/fov further then the normal. In the end i really like this game and it gets a super solid 8/10! Cheers… Expand
  95. markwhitton
    Nov 20, 2013
    4
    The truth is, I really wanted to like Dead Island but unfortunately it’s just not what I expected… The constant barrage of boring collection missions, an absolutely awful FOV which makes me feel sick after around half an hour playing, a weapon crafting/upgrading system which truly boggles my mind (I hate RPG/Strategy-esque things) and a really rather unattractive game in general (maybeThe truth is, I really wanted to like Dead Island but unfortunately it’s just not what I expected… The constant barrage of boring collection missions, an absolutely awful FOV which makes me feel sick after around half an hour playing, a weapon crafting/upgrading system which truly boggles my mind (I hate RPG/Strategy-esque things) and a really rather unattractive game in general (maybe it’s just the port)! I just couldn't find much too like about Dead Island, even killing zombies just wasn't that satisfying (it felt very repetitive) despite the sheer volume of weapons… I also didn't really understand the focus on money in the title; why should we be concerned about money in a zombie invasion; that's just contrived… Overall, I just found it a rather flawed and boring game!… Expand
  96. MrAlcatraz
    Nov 18, 2013
    7
    This game is hard to review, I love it but I have to review it in a unbiased way, even though I have put 150 hours into it. You can play as four different characters, Sam B., Logan, Purna, or Xian. All play pretty much the same but with little changes in rage mode and the skill tree. They are each equipped with a back story and their own expertisim (Such as Purna is the gun expert). TheThis game is hard to review, I love it but I have to review it in a unbiased way, even though I have put 150 hours into it. You can play as four different characters, Sam B., Logan, Purna, or Xian. All play pretty much the same but with little changes in rage mode and the skill tree. They are each equipped with a back story and their own expertisim (Such as Purna is the gun expert). The story is very poor, you are on an island with zombies trying to get off. There is multiplayer, and it is fun. The graphics are very nice, and the lighting is well done. The combat is okay, with randomly generated weapons. These weapons can be fun to use, but you got to repair them.... With money? That is dumb; Guns are scares and so is ammo. The voice acting is okay, but nothing to praise. But the best part of this game? Is just killing stuff. Scratch the part were is said "The combat is okay" it is awesome! You can chop of individual limbs, throw weapons, go into a rage, shoot stuff, loot stuff. On the note of looting stuff that is the main thing of the game, looting. You can find items through out the game with RPG stats, which you can upgrade, and you use them or sell them to get better stuff. STUFF stuff stuff stuff. You can pick up miscellaneous items (That don't use inventory space) and use them to upgrade weapons, and to sell/use for quests. This game is okay and I can't say much more about it. But it is strange, I love this game!… Expand
  97. Arkan01d
    Nov 14, 2013
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The graphics are really nice. The way you finish off zombies is awesome for the first hour or two. For me, Dead Island was only playable when I had friends who I could quest with.

    There isn't a sense of danger or dread that you really should feel in a zombie game. It's more action and gore than surviving. That's what really ruined the game for me. With zombie games I really want to feel like every encounter could be my last. I want to feel a sick tingling in my stomach every time I open a door or walk into an open area. Had Dead Island been about Aliens then the action would have been welcomed and understood, but the idea of you can't get infected so you have to save the survivors is a weak plot choice and a worthless use of enemies that could have been something much more.

    Then there is the quests. A needless addition to this game. Why insert a mechanic into a game that hinders immersion and story? The quests are boring and will have you traversing the same places back and forth. Go here, get this and come back. Now go a bit further than the last time and get this and come back. Now go past the way you came and get this and come back. They've taken a mechanic that works great in MMO's and forced it into a pseudo-zombie action killathon.

    All that being said, this is still a decent game. If you have a few friends who are willing to whittle a weekend away then I think you will find a certain enjoyment here. If, however, you want a genuine game that forces you to constantly learn and adapt then try something else.    … Expand
  98. Soplex
    Nov 3, 2013
    6
    This game is really only fun with friends. With someone there, the many bugs and glitches are pretty funny. But when playing alone, you find yourself muttering "the trailer promised something better..."
    The combat is bad. You see a zombie. You kick it in the leg and hit it with a baseball bat.
    The leveling system is pointless. Why level up if the enemies level up with you? But among the    This game is really only fun with friends. With someone there, the many bugs and glitches are pretty funny. But when playing alone, you find yourself muttering "the trailer promised something better..."
    The combat is bad. You see a zombie. You kick it in the leg and hit it with a baseball bat.
    The leveling system is pointless. Why level up if the enemies level up with you?
    But among the stupidity, if you just forget about the game's pricetag and what the trailer promised, Driving around is really fun.    … Expand
  99. keefbaker
    Oct 27, 2013
    9
    I adore Dead Island, It might be a little on the clunky side but basically what you have here is a Bethesda style game which has optional multiplayer where you beat the crap out of zombies with baseball bats that have nails in...
  100. Banhammer0
    Oct 4, 2013
    6
    Just a short review:
    I played this one solo, I imagine it would be more fun with friends. The game feels very much like Borderlands, which is a good thing, it takes away from the immersion but in return improves the overall fun. Level designs are beautiful and creepy, you have a paradise tropical island turned into a hell on earth with the zombie infection. The gore level in this game is    Just a short review:
    I played this one solo, I imagine it would be more fun with friends. The game feels very much like Borderlands, which is a good thing, it takes away from the immersion but in return improves the overall fun. Level designs are beautiful and creepy, you have a paradise tropical island turned into a hell on earth with the zombie infection. The gore level in this game is one of the highest I have seen so far, if you like gore you will love it (I'm indifferent about it, but it really fits in Dead Island).
    During the game you level up and unlock skills very much like in Borderlands. You finish quests for NPC you met in-game, which often feel very stupid, for example bringing some guy 30 bottles of vodka, or bringing some girl a teddy bear she lost (this is an apocalypse, what's up with those people?). Those silly quests continue through the entire game, making it feel tedious and repetetive. The main plot is there, but it's just a background for all the combat you do. NPCs you meet also feel very lackluster, you will treat them only as quest-giving machines and nothing more. Devs tried hard to reproduce Borderlands feel in this, but they only partially succeeded, most dialogues are boring and full of crappy humor, not brilliant and funny like in Borderlands. I hate the main characters, I don't understand why each one of them has to be so unlikable...you have a black raper, a guy who acts like a total jerk and looks like a drug dealer, a hateful Australian chick who is just so full of venom you can't like her and a Japanese chick that's just meh but still unlikable.
    Overall this is a great game to gather with your friends (up to 3) and have some laughs, but solo it can be dull and boring. I'd give it a 6.5/10 but I can't because Metacritic won't let me.
    It's cheap enough to grab if you have friends to play with, otherwise avoid.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 24 Critic Reviews

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