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
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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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