Dead Island

 PlayStation 3
User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 464 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 224 out of 464
  2. Mixed: 154 out of 464
  3. Negative: 86 out of 464
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  1. jbully95
    Oct 8, 2012
    6
    I remember watching the trailer for this game and thinking that it was the zombie game we were all hoping for. When i first got the game it turned out very different then what i thought it was going to be. I was hoping for a thrilling game which made you feel like you were actually surviving in an island overrun by zombies. Instead we got another hack and slash zombie game with noI remember watching the trailer for this game and thinking that it was the zombie game we were all hoping for. When i first got the game it turned out very different then what i thought it was going to be. I was hoping for a thrilling game which made you feel like you were actually surviving in an island overrun by zombies. Instead we got another hack and slash zombie game with no storyline and characters that are completely hollowed out and have no sense of depth. However I do recommend this game if you're a gamer who just likes to kill things and doesn't get tired of doing the same boring side quests over and over again. I'm not saying it's a bad game it's just that it could of been so much better if they had focused a bit more on the effects that it would have had on the characters trying to survive through this zombie infestation.… Expand
  2. JPG127
    Jan 25, 2013
    6
    This wasn't a bad game. But it was repetitive in the wrong way. The leveling mechanic did nothing to help and the story was meh. Good graphics and sound effects though. Liked moding melee weapons for extra damage and effects. The varying environments were good. Size was good. But mostly felt like one giant fetch quest. Melee weapons felt fragile though and ammo was scarce. In the badThis wasn't a bad game. But it was repetitive in the wrong way. The leveling mechanic did nothing to help and the story was meh. Good graphics and sound effects though. Liked moding melee weapons for extra damage and effects. The varying environments were good. Size was good. But mostly felt like one giant fetch quest. Melee weapons felt fragile though and ammo was scarce. In the bad (Resident Evil 1) way.… Expand
  3. fijiboy
    May 1, 2014
    6
    was this game good? yes. but it was also very disappointing. the trailer for this game had people expecting game of the year material, but the end result turned out to be somewhat mediocre. the RPG elements are far to simple and the missions are uninteresting. combat is really fun and has great graphics and blood effects and what not, but the guns in the game feel cluncky. the Island iswas this game good? yes. but it was also very disappointing. the trailer for this game had people expecting game of the year material, but the end result turned out to be somewhat mediocre. the RPG elements are far to simple and the missions are uninteresting. combat is really fun and has great graphics and blood effects and what not, but the guns in the game feel cluncky. the Island is beautiful, but there is nothing about the map that really stands out, but its a better open world then some games I've seen like prototype. there is not much to the story, but its a zombie game so the story isn't as much as a concern. overall, a game that was suppose to be awesome and revolutionary, came off ok, and just redressed things that we have already seen before.… Expand
  4. BebopMan
    Oct 16, 2014
    6
    If there's one thing a zombie game should do is get the zombie slaying to be fun, and Dead Island gets that part right. Say what you will about first-person melee combat, but I found this game's take to be pretty satisfying. Blows have to be dealt with timely precision and depending on what kind of weapon you're using, you can maim or cripple zombies. Swinging your weapon consumes staminaIf there's one thing a zombie game should do is get the zombie slaying to be fun, and Dead Island gets that part right. Say what you will about first-person melee combat, but I found this game's take to be pretty satisfying. Blows have to be dealt with timely precision and depending on what kind of weapon you're using, you can maim or cripple zombies. Swinging your weapon consumes stamina (as does running), so combat requires a certain level of discipline ala Demon's Souls: it's all about timing attacks and dodges, all the while keeping an eye out for crowd control. A situation can go FUBAR any minute.

    Unfortunately the game itself goes FUBAR on just about every other conceivable level, and not in a fun way. I don't recall playing a game this glitchy in years. You may load your game and find certain weapons missing from your inventory. Sometimes you'll upgrade your weapon, then mod it with a special blueprint, and upon exiting the workbench the item will have completely vanished (along with your money). And beware of ranged attacks: if you die before picking the weapon you threw, it's gone forever. This is frustrating since the game puts so much emphasis on DIY crafting and weapons' specializing. It's also particularly frustrating if you're playing as Logan, he of the throwable weapon class.

    A weapon suddenly going MIA due to a glitch, or simply poor design, dents the game in ways that are never really amended - as does the poor AI. Sometimes enemies won't react near you. Sometimes they'll pick your scent from miles away. A gunshot may or may not alert zombies of your presence. It's all rather inconsistent. And the friendly AI is no better, what with a couple of egregious escort missions stringed along the way. Good luck getting an NPC into a car with you. And good luck steering that awful thing too. None of this is game-breaking but it hampers the experience considerably.

    I mentioned a gunshot. Act II of IV throws guns into the game, but don't get too excited about it. I've shot something like 5 bullets into a zombie's head and still it wouldn't die (undie?). Guns are ridiculously weak against the undead, and are best used against other human beings, or the abominable Infected (a "28 Days Later" type of zombie). Speaking of which, zombie types are done pretty well - from the mundane Walkers and Infected, to the Left 4 Dead kind of super-zombies like Suiciders, Rams and Butchers.

    About the characters - you get 4 classes, mostly held apart by their unique special attack ("Fury") and a few abilities down their skill trees. It's a pretty standard-issue RPG mechanic, lifted straight off Borderlands. Sadly there's no couch co-op like Borderlands, though online multiplayer is a lot of fun (if, ugh, a little glitchy, going by that one quest giver who simply refused to reward my efforts until I reloaded the game). Quests tend to be of the fetch kind, though the missions that bookend every act are generally pretty intense.

    So that's Dead Island for you. I like falling back on it every now and then, it's fun to chop up zombies and explore the island (or at least Act I's sparkling luxury resort). But man is this game infuriatingly buggy.    … Expand
  5. FromGoon2Goon
    Feb 3, 2016
    6
    Now I didn't do research when I try to play this. I just sold my 360 for a PS3 and one exclusive game I started to miss was Left 4 Dead. Dead Island I thought will be a copycat and good game, so my first play through was a turn off. Years later I pick up a Game of the Year I was still turned off. Lately after skipping Dying Light I went back to it with help from my girlfriend, and finallyNow I didn't do research when I try to play this. I just sold my 360 for a PS3 and one exclusive game I started to miss was Left 4 Dead. Dead Island I thought will be a copycat and good game, so my first play through was a turn off. Years later I pick up a Game of the Year I was still turned off. Lately after skipping Dying Light I went back to it with help from my girlfriend, and finally played from start to finish of Dead Island. The characters are boring, but at the same time went to play to the next cut scene to see how cheesy it can be like any other zombie games. Gameplay is average with nothing but melee such as Condemned. Guns come along later but feel just as off like Condemned. The sound effects and music is the juicy meat of the game, but at the end of the day it's another zombie game. So only those who are tired tired to the zombies villain will actually like this game. I didn't mind finishing the game, but I strongly recommend playing with a friend other than alone. Making your own story with someone else is way better to gain a good time from Dead Island.… Expand
  6. XxJoseManuelxX
    Oct 22, 2016
    6
    Dead Island is a open world survival horror action role-playing video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver.

    + Online Coop
    + Addictive
    - Cutscenes and Poor Animation
    - Bugs (Textures, Edges)
    - Bad Story and Characters
  7. Schism78
    Jul 24, 2018
    6
    I have to say that I really like the level design of this game, the atmosphere and its Rpg system. But I feel that it was a waste of potential. It can get boring quickly.
    It is enjoyable, but only to play it once.
  8. JoseManuel10_
    Jan 28, 2023
    6
    Dead Island is a open world survival horror action role-playing video game developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver.

    + Online Coop
    + Addictive
    - Respawning Zombies is NOT FUN!!!
    - Cutscenes and Poor Animation
    - Bugs (Textures, Edges)
    - Bad Story and Characters
    - Boring Sides Quest
  9. Yojimbo2015
    Jun 26, 2023
    6
    The Elder Scrolls meets Resident Evil in this sandbox RPG set during a zombie apocalypse on a tropical island. It's a well engineered game with plenty to do, but like a lot of games of this type there's little more to it than blowing away zombies and looting the environment for useful items. The narrative thread running through it isn't really strong enough and the copious number of sideThe Elder Scrolls meets Resident Evil in this sandbox RPG set during a zombie apocalypse on a tropical island. It's a well engineered game with plenty to do, but like a lot of games of this type there's little more to it than blowing away zombies and looting the environment for useful items. The narrative thread running through it isn't really strong enough and the copious number of side missions can often fall by the wayside by sheer weight of numbers. It also has the deeply irritating "respawn when you die" formula which means that when you meet a particularly tough enemy or get low on ammo you just have to keep getting killed, trudge your way back from the respawn point and get killed again over and over, until you beat them through sheer attrition which can get pretty tedious.… Expand
  10. Mrmoobs
    Sep 23, 2011
    5
    Brought this after playing it round a friends house for a few hours... really wish I hadnt have bothered though. Combat is awful, you level up but dont feel any stronger, the death and wait for respawn is annoying .. overall not the game I wanted it to be :(
  11. Justinavery7074
    Aug 23, 2013
    5
    I'll give you this, the atmosphere was well done, the graphics were great. But that's all I can say was good. The gameplay was tedious and repetitive, it glitches and had bugs all over the damn thing. The facial expressions were so bland and ineffective. The mission structures were just half-assed at best. Maybe if I played it stoned, it'd be great.
  12. toysjoe
    Oct 18, 2011
    5
    Let's review Dead Island and we'll start with the good.
    1. The environments are distinct and look relatively good. Each environment is very detailed.
    2. There are tons of quests. You always have something to do. Now let's go into the not so good. 1. Typical RPGs let you increase your character's power, so that it's easier to defeat regular enemies, not so in Dead Island. Zombies level up    Let's review Dead Island and we'll start with the good.
    1. The environments are distinct and look relatively good. Each environment is very detailed.
    2. There are tons of quests. You always have something to do.

    Now let's go into the not so good.
    1. Typical RPGs let you increase your character's power, so that it's easier to defeat regular enemies, not so in Dead Island. Zombies level up WITH you. There is absolutely NO reason to level up. The higher your level, the harder the game. What the developers should have done was make regular zombies a lot weaker than you, and special zombies equal or stronger. Levelling all enemies with you is just stupid.

    2. The game focuses on melee weapons, and they SUCK. They have no reach. You'd think if you were flailing a sledgehammer in front of you, that would give you some space between you and zombies. Not the case, using a weapon gets you about the same reach as using your bare fists.

    3. Zombie spawning is quite bad. Zombies pop out of thin air. If you ever find the secret enemy who kills you in LITERALLY one hit, takes drastically reduced damage (Sam B's instant kill stomp takes off about 5% of his health, not exaggerating), he spawns infinitely. As soon as you kill him, he instantly respawns nearby. He also runs faster than a car so you can't escape from him. There is a part later in the game where the only zombies that spawn are Infected, which are faster moving, faster attacking, but low health zombies, and speaking of infected....

    4. Infected. Who thought these were a good idea? If you get attacked by more than three of these guys, you might as well just load from the nearest checkpoint. Their fast attacks mean your attacks are constantly getting interrupted. And when you're surrounded by attacks and can only kick, well you're screwed.

    5. Voice acting hasn't been this bad since "You were almost a Jill Sandwich".

    In short, this game is seriously flawed. The concept is very good, however, its execution is pretty bad. This game could have, and should have been a lot better.    … Expand
  13. metalaries
    Feb 8, 2012
    5
    at first I was very excited about playing this game as it was something completely different in the zombie game genre. as I played it, I noticed an amazing amount of stupid SHAP that makes you just go....WHAT , THE, F?? why would a woman in a bikini have money on her, as in where the hECK would she put it, up her hoohoo?? why are there tool boxes in the restrooms? why does the game, whenat first I was very excited about playing this game as it was something completely different in the zombie game genre. as I played it, I noticed an amazing amount of stupid SHAP that makes you just go....WHAT , THE, F?? why would a woman in a bikini have money on her, as in where the hECK would she put it, up her hoohoo?? why are there tool boxes in the restrooms? why does the game, when you respawn, have those crazy as hECK "infected" zombies run at you in packs of FOUR?? why are there quests like the one where a woman needs water, and she constantly needs it, I gave her 5 bottles of water, by the time I was done she could have taken a FRAKKIN BATH with the amount I gave her, and then there's the dude that wants food. these are what they called "continuous quests"...wow. who is the genius that used "energy drinks" for health in this game? how many times can i go up to luggage in the game, go off to another area of the island, go back to that same exact area and stuff is back in them again??? how bad is the collision detection that zombies swinging next to each other aren't hitting the other zombie??? and those DANG annoying "thugs" zombies...oh SNAP man, don't even get me started. buggy as all crud, choppy, the facial animations are from 10 years ago, and how many times do I need to hear the F word when people are talking to me? one character said it more than half a dozen times....IN ONE SENTENCE!!! well, maybe not but she said it 5 times, okay. I'm not even going to waste my time trying to beat this game, I did a **** of time in this piece of **** excuse for a ZOMBIE game and I'm not gonna bother with it anymore. I'm tired of cussing, and I have....alot...RENTAL ONLY PEOPLE, SERIOUSLY!!!… Expand
  14. KillerToad
    Sep 1, 2012
    5
    I rarely write reviews on here but felt like I had to this time, because it really bugs me how this game had a Game of The Year edition released, making me finally buy it due to some interest in the title. People seemed pretty fond of it and there's the new Riptide coming. But when I finally started the game all I saw was constant framedrops and poor controls. The sound fades out almostI rarely write reviews on here but felt like I had to this time, because it really bugs me how this game had a Game of The Year edition released, making me finally buy it due to some interest in the title. People seemed pretty fond of it and there's the new Riptide coming. But when I finally started the game all I saw was constant framedrops and poor controls. The sound fades out almost every time I encounter new zombies or do something. I'm sure this can be pretty fun and intriguing on a Pc with decent hardware but a console release with a GOTY labeled on it should not play like something that was ported without any polish or patches. The game can't even be installed on the HDD so loadtimes are also long and plenty.

    I must say that I regret buying this game and that is because the execution makes it a pain to even give it a chance to prove itself. I'm just thrown into the game world, told to follow some linear route (as Ryder) and all the above mentioned bugs come straight at me. No tutorial told me what to do, either, so I had to die a couple of times before figuring out tactics on my own too.

    I have to say that this is so far a very big disappointment because the game is almost unplayable on the PS3, on which it should have been optimized to run since the hardware is unchangable opposite the options of my Pc. Game of The Year apparently means something else than I thought it did :(    … Expand
  15. marcoaaj
    Nov 27, 2011
    5
    The trailer is much better than the game. The idea is cool, the graphics are nice but this game has a lot of weak points.
    First of is the game saving system and/or checkpoints. It is useless and badly implemented.
    The game is quite repetitive. I hate games that you kill some one (a zombie in this case) and if you walk 100 meter and come back, the same zombie will be there. That's crap. The    The trailer is much better than the game. The idea is cool, the graphics are nice but this game has a lot of weak points.
    First of is the game saving system and/or checkpoints. It is useless and badly implemented.
    The game is quite repetitive. I hate games that you kill some one (a zombie in this case) and if you walk 100 meter and come back, the same zombie will be there. That's crap.
    The interactivity with the scenario is awful too. Just go for a drive at the beach and get stuck in a picnic basket. It is frustrating!
    I'll probably try to finish this game because I'm stubborn but I'd not recommend it.    … Expand
  16. JohnDenver
    Sep 15, 2011
    5
    Too long, too repetitive and too buggy. Hard to even compare this to anything else. It doesn't stand up against the good FPS games. It doesn't even compare to the good open world games. Its story is just boring and prolonged. After you get over the excitement of kicking zombies and stomping their heads in, you will be bored out of your mind. That boredom eventually will turn into anger atToo long, too repetitive and too buggy. Hard to even compare this to anything else. It doesn't stand up against the good FPS games. It doesn't even compare to the good open world games. Its story is just boring and prolonged. After you get over the excitement of kicking zombies and stomping their heads in, you will be bored out of your mind. That boredom eventually will turn into anger at the absurd amount of bugs. A tank truck can't even ram a burned out car off the road -- amazingly bad physics and graphics.… Expand
  17. the_blueprint
    Dec 17, 2013
    5
    The game looks bad. The gameplay is very very repetitive. The world isn't very big.
    The co-op online isn't bad though and the skill tree works well too, although it's still too limited.
  18. eljayson
    Mar 6, 2012
    5
    I went full throttle to buy the game after the awesome trailer. I was STUPID.
    This may be the worst game I have played in the past 3 years. It completely lacks story, background and any narrative whatsoever. It is as bad as it gets: No customization for characters, outdated graphics, poor combat system, no idea what is happening at any time. I head everywhere it was Fallout 3 with Zombies    I went full throttle to buy the game after the awesome trailer. I was STUPID.
    This may be the worst game I have played in the past 3 years. It completely lacks story, background and any narrative whatsoever. It is as bad as it gets: No customization for characters, outdated graphics, poor combat system, no idea what is happening at any time. I head everywhere it was Fallout 3 with Zombies and was very excited about it. I WAS WAY OFF, how dare make such a comparison. If you can, stay away from it. It is not even worth the rental money. I would rather go on a second playthrough of any other game rather than try this awful game again. Moral of the story, Trailers are VERY deceiving.    … Expand
  19. dhinton
    Mar 16, 2012
    5
    I REALLY wanted to love this game. And, at first, I did. But it got old fast. The combat is just SO repetitive, even with the upgradable and customizable weapons. Once you've been playing for an hour and a half you've basically seen 95% of what there is to see in regards to combat. Also, the story and cut scenes are... weak, to put it nicely. I was pretty much over Dead IslandI REALLY wanted to love this game. And, at first, I did. But it got old fast. The combat is just SO repetitive, even with the upgradable and customizable weapons. Once you've been playing for an hour and a half you've basically seen 95% of what there is to see in regards to combat. Also, the story and cut scenes are... weak, to put it nicely. I was pretty much over Dead Island half-way through the campaign but I forced myself to finish it. And it was a CHORE to finish, especially the last quarter of the game.… Expand
  20. GamePlayer00
    Mar 7, 2012
    5
    This is a review after the latest patch came out (1.04 version I believe). I never played the game before the new patch came out so I don't know about all the glitches that they had before the patch came out. Graphics/Audio: The game graphics are very very poor, I believe its on par with PS2 graphics. With many of the characters lacking in details and it still takes a few minutes for eachThis is a review after the latest patch came out (1.04 version I believe). I never played the game before the new patch came out so I don't know about all the glitches that they had before the patch came out. Graphics/Audio: The game graphics are very very poor, I believe its on par with PS2 graphics. With many of the characters lacking in details and it still takes a few minutes for each character to load their details properly. I guess that's what you call frame rate issues. The enviornment and character are very ugly and lazy. The sound is decent. The roars of zombies are terrifying but the voice acting is pretty bad. It's not the worst voice acting I heard but it's still pretty bad. The way the character speaks doesn't match the facial expression of the characters. Some of them the lip synch is off. Some cutscenes are ment to be emotional but it just falls flat. Gameplay/Controls: You get to control 4 different characters with a higher stat in one ability (which I don't think it makes a difference). The game is extremely repetitive. Yes this is a zombie game and of course you would be killing zombies but the way you kill the zombies are repetitive. It is fun for about the first ten or so zombies to kill but than you realized this is basically the way you're going to have to kill all zombies this way for the rest of the game. You have to get a blunt object (shovel, stick, hammer etc.) and swing and the zombies for about 75% of the story line. You only get a little amount of guns very late in the levels and they are not as effective as blunt objects. You can upgrade the guns and blunt object but the guns upgrades don't show that much of an improvement. The blunt objects are however more effective with upgrades. The game is basically getting from point A to B from different character missions and there is about maybe 5-6 different type of missions that you will be doing through out the whole game. I guess this game is a little more fun with more players because you and your friends can screw around and handle enemies more easily I would say. But for a single player campaign it's not worth it. The camera angle is first person view and its annoying since you have swing a zombie at first person view, it would have made more sense to be a third person view or at least give us the option to switch. The map in this game is pretty big and sometimes require you to take cars to travel from place to place.

    Storyline: I won't spoil the storyline for anyone who is going to play this game but be warned that it is predicitable. Even the last boss is predicitable and ridicilous from how he became the last boss. Nothing new or special about this storyline.

    Enemies: There are a few types of zombies that you will face. It's enough I would say for a regular zombie game but would have like to seem some more. Also some of the more bigger type of enemies (brutes) are very annoying because you can't knock them down easily and one hit from them you go flying backwards.

    Overall: The controls are awkard. The graphics and visuals just a failure or a lot of levels. Sometimes the difficulty of the enemies are annoying. I believe you should just save your money and put into a different game. I would not recommend anyone this game.    … Expand
  21. savagejoe444
    May 29, 2013
    5
    Iv'e played several zombie games in the past and this one is the weakest. The 4-player online co-op is fun, but it just feels like a L4D knock off, a bad one. The zombies A.I. is slow, stupid and almost seem to cheat a lot, the game's buggy as h**l, and the upgrade system is completely pointless 'cause your weapons are going to break all the time anyway. So, I'd recommend L4D and otherIv'e played several zombie games in the past and this one is the weakest. The 4-player online co-op is fun, but it just feels like a L4D knock off, a bad one. The zombies A.I. is slow, stupid and almost seem to cheat a lot, the game's buggy as h**l, and the upgrade system is completely pointless 'cause your weapons are going to break all the time anyway. So, I'd recommend L4D and other zombie games over this.… Expand
  22. aaronobrien
    Jul 3, 2013
    5
    Dead Island is a pile of wasted potential. The games lack of a decent narrative is forgivable, even after the brilliant trailer that was looking to promise a brilliant story in the game, but it's still a minor annoyance. My first few hours with the game were fine, but then I realised that the game was only going to consist of scavenging quests and other things of the like, and it gotDead Island is a pile of wasted potential. The games lack of a decent narrative is forgivable, even after the brilliant trailer that was looking to promise a brilliant story in the game, but it's still a minor annoyance. My first few hours with the game were fine, but then I realised that the game was only going to consist of scavenging quests and other things of the like, and it got really damn tedious, and the lack of variety in the gameplay is disappointing, but it can be satisfying at times. The game looks a bit lackluster, textures up close can be really bad, but water effects and zombies look great, which I would expect from a game of this type. Environments can look nice from a distance though. Another thing that's disappointing about the game is its lack of dread and terror throughout, it's just not scary at all. Boss Battles are also very frustrating and completely lackluster. By the final hours of Dead Island it felt like a chore to get through. Dead Island misses the mark completely and is certainly not a game I would recommend.… Expand
  23. Jaleo
    Jan 12, 2017
    5
    Hours and more hours and hours of monotony and repetitive gameplay. You better play it online or you will get tired of this game pretty soon. Hell, even online is boring and repetitive... Poor gameplay, the only "fun" thing is weapon customization, but for that you got Dead Rising 2...
  24. ayaxgamer
    Nov 25, 2019
    5
    This game is fun... when you can play it. I never really had a problem playing as a solo player, but that all falls apart when you try to play online with a friend. I've heard some say it's the network & others say it's the frame rates of the game. Whatever the reason, you'll probably spend half of the time you play online with friends cursing as you either have to reset your PS3 (after itThis game is fun... when you can play it. I never really had a problem playing as a solo player, but that all falls apart when you try to play online with a friend. I've heard some say it's the network & others say it's the frame rates of the game. Whatever the reason, you'll probably spend half of the time you play online with friends cursing as you either have to reset your PS3 (after it freezes) or reconnecting. And before you start thinking it's either my network or something else...… Expand
  25. INU4SH4
    Jun 22, 2020
    5
    There is not much to say. Tons of technical problems, glitches, and bad AI.
    I still played it for a long time because this is one of those 'so bad, it's good' cooperative games. There is a little bit of fun to have in this but there are far superior options in this saturated genre.

    I recommend Dying Light instead of this. It's a much more polished and fun experience.
  26. KauaLeonSM
    Dec 14, 2021
    5
    É basicamente uma demo do Dying light bem piorzinho,a dificuldade na primeira ilha é boa,já na cidade é ruim já que tem muitos zumbis em que certas situações chega a ser ridiculo,a floresta é bom,a prisão é ruim por ser muito facil já que estamos no ending game e temos armas muito fortes,é um jogo feito para coop já que sem amigo a xian e o logan ficam quase injogaveis.
  27. Mattaclysm
    Sep 15, 2011
    4
    Out of how many problems this game has. I can't bring myself to give it a high score even though I feel if it didn't have any problems it probably could be a 7 or an 8. First off the game is incredibly fun playing with friends. It's like a much more interesting version of left 4 dead mixed with the RPG elements of borderlands. The constant bugs and glitches have obliterated this game toOut of how many problems this game has. I can't bring myself to give it a high score even though I feel if it didn't have any problems it probably could be a 7 or an 8. First off the game is incredibly fun playing with friends. It's like a much more interesting version of left 4 dead mixed with the RPG elements of borderlands. The constant bugs and glitches have obliterated this game to hell, but when it's working it's great. The story is terrible, you play through the game and it feels like everything is vaguely explained. You have no idea what the hell is going on most of the time. The voice acting is terrible. The game itself feels incredibly corny. Overall the gameplay is great, this game is meant to be played with friends and that is the saving grace.… Expand
  28. RAR3
    Oct 12, 2011
    4
    This is one of those games that you only continue to play because you paid 70 dollars for it. Unfortunately, the fact that I wasted 70 dollars on this game was not motivating enough for me to even finish it. I got about half way through the game and was tired of being mobbed by zombies and dying because the weapons you have aren't suited for taking out 5 zombies let alone 20. Having toThis is one of those games that you only continue to play because you paid 70 dollars for it. Unfortunately, the fact that I wasted 70 dollars on this game was not motivating enough for me to even finish it. I got about half way through the game and was tired of being mobbed by zombies and dying because the weapons you have aren't suited for taking out 5 zombies let alone 20. Having to repair, upgrade, and trade weapons constantly will leave you frustrated and annoyed. The only thing good about this game is the opening cut scene. WHO DO YOU VOODOO, B****!… Expand
  29. TestingGoon
    Nov 8, 2011
    4
    This game had so much potential but ultimately failed to deliver for me. It's taken aspects of other zombie games and tried to mash them all together, the only problem is that they feel like weaker versions, the multiplayer is taken from Left 4 Dead, but it's not as good, the weapon creation is straight from Dead Rising 2, but it's not as good. I can kind of forgive some of the minorThis game had so much potential but ultimately failed to deliver for me. It's taken aspects of other zombie games and tried to mash them all together, the only problem is that they feel like weaker versions, the multiplayer is taken from Left 4 Dead, but it's not as good, the weapon creation is straight from Dead Rising 2, but it's not as good. I can kind of forgive some of the minor technical failings of the game, after all a game of this size is never going to be bug free, but there is something about it that doesn't add up. I quite liked the resort setting but it lost me after that, the town was completely uninspiring. Also talk about repetition, wow this game has it in abundance! Shame really the trailer looked really promising.… Expand
  30. JayG203
    Feb 16, 2012
    4
    This game is a prime and shining example of truly poor execution. What this game is, is sad. It was a game with potential to be so much better than what it turned out to be, and it turned out the way it did in due to an utter lack of any polish. Something could easily have been done to fix this game in just about every way, and the worst part is the developers knew it, they just didn'tThis game is a prime and shining example of truly poor execution. What this game is, is sad. It was a game with potential to be so much better than what it turned out to be, and it turned out the way it did in due to an utter lack of any polish. Something could easily have been done to fix this game in just about every way, and the worst part is the developers knew it, they just didn't care. Lets start with the good. The first part of the game is spectacular, the opening is mediocre, but the environment couldn't be more outstanding. As soon as you enter onto the beach you have a feeling that it's going to be a great time, and it is, but only for a while. The combat is great fun and you really get invested in trying to make every battle as stylish as possible. There are loads of side missions and they set you up to really feel that you're surviving whence you realize just how big a part consuming food is along the journey. Everything seems great, and it almost is. Now the game is damn good from the start, but the problems were always there, they just weren't as annoying the first 100 times. After you've played the game for a few hours and it no longer feels like holding your hand, you realize just how bad the game truly is. The first part of the map is great, the rest is just horrible, but that's not the real problem. So lets get started on the negatives. The problem is pure gameplay, first off: this game is the glitchiest game I have ever played, not only is the pop in horrible, but the sheer number of bugs is enough to knock you over. You get stuck a lot, your HUD will tweek out on you constantly, the minimap is constantly navigating you in the wrong direction etc etc, There are many glitches that are so debilitating enough to keep you from progressing in the campaign. You'll have to get out and get back into the game. The absolute biggest and game ruining glitch you will run into is the technical range calibration of your weapons, for example: I'm playing as a character that seems to be 6 foot, and I'm holding a machete in hand, so that's a few feet of range right? wrong. After a brief stint of playing this game you'll come to realize something quite odd, and that is that your arm and weapons length is not realistically calibrated. You will realize that, in order to make contact with your enemy whence using a melee weapon, you will need to me at least 5 inches away from them, and this is never something you get used to. You will constantly be miss-judging distance, and you should, you know why? because you think logically, and this game is anything but. Next off, the friendly AI is moronic, slow, and incapable of ever helping themselves, the human enemy AI is the same way, the driving is horrible, stiff and boring, the graphics are just plain bad, the physics are horrible, the side missions (even though plentiful) are rehashes of each other, the story does nothing but insult your intelligence and the RPG is not in the least bit flushed out. I could go into detail about all this but I'm not, it's not worth my or your time. Just don't buy the game because it looks MUCH funner than it actually is. The more you play the more you realize that there is not a single good thing to say about it. Like I said, the beginning is deceivingly fun, the range calibration is annoying but whatever, but then you speedily spiral into an abysmal pile of garbage in more than one aspect. It's abysmal in all aspects.… Expand
  31. Funkyfresh1017
    Mar 10, 2012
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dead Island is 2011's most dissapointing game (IMO). Where's the fun?? I played for a week and sold it to a friend....its just terrible. weapons break too quickly, zombies are all the terminator and wont die, and the characters are unispiring and you'll have no connection to them. Glitches are common and the "DLC" isn't worth your money. If you like this game good for you, but i dont see how you could! This game doesnt do much to keep the zombie love in our culture alive very well. I do like the drop in co-op, until you find yourself horrible underleveled. For your sake, just rent this game at the most.… Expand
  32. TheXenosReview
    Apr 7, 2012
    4
    Nothing is a as haunting as sleeping at night knowing you shelled out $60 for a game that has as much crap as a manure factory. I loved the very idea of a Borderlands type action-rpg leveling system zombie horror survival game with a main emphasis on melee style combat, in fact just hearing the very idea the first was like sex to the ears. But just like sex it can end up in a bigNothing is a as haunting as sleeping at night knowing you shelled out $60 for a game that has as much crap as a manure factory. I loved the very idea of a Borderlands type action-rpg leveling system zombie horror survival game with a main emphasis on melee style combat, in fact just hearing the very idea the first was like sex to the ears. But just like sex it can end up in a big disappointing night. When I bought the game I traditionally started off by playing single-player going through picking up the gist on to come to points where the difficult level had swerved off into throw-controllers-at pet-cats-while-being-sodomized-by-Satan-difficultly or T.C.A.P.C.W.B.S.B.S.D. for short. I thought "Oh I bet this I where have teammates would help", wrong! Online is actually alright with friends until the end up being Jew-hogs(Jew-hog[s] Adjective: Being the person to horde all the good resources/weapons/loot in an online game) leaving the whole session into a bunch of whining babies. And the worst is online when it ends up being a competition on who can screw over the entire group by running a head leaving the rest to fight T.C.A.P.C.W.B.S.B.S.D. level enemies. Not to mention the fact its a melee weapon game means that we shouldn't have to be putting up with weapon conditions. I mean really when I'm having to defend myself with a crappy broom handle with tetanus ridden nails against a pack of anus hungry zombies i should only have to focus on not dying, not what even **** broom handle am I going to have to defend my self with when this one falls apart in my hands. Over all Deep Silver taught us awesome games trailers don't always necessarily mean awesome game.… Expand
  33. Cartteros
    Jun 10, 2012
    4
    Dead Island is a bad and disappointing game.
    When I first saw the game trailer, I was very excited (as everybody who saw it). I played it very time after the release, and I tried not to watch videos or get spoilers about the game as a whole. At the point I was about to play the game, I was very hyped and ancious. When I put the game in, I faced a bad menu and interface. So far, not so bad.    Dead Island is a bad and disappointing game.
    When I first saw the game trailer, I was very excited (as everybody who saw it). I played it very time after the release, and I tried not to watch videos or get spoilers about the game as a whole. At the point I was about to play the game, I was very hyped and ancious. When I put the game in, I faced a bad menu and interface. So far, not so bad. The game begins. Beautiful graphics blew me out of the water. But, as the story was going, some huge let down appeared, such as bad voice acting and repetitive gameplay. It was such a bad experience to me that I didn't even finished the game. I quit playing it relatively close to the beginning and I had no motivation to go on.
    Dead Island is not a good game. The heavenly island may be fun to explore and it's kind of fun smashing zombies heads and limbs, but it's just not enough.    … Expand
  34. nico249
    Jul 18, 2012
    4
    One of the worst features of this game is that if you die you immediately respawn without any penalty. You don't have to restart your current quest or reload from a save point. No matter how worse you play, you go on. Is like god mode in older fps. It's disappointing and lowers the interest in the game quickly. To worsen things the characters and the plot are annoying.
    I don't give a zero    One of the worst features of this game is that if you die you immediately respawn without any penalty. You don't have to restart your current quest or reload from a save point. No matter how worse you play, you go on. Is like god mode in older fps. It's disappointing and lowers the interest in the game quickly. To worsen things the characters and the plot are annoying.
    I don't give a zero only because the first act is quite playable, but the rest of the game is pointless.    … Expand
  35. Guywithnoname
    Jun 27, 2012
    4
    This game is a near perfect example of poor execution. The story (if it can be called that) is paper thin, the characters are 1-dimensional, and the voice acting is terrible. The graphics are nice, despite some of the worst pop-ins I've ever seen. Gameplay is mediocre, and probably should have just been 3rd person is the weapons are going to be mostly melee. The only redeeming factor isThis game is a near perfect example of poor execution. The story (if it can be called that) is paper thin, the characters are 1-dimensional, and the voice acting is terrible. The graphics are nice, despite some of the worst pop-ins I've ever seen. Gameplay is mediocre, and probably should have just been 3rd person is the weapons are going to be mostly melee. The only redeeming factor is the satisfaction of killing zombies, but you can get that same enjoyment out of much better games.… Expand
  36. Machinencio
    Nov 15, 2014
    4
    Good game plot. That´s all, this game is too repetitive, you do the same all time, kill, jump, run, kill, repeat.
    Its a waste of money. Better play RE6..
  37. JesseDillinger
    Feb 1, 2023
    4
    I remember being a kid in Gamestop seeing the trailer for this on their TV. It looked so cool I wanted it so badly. Then the day came when I got this and it was so **** boring and lame. I hated the gameplay in this. It was so damn jank. And believe me, I have tried this game multiple times as an adult. I just can't stand it. It's so damn boring. How do you make zombies boring? All you doI remember being a kid in Gamestop seeing the trailer for this on their TV. It looked so cool I wanted it so badly. Then the day came when I got this and it was so **** boring and lame. I hated the gameplay in this. It was so damn jank. And believe me, I have tried this game multiple times as an adult. I just can't stand it. It's so damn boring. How do you make zombies boring? All you do is press R2 and swing a weapon. I think every weapon has the same basic animation. It's been a while. But yeah, I don't like this game or think it's very good.… Expand
  38. aadms
    Sep 27, 2011
    3
    Fighting Zombies is suppose to be fun. This game is not. The lackluster combat, the clunkyness of your movements and the too narrow FPS frame made this a frustrating game. The graphics and animation of this game are sub-par combared to the technology that is out there today. The RPG element they added is tedious as in collecting-bottlecaps-Fallout tedious. A genre game like this needs toFighting Zombies is suppose to be fun. This game is not. The lackluster combat, the clunkyness of your movements and the too narrow FPS frame made this a frustrating game. The graphics and animation of this game are sub-par combared to the technology that is out there today. The RPG element they added is tedious as in collecting-bottlecaps-Fallout tedious. A genre game like this needs to pick up the pace in gameplay and storyline. The save system is the only frightening thing in this game.… Expand
  39. karmasleeper
    Mar 16, 2012
    3
    What could have been a true zombie survival game requiring scavenging food, water, weapons, and ammo turned out to be Borderlands with clubs. The combat is well done and incredibly gory but wears thin fast. The sidequests are tedious fetch missions which have constantly traveling between point A to B locating items or collecting some other **** The crafting system is neat but it takesWhat could have been a true zombie survival game requiring scavenging food, water, weapons, and ammo turned out to be Borderlands with clubs. The combat is well done and incredibly gory but wears thin fast. The sidequests are tedious fetch missions which have constantly traveling between point A to B locating items or collecting some other **** The crafting system is neat but it takes entirely too long to find the items you need in the gameworld and trading with NPC merchants isn't an option since they never carry what you need. It's also interesting how important cash is when everyone is scrambling for their life. Who needs money when they're trying to outlast the zombie horde? Food and water anybody? The framerate on the PS3 version is iffy, especially when you get to the city portion of the game. The light RPG elements of the game involve character skills. Many are passive bonuses since your character only has one active skill (like Borderlands). Weapons are surprisingly fragile and necessitate repairs at magic workbenches that costs - you guessed it - money! Why not scavenge for raw materials or break down existing items into base components to repair weapons instead of throwing money at what is essentially a vending machine? So many missed opportunities in this game it is not even funny. Even as a co-op game, it falls short. The classes have different active skills, but because the enemy types are so few and far between, none of this matters. There's no sense of interdependency between the characters. Skills do not feel like the complement one another. There is no challenge here whatsoever, no reason to keep trudging through, and no reason to care about any of the people you meet. Avoid this game.… Expand
  40. BOSTONJOHN32
    Sep 11, 2011
    3
    i already wrote a review, but please rent/borrow b4 you make a purchase of dead island.if one is trying to budget, with many games coming out, i would say keep your wallet holstered or trade ths back in for 25 bucks. or get ready to sell it. i think that it is unfair for people to give this game a 10, alot of gamers are on the fence with this and i will challenge you, by your rating andi already wrote a review, but please rent/borrow b4 you make a purchase of dead island.if one is trying to budget, with many games coming out, i would say keep your wallet holstered or trade ths back in for 25 bucks. or get ready to sell it. i think that it is unfair for people to give this game a 10, alot of gamers are on the fence with this and i will challenge you, by your rating and passion for this game, to give me 10 examples why to buy this game, or ten good points about dead island. i can give you 10 reasons not to buy this at any given moment, and i could almost give you 100 reasons not to buy this game. buying and playing are 2 different beasts. buy this if and when it is bargain basement, please do not trust me or thus rating system, seems like people will rate highly based on the fact that they made an investment so lets spread financial misery loving company.. trust your own opinion, try this game b4 you dish out retail or trade in a bunch of games toward this.. i will gladly show that i had sold this game BUT also warned the person buying it. he called me and asked if i could give him anything else for the money he spent, " i dont care what it is but can you take this back and give me something else please" via text. sold him the special edition. he took tiger woods masters and bayonetta and he is not a golf fan. what i am simply trying to do is give you a chance to second guess this purchase, you will more than likely mentally beat yourself up if you do decide to buy after warnings not to. listening to many "reputable" reviewing mags/web is like asking a car dealer if the car is a good buy, look to non-profitable and non-biased reviews who do know a good game from one which should be deemed almost NOT PLAYABLE. how on earth can someone give this a ten? a 10 is perfect. this basically defines your reviewing state of mind and class. to like the game and give it what is deemed a good score is one thing, but to rate perfect is ridiculous, gamers go to such places to find out what other gamers think and avoid "reputable" reviewing site because if you notice, they are advertising for certain games, and some more than others. this was distributed by one of the best although the developers have a sub par history and the chrome engine is known for its faults. see between the lines. go with what you think makes sense and then play it before you buy it. thats all im saying, i give unbiased reviews based on what is in my console, and emotions and incentives do not come into play. i paid full price, pre-ordered and wanted to play this game more than talk about it. keep in mind that i did not review this game based on the fact of the trailer being nothing but a marketing ploy. many games have these movie like trailers which are in fact highly polished and to market a game to the best of a companies ability, so the trailer did not sway my opinion as a "not living up to it" vibe. in any event a trailers purpose is to also give you a feel of whats to come. and if you are thinking that the trailer is somewhere in this game, you will look forever and find a game which has no direction and a story which was admitted to "when we were close to launch we then needed to make you feel submerged into this paradise gone wrong and then it was difficult to make the story filled w/ emotion with a few weeks left with the production" now a few weeks left? they said they had took how long to design this game? not acceptable. copy and pasted such dialogue that a caveman could do.. no excuse for the bugs/glitches/dialogue. it is a game which needs to be reviewed based on content and gameplay and fun. please decide if this game is fun for your self. put all the glitches/bugs/bad dialogue aside and find the fun in this game. for those who say some are being too critical and that a game doesnt need to be perfect to be good, well i agree with the latter but as far as being harsh, well giving this game a 10 is harsh to the gaming world, i am not the company that promised one thing, gave another. im just exposing the fact. an opinion is just that. but after seeing a few opinions i have a new one.. go and rate this game on your own, but by all means, avoid paying retail by all means. bottom line is please rent this game or borrow it for a few hours and them decide if you still want it. never mind my thoughts or any ones for that matter because obviously there is a big swing in regards to opinions. its not a love or hate type game which this rating system may portray. its an extreme example one not being able to be non-biased because of the simple fact of investing full retail for a game hence "defensive" biased views. it is an insult to compare this game to borderlands or fallout. one common element with all 3, bugs and glitches, but the other 2 games were good enough to play through them. this is not. compare this to call of juarez + zombies- 60 bucks if you dont try it b4 you buy it. i didnt get that chance, but YOU DO… Expand
  41. racinglightning
    Nov 7, 2011
    3
    I was going to write a proper review, to explain my thoughts and experience of the game. But quite honestly it's not worth it, the game can easily be summed up like this. What a Buggy, Ugly,Recycled,Boring Pile of Rubbish. It's Unoriginal,Uninspired,why they wasted their time at all is beyond me.Even the cut scenes are buggy! Not to Mention they don't make any sense whatsoever when yourI was going to write a proper review, to explain my thoughts and experience of the game. But quite honestly it's not worth it, the game can easily be summed up like this. What a Buggy, Ugly,Recycled,Boring Pile of Rubbish. It's Unoriginal,Uninspired,why they wasted their time at all is beyond me.Even the cut scenes are buggy! Not to Mention they don't make any sense whatsoever when your playing single player. Honestly if your here because you haven't bought the game yet and are considering it, just don't do it, it IS that bad.… Expand
  42. Chilun
    Jul 26, 2012
    3
    This game had so much potential but very poorly made. The interesting part of the game was the perks, skill points, and story-line. However the cons of this game just overrides the pros by a lot - 1) Pointless in using Rare+ because you'll have to repair it after a couple hits 2) Cant use your money because you'll have to spend most of your money in repairing your Rare+ weapons, its hardThis game had so much potential but very poorly made. The interesting part of the game was the perks, skill points, and story-line. However the cons of this game just overrides the pros by a lot - 1) Pointless in using Rare+ because you'll have to repair it after a couple hits 2) Cant use your money because you'll have to spend most of your money in repairing your Rare+ weapons, its hard to just let it be destroyed especially when you spend so much money in upgrading them. 3) Repetitive gameplay "kill zombies, repair, kill some more, and repair" There's just so much flaws in this game that I havent yet mentioned; Overall this game is not worth buying it nor renting.… Expand
  43. roblan1968
    Apr 11, 2013
    3
    I just gave this game (on PS3) a rating of 7 just a couple of weeks ago but now I take it back and just give it now a score of 3. I have been playing this on solo (never on coop becoz i don't have a net connection) for countless days and nights and now the game says my SAVED GAME DATA appears to have been corrupted when I tried to continue my game. All of my efforts on trying to get theI just gave this game (on PS3) a rating of 7 just a couple of weeks ago but now I take it back and just give it now a score of 3. I have been playing this on solo (never on coop becoz i don't have a net connection) for countless days and nights and now the game says my SAVED GAME DATA appears to have been corrupted when I tried to continue my game. All of my efforts on trying to get the rare weapons and MODs are now all gone. My character LOGAN was already on Level 42 when it happened. I'll never play this game again and will just trade the game disc to others.… Expand
  44. SWFan523
    Jun 21, 2020
    3
    Disappointing. Wasted potential in every sense of the phrase. Nothing story with bland gameplay. Not. worth it.
  45. Aepervius
    Sep 10, 2011
    2
    Short summary : The game is not bad, but suffer from terrible flaw , one of which completely and utterly *destroy* the fun. Tested with version 1.1.0 on PS3 (after first 31 MB patch). You think the game is saving , it says checkpoints or even shows the fragging red symbol and says game saved on the left. BUT THE GAME DO NOT SAVE. I played twice now up to the city, ACT 2, Chapter 5, charShort summary : The game is not bad, but suffer from terrible flaw , one of which completely and utterly *destroy* the fun. Tested with version 1.1.0 on PS3 (after first 31 MB patch). You think the game is saving , it says checkpoints or even shows the fragging red symbol and says game saved on the left. BUT THE GAME DO NOT SAVE. I played twice now up to the city, ACT 2, Chapter 5, char level 15, ONLY to be SET BACK AT LEVEL 2 right at the beginning. Serriouslsy pissed off is an understatement. I play in single player campaign by the way, not cooperative, since people were saying switching between coop and sngle player would make the save game go corrupt and gone : BS it happens in single player too ! That is now 16 hours playing GONE due to a bug which should *NOT* be in a gold release version and certainly not in a patched one. You have been warned.

    Now on the technical and gameplay, if you really want to try this game, or if it is ever patched. Story : not too bad as zombie stories goes. Truth to be told due to the aforementionned bug I never went past the start the second act , start of it, so it is difficult to judge, but up to then it was nice. Basically you are on a secluded island with zombie and fight them using local means. Not very good but entertaining. Gameplay : nice gameplay but with several flaw. Firstly there is a sort of auto aiming feature , if you point the stick toward a part of the body, it sticks to it a bit. The problem ? too many body part, and the sticking is not good, so melee attack can be iffy. Realistically you would want to have only 3 sets of sticking : when jumping (arms head) , when standing (arms, heads, chest, legs) , when crouching (legs and maybe chest). Bu it flys all over the place, so you can't aim that well. Furthermore you never know if your weapon reach is enough. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't but you never know before swinging, as really it can be a matter of centimeters/inches. Further gameplay problem : items respawn, zombie too. Sure it is a design decision but that also means you can make farming runs : know where the items are , then raid that place, go raid somewhere else the return, until you have got 30 alcohol bottle :P. Some sidequest are exactely based on tat : "bring water bottle to a woman which feels dehydrated" after the 30th bottle (70$*30=2100$ earned, and 50*30=1500 xp) she could BATH in it. It would have been much much more fun if there had been a limited but enormous number of zombie, and if you cut their head/leg they would be gone forver. There are different type of zombie, and finding the way to kill them is fun, but not enough different zuombie (although bear in mind I have only been up to start of city only and saw 5 types only). Graphic : very good, and very gore, although you can see the shortcut they used : cut a head, if you are careful to look it is always the same short dark haired head which pops up. Also , there is texture popping sometimes. But usually this is only when you change area/load a check point (if the check point is EVER saved :(....). Sound : nice , but not that extensive. Voice acting was OK, not corny, not shakespear either. Well except the corny russia with slurred accent asking for champagne... well...

    All in All, the game COULD have been good. I would not buy this game (I had it rented) , I would advise strongly to drop it to teach the company a lessons on putting a game with terrible flaw out. Once patched , it could be a nice pass timer.    … Expand
  46. Alpha-Six
    Oct 1, 2011
    2
    Dead Island is basically broken. The game is full of bugs and glitches, and it has and endless number of boring and frustrating missions, which drive a nonsensical plot. I absolutely cannot stand the melee combat which makes up more than half of the campaign. Plus, the weapons are weak as kleenex and break one after the other. Anyone who has played Nazi Zombies or Left 4 Dead knows thatDead Island is basically broken. The game is full of bugs and glitches, and it has and endless number of boring and frustrating missions, which drive a nonsensical plot. I absolutely cannot stand the melee combat which makes up more than half of the campaign. Plus, the weapons are weak as kleenex and break one after the other. Anyone who has played Nazi Zombies or Left 4 Dead knows that smart people fight zombies with guns, not machetes and knives. Get it right Deep Silver.… Expand
  47. glob23
    Sep 9, 2011
    2
    truth, the game looks good in theory, but the more you play, the more you realize that it lacks many things, the campaign is weak, the story is bad, often going back and forth, with no sense and is very monotheism at the end you get bored
  48. norris_
    Sep 16, 2011
    2
    The game is broken. To release a game with such fatal bugs with a full price tag is simply unacceptable. On the PS3, the game stops saving your progress around 10 min to 1 h of play. I've played over double the amount of time I should have, because I've had to repeat the same missions so many times. Well, enough is enough, and the game is on hold until a patch is released, and that's whatThe game is broken. To release a game with such fatal bugs with a full price tag is simply unacceptable. On the PS3, the game stops saving your progress around 10 min to 1 h of play. I've played over double the amount of time I should have, because I've had to repeat the same missions so many times. Well, enough is enough, and the game is on hold until a patch is released, and that's what I recommend everyone thinking about buying this game to do, if your targeting the PS3 platform.

    If only I could say that this single, but show stopping bug is the only issue the game has. However, it is the only problem you should be aware of right now. Unless you don't mind spending 60 bucks/euros in advance, cursing Techland/Deep Silver to hell, and supporting the "we use paying customers as beta testers" type of mentality that some publishers seem so fond of.

    The other reviews sum up quite well the other aspects of the game so I wont bother with them. It it worked I'd give it a 8/10. But as it is, 1/10 and +1 for the first and only time I enjoyed playing it, not knowing better.    … Expand
  49. TangledInBlue
    Oct 31, 2011
    2
    I found the game very boring. Decent concept but poor delivered. I expected so much due to the truly wonderful trailer that was released some time ago - the game itself didn't follow on from that. I was disappointed from the opening sequence and it didn't improve much from then on.
  50. Soulshock
    Dec 23, 2011
    2
    After seeing the trailer I thought Wow, this is gonna be really good. But the trailer has nothing to do with the game. It's a completely different feeling, the game feels like comedy, literally. I gave up 20mins in. No thanks.
  51. edtwozeronine
    Aug 21, 2012
    2
    Quantity over quality sums up this game pretty nicely. Lots of identikit side missions to prolong the game unnecessarily. One thing that really made me laugh was that in order to stop church bells ringing you had to kill a single thug zombie and press a button. WTF??? I mean what church bells in any authentic church could be stopped ringing by a button? The fact is they couldn't beQuantity over quality sums up this game pretty nicely. Lots of identikit side missions to prolong the game unnecessarily. One thing that really made me laugh was that in order to stop church bells ringing you had to kill a single thug zombie and press a button. WTF??? I mean what church bells in any authentic church could be stopped ringing by a button? The fact is they couldn't be bothered to animate a group of regular lower level zombies bouncing up and down on pull ropes. Which let's face it would have been a million times more fun to attack and see in the game.

    This is just one of many glaring omissions of thought process when designing a level mini boss section. If they just pushed themselves a little harder in the direction of quality this game could have been so much better. It could have also used some protagonists which the player could relate to in some way, however what we got was several unlikable characters with even more unlikable back stories which sounded like they were written by idiots for an American teenager audience. Is that audience even still there?.

    As an adult gamer of at least 25 years, it sickens me that this sort of crap still flies when it comes to one of my favourite forms of entertainment. When a game is done right it can be one of the most immersive engrossing experiences on the planet. This however seems like a very cheap cash in on the zombie game market. I can only suggest Resident Evil 4 as a much better executed alternative.    … Expand
  52. Krack900
    Sep 10, 2011
    1
    Game play is mediocre at best way more could have been done with it but they put as little as possible, Large sandbox to explore kept me going even though It felt like a cheap mmo doing boring quests collecting crap half the time. As the game progress guns come into play and wow head shots make them go by QUICK and its so easy. Story I don't know what to say about it its not there and IGame play is mediocre at best way more could have been done with it but they put as little as possible, Large sandbox to explore kept me going even though It felt like a cheap mmo doing boring quests collecting crap half the time. As the game progress guns come into play and wow head shots make them go by QUICK and its so easy. Story I don't know what to say about it its not there and I find myself jabbing the O button skipping through the cheesy crying from everyone. I would've given the game a higher score buuut the douche bags who made this game let a MAJOR bug kill this game for me basically not saving so basically i lost a lot of hours twice getting to act 3 both times only to be stuck in act 1. With that bug Ill be taking the game back and putting it towards Skyrim.… Expand
  53. coldtour
    Nov 20, 2012
    1
    Glitchy as **** And it's a shame because there's so much potential-- the voice acting is great, rendering is great, mechanics seem great, but for me at least, when playing it on my ps3 that doesn't have problems usually with games, it kept on lagging on me. And I wasn't even playing online. What **** game lags like that? Was the rendering too intense for the system? It didn't seem that wayGlitchy as **** And it's a shame because there's so much potential-- the voice acting is great, rendering is great, mechanics seem great, but for me at least, when playing it on my ps3 that doesn't have problems usually with games, it kept on lagging on me. And I wasn't even playing online. What **** game lags like that? Was the rendering too intense for the system? It didn't seem that way to me because I played Uncharted 2 and 3 on the same console and there wasn't a glitch the whole time, and both of those games have more intensive graphics and lighting than dead island. But if there was a rendering issue then why the **** wouldn't the developers address this? Who **** cares how beautiful a game is when it seems like the frame rate can't catch up to itself? Huh? If the system can't handle it, dull it down a little until things run smoothly and guess what no one cares if it doesn't look like real life. Know why? Because it already doesn't. Aside from that, there wasn't much about this game that really added to the zombie genre that other games haven't done already.… Expand
  54. MikefromAngus
    Sep 26, 2011
    0
    1. his is probably the most misleading trailers ever made! it has nothing to do with the game! But, I got beyond that and started playing the game. Once I got into Act 2 the game started getting intresting, the graphics in the city were very well done, and from this moment I really started to enjoy the game. Until I got to ACT 3 where you have to help a tribes man who you have to escort.1. his is probably the most misleading trailers ever made! it has nothing to do with the game! But, I got beyond that and started playing the game. Once I got into Act 2 the game started getting intresting, the graphics in the city were very well done, and from this moment I really started to enjoy the game. Until I got to ACT 3 where you have to help a tribes man who you have to escort. When alot of zombies are attacking. Problem is when he dies, you fail the mission and a saved game is in the exact point just a few seconds before the attack! You get sent back to that place and worse thing is all your weapons have disappeared! This is an UNPASSABLE point in the game! ALot of people said, that game has alot of bugs and its true I experienced it as well.. First time ever on a PS3 game! The game feels like it was RUSHED and is broken!… Expand
  55. Skiller
    Oct 3, 2011
    0
    Stay away from this game! Stay far away from it! It's awfully buggy, the animations are really bad. It's just a clone-gone-wrong of Left 4 Dead from Valve. Stay away from it!
  56. Agilio333
    Oct 22, 2011
    0
    The PS3 version is severly bugged. I have no idea why they would release such a flawwed product. Did they run out of funding and rush to just ship whatever they had at the last minute? The game fails to save at certain points AND the save isn't atomic: some of the data is saved and some isn't. This corrupts the game save completely preventing the quests from being progressed (since theThe PS3 version is severly bugged. I have no idea why they would release such a flawwed product. Did they run out of funding and rush to just ship whatever they had at the last minute? The game fails to save at certain points AND the save isn't atomic: some of the data is saved and some isn't. This corrupts the game save completely preventing the quests from being progressed (since the objects are now missing yet the quest completion wasn't saved). GLADLY I only rented this game for 1 night before ever losing any money it. What has happened with the game industry? This kind of bug/flaws used to be unacceptable, now it is just common place.… Expand
  57. Nathan-DTS
    May 9, 2012
    0
    Incredibly bad game; Poor driving, poor combat and poor quests. It's basically a **** version of Borderlands. Don't buy! It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.
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Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2011
28
#28 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 41
  3. Negative: 2 out of 41
  1. Console Monster
    May 21, 2012
    88
    Dead Island may lack that top level of polish, and even have its own awkward moments, but it's a game worth playing, and easily worth your money. The gameplay is deep, the visuals can be breathtaking (at times), and every bit of it is fun. This game earns itself a spot in the ranks of the best zombie games and RPGs around. There's still plenty of fun to be had with zombie games.
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  2. Play UK
    Nov 27, 2011
    79
    While the trailer might have been a case of style over substance, the final game is the polar opposite. [Issue#210, p.84]
  3. Extreme Gamer
    Nov 17, 2011
    86
    Techland doesn't disappoint here by hitting most of the points necessary to make a good RPG and adding in some new ideas.
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