Dead Island

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 674 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 358 out of 674
  2. Mixed: 200 out of 674
  3. Negative: 116 out of 674
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  1. ColdHardTruth
    Sep 9, 2011
    6
    This is my revision of my review of Dead Island. I previously gave this game a 8/10. Which is not far off but later in the game i have come across more and more major glitches and this frustrates me (example: I had loaded my last checkpoint in the game and when I did this it had me start in a whole new area that I've never seen up till now). Im afraid even a patch released may only coverThis is my revision of my review of Dead Island. I previously gave this game a 8/10. Which is not far off but later in the game i have come across more and more major glitches and this frustrates me (example: I had loaded my last checkpoint in the game and when I did this it had me start in a whole new area that I've never seen up till now). Im afraid even a patch released may only cover up some of the mess. The game is still fun if you have time to kill but yes it does get frustrating at times as many other people have pointed out. Killing zombies is always fun but more time spent on fine tuning this game and we could have been looking at a game of the year award.… Expand
  2. Sceptic
    Sep 9, 2011
    6
    Dead Island has a great concept,yet it is poorly implemented.A few months polish could have turned this game into a great one.Online play is ok though a lack of local co-op is unforgivable.Many are comparing D.I to Borderlands or Fallout 3.It may have a few similar game mechanics as the afore mentioned games,but that's the nature of the industry today.Dead Island is an ok game thatDead Island has a great concept,yet it is poorly implemented.A few months polish could have turned this game into a great one.Online play is ok though a lack of local co-op is unforgivable.Many are comparing D.I to Borderlands or Fallout 3.It may have a few similar game mechanics as the afore mentioned games,but that's the nature of the industry today.Dead Island is an ok game that shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as those titles.… Expand
  3. benoski
    Aug 28, 2013
    8
    When I first saw Dead Island's debut CGI trailer, it gave me a feeling to what I was expecting to see from the game. When I finally got my hands on the game, I was a bit disappointed, but the game itself was enjoyable.

    You get to choose between four playable characters who are fighting to survive a zombie outbreak on the beautiful island of Banoi. The four characters consist of Xian    When I first saw Dead Island's debut CGI trailer, it gave me a feeling to what I was expecting to see from the game. When I finally got my hands on the game, I was a bit disappointed, but the game itself was enjoyable.

    You get to choose between four playable characters who are fighting to survive a zombie outbreak on the beautiful island of Banoi. The four characters consist of Xian Mei, an undercover cop working as a desk clerk at the Royal Palms Resort hotel, Logan, a former football star who had his career ended in a tragic crash during a dangerous street race which killed his passenger, Sam B, a one-hit wonder rap star booked by the hotel for a gig, and Purna, a former member of the Sydney Police deparment who was sacked after shooting a child molester who could not be touched, before becoming a bodyguard for VIPs all over the world.

    Each character also represents a certain class:

    Logan Jack of All Trades
    Xian Mei Assassin
    Sam B Tank
    Purna Leader

    While guns are usable in the game, Dead Island is primarily focused on melee combat. As you explore the world, you'll come across a wide variety of objects that can be used as weapons, and this can be anything from a paddle to a baseball bat or from a knife to a machete. You also earn money as you complete side-quests or from loot, and this money can be used to buy new equipment from traders, or can be used to repair/upgrade your weapons. Be careful though, you'll lose 10% of your cash for every time you die.

    You may find items that at first, you may think are useless, but save them, as they could be used to modify your weapons to be made even more deadlier (for example, a machete modified to deal shock damage, or a baseball bat modified to deal bleeding damage to your foes.). As you earn XP, you level up, earning 1 skill point for every level to achieve, and these skill points can be spent on various skills that'll enhance your character in several ways. There are only 60 levels though, so make sure you spend your points wisely. There are guns to be found and used in the game, but since this game is melee-focused, ammo is limited and hard to find, so save your ammo when you don't need it.

    Each character also specializes in one specific type of weaponry each:

    Xian Mei Sharp weapon expert
    Logan Throwing expert
    Sam B Blunt weapon expert
    Purna Firearms expert

    Each character also has a specific Fury attack that offers deadly results when usable.

    The main story should take anywhere between 10 to 15 hours to complete, but the game is littered with side-quests, so full completion should roughly take about 30 hours. While the game can be played alone, the game's strong point is cooperative gameplay. Up to four players can join up together and play through the story as a team, or explore the world and complete various side-quests together. There's no restrictions on multiplayer, however (you might be a level 10 character, and somebody joins as a level 45 character, or you might have 4 players that are an Assassin, Tank and Leader but no Jack of All Trades.).

    Graphically, the game looks great, but there are various glitches to be found throughout the game (if you look carefully!). The game is not as buggy as it was now, but I can still remember one cutscene that suffers greatly from glitches.

    I liked the music from the game, but voice acting is a bit shoddy, IMO. There's not even enough audio from the main characters to make them interesting either, I'm afraid. There are mainly one-liners in gameplay, but apart from cutscenes (and there's not many, to be honest) there's not really enough audio to make them great characters (They're likeable, but not interesting, IMO.)

    If you put aside main bad things in this review, Dead Island is an enjoyable title that's made primarily for co-op. It may not be what we all expected it to be after that trailer, but the game works in most ways, and could count as one of the best titles in an over-saturated genre.    … Expand
  4. williamdun
    Sep 30, 2011
    3
    This game would have been so much better if it was delay a few months more to fix the many bugs it has, and this game has more bugs than a bug farm!! Furthermore anyone who says this game is good or even rate it higher than a 6 is not a gamer. 1stly the game is sorta fun but it wears off very fast and the reason is because you do the same time over and over.... for one almost all of theThis game would have been so much better if it was delay a few months more to fix the many bugs it has, and this game has more bugs than a bug farm!! Furthermore anyone who says this game is good or even rate it higher than a 6 is not a gamer. 1stly the game is sorta fun but it wears off very fast and the reason is because you do the same time over and over.... for one almost all of the mission feel the same.... either go to a location , find a item , do this. do that its no variety at all. 2ndly the driving is horrible and lacks any sense of real driving even if its 1st person view . You can even see behind you to reverse. 3rd. no variety in weapons.... yes the game has lots of weapons?? not exactly you get different variations on the weapons... ex. feeble hammer - dangerous hammer n etc. what?? no chainsaws??? flamethrower?? 4th. The enemies you encounter feels lazy and dull ex. the big zombie knocks you back ok fine... why is it that the stray jacket infected knocks you back with the same impact if he is charging at you with full force?? Again you will have fun letting out rage on this game but personally i enjoyed left 4 dead n dead rising a whole lot better than this. I was highly disappointed!!!!!… Expand
  5. Bman2095
    Oct 12, 2011
    5
    Dead Island was one of those games everyone thought was going to be PERFECT like Duke Nukem. It was being made for years and trailers promoted it like crazy. I really thought it was going to be better than what it was though, The graphics were pretty bad and the story was horrible. However, the open world was great and the island was large enough to explore and not get bored. I did enjoyDead Island was one of those games everyone thought was going to be PERFECT like Duke Nukem. It was being made for years and trailers promoted it like crazy. I really thought it was going to be better than what it was though, The graphics were pretty bad and the story was horrible. However, the open world was great and the island was large enough to explore and not get bored. I did enjoy Dead island the first 2 times around but it loses it's replay value very easily. Over all I have to give it a 5/10.… Expand
  6. Pherball66
    Sep 12, 2011
    1
    I was on the fence about this game and Resistance 3 so I rented both first for 2 nights each. Let's just say, I purchased Resistance 3 .. EASILY!! Granted, I am not a big RPG fan and if you even remotely do not like RPG's, then don't get this game. It is basically, running from place to place to pick up crap, there are NO weapons ANYWHERE. I played for like a half hour and onlyI was on the fence about this game and Resistance 3 so I rented both first for 2 nights each. Let's just say, I purchased Resistance 3 .. EASILY!! Granted, I am not a big RPG fan and if you even remotely do not like RPG's, then don't get this game. It is basically, running from place to place to pick up crap, there are NO weapons ANYWHERE. I played for like a half hour and only found 2 items to pick up and use as a weapon. I did give it one for some of the visuals but it really is a disappointment to say the least.… Expand
  7. birrml
    Sep 14, 2011
    3
    Why am I not seeing anyone writing about what I believe to be the worst part about this game. The Zombies level-scaling! WTF?!?!?! Seriously? Zombies are dead, the dead decay, therefore, if anything, zombies should get weaker over time. Which I don't think they have to, but keeping even the weakest the zombies just as strong as the player throughout the game? LAME! What's the point ofWhy am I not seeing anyone writing about what I believe to be the worst part about this game. The Zombies level-scaling! WTF?!?!?! Seriously? Zombies are dead, the dead decay, therefore, if anything, zombies should get weaker over time. Which I don't think they have to, but keeping even the weakest the zombies just as strong as the player throughout the game? LAME! What's the point of leveling up or getting and upgrading new and stronger weapons, if it doesn't even freaking matter!?!?!?! Well? Can someone explain the plus to this? Regardless of where you are in the game, and what weapons you have (Aside from firearms later in the game). They are just as hard as the first zombie you beat with a crappy oar. This makes the game feel as if there's no character progression, because you don't get stronger. Well, you do get stronger, but so do the zombies. I can understand making the hordes larger, throwing the new stronger enemy types, but keep the weak zombies in their place, and throw the strong enemies at you. The endless fetch quests area bit annoying, as well. Once again though, if you're not going to feel any stronger after accumulating XP and levels and new weapons, then wtf is the point of even doing the dumb a$$ fetch-side-quests? I'm going to just play through only doing just the main story quests, and probably beat this travesty in 5 hours, considering the game is focused on millions of repetitive crappy side quests to give it any meat. As I mentioned before, no point in doing side quests and leveling up if there's no real reward for doing so, aside from wasting time that could be spent playing a better game.… Expand
  8. aisaac6
    Sep 15, 2011
    7
    First off this is a very fun game at times however the inexcusable bugs will take you out f the experience from time to time that can ruin the game for some. The graphics are mixed between the gorgeous island and the beauty of dismembering zombies to how bad a normal person you are talking to can look worse than the undead. The amount of side quest in vast but a good amount of the questFirst off this is a very fun game at times however the inexcusable bugs will take you out f the experience from time to time that can ruin the game for some. The graphics are mixed between the gorgeous island and the beauty of dismembering zombies to how bad a normal person you are talking to can look worse than the undead. The amount of side quest in vast but a good amount of the quest are just your character taking orders from other survivors to fetch them something they want and they get boring very fast. If you can look past these problems their is a good game to be found worth at least a play through.… Expand
  9. cafebabe
    Sep 16, 2011
    5
    "Neaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh", *rums, *wumbs, Dead. What starts as a promising zombie sandbox game turns out to be a very linear first person shooter with annoying game mechanics. The quite long story (main story and side quests) starts interesting but loses liability fast. You will find groups of survivors in a lighthouse, in a church, a ware house and in the jungle. But their stories are just"Neaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh", *rums, *wumbs, Dead. What starts as a promising zombie sandbox game turns out to be a very linear first person shooter with annoying game mechanics. The quite long story (main story and side quests) starts interesting but loses liability fast. You will find groups of survivors in a lighthouse, in a church, a ware house and in the jungle. But their stories are just there to show you places and have you more of these "Neaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh", *rums, *wumbs, Dead. To the end of the game, everything is just very linear. The maps get tighten up, leave you less routes to take and places to visit.

    More broken are the game mechanics. Zombies, killed seconds ago spawning right in front of you. Weapons which seem to be shorter than a toothpick. Zombies (or ghosts) running right through you and hit you from behind. Somewhat useless guns. And the fact that you loose money when you die, because the game designers probably felt that you need more punishment than just the very very annoying fast and raging zombies. "Neaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh", *rums, *wumbs, Dead. Those zombies are just hard to kill which makes parts of the game unfair and really frustrating.

    Although, the graphics are nice. Especially the city looks very detailed.

    I have not tried multiplayer because I felt no real incentive in joining another session.

    TL;DR: It's worth to play the game to the end for those who like the genre. But some will stop over too much frustration because of those "Neaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh", *rums, *wumbs, Dead. And Left 4 Dead keeps the throne!    … Expand
  10. Showzen
    Sep 16, 2011
    10
    This game rocks! This is the game you get friends together for and do some kickass co-op. This game is a riot you will be laughing your ass off. Ignore the story, I would probably even skip most cutscenes.
  11. xxFORDSTERxx
    Sep 17, 2011
    7
    I think the reason im giving this a 7 and not a 9 or 10, Is due to the trailer got me so pumped for this game, It looked like a perfect game, But the final product did not live up to my expectations. The game is still good though. I should also note that the bugs are lowering my score, They need to be fixed
  12. PreCaut1on
    Sep 23, 2011
    7
    Dead Island, unfortunately, is one of those games that I simply can't love, but really wished I could have.

    You start off this zombie open-world adventure by choosing one of the four main classes, each with their own back story (which to be honest either needed more to it or to be left out entirely.) One of my main issues with the game is right here, with the character selection. The    Dead Island, unfortunately, is one of those games that I simply can't love, but really wished I could have.

    You start off this zombie open-world adventure by choosing one of the four main classes, each with their own back story (which to be honest either needed more to it or to be left out entirely.) One of my main issues with the game is right here, with the character selection. The characters do not differentiate themselves enough. The best option is the blunt expert because of his regeneration skills, and his fury attack uses only his fists. Choosing any of the other three classes, to me, would feel like a waste of time, since you'll just be better with the blunt expert without a doubt.

    While in the style of Borderlands, the multiplayer is also a bit of a let down. The weapons, and there are a lot of them, all seem to look the same. Combat consists mainly of simply aiming for the head, and I quickly became bored with smashing the same generic enemy types over and over.

    My final point really is the biggest let down, and it is all the poor design choices the developers made. The car driving is extremely boring, with the roads being very narrow and you aren't allowed any 3rd person view. The choice to go primarily melee might have sounded good on paper, but after playing a game like borderlands, with its variety of guns and interesting animations, finding a high level weapon that is merely a stick and then bashing it against a zombie head like you have since the beginning of the game is a massive let down.

    I really did want to enjoy this game with my friends, but I didn't have massive expectations. After watching gameplay months before it came out, i had a feeling this wouldn't be my answer to Borderlands withdrawal. To be honest, this really does take many good mechanics from other good games, such as the loot and coop from Borderlands, the zombies from Left 4 Dead, the open world of a Fallout Game (though it does feel much more constricted than Fallout). But they were executed rather poorly. Pros: *Fun level-based coop game
    *Tons of loot and weapons
    *Big island to explore

    Cons:
    *Combat gets old rather quickly
    *Classes don't differ enough
    *Driving is awful. Just awful.

    7: This game does deserve a 7, because at times it can be fun. But overall the experience felt like a chore, due to a boring story with almost nothing to work towards, and a mediocre combat system that will feel old and tiresome after the first act or 2.    … Expand
  13. Bradders996
    Sep 28, 2011
    4
    I really wanted this game to be a big hit! and when I got the game I did like it. However there were so many glitches it made the game unbearable, but not being one to admit defeat and that Id wasted my money I continued playing the game and for the most part having fun. that is until a glitch which took away all my weapons and my hands occurred and saved that way! And to top it off theI really wanted this game to be a big hit! and when I got the game I did like it. However there were so many glitches it made the game unbearable, but not being one to admit defeat and that Id wasted my money I continued playing the game and for the most part having fun. that is until a glitch which took away all my weapons and my hands occurred and saved that way! And to top it off the tech support was terrible! (even blaming me for not making a back-up!!). Now this game can boast being the only game I have ever taken back! full refund too! :-)… Expand
  14. bagga_t
    Oct 3, 2011
    3
    Graphically it doesn't look too bad, but fetch quest after fetch quest is enough to put even the most hardened zombie genre fan off. I gave up after about 4 hours.
  15. Watchinkaa
    Oct 15, 2011
    1
    Biggest Disappointment of the year, this game suck more ass then a ass sucking vampire. I really wanted to like this game alot, but its a horrible broken game full of bugs and glitchs and crappy cutscene animations. the game also gets boring and you have to force yourself to play it to the end.
  16. Someoneudunno
    Oct 15, 2011
    6
    I was pretty disappointed with this game to be honest. I'd been following it pretty much since announcement and was pretty much ecstatic when the first trailer was released. But this game fell so short of what I expected. There are a lot of major bugs in the game and even more weird animations, the gameplay gets somewhat stale very fast, going from open world to incredibly restrictiveI was pretty disappointed with this game to be honest. I'd been following it pretty much since announcement and was pretty much ecstatic when the first trailer was released. But this game fell so short of what I expected. There are a lot of major bugs in the game and even more weird animations, the gameplay gets somewhat stale very fast, going from open world to incredibly restrictive areas and the story is next to non-existent. The main redeeming factors are the variety in weapons available and the graphics. What I will say is if you enjoyed the style of game-play Borderlands had you'll probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.… Expand
  17. 3PalmerEldritch
    Oct 17, 2011
    2
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have really enjoyed playing Dead Island. I love Zombie movies so I guess I am the target demographic. This is a dumb stupid game , in the nicest possible way. Don't look here for knowing social satire a la Romero's peerless trilogy. Rather it is Daw of The Dead- the slick flash remake. More likely it is the even dumber Day of the Dead remake. Yes, that crudely drawn. However the game is great fun. I had no problems with bugs or controls. You have nods to Romero's classic shufflers "walkers", and the fast runners of the 28 Days later and previously mentioned remakes. These "infected" are fantastic as they shriek and rush you. This not a great game but it sure is mighty fun.… Expand
  18. killiana1a
    Aug 30, 2012
    6
    Play co-op if you don't want this to become a grind. The first 5 hours of this game is amazing. Past that you ,may like I did, will find yourself running past zombies more than killing them. As for the protagonists, each is unique and based on racist and bigamist stereotypes of Black people, Southerners, Asians, and Women. The Southerner is an ex football player who is an alcoholic, thePlay co-op if you don't want this to become a grind. The first 5 hours of this game is amazing. Past that you ,may like I did, will find yourself running past zombies more than killing them. As for the protagonists, each is unique and based on racist and bigamist stereotypes of Black people, Southerners, Asians, and Women. The Southerner is an ex football player who is an alcoholic, the Black male is a rapper from South Central, the Asian is from China and is very subservient to her "fadda," and the Black Woman is a stereotypical b**ch. Other than that, they each play very differently. As for the gameplay, like I said earlier, there is nothing new past the first 5 hours. This game had potential, yet like too many games it languished in development too long and had too much fat tacked onto it.… Expand
  19. YipManSays
    Nov 22, 2011
    6
    Meh.... I was hoping for the perfect coupling of Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead and what I got was a technical nightmare. Let's start off with what it does right. Fun Co Op play and zombie hacking goodness with a Borderlands like leveling system. But I found that when I played by myself the game absolutely punished me with mobs of zombies I couldn't handle and game glitches with the compassMeh.... I was hoping for the perfect coupling of Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead and what I got was a technical nightmare. Let's start off with what it does right. Fun Co Op play and zombie hacking goodness with a Borderlands like leveling system. But I found that when I played by myself the game absolutely punished me with mobs of zombies I couldn't handle and game glitches with the compass and graphics. I had tons of fun playing with friends except for the part where if one of us died we spawned half way around the world away from everyone else! So at the end of the day it's meh. Good with friends bad by yourself. I think they've been patching the issues but Deep Silver shouldn't have let it been so unpolished.… Expand
  20. Mattyashy
    Feb 17, 2012
    9
    An absolutely fantastic game. It presents you with a lot of first person action horror/ thriller which will keep you engaged throughout the game. There are a mix of missions, Side missions and continuous activities. It is virtually impossible to become bored with this game until you finish it where the free roam element is withdrawn from the game causing you to restart the game from theAn absolutely fantastic game. It presents you with a lot of first person action horror/ thriller which will keep you engaged throughout the game. There are a mix of missions, Side missions and continuous activities. It is virtually impossible to become bored with this game until you finish it where the free roam element is withdrawn from the game causing you to restart the game from the begging or simply not to play it. The story in this game is undeniably one of the best stories you'll come across for a long time. The characters are very realistic in which you have people from across the world with accents which work very well with the person talking. Overall I give this game a 9/10 and not 10 because it lacks the ability to free roam at the end of the game which is down to the way the story ends but still a disappointing feature. And that the game doesn't present you with that feeling that you want to play it through again.… Expand
  21. jo_powell_77
    Nov 26, 2011
    4
    this is the worst zombie game i've played,it's not scary,it's not even funny.it fails at what it was supposed to do-be fun.the weapons break to easily,yes its supposed to be realistic but i dontnwant my machete which cost £2000 to repair be broken in 3 hits!theres never enough zombies at the right time,and when there are they're impossibly hard and there about 30 of themthis is the worst zombie game i've played,it's not scary,it's not even funny.it fails at what it was supposed to do-be fun.the weapons break to easily,yes its supposed to be realistic but i dontnwant my machete which cost £2000 to repair be broken in 3 hits!theres never enough zombies at the right time,and when there are they're impossibly hard and there about 30 of them crowding you.missions are reptative always going to get something for someone(i had to get a teddy once),guns are okay once you get a decent amount of ammo(which is hard to find in most of the game)overall this is a very poor game.only buy it when it's reduced to £10.… Expand
  22. Matriix
    Feb 13, 2012
    10
    Amazing, if you love zombies this is a must buy, i have over 100 hours in this game and i still love it, the combat is deeper then what you see in gameplay movies, its really nice to choose your angles and to get the perfect distance when you play with manually controlls. solid looting system and awsome drop in drop out co-op. in my mind this was better then borderlands.
  23. ages5andup
    Mar 11, 2012
    10
    Dead Island is one of the greatest zombie games to have ever been created. Dead island is an FPS & RPG. You don't use guns for the most part its normally melee but there are guns. What makes Dead Island so interesting is that it is a zombie game that is open world map. Before this the closest game was Dead Rising but in that game you where still forced to finish main quests within aDead Island is one of the greatest zombie games to have ever been created. Dead island is an FPS & RPG. You don't use guns for the most part its normally melee but there are guns. What makes Dead Island so interesting is that it is a zombie game that is open world map. Before this the closest game was Dead Rising but in that game you where still forced to finish main quests within a time limit. Another is the weapon customization. You can create so many things such as a clever that shoots electric currents through your foes bodies as you slice through them. There are also 4 players to choose from which gives better replay value. Multi-player on this game is amazing and has never let me down. Down sides are there are some bugs but they don't take away from the game so much, texture takes a while to load sometimes, and the voice acting isn't too well done. Get this game especially when it is the price it is now!… Expand
  24. a2toedmonkey
    Mar 21, 2012
    10
    Its a pretty good zombie game, it sets the atmosphere real well of an island, my only problem is, when you think zombies, you think hordes, at least I do. In this game the zombie hordes that do show up, are unstoppable, and real harsh. I do enjoy that the game seems realistic, such as not giving u loads of bullets to throw at zombies, but maybe I'm in a Romero mindset and I wanna see themIts a pretty good zombie game, it sets the atmosphere real well of an island, my only problem is, when you think zombies, you think hordes, at least I do. In this game the zombie hordes that do show up, are unstoppable, and real harsh. I do enjoy that the game seems realistic, such as not giving u loads of bullets to throw at zombies, but maybe I'm in a Romero mindset and I wanna see them shambling in mass. That is just a personal quirk however and won't detract from the score here. Overall, the zombies can be scary and the situations are realistic, except for the psycho zombie in the straight jacket, that is a little far fetched, but still lovable...in a zombie way. The real con's I guess are having to repair items almost constantly after combat. You could say the fights are to hard, but I think this adds to the realism of the game itself. Everyone in this world isn't some hulking badass who can take down the zombie menace with a butter knife. Controls are pretty good, I find the skill trees to be a bit to linear. Let me explain, you can get an unlock skill, but its down one of the trees, which means if you want to unlock boxes, you have to go down that tree to do that. I just didn't like the skill trees. Overall it was a fun game, and I'd play a second one, for some reason I remember hitting a tree with a machete and it bleeding, and I have seen a few bugs but nothing game breaking. Finally, the rapper sounds kinda like Morgan Freeman when he says his backstory :D… Expand
  25. Dynamithix
    Apr 5, 2012
    6
    Dead Island is a fun game to play in co-op or even alone. The combat system is quite good but the weapons break a bit too easily. The area(s) are really large and there's plenty to explore and the graphics are quite nice too. Essentially, it's a good game, one thing that I don't like though is the voice-acting of it, it's pretty bad. Some of the quests are just 'fetch this and come back'Dead Island is a fun game to play in co-op or even alone. The combat system is quite good but the weapons break a bit too easily. The area(s) are really large and there's plenty to explore and the graphics are quite nice too. Essentially, it's a good game, one thing that I don't like though is the voice-acting of it, it's pretty bad. Some of the quests are just 'fetch this and come back' quests and that's a bit annoying too. I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising and/or Fallout.… Expand
  26. Breegullbeak
    Jan 16, 2013
    2
    In the 7 years this game was begin developed, every single idea in this game was done and done better. This is the mutant offspring of Borderlands, Dead Rising, and Left for Dead. The game is a mess. If you want to shoot things with crazy weapons get Borderlands. If you want to kill zombies with crazy weapons get Dead Rising. If you want to just kill zombies get COD for all I care justIn the 7 years this game was begin developed, every single idea in this game was done and done better. This is the mutant offspring of Borderlands, Dead Rising, and Left for Dead. The game is a mess. If you want to shoot things with crazy weapons get Borderlands. If you want to kill zombies with crazy weapons get Dead Rising. If you want to just kill zombies get COD for all I care just avoid this game like the zombie plague.

    On a side note, I ignored the story through the entire game and was still left unsatisfied with the ending. The story is bad, the gameplay is awful, and the game is one of the few titles I've actually sold back to Game Stop in the past 5 years.    … Expand
  27. houyi111
    May 10, 2013
    7
    As a zombie game, this one is just so much fun and amazing. The background sound is just so creepy and man I love it. I won't say the game is hard, but you will die a lot, which is a good thing IMO. Oh, the island looks like a real paradise. The combat is solid and full of bloody violence. Although I like this game quite a lot, I just canNOT give this game a higher score. As a RPG game,As a zombie game, this one is just so much fun and amazing. The background sound is just so creepy and man I love it. I won't say the game is hard, but you will die a lot, which is a good thing IMO. Oh, the island looks like a real paradise. The combat is solid and full of bloody violence. Although I like this game quite a lot, I just canNOT give this game a higher score. As a RPG game, it is a total failure. Most of the quests are ridiculous and pointless, all the characters have no depth, the story is crap and the ending is lame.… Expand
  28. ChubblesTheGoat
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    This game has a good combat system, a decent story, tons of side missions and more! What else could you ask for?! The only thing from preventing this game from getting a perfect score was the graphics. The graphics are not bad, but not great.
  29. finch555
    May 20, 2013
    3
    Ok so i have been wanting to get a zombie based game for a long time and when i saw Dead Island game of the year on sail for $15 new i got it in a heart beat. I was super pumped to get home and play it. But just like a Vegas marriage it did not last long. With multiple texture errors, massive lag and multiple glitches, this game left me wanting to shoot my balls off with a shot gun. ButOk so i have been wanting to get a zombie based game for a long time and when i saw Dead Island game of the year on sail for $15 new i got it in a heart beat. I was super pumped to get home and play it. But just like a Vegas marriage it did not last long. With multiple texture errors, massive lag and multiple glitches, this game left me wanting to shoot my balls off with a shot gun. But with a pretty fun start to the game i was willing to look passed it. But then the glitches began to rip my eyes out and skull me. To begin some zombies started glitching out in a time where i need to kill them. then i had zombies who were arm less hit me and push me with ghost arms. At the end of the day i have not finished this game and i dont know if the massive rage that swells in my head is worth it.… Expand
  30. Tothedregs
    Jun 17, 2013
    7
    Let me start off by saying this game is fantastic! The story is fun to follow, many side missions are available for extra game play, xbox live co-op is a blast, and the graphics are excellent. My first play through took me 13 hours, and I enjoyed every second.
  31. coopert
    May 11, 2014
    0
    Really terrible. An awful idea that has been done to death executed poorly, this is the best thing I can say about this boring collaboration of design flaws. The trailer for this game also shows the problems with videogame marketing as it made the game look quite arty but no.
  32. PolisKanin
    Feb 28, 2014
    8
    Dead Island is not a perfect game, but you don't expect that coming into the game for the first time. I looked at the cover art, and expected it to be a pile of crap. However, it was actually a relatively good game, with an ok story, good controls, ok characters, ok graphics and good gameplay.
  33. Gazball
    Feb 10, 2014
    4
    How do you start with a game that is frustrating from the off? The missions make no sense, the combat is unfair, the weapons are useless, the AI is random, the zombies are always going to hit you and you are always going to miss them, guns are absolutely useless even though one of the characters is a "Weapons expert", the acting and cut scenes are so badly acted and animated that they areHow do you start with a game that is frustrating from the off? The missions make no sense, the combat is unfair, the weapons are useless, the AI is random, the zombies are always going to hit you and you are always going to miss them, guns are absolutely useless even though one of the characters is a "Weapons expert", the acting and cut scenes are so badly acted and animated that they are almost too painful to watch, Most of the higher level zombies (i.e thugs) are impossible to kill in one life unless you sink 30 bullets in to them and oh bullets are scarce, you die if you fall from a 10 foot roof, the game will spawn you right in the middle of a horde of zombies or humans who will instantly kill you again, did i mention the fights were very unfair? I could go on and on and on. The only saving grace is the fact that very very occasionally you will pull off a one swipe kill or a kick/slash combo which stirs some kind of emotion though I'm not sure if it's enjoyment or just relief at a break in in the monotony. I know this review is very late but if it stops just one person from buying this game then my work is done. I s'pose on reflection, a 4 was a bit of a high score for this game.… Expand
  34. TheColonel123
    Feb 20, 2014
    1
    I did it. I found a game worse than CoD. I really have. Never have I been such hyped to play a game, only to have that hype thrown into a **** blender, and out came a steaming pile of crap. I hate this game. I hate it. But... Why do I hate this game? HERES WHY: YOU CAN ONLY HIT 5 TIMES BEFORE HAVING TO WAIT AN HOUR TO HIT AGAIN, THERE ARE NO GUNS, HALF THE MAP IS UN-ACCESABLE, TRYING TOI did it. I found a game worse than CoD. I really have. Never have I been such hyped to play a game, only to have that hype thrown into a **** blender, and out came a steaming pile of crap. I hate this game. I hate it. But... Why do I hate this game? HERES WHY: YOU CAN ONLY HIT 5 TIMES BEFORE HAVING TO WAIT AN HOUR TO HIT AGAIN, THERE ARE NO GUNS, HALF THE MAP IS UN-ACCESABLE, TRYING TO KILL **** ISNT FUN, A TEDIOUS STORY NOBODY GIVES TWO CRAPS ABOUT, AND A TEDIOUS INVENTORY SYSTEM. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. PLEASE.… Expand
  35. Deusex
    Mar 2, 2014
    5
    Pros:
    Long. 20 hours or more.
    Fun.
    Addictive in a way.

    Cons:
    Repetitive.
    Cheesy.
    Bad voice acting.
    Bad story.
    Too easy.
    Not scary what so ever.
  36. Rollie
    Jul 23, 2014
    9
    Who do you voodoo ****

    This game is another one I have played over and over quite a few times! Simply because of the playable characters you get to choose from: Logan Purna Xian Sam B All 4 characters have their own special ability. Released in 2011 this is still a game I could go back to and happily play without getting bored, the zombies, the weapons, just so much yes in    Who do you voodoo ****

    This game is another one I have played over and over quite a few times! Simply because of the playable characters you get to choose from:

    Logan
    Purna
    Xian
    Sam B

    All 4 characters have their own special ability.

    Released in 2011 this is still a game I could go back to and happily play without getting bored, the zombies, the weapons, just so much yes in one package!

    Nothing is more fun than smacking a zombie round the head with a paddle, because F-you zombie!

    The storyline is great and really well driven, there are a lot of things to do on it seeing as it's a large scaled map with vehicles but... I think the driving wasn't that good, some will agree, some won't...

    There were some parts in the game that actually made me jump, so it does actually have a scare factor! Still better than Resident Evil 5 (God I hate that game so much, urgh.)

    You also get to experience the enjoyment of fly kicking a zombie in the head, too awesome! (Do not try this at home unless you have an extremely annoying sibling, in that case, it's acceptable).

    LOTS of blood, after all you are literally amputating and dismembering a person, so not for the faint hearted. (Yet again, do not try this at home. Annoying siblings is not an acceptable excuse this time round.)

    Online Co-op is so much fun! I do recommend playing with a friend to make your experience more fun than solo. (Haha, that could also mean 2 things, stay focused guys.)

    You will never be short of quests in this game as there is a large amount of them. Some are never ending, such as finding something for someone in exchange for money or pills, not exactly accurate but you get the idea!

    Anyway, must have in your game collection, 9/10.    … Expand
  37. FREEMAN0905
    Dec 2, 2014
    1
    Para mí, lo más importante en un videojuego es la variedad en su desarrollo jugable. Esta cosa sólo va de machacar zombis (demasiado resistentes) y buscar objetos por el escenario. Así, sin más. El juego más repetitivo que he jugado en los últimos años. Esta bazofia sólo debería venderse con la etiqueta "online", porque los juegos malos sólo sirven para eso.
  38. AverageGamer381
    Sep 9, 2015
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Dead Island is a horribly-designed, buggy and glitchy game that has some ideas that are actually pretty sweet, but unfortunately the negatives outweigh the positives, and the repetitive missions, frustrating weapon durability system, and let's not forget the overpowered bosses destroy the experience.

    The story begins as you (one of four playable characters with different stats), arrive at a beach resort on the island of Banoi, and the place becomes overrun with zombies. You start off with using beach paddles and twigs to fight walkers, and gradually work your way up to gaining weapons such as axes, sledgehammers, and guns to fight a variety of the undead. Just be aware it will take a long time to gain such weapons, about 15-20 hours of dull gameplay. The first few chapters take place in the beautiful beach resort, which admittedly is refreshing, but after the first 10% of the game you are thrown into a long list of dull and depressing settings, including an abandoned village, SEWERS, a jungle and a prison. Yay.

    The gameplay is fun to begin. Levelling up is quick and the skills, although not all are useful, are quite entertaining, like the ability to stomp on the head of a fallen enemy, whatever their health. I was looking forward to unlocking the guns, but they are awful. The damage, range and accuracy is low and headshots are almost impossible as the aiming is some of the worst I've ever seen. Around halfway through the game you'll have access to the most powerful weapons in the game, so you'll most likely use them for the remainder of the game and nothing else apart from medpacks. And maybe a rifle for the human enemies. Oh yeah, there's human enemies. Their AI is retarded, they can't shoot anything further than three feet away and they'll just stand there, shooting the cover your hiding behind, with seemingly infinite ammo, until you move on.

    I'm going to list the problems now. Zombies will just vanish for no reason. Some weapons don't seem to do any damage unless you're aiming directly at the enemy. The graphics are average and the aesthetics are as ugly as, never mind. And (SPOILERS, I GUESS), there's a mission in the final quarter of the game where you must escort someone about five miles through jungley terrain with dozens of infected charging mercilessly at you. I restarted that mission fourteen times, and EVERY SINGLE TIME she glitched through the floor. I even turned the xbox off and on again and it still occured.

    If you can persuade a friend or two to buy this horror, the game might be more fun, as it has up to 4 player co-op, but single-player it is worse than having your teeth pulled out slowly by your crush from school.    … Expand
  39. MiguelNeto
    Dec 27, 2016
    7
    Dead Island é um jogo divertido, tem um mundo aberto interesante, um enredo mediano e bem cliche até, e o jogo pega muitos elemento do excelente Left for Dead, os personagens que são jogaveis nao chegam a ser profundos, mais sao personagens legais, e cada um tem a sua vantagem, o grafico é bom, mais eu sofri muitos bugs, a dificuldade é boa, tem momentos dificeis, o trabalho de voz é bom,Dead Island é um jogo divertido, tem um mundo aberto interesante, um enredo mediano e bem cliche até, e o jogo pega muitos elemento do excelente Left for Dead, os personagens que são jogaveis nao chegam a ser profundos, mais sao personagens legais, e cada um tem a sua vantagem, o grafico é bom, mais eu sofri muitos bugs, a dificuldade é boa, tem momentos dificeis, o trabalho de voz é bom, a fisica é bem fraca, e a trilha sonora é legal, é um jogo legal. Nota 7.2… Expand
  40. FeerFrikazus
    Mar 3, 2017
    9
    Es un buen juego, motivos: casi no tiene caídas de fps, las misiones principales y secundarias son muy entretenidas, tiene gran cantidad de contenido, se puede jugar en cooperativo, tiene un sistema de mejoras de armas bueno, una cantidad de armas excelente, mapa grande, los zombis son normales, los jefes son buenos,
    Si te gustan los zombis este juego es perfecto para vos, y si no te lo    Es un buen juego, motivos: casi no tiene caídas de fps, las misiones principales y secundarias son muy entretenidas, tiene gran cantidad de contenido, se puede jugar en cooperativo, tiene un sistema de mejoras de armas bueno, una cantidad de armas excelente, mapa grande, los zombis son normales, los jefes son buenos,
    Si te gustan los zombis este juego es perfecto para vos, y si no te lo recomiendo igualmente ya que es muy divertido.    … Expand
  41. Jobadkins
    May 8, 2012
    10
    This game is pure genius!In the end after you analyze this game in every way,put in over 30 hours,you realize that other zombie games are in the dark ages compared to this game.Left 4 dead 2 and Dead Rising:Off the record are the #2 and 3 next best zombie games ever, but this game trumps it,Ace of spades style!10
  42. hamsammich
    Oct 19, 2011
    8
    This game is pretty awesome. Gameplay and graphis are good. Super gory and creepy at times. The cgi cutscenes were downright awful though. Many of them appeared to be unfinished and they sometimes referenced things that had not yet happened. The developers should have left them out entirely. This game's plot was pretty weak anyway. That said, the gameplay and overall experience was solidThis game is pretty awesome. Gameplay and graphis are good. Super gory and creepy at times. The cgi cutscenes were downright awful though. Many of them appeared to be unfinished and they sometimes referenced things that had not yet happened. The developers should have left them out entirely. This game's plot was pretty weak anyway. That said, the gameplay and overall experience was solid and kept my interest. It's a fallout-esque, super violent zombie game.… Expand
  43. Engage
    Sep 23, 2011
    9
    I'll start off by saying that I would give Dead Island a 9.5 if I were able. Dead Island is a fantastic game on all fronts. I'm blown away by the graphics, Im not going to lie, I had my doubts going in, but I can safely say that if you have an HDTV, this game does not disappoint. Killing zombies by decapitation and cutting off their limbs NEVER gets old due to the realism of theI'll start off by saying that I would give Dead Island a 9.5 if I were able. Dead Island is a fantastic game on all fronts. I'm blown away by the graphics, Im not going to lie, I had my doubts going in, but I can safely say that if you have an HDTV, this game does not disappoint. Killing zombies by decapitation and cutting off their limbs NEVER gets old due to the realism of the effects of the aftermath/cutting of the limbs. Getting to level 50 is right where you would want it, not too close but not too far away. What really makes the game last are the skill trees that you invest points in to become the ultimate zombie killer/survivor. The story is a little weak but really it is just there to give you an excuse to kill zombies all day long, which is fine by me. Think of Borderlands in that way, no good story but endless hours of looting and killing. The game can get a little tough sometimes, even when playing cooperatively because zombies are a tough fight and occasionally they really start to cluster you. All the reports of glitches are so far unknown to me (I recommend a download to your hard drive because I have had no issues at all, minus a few game freezes when things get real hectic). Bottom line is that Dead Island offers tons of hours of gameplay, which are accompanied with beautiful visuals and tons of looting. Its a big world to explore and should go down as one of the best games of 2011. Ignore the reports of "game breaking bugs" and also ignore Edge Magazine's review because I think a retard wrote it. They were looking for stuff to hate and threw out whatever they found and made it sound awful, which it is not. I hate wasting my money on video games and I did not with Dead Island. Highly recommend.… Expand
  44. TheQuietGamer
    Nov 5, 2011
    9
    If you like Zombies this is the game to get, yes it does have a lot of flaws but it's still one of the most fun Zombie games I've ever played, and isn't how fun the game is that matters? sure you could complain that it has some bugs and could use polish in several areas, but when you only focus on the negative you'll never realize how fun this game is, it play like a mix of Left 4 Dead andIf you like Zombies this is the game to get, yes it does have a lot of flaws but it's still one of the most fun Zombie games I've ever played, and isn't how fun the game is that matters? sure you could complain that it has some bugs and could use polish in several areas, but when you only focus on the negative you'll never realize how fun this game is, it play like a mix of Left 4 Dead and Borderlands with a touch of Fallout 3 and Dead rising 2, so in other words it's a lot of fun, tons of quests, fantastic co-op multiplayer, and the ability to play through it again with your leveled up character means this game could keep you busy for possibly hundreds of hours, my only real complaints are that the story and cutscenes are not very interesting, and the four main characters you have to choose from all come across as selfish, unlikable jerks, and it could use a better save system, one like Fallout 3's would be nice, but even with it's flaws this is still a fantastic game that I can recommend to any and all gamers and Zombie lovers.… Expand
  45. rotku
    Oct 24, 2011
    7
    Good game which I felt was a cross between left for dead and grand theft auto. The plot is predictable but not boring and the concept of weapon and player development did add depth to the gameplay however where i felt this game stepped up a notch was in the online co-op play which actually gave a feel for the need to co-operate as a team and punished players who tried to kill allGood game which I felt was a cross between left for dead and grand theft auto. The plot is predictable but not boring and the concept of weapon and player development did add depth to the gameplay however where i felt this game stepped up a notch was in the online co-op play which actually gave a feel for the need to co-operate as a team and punished players who tried to kill all zombies/collect all goodies without their teammates.
    A second playthrough may give some further depth to this game and perhaps the upcoming DLC will show something different but either way this is recommended for anybody who enjoys basing zombies to pieces.    … Expand
  46. DANIPSX
    Sep 28, 2011
    9
    Great game!.

    This game can remember you another games like fallout, oblivion or similar, but the story and the maps are not bigger than these games. The game has some fails, but its really addictive and the new abilities that you are learning across the game are great. You have a lot of secondary histories and a cooperative game with another 3 people, so the game life grows. The    Great game!.

    This game can remember you another games like fallout, oblivion or similar, but the story and the maps are not bigger than these games.

    The game has some fails, but its really addictive and the new abilities that you are learning across the game are great.

    You have a lot of secondary histories and a cooperative game with another 3 people, so the game life grows.

    The graphics are really great, and the music and ambient are great too!.    … Expand
  47. FatalExcursion
    Sep 15, 2011
    8
    Dead Island's strong points lie not in its story, but in its unique gameplay that provides some of the most intense combat in a zombie game, requiring you to watch your teammates backs, and they to protect you as well. With the crafting of diverse weapons, a mixture of more in-depth Dead Rising crafting, and Borderlands-esque weapon modification system, and a beautiful and dangerous worldDead Island's strong points lie not in its story, but in its unique gameplay that provides some of the most intense combat in a zombie game, requiring you to watch your teammates backs, and they to protect you as well. With the crafting of diverse weapons, a mixture of more in-depth Dead Rising crafting, and Borderlands-esque weapon modification system, and a beautiful and dangerous world to explore, and tons of skill combinations to experiment with in combat, this game provides a thrilling experience that's both horrifying and satisfying at the same time; a near-perfect zombie-survival experience.… Expand
  48. drlowdon
    Jun 25, 2018
    6
    Thanks in large part to the misleading trailer released a few months before the games arrival Dead Island has come in for a lot of criticism. Leading gamers to believe that it was going to aim for a more mature and emotional narrative than other games in the genre it becomes apparent with five minutes of actually playing it that this is simply not the case. In typical unimaginative videoThanks in large part to the misleading trailer released a few months before the games arrival Dead Island has come in for a lot of criticism. Leading gamers to believe that it was going to aim for a more mature and emotional narrative than other games in the genre it becomes apparent with five minutes of actually playing it that this is simply not the case. In typical unimaginative video game style virtually every mission is little more than a glorified fetch quest, most of which are set up by poorly scripted cut-scenes, and even more disappointingly the overall plot involves little more than trying to escape from the titular ‘Dead Island’.

    For those willing to overlook this blatantly untruthful pre-release marketing however there is a fairly decent co-operative experience to be found. Much of the combat, particularly in the games first half, is of the hand to hand variety with guns and ammo initially hard to come by and often of little use when overwhelmed by the undead. Early reviews and forums seemed unhappy with the consistency of the collision detection during said combat but if there were problems they seem to have been patched and the impressive variety of weapons available, as well as the special moves and combos that can be unlocked, allows for some hard hitting melee encounters. Unlike a number of ‘action-horror’ titles that have recently seen the light of day you rarely, if ever, feel overpowered and wandering alone down the wrong alleyway can lead to a quick death. It would have been preferable had the punishment for dying been more severe than losing a small proportion of your money (It could have for example followed the Dark Souls route and forced the player to return to the spot to receive lost experience points) but, rightly or wrongly, Dead Island seems intent on remain as accessible as possible to a mainstream crowd.

    There are a few other issues including the odd bug that prevented us from completing a couple of side-missions and zombies occasionally seemed to spawn behind us despite there not being anywhere for them to have come from but overall, especially now that it can be found for around £15, Dead Island may be worth a look for those after a game to play with a few mates.    … Expand
  49. gemini0577
    Nov 19, 2011
    8
    I am not a fan of 1st person shooter games. I generally like to play 3rd person RPG type games. Yet, this game (like the Left 4 Dead series) captivates my interest to the point that the 1st person perspective really doesn't bother me. It is a fun game, but it does have its kinks. For starters, this game is intended for multiple players and the difficulty of some situations reflects that.I am not a fan of 1st person shooter games. I generally like to play 3rd person RPG type games. Yet, this game (like the Left 4 Dead series) captivates my interest to the point that the 1st person perspective really doesn't bother me. It is a fun game, but it does have its kinks. For starters, this game is intended for multiple players and the difficulty of some situations reflects that. It is not impossible to play alone but there are moments where someone else's presence would be undeniably helpful. Another problem is its glitchiness. There are moments where the frame will freeze and when it unfreezes you find yourself a few steps back. There is also this weird thing with disappearing zombies. Sometimes, respawning after death places you in the most odd places, which can be frustrating if you die enroute to a far-off destination. Still, there is no denying that this game is fun. I'm practically addicted to it. Going after Thugs is all the rage. Some of the quest stories are intriguing, some challenging, and some are silly (fetching a woman's teddy bear, for example) and the game's pace is pretty swift. Also rounding out the plus side is the scenery. Wow, this game is set in a beautiful place and this only adds to the intrigue because who'd expect such ugliness from paradise?… Expand
  50. MadclownJack
    Sep 18, 2011
    9
    I really loved this game. I get why people hate it at the moment, having bought the shoddy version the minute it got out and then screamed in unison because of it's innumerable and crippling bugs. In my honest opinion, they should have just waited a week or two, for the patches to get out instead of just whining to high heaven. Again, i must say I completely understand the frustration ofI really loved this game. I get why people hate it at the moment, having bought the shoddy version the minute it got out and then screamed in unison because of it's innumerable and crippling bugs. In my honest opinion, they should have just waited a week or two, for the patches to get out instead of just whining to high heaven. Again, i must say I completely understand the frustration of buying something only to be let down in the worst manner possible. No game to date, that i'm aware of, came out "Gold" right away, so you just needn't be so hasty to throw it away without even a second glance.People seem to forget that buying a game nowadays tends to be a risky and ungratifying endeavor, because of the impossible terms the publishing companies impose on the developers who in turn rush the unfinished games to stores. In all fairness, rarely does it happen for a game to stay shoddy and not get patched. Usually a patch follows shortly.

    The game itself is fun and engaging, showing a more realistic approach towards the whole zombie apocalypse shindig than i've seen so far. And you can preach to me about Left 4 Dead and the likes as much as your fingers can bear. Truth is, Left 4 Dead and Dead Island only share a theme. The gameplay mechanics are completely different. So it's dumb to compare them in the first place. After installing all of the patches i haven't had any trouble with the game, and i just finished my first playthrough. The story is a little bland and cliche, as is the case with many other games that have lately come out. But at least this game doesn't kid it'self and the player that it's something more than it shows. It's a simple, yet complicated, thrill ride, packed with action segments and rewarding gameplay. Many have described it as "Borderlands with zombies", but there are some key features that distinguish the game from Borderlands a little bit. The main feature being it's "Weapon Modification/Creation" feature. I expect there will be more weapons and mods in future DLC, which I think will only add to the whole experience of the game. To those who have played Borderlands the system will be quite familiar and will have no problem adapting to this game. Those who have played Resident Evil 5, will notice a similar atmosphere when they arrive in the city of Moresby. Not saying the game is original, but it's implemented features, be they action or rpg oriented, work surprisingly well as a whole.

    I will end by admitting that this is one of the better games I've played lately, better even than "Deus Ex HR". I anxiously await any and all DLC of this game, and recommend anyone that hasn't played it yet to do so, but only after patching it up properly.    … Expand
  51. Sithlord4885
    Nov 26, 2011
    8
    After finishing Dead Island, I must say it is really one of the more brilliant games of the year. Nothing new or original, but mixing different genres like never before to create a unique, enjoyable product. Glitchy at times, and suffers from poor storytelling at moments as well, but overall very enjoyable with lots of replay value.
  52. jcop678
    Nov 29, 2011
    10
    I love this game its so fun! I get one mature game every three months if i have straight a's I know my mom is mean but i digress. I preordered it in june when i was let out of school. I do not in anyway regret this decsion I wanted a game that could last awhile. I started playing in september and im still playing i greatly recomend this game. If you love slashing zombies and making weaponsI love this game its so fun! I get one mature game every three months if i have straight a's I know my mom is mean but i digress. I preordered it in june when i was let out of school. I do not in anyway regret this decsion I wanted a game that could last awhile. I started playing in september and im still playing i greatly recomend this game. If you love slashing zombies and making weapons you'll love this amazing game… Expand
  53. ZachShreds
    Dec 29, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a game I have been anticipating for ever since the first trailer was released however long ago, and I can say in full honesty, it was worth anticipating. I will try my best to keep spoilers out of this review but it will be difficult. I might as well start with the comparison of the game to the cinematic trailer. I must say, even though the game is good, the actual story isn't as dramatic or sad as I hoped compared to the trailer, but, strangely, the game's environment fits perfectly with the trailer: a perfect paradise gone to hell. Enough comparison with the trailer though, lets move on to the world itself. The game did a good job with immersion in the world in the way that you are fighting for survival and, under certain conditions, you can feel incredibly weak or strong based on the current environment. For instance, when you walk into a hotel for the first time, you are faced with a big challenge and feel weak, but when walking down the roads and find a standard zombie feasting on the remains of a poor man or woman, you kill it with ease. The world itself also feels very dynamic compared to other rpgs. Like you can find survivors who don't necessarily have a part in the story but can carry sidequests like a standard rpg, but they effect the world sometimes and they usually making it feel less of a task just to get XP and more like you are doing it to help the survivors. As an example, you find a car crashed into a house and a girl yelling for your assistance inside. If you do choose to move the car you meet Sarah and Bill(I do not remember the specific names of the characters so I just improvised). Sarah tells you to help Bill who was in the bathroom injured. When you walk inside you notice a decent amount of blood, a dead body, and Bill, who has a bloody cast on his arm. Now, anyone who has ever seen or played a zombie game sees this coming, but in case I really, really have to say it: Bill got bit and he has no idea he is going to become a zombie. What he says though is to take Sarah to the lighthouse(a major location of the game and a stronghold for survivors. After taking her to the stronghold she asks of you to check on Bill. Though it is not a quest, if you go on check on Bill, as a complete shock and surprise: he is a zombie! So when you do this you feel remorse and pity for the couple and this is just a small example of the immersion this game has. The graphics in this game are remarkable in the aspect of a paradise sent to hell. They also include things like screams and moans far away and, a very memorable moment, a very loud, but muffled scream to introduce the second zombie type of the game a few minutes later. The combat of the game is especially amazing. It is based around melee weapons(which is extremely satisfying and gruesome) but you can get weapons later on and there also is a character skilled in firearms to choose. Which honestly makes sense seeing how in a paradise you aren't going to find a gun lying around with more ammo than humanly possible to carry. In a bold sense it is basically a first person free roam game focused on melee combat set in a dream island gone wrong. It has horror, action, drama, and rpg elements, and if you have it in your heart for one more zombie game, let it be this masterpiece.

    Please note this is my first review so take it easy on me if you don't agree.    … Expand
  54. MadCap1987
    Sep 19, 2011
    9
    first of all id like to point out that i think alot of the low scoring reviewers probably didnt play much of the game to let it all settle in, after about 40 hours worth of gameplay and about 60% of my way through the game on single player and playing it with a buddy of mine, that its by far one of the best games to have came out this year, sure it has a few bus but theyre being correctedfirst of all id like to point out that i think alot of the low scoring reviewers probably didnt play much of the game to let it all settle in, after about 40 hours worth of gameplay and about 60% of my way through the game on single player and playing it with a buddy of mine, that its by far one of the best games to have came out this year, sure it has a few bus but theyre being corrected with updates pretty sharpish. Im also left wondering why the pc version has a much higher rating than the xbox version despite the xbox version being the platform it was primarily developed for and ported over to pc and ps3, not to mention the fact that the pc versions release was hampered my alot of set backs such as the accidental release of the dev version on steam instead of the retail version, keep in mind this game has been in development hell since the 360's early days, baring that in mind the game is phenominal. If this game were a drug id be lying overdosed in my room right now, complete and utter game crack, buy it now, id say that its even better than deus ex human revolution.… Expand
  55. Seraphiel
    Nov 29, 2011
    7
    Dead Island is a fun and unique game which is let down by a poor storyline, repetitive fetch quests and a poorly conceived respawning system. Obviously the thing that catches everyone's eye is the combat in the game which is done remarkably well. Very few games can bring the same satisfaction when you swing an oar into a zombies face or break the arm of a flailing brute with your trustyDead Island is a fun and unique game which is let down by a poor storyline, repetitive fetch quests and a poorly conceived respawning system. Obviously the thing that catches everyone's eye is the combat in the game which is done remarkably well. Very few games can bring the same satisfaction when you swing an oar into a zombies face or break the arm of a flailing brute with your trusty baseball bat and nothing is quite so satisfying as timing a machete swing correctly and perfectly decapitating an infected charging towards you. Many hours can be spent testing out new weapons on Zombies and seeing the satisfyingly gory effects without getting bored. However weapons break down with annoying frequency making for some tense (and often annoying) dashes back to a safehouse to repair them. The magnum opus of the game is it's landscape which is simply breath taking at the times you can stop fleeing from zombies long enough to appreciate it and the open world aspect of the game is rather well done. Something which is less than breath taking is the storyline which offers tantalising questions such as "how did this happen?", "why am I immune?", "who is the mysterious voice on the radio and are they on our side?" but then either completely fails to answer them or does but in a totally ludicrous way. The ending is similar with a plot twist which is so utterly ridiculous that it seems that the writers just threw it in there because they had a checklist and "plot twist" wasn't ticked yet. Similarly some of the side missions are just as poorly thought out [Very Minor Spoiler] as in one a thirsty woman implores you to fetch and bring back water because she is dieing of thirst while she has five or more full cans of drink dotted around her house. [Spoilers End} Similarly the characters are just really annoying and the player feels very little empathy with the at best bland and at worst very annoying personalities of the characters. Another problem is that almost every mission is a fetch and bring back mission, this is made bearable by the fact that driving in the game is rather fun but there is only a certain amount of times I can run over the same 12 respawning zombies on the same stretch of road before going from point A to point B and then back to point A again gets tedious. Another large problem is that there is almost no penalty for dieing, there is a minor penalty for dieing which is that you lose a very small amount of money and then you respawn (often close to your objective). This may not seem like much but it takes away the survival horror aspect of a game which is based on survival horror. While this review probably makes the game sound terrible the first person zombie killing open world based gameplay is actually fun enough to help you get over these horrific flaws in the game. After writing this I have no idea why I like it enough to give it a 7/10 but the game does have a certain charm and the gameplay is a redeeming feature and certainly the "Who Do You Voodoo" song in the intro is worth at least two points all by itself.… Expand
  56. Bighairyturtle
    Sep 29, 2011
    8
    Pros:
    1. Weapon variety and creation.
    2. Entertaining and challenging fighting controls and interface. 3. Fair story and lots to do. 4. Scenery is Pretty and engaging. Cons: 1. Driving 2. Starts off slow in my opinion 3. Save system can be better and is buggy at points 4.Needs some polishing. Summary: I enjoyed this game the classes, weapons, fighting, and story were all great.    Pros:
    1. Weapon variety and creation.
    2. Entertaining and challenging fighting controls and interface.
    3. Fair story and lots to do.
    4. Scenery is Pretty and engaging.
    Cons:
    1. Driving
    2. Starts off slow in my opinion
    3. Save system can be better and is buggy at points
    4.Needs some polishing.

    Summary: I enjoyed this game the classes, weapons, fighting, and story were all great. Unfortunately the some of the flaws and lack of polishing can make this game frustrating and take away from the experience. After a patch and the price drop I think this will be a solid game to turn to when you want some story, zombie violence, and fps feel.

    8/10    … Expand
  57. Oswald
    Oct 4, 2011
    9
    Dead Island is a great game! Right after completing Dead island, I jumped into Gears Of War 3. Just finished Gears 3, another great game, but I find myself thinking about Dead Island again. It's that fun. I am writing this knowing I have Rage waiting at home for me. Point being, if a game impresses that much its got to be good. I hope to see Dead Island 2 someday.

    Wonderful    Dead Island is a great game! Right after completing Dead island, I jumped into Gears Of War 3. Just finished Gears 3, another great game, but I find myself thinking about Dead Island again. It's that fun. I am writing this knowing I have Rage waiting at home for me. Point being, if a game impresses that much its got to be good. I hope to see Dead Island 2 someday.

    Wonderful graphics, butter smooth framerate. Great artwork. Loved the side quests too. They seemed to fit well.    … Expand
  58. MrMassakka
    Apr 3, 2013
    7
    Dead Island is one of the best zombie games I have ever played. It has some issues, but none of them are really game-breaking.
    The graphics are pretty good at some parts and ridiculous at others.The tropical feeling on a beautiful island was caught quite good though.
    I have expected more from the story after the famous emotional announcement trailer. You are immune to the virus (no one    Dead Island is one of the best zombie games I have ever played. It has some issues, but none of them are really game-breaking.
    The graphics are pretty good at some parts and ridiculous at others.The tropical feeling on a beautiful island was caught quite good though.
    I have expected more from the story after the famous emotional announcement trailer. You are immune to the virus (no one knows why) and try to escape with mysterious person that somehow has the only helicopter on the holiday island. It's not really original or special in any way.
    The Gameplay itself is where the fun is at: 4 friends on a free-roaming island with zombies. The standalone idea is awesome and worked out well with RPG elements and a sunny tropical island to explore with your friends. I really got to love this game for it's individuality and atmosphere.

    There is a lack of story, but the nice tech, the fresh concept and very enjoyable gameplay make it a fantastic action/roleplaying game that deserves to be played. A Must-Have for every zombie fan in my opinion.    … Expand
  59. GentlemanRick
    Nov 7, 2011
    6
    Where to starttttt, well this game is just bad ass, hands down. The graphics are amazing, the zombies are very realistic, and the campaign is legit. There are soo many different guns and stuff you can customize and they can all do really sweet stuff. This game is just simply amazing!!
  60. Jarbas6
    Jan 27, 2012
    6
    When I first played Dead Island, I was amazed. The island looked beautiful, and killing zombies was as fun as it still is. But, as the story ran, I began to feel disappointed. Why? Because the whole game is that. The great island, with sewers, a city, and beaches, and the fun behind killing zombies. That's it. All of the 15 hours of gameplay are killing zombies, taking money and energyWhen I first played Dead Island, I was amazed. The island looked beautiful, and killing zombies was as fun as it still is. But, as the story ran, I began to feel disappointed. Why? Because the whole game is that. The great island, with sewers, a city, and beaches, and the fun behind killing zombies. That's it. All of the 15 hours of gameplay are killing zombies, taking money and energy drinks, and then killing more zombies. I mean, that's cool, but what about the rest? Graphics are okay, but the game is glitched everywhere. The different types of zombies are creative, but is so annoying that a zombie can knock you down and you will take 5 seconds to get up without doing anything. Co-op is fun, but lagged. Everything in this game has a "but", and Dead Island gets a 6 because I found myself rushing to finish the story because I was getting sick of doing the same thing for 15 hours: killing zombies.… Expand
  61. emanuel83
    Sep 18, 2011
    8
    In our current gaming society where games are nitpicked to oblivion, and every glitch and shortcoming are spouted to the online community, Dead Island may look bad on paper. Why some may focus on bugs, graphical errors and the like, they will undoubtedly miss the boat. Dead Island has flaws with clipping, loading textures, hit detection, balance, saving (on some platforms), and even basicIn our current gaming society where games are nitpicked to oblivion, and every glitch and shortcoming are spouted to the online community, Dead Island may look bad on paper. Why some may focus on bugs, graphical errors and the like, they will undoubtedly miss the boat. Dead Island has flaws with clipping, loading textures, hit detection, balance, saving (on some platforms), and even basic gameplay that you think should have been addressed during testing. However, as you make your way through the body littered island of Banoi, you start to forget some of these issues while gazing at the simply gorgeous landscape. Suddenly you are brought back to reality by the distant roar of a Thug. You look around quickly and see an Infected running towards you full boar and think, "Crap...." Armed with only a baseball bat, you kick the crazed zombie then crack his head open with a perfectly executed swing. Blood and brain matter spray on the sand as the recently bloodthirsty brain muncher now lies motionless. It is that this time that you forget any criticism you had of Dead Island.

    Dispatching one of these undead foes is, to put it very lightly, refreshing. The motion of the camera, the first person perspective, the way enemies react to the force of a hit. It's all so satisfying that pretty soon you've spent 5 hours running around slaughtering the undead and haven't even done a quest. Every friend you have join your game only seems to amplify the experience. To me it's a lot like Borderlands, except with zombies... and melee weapons instead of guns (for the most part). It takes many cues from that title, but doesn't really do anything better, or even quite as good. Much like Borderlands, however, the co-op is endless fun and should be played in 5-7 hour increments.

    I remember a time when games were given good ratings because of how fun they were, and not necessarily how perfect they were technically. If you want a good time and love zombie genocide, then check it out!    … Expand
  62. illage2
    Sep 26, 2011
    9
    Dead Island has to be one of the best games out this year. It's on a different setting as in media Zombies outbreak occur in either cities or countryside, and putting it on a tropical island is original. The graphics are amazing, you feel like your actually on the fictional island on Banoi.

    The combat, the gore and the general game play make this game very enjoyable. Well worth getting.
  63. Dallange2point0
    Sep 26, 2011
    9
    I really enjoy this game. The main quest is a bit short, but there are so many side quests to do that are actually quite fun. The storyline is good. You won't get sucked into it or anything, but that could have been worse. For the people complaining that it's all melee, well, they should have played longer, as there are guns to use, and although they don't make short work of theI really enjoy this game. The main quest is a bit short, but there are so many side quests to do that are actually quite fun. The storyline is good. You won't get sucked into it or anything, but that could have been worse. For the people complaining that it's all melee, well, they should have played longer, as there are guns to use, and although they don't make short work of the zombies you'll encounter, they do put an end to the non-dead rather quickly. I also tend to use the guns for bloaters and (man, I HATE these guys) butchers from a distance (be sure to finish these guys off, as they have a nasty habit of healing themselves). I'd have to say the most tense moments are when you are traveling in the sewers. There have also been complaints of the zombies leveling up with your character. Although that is partially true (you'll have zombies that are both lower and a bit higher than your character), what fun would it be if you can just go around with your level 40 character bashing a bunch of level 1 zombies? I can answer that, as I joined a game of a friend who had a low level character. It was too easy, and although it was great to feel like Superman for a while, that feeling left rather quickly. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go repair my weapons so I can effectively crush in some more zombie heads.… Expand
  64. HeavyLead
    Oct 3, 2011
    7
    Dead Island is some of what it is and some not. This game is a fantastic zombie killing game. It does have fantastic RPG elements with all the upgrading, mods, upkeep, and scavenging needed for each weapon. This game however is not one where you will be immersed in the world, plot, characters, etc. There is really no likable characters, they all have cheesy accents and their stereotypicalDead Island is some of what it is and some not. This game is a fantastic zombie killing game. It does have fantastic RPG elements with all the upgrading, mods, upkeep, and scavenging needed for each weapon. This game however is not one where you will be immersed in the world, plot, characters, etc. There is really no likable characters, they all have cheesy accents and their stereotypical dialogue isn't even laughable its just sad. Nothing story wise about this game is memorable...now that I have that out of the way this game excels at both graphics and audio. This is one of the best looking zombie games I have played. The audio is also top notch, as you can hear bones break as you hit a zombies arm with a baseball bat. This game should be played with 4 people to get a full experience, nothing like killing zombies with a friend. There isn't alot of replay value after you beat the game, joining a lower level players game is laughable because of how slowly you'll rank up. Overall, good game, but could have been better. 7/10… Expand
  65. awesomex1980
    Sep 27, 2011
    9
    I think some of you nerdy types are a little hyper-critical of the bugs in the game. Yeah, there are some glitches, yeah, sometimes zombies freeze on you, your game may not save correctly. But, and I can't believe I'm comparing them, Oblivion had pretty much the same bugs, and this game actually plays smoother. All-in-all it is a very large, complex, challenging game. It was very wellI think some of you nerdy types are a little hyper-critical of the bugs in the game. Yeah, there are some glitches, yeah, sometimes zombies freeze on you, your game may not save correctly. But, and I can't believe I'm comparing them, Oblivion had pretty much the same bugs, and this game actually plays smoother. All-in-all it is a very large, complex, challenging game. It was very well crafted for the budget they had. In my opinion, if you liked Borderlands, this is the game for you.… Expand
  66. Jonathon
    Sep 29, 2011
    9
    I waited a long time for this game and it definitely met my huge expectations for it. I have been hooked on the game ever since i bought and playing the game with a friend greatly added to the experience. I've only had it for two days and I'm 78% done with the game, but even if the main story line is short there are always the great side quests which give you xp, mods, weapons, and alot ofI waited a long time for this game and it definitely met my huge expectations for it. I have been hooked on the game ever since i bought and playing the game with a friend greatly added to the experience. I've only had it for two days and I'm 78% done with the game, but even if the main story line is short there are always the great side quests which give you xp, mods, weapons, and alot of cool stuff. I read some of the negative reviews people have wrote and most of them were because of glitches and bugs but other then some pop ins and other minor stuff i haven't had any game breaking bugs. Me and my friend were able to join and leave our games at will. The reason I gave this game a 9 instead of a 10 was because of the story. It's not terrible but it could have been better. It just seemed like another zombie cliche where the characters are afraid and don't know what to do. Also it feels like the characters are just stereotypes of the different races. The African American who is a rapper says that his father got into a prison and his mom needed to raise him alone and he became a rapper, the white guy was a celebrity before he started drinking and became an alcoholic, and the asian has to honor her father who was in the Hong Kong police. The only character who is sort of original is Purna. But for a game like this gameplay is more important then story and there are alot of quests and stuff for you to do. Even when you beat the game you could start a new one with all the cool weapons and all islands opened up from the beginning and you could do the side quests. If you like zombie games, or any game where you could have fun with people then get this game. Even if you don't play it with anyone you will have fun but coop is pretty cool, especially when you and your friend(s) all get into a car and drive and run over zombies. For me it was one of the funnest games of the year.… Expand
  67. oilyclown08
    Oct 6, 2011
    10
    Have you ever dreamed of one day fighting your way across a post apocalyptic zombie wasteland? Joining forces with a small group of warriors, and doing whatever it takes to survive? Well, here's your chance. Dead Island has captured the best elements of the genre and thrown you smack dab in the middle of it. Video previews do not do justice to this experience. You will fight for yourHave you ever dreamed of one day fighting your way across a post apocalyptic zombie wasteland? Joining forces with a small group of warriors, and doing whatever it takes to survive? Well, here's your chance. Dead Island has captured the best elements of the genre and thrown you smack dab in the middle of it. Video previews do not do justice to this experience. You will fight for your survival on tropical beaches, destroyed cities, infested jungles, as well as a prison that must be seen to be believed. Join forces with friends or total strangers.... And pray you make it out alive. Happy hunting.… Expand
  68. shadowrun
    Oct 13, 2011
    8
    ok so it wasnt the sweeping tragic story that the early trailer may of let you believe. but its brutal. blood thirsty. crass romp through the over cluttered genre of survival horror. yes its flawed in some places. but nothing a few patches will cure. but for people like me. who love bashing zombies across the face with a blunt object. this will be your game of the year! dead island is leftok so it wasnt the sweeping tragic story that the early trailer may of let you believe. but its brutal. blood thirsty. crass romp through the over cluttered genre of survival horror. yes its flawed in some places. but nothing a few patches will cure. but for people like me. who love bashing zombies across the face with a blunt object. this will be your game of the year! dead island is left for dead (played at half speed) with a dose of borderlands. and a bucket of gore and guts, some dodgy voice acting and story. but who cares. its a zombie game! bring some friends!… Expand
  69. Killkerson
    Oct 15, 2011
    7
    Seeing the game trailer for this so long ago I really expected a gripping fight for your life experience. What was received was a in your face mash em up. This game is fun. Pure and simple. Lacks extremely in story but the sheer game play is very rewarding. With that being said I experienced several bugs with the game. Constant freezing in Co-Op was very frustrating plus the corrupted gameSeeing the game trailer for this so long ago I really expected a gripping fight for your life experience. What was received was a in your face mash em up. This game is fun. Pure and simple. Lacks extremely in story but the sheer game play is very rewarding. With that being said I experienced several bugs with the game. Constant freezing in Co-Op was very frustrating plus the corrupted game saves I encountered made it game breaking. Regardless of the bugs I still had and have a blast with this game. You really can't get over the broken limbs and perfectly timed decapitations.… Expand
  70. bobbob
    Oct 17, 2011
    10
    Dead Island feels like a frankengame cobbled together from scavenged parts. Itâ
  71. luizciccolani
    Oct 21, 2011
    10
    Awesome game, it combines rpg elements with great melee combat.
    I really think that Dead Island deserves a better score.
    A must buy for zombie lovers !
  72. anthonygen94
    Oct 24, 2011
    8
    The game is one of the best zombie games I've played. The scenery blew me away, but it seemed to me that they took so long on the scenery and wanted to sell it quick, so they didn't even give any character any facial expressions. During touching moments in the game I just couldn't get into it because they didn't have any expressions, which ruined the mood quick. And the play ability isn'tThe game is one of the best zombie games I've played. The scenery blew me away, but it seemed to me that they took so long on the scenery and wanted to sell it quick, so they didn't even give any character any facial expressions. During touching moments in the game I just couldn't get into it because they didn't have any expressions, which ruined the mood quick. And the play ability isn't very good, I rate it a 7. I beat the game twice already and got to level 50. I almost have every achievement just not even caring to get them, all you need to do to get them is just play the game. It was a great game, but they could have done better by a lot. But hopefully they will do better in the 2nd one. At the end of the game they hint at a 2nd one being created.… Expand
  73. Somogibbs
    Oct 28, 2011
    8
    Dead Island has it's flaws. Engine problems abound in this game with clipping and sometimes ugly textures and strange enemy AI. Graphical hiccups aside, this game is a lot of fun. There is a main story/quest structure that you can follow and side quests issued by people you meet. Much of the combat is melee and it is easy to get overwhelmed as enemies level up with you. This keeps theDead Island has it's flaws. Engine problems abound in this game with clipping and sometimes ugly textures and strange enemy AI. Graphical hiccups aside, this game is a lot of fun. There is a main story/quest structure that you can follow and side quests issued by people you meet. Much of the combat is melee and it is easy to get overwhelmed as enemies level up with you. This keeps the combat challenging throughout to the end of the game. Each section of the island forces you to employ new combat mechanics to stay alive so the game didn't get boring. The game is full of gore and creepiness and it was a day one purchase for me. I'm eagerly awaiting DLC and highly recommend this game.… Expand
  74. poorjonny
    Oct 31, 2011
    8
    I am shocked this game scored so low. I have to say that there were a few bugs in my playthrough, but I am assuming that there was a patch that fixed all of the major ones as I didn't get bothered in the least by any I ran across, just a few minor hiccups. The story was also lacking, considering this is a zombie game I think we can all get over that. Now that the two main flaws are out ofI am shocked this game scored so low. I have to say that there were a few bugs in my playthrough, but I am assuming that there was a patch that fixed all of the major ones as I didn't get bothered in the least by any I ran across, just a few minor hiccups. The story was also lacking, considering this is a zombie game I think we can all get over that. Now that the two main flaws are out of the way we can get down to what was great about the game, as this was the meat and bones of the negativity. The scenery really sucks you in. This draws you into thinking that you are in a zombie apocalypse, or at least a B-movie as the voice acting is absolutely hilarious at points. It is so much fun to wander through the vast maps while battling the random zombies that come at you. Each one provides a lootable item. Looting is one of the most important parts of the game. It is necessary to collect many different parts to modify weapons or complete quests. The looting is usually done after attacks so it never does become stale, only a breather from the combat, which can actually provide quite a challenge at times.
    There are four classes. Each class has it's own weapon type specialty which is related to the skill tree upgrades. The zombies do level with you but never overbear your skills, I found the difficulty progression to be right on the money.
    The game is based around co-op play. With an internet connection joining a friends game is a simple process. Joining another game is also only a button click away. Unfortunately there is no local co-op, which is truly a shame as my friend and I passed the controller back and forth for all 32 hours we spent on the main campaign. These 32 hours do not take into account the amount of game we did not complete. Two days after the completion of the game we both decided that playing through again under a different class and attempting to complete each side quest.

    My impressions of the game are very high. I came into the game with very low expectations. After seeing the trailer months before it came out I was intrigued. After watching the gameplay I was pleasantly surprised. I remembered how disappointed I was with other zombie games in the past. After a few weeks of the game being out I decided to give it a try despite the poor reviews. Basically I went from buying the game as a casual time killer to being completely sucked into the absolute awesomeness of this game. Forget the negative reviews and give this game and honest chance. If you don't like it after roaming around for some time and allowing yourself the opportunity to try the different aspects then you are probably playing the wrong genre of video games.    … Expand
  75. ablindkid
    Nov 5, 2011
    7
    Dead Island is interesting, unconventional and incredibly disappointing. The visuals are great, combat is (usually) responsive and fun, plus you can level up your character. Unfortunately, the story and gameplay become frustrating and repetitive a few hours in, and the glitches certainly don't motivate you to keep playing. Co-Op with friends is fun as long as you keep your charactersDead Island is interesting, unconventional and incredibly disappointing. The visuals are great, combat is (usually) responsive and fun, plus you can level up your character. Unfortunately, the story and gameplay become frustrating and repetitive a few hours in, and the glitches certainly don't motivate you to keep playing. Co-Op with friends is fun as long as you keep your characters the same level. However you and your friends will probably end up having the most fun laughing at the crushingly generic plot. Dead Island isn't bad, hell it may even be worth a rental or a bargain bin purchase, but there are far better alternatives out there.… Expand
  76. Conrad56
    Nov 8, 2011
    10
    I think this games amazing just too amazing. I enjoyed the free roam and wish for the game game to be reviewed after the games patched in the future because it takes 24 hours to get bored of it. But that's for some people for me, i enjoyed it spent weeks, weeks and weeks playing it. The next dead island called dead world i think would be kick-ass
  77. PopeDizzle
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    This is a fun game. Pure and simple. This is nothing like Left4Dead or Dead Rising. Do not come into this expecting either of those games. The zombies seem real there are different types that react differently. An arsenal of different weapons you can upgrade and make your own. I really don't have anything negative to say about this game. A 9 for the minor minor minor graphical errors andThis is a fun game. Pure and simple. This is nothing like Left4Dead or Dead Rising. Do not come into this expecting either of those games. The zombies seem real there are different types that react differently. An arsenal of different weapons you can upgrade and make your own. I really don't have anything negative to say about this game. A 9 for the minor minor minor graphical errors and glitches. Grab some friends put analog controls on its just so much more satisfying… Expand
  78. DevoutestDoor
    Nov 9, 2011
    7
    Not the best game i've boughten but it aint the worst. Dead Island is perfect for people who like the Dead Rising franchise and L4D games. Its more like the combination of both. Graphics are great. The itself is kind of short but the quests don't get boring so easily. This game would be my second choice on my list of Games That You Would Recommend To A Friend.
  79. DarkPlum
    Nov 10, 2011
    7
    Dead Island is a game that I followed from its first appearance online to its release only to feel the slightest bit disapointed in what I have experienced. Being a huge fan of the Zombie genre, I played the game for up to 30 hours in my first two days of owning a copy to detect the similarities in other games that I had noticed in developer interviews online.

    Many people have stated    Dead Island is a game that I followed from its first appearance online to its release only to feel the slightest bit disapointed in what I have experienced. Being a huge fan of the Zombie genre, I played the game for up to 30 hours in my first two days of owning a copy to detect the similarities in other games that I had noticed in developer interviews online.

    Many people have stated that Dead Island is considered to be a lovechild of Dead Rising and Borderlands, and they aren't wrong. I believe that ALL RPG elements from Borderlands are present within Dead Island, from the Skill trees, weapon rarities, zombie level and health bar present to the "damage dealt numbers" flying out of zombies with each weapon strike. Either Gearbox, as a friend, lent these features to Techland, or they have been darn cheeky about putting these features in. The Dead Rising element here however of attention to zombie killing detail and weapon creation has been taken a step further, with the MOD system being very planned and with a selection of fun MOD's.

    Visually and Audio wise, the game is masterpiece. I often found myself just looking at the trees sway, listening to the sound of sea waves and enjoying the crunch of zombie bones and flesh being torn off zombies. Every environment within Dead Island is flawless and really does set the standard that I believe all zombie games in the future need to rise above or abide by.

    Solo play at first will seem very fun, but as time progresses, you feel overwhelmed and bored with running from mission to mission. Playing with others insures that you will have a 9/10 gaming experience, especially if they are your friends as much fun can be had tormenting zombies with them. Still only 9/10 because of the games story. As for story, a terrible excuse for one. The further you progress in the game, the less of a point it seems to make. The fun to be had here is exploring the beautiful landscapes and finding lots of fun weapons and items to slaughter zombies with your mates.    … Expand
  80. DrEggman
    Nov 17, 2011
    5
    Dead island has some of the most impressive and realistic graphics I have seen in a game, far superior to the bland brownness of the Call of duty series. That is the best part of the game, the visuals. The game play could have been fun if you did not have to do the same quests for 20 hours. Seriously, I felt like all I did for the entire game was collect tanks of fuel for people and killDead island has some of the most impressive and realistic graphics I have seen in a game, far superior to the bland brownness of the Call of duty series. That is the best part of the game, the visuals. The game play could have been fun if you did not have to do the same quests for 20 hours. Seriously, I felt like all I did for the entire game was collect tanks of fuel for people and kill zombies! The trailers made it out to have an engaging storyline. It did not! It had terrible character development and a few boring cutscenes. Seriously this game could have taken a leaf out of Fallout's book and been a zombie RPG, it might have been interesting then. The only part I enjoyed was at the very end where there is a prison full of convicts calling you 'brutha'. The only thing that kept me going throughout this hell adventure was Gamer score and the fact I told the guy I borrowed it from I would finish it. I think I'm being quite lenient with giving this game a 5.… Expand
  81. Decemuladores
    Nov 20, 2011
    7
    A new zombie killer for the most enthusiastic gamer that seek new ways of skinning zombies with a bad plot intriguingly, many bugs but with a new level of fun in its friendly and good gameplay and sound effects. Just and only for fans of zombie killing.
  82. brykam51
    Nov 21, 2011
    7
    This is one of those games that could have set the standard on games to come, but eventually falls short in several aspects. While I thouroughly enjoyed the game for the 20+ hours I played it, I felt a bit cheated. The leveling up aspect of your character and weapon classes were a great addition to this, I felt that the weapons fell short. While I loved the fact that when you used yourThis is one of those games that could have set the standard on games to come, but eventually falls short in several aspects. While I thouroughly enjoyed the game for the 20+ hours I played it, I felt a bit cheated. The leveling up aspect of your character and weapon classes were a great addition to this, I felt that the weapons fell short. While I loved the fact that when you used your weapong, they begin to degrade and you have to continually fix them. This added alot of strategy to the game. However, I found it frustrating that melee weapons were so much more powerful than any gun you will come to use in the game. I mean come on, you have to follow zombie rules 101, shoot them in the head and they die, but not this game. It seems to place more emphasis on using melee items, than guns. If you go in to this game as I did, thinking that it may perhaps be a new iteration of Resident Evil, you will be disappointed. But if you play through this game with an open mind, you wont regret it. Even with some of its flaws, its not a game to be missed by fans of zombies, or survival horror.… Expand
  83. MalignantPlague
    Nov 25, 2011
    8
    First of all I would like to say that I have by no means finished this game completely, but I feel i've played enough of it to experience the main features of the game. When I first played Dead Island, I just felt like it was a more challenging version of the Left 4 Dead games that was open-world and had MUCH better graphics. But, the minute I started playing the game in co-op, I realizedFirst of all I would like to say that I have by no means finished this game completely, but I feel i've played enough of it to experience the main features of the game. When I first played Dead Island, I just felt like it was a more challenging version of the Left 4 Dead games that was open-world and had MUCH better graphics. But, the minute I started playing the game in co-op, I realized truly how awesome this game turned out to be! And one of the most satisfying things I've found so far is the great feeling of using a sharp blade to cleaning cut the entire head off of nearly every zombie I encountered. This game is great if you are on your own, however, it becomes even more great the second you team up with a buddy, or three buddies for that matter.… Expand
  84. Kenmei
    Jan 1, 2012
    8
    I enjoyed this game more than I thought I would. First of all, if anyone thinks this is just a Left 4 Dead clone, then know that there's a bit more emphasis put on the single-player and you aren't forced to play what amounts to a multiplayer only game like L4D. However it is similar to L4D enough that if you liked that game, then you will like this one. If nothing else this will sate yourI enjoyed this game more than I thought I would. First of all, if anyone thinks this is just a Left 4 Dead clone, then know that there's a bit more emphasis put on the single-player and you aren't forced to play what amounts to a multiplayer only game like L4D. However it is similar to L4D enough that if you liked that game, then you will like this one. If nothing else this will sate your need for a new zombie game and the open-endedness is kinda refreshing for this type of game. Especially now that the price has dropped, if you were thinking about taking a chance on this game, go ahead and do it. You should enjoy what it has to offer you.… Expand
  85. Kig717
    Dec 30, 2011
    9
    amazing is the only word i can use to describe this game. its the zombie rpg that me and i'm sure a-lot of gamer's have been waiting for a long time for. there are too many pro's to even count. the only con's i can really think of are the semi - common texture bugs, the heavy reliance on guns (once you get a gun nothing else is really necessary, and ammo is plenty) and the model varietyamazing is the only word i can use to describe this game. its the zombie rpg that me and i'm sure a-lot of gamer's have been waiting for a long time for. there are too many pro's to even count. the only con's i can really think of are the semi - common texture bugs, the heavy reliance on guns (once you get a gun nothing else is really necessary, and ammo is plenty) and the model variety (only 2-3 versions of guns, less of some melee weapons) as well as the replayability. the story is amazing, but once you finish it (it took me 2 days, minus the side quests) you cant really do anything except the story. hoping for a new section of the island or something for dlc. although your character can start a new campaign with all of they're stuff from the last, but dead island is lacking other game-types that keep most games going.… Expand
  86. Deadsquiggles
    Jan 3, 2012
    9
    It's, by far, the best zombie game I've ever had the pleasure of playing. From the different types of zombies, to the ability to take on side quests and play at your speed, and then a good main story line, it's well worth the money. And the main quests aren't too short, either. I usually finished games in a day but I'm still not done and I've had it for over a week now. I would recommendIt's, by far, the best zombie game I've ever had the pleasure of playing. From the different types of zombies, to the ability to take on side quests and play at your speed, and then a good main story line, it's well worth the money. And the main quests aren't too short, either. I usually finished games in a day but I'm still not done and I've had it for over a week now. I would recommend it to anybody.… Expand
  87. zlionsfan
    Jan 23, 2012
    5
    Good intentions, but poor execution: it's hard to go wrong with Zombies in Paradise, but Square Enix does its best to do so. The game is definitely enjoyable, but a mediocre control scheme, a buggy-to-the-point-of-near-uselessness map system, a quest guidance system that has no concept of sealed doors, and a quest system that alternates between leading you by the hand and giving you noGood intentions, but poor execution: it's hard to go wrong with Zombies in Paradise, but Square Enix does its best to do so. The game is definitely enjoyable, but a mediocre control scheme, a buggy-to-the-point-of-near-uselessness map system, a quest guidance system that has no concept of sealed doors, and a quest system that alternates between leading you by the hand and giving you no information at all combine to make a great experience barely tolerable. Throw in the fact that there is no way to save your progress yourself and that autosaves not only kick you back to a safe haven, but occasionally reset progress on quests, and you get a game that probably could have used another month or three in development.

    It does deserve credit for some interesting features: for example, the combination of stamina usage and weapon wear means that you can't just button-mash, and there's a wide enough variety of weapons that you'll rarely find a weapon that must be used above all others. Then again, weapon wear means that you've got to keep workshops in mind when you're out hunting, and of course the map does not distinguish between workshops to which you have access and those you haven't yet unlocked (so then how do you know there's a workshop there?). There is a balance between male and female PCs, and they each appear to have comparable strengths and no glaring weaknesses. On the other hand, the resort-island setting is a convenient excuse for a jiggle show, even if it's a static one (NPCs are generally sitting or standing, not moving around), and female NPCs seem to give you quests that fit a helpless-woman stereotype, while the male NPCs aren't portrayed in quite that light. (It's not like any of them volunteer to help you fight zombies, though.) It's not a bad game, and the challenges and achievements combine with the different playable characters to give you a reason to go back and try it again, but it's hard to avoid the feeling that it could have been so much more.    … Expand
  88. Anthropologist
    Jan 23, 2012
    10
    For me, a lot of developers have missed those elements that I find especially appealing in the 'zombie apocalypse' genre. First, while I enjoy something like Left 4 Dead, in that game I'm just constantly overwhelmed, hanging on by a thread that is ready to snap the moment any tiny thing inevitably goes wrong. But a zombie apocalypse has the potential to feel a little empowering, too.For me, a lot of developers have missed those elements that I find especially appealing in the 'zombie apocalypse' genre. First, while I enjoy something like Left 4 Dead, in that game I'm just constantly overwhelmed, hanging on by a thread that is ready to snap the moment any tiny thing inevitably goes wrong. But a zombie apocalypse has the potential to feel a little empowering, too. Individual zombies are relatively easy to combat, and when most of the inhibitions of modern society evaporate there is almost a sense of relief and cathartic freedom--that is something I like about the genre. I also like the social questions provoked by the genre--the idea that some people would take advantage of the situation, and values would have to be re-visited. I am drawn to that moment when the zombies feel relatively manageable, but now the real threat is greed and the motives of other survivors. And fortifications--how survivors would hole up and organize their eventual response. And driving over zombies! I love the idea of driving over zombies! But maybe most important is what I find scary about zombies. With zombies, everything is going fine one minute, and you get a little over confident, and then suddenly you realize there is one behind you, or one a little closer than you had anticipated, and your escape route is a little tougher to get to than you expected, and youâ… Expand
  89. sooem
    Oct 25, 2012
    9
    Po raz kolejny mam przyjemność grać w dzieło rodzimego studia, które pokazało światowy poziom.
    Na starcie zacznę od tego, że jestem wielkim fanem wszelkiego rodzaju gier z grasującymi nieumarłymi. Przyglądałem się temu tytułowi od czasu pamiętnego trailera opowiadającego, od tyłu, historię    Po raz kolejny mam przyjemność grać w dzieło rodzimego studia, które pokazało światowy poziom.
    Na starcie zacznę od tego, że jestem wielkim fanem wszelkiego rodzaju gier z grasującymi nieumarłymi. Przyglądałem się temu tytułowi od czasu pamiętnego trailera opowiadającego, od tyłu, historię rodzinki, która stała się bohaterem makabrycznej i tragicznej sceny. Oglądałem od czasu do czasu jakieś gameplaye i filmiki o grze, jednak cały czas coś trzymało mnie na dystans i nie byłem przekonany do kupna. Chodziło o tryb walki i podejście twórców do gry bez broni palnej. Jako fan strzelanek uznałem to za duży minus. Jak się teraz okazuje był to duży błąd z mojej strony. Odpaliłem grę i natychmiast zostałem rzucony na głęboką wodę dzierżąc tylko poobijane wiosło w dłoni mojego bohatera. Po pierwszym zamachu i impecie rozwalającej się głowy zombiaka wiedziałem, że to jest ZAJEBISTE!
    Polskie studio postarało się bardzo jeżeli chodzi o kwestię mechaniki. Sterowanie jest bardzo intuicyjne i wyważone. Za minus uznaję tylko brak jakiegokolwiek tutoriala jeżeli chodzi o sterowanie zaawansowane, ponieważ niedzielnym graczom może sprawić pewną trudność "wystartowanie". Po czasie gdy już wiemy co do czego służy i o co w tym wszystkim chodzi, zaczyna się zabawa. Przerabianie broni, lootowanie tysięcy miejscówek w poszukiwaniu składników, wybijanie chord zombiaków i eksploracja nowych miejscówek. Sam smaczek. Gra prezentuje bardzo przyzwoity poziom graficzny, biorąc pod uwagę rozległe tereny. Design przeciwników to majstersztyk w tej dziedzinie. Poobdzierane ze skóry, na wpół spalone, zdekapitowane potwory, których jedynym celem jest dorwanie i zmasakrowanie głównego bohatera. Od wolno człapiących poczwar, poprzez sprintujące, kończąc na wielkich silnych skurczybykach.
    Gra ma również swoje minusy. Momentami scenariusz zalicza dziwne spadki i jest naprawdę słaby. Twórcy mieli ewidentnie problem z tworzeniem podniosłych scen (co może dziwić po znakomitym trailerze), w efekcie otrzymujemy parodię. Od czasu pojawiają się także zgrzyty w mechanice autosave'ów i ich ładowania. Nie raz zdarzyło mi się zespownować po śmierci w skupisku zombiaków, które już po chwili na mnie szarżowały i znów ginąłem. Szkoda, że twórcy nie pomyśleli i o spownowanu w safe-zonach. Niedoróbki pojawiają się na szczęście sporadycznie, a natłok fun'u zamazuje wszystko co nieprzyjemne.
    Podsumowując, tytuł niezbędny w kolekcji każdego fana zombiaków jak i fana cięcia wszelkiego rodzaju truchła.
    Tak dalej Techland ,)    … Expand
  90. th0rg1l
    Nov 23, 2012
    7
    This game is quite good, and will you give hours of pleasure if you like a tactical shooter where running and gunning is not the only option (more often, you need to run away and come back later). The breaking weapons aspect is really cool, a bit like in real life (not that i know from experience, I don't own too many weapons. Great graphics & sound, nice story, definitely game youThis game is quite good, and will you give hours of pleasure if you like a tactical shooter where running and gunning is not the only option (more often, you need to run away and come back later). The breaking weapons aspect is really cool, a bit like in real life (not that i know from experience, I don't own too many weapons. Great graphics & sound, nice story, definitely game you should check out… Expand
  91. sheepishdolphin
    May 5, 2012
    3
    A really bad game. Bought it thinking it can't be that bad.. and tolerated it for so long.. but put it down because it just isn't fun. It is a cross between Borderlands, L4D, and Dead Rising. It could have been great. But you get knocked down by zombies so easily and have to wait to get up. Then you respawn at a random location, and you can't simply rush back- ombies respawn quickly. YourA really bad game. Bought it thinking it can't be that bad.. and tolerated it for so long.. but put it down because it just isn't fun. It is a cross between Borderlands, L4D, and Dead Rising. It could have been great. But you get knocked down by zombies so easily and have to wait to get up. Then you respawn at a random location, and you can't simply rush back- ombies respawn quickly. Your best weapon quickly becomes useless as it degrades, and you end up with no money to repair. The quest management is broken, randomly not letting you follow a side quest, which consist generally of 'go here and get this'.

    People look like manikins from hell, and the graphics suffer from glitches and draw in, but they are bearable. Voice acting is pretty poor. If they removed weapon degradation and zombies knocking you over (or at least made it rare), rehauled the quest system, it could have been really good. But as it stands it is just damn annoying. Every tactic I take results in me getting overwhelmed and left with crap, worn weapons that no longer deal any damage worth the while. I tried so so so hard to love it, and failing that, I tried hard to respect their vision and play it through. But ii is just tedious. I still wish I could love it- but I just can't bare to put it in my Xbox again..    … Expand
  92. CrimsonWraith
    Apr 4, 2012
    6
    I had high hopes for this originally, it seemed the perfect hybrid of Left 4 Dead and Borderlands' online co-op in a free-roaming world with Dead Rising's focus on melee. Unfortunately, I found that Dead Island was the less satisfying than any of those other three franchises. The story is very cut and dry, nothing terribly intriguing. The character leveling system is fun, reminded me veryI had high hopes for this originally, it seemed the perfect hybrid of Left 4 Dead and Borderlands' online co-op in a free-roaming world with Dead Rising's focus on melee. Unfortunately, I found that Dead Island was the less satisfying than any of those other three franchises. The story is very cut and dry, nothing terribly intriguing. The character leveling system is fun, reminded me very much of Borderlands, but nothing about the gameplay makes me want to level everyone up. The good news is there is a ton to do, the bad news is that the gameplay is quite repetitive and I found that it got old very quickly. If you're in my shoes, you'll get bored of the game long before you come close to finishing everything there is to see and do.… Expand
  93. watithink123
    Apr 8, 2012
    3
    This game is so bad. I wanted to like this but it's so broken , treble graphics, coop is so bad and it took them 5 1/2 years to make it. It should never come to the stores.
  94. unknownshino
    Apr 16, 2012
    4
    First thing to say. Zombie games must be arcade and not some weird ass rpg game. After playing it for 2 hours i was totally bored. For me a zombie game must be like Left for Dead. Classic shooting some zombies brains out. Yeah there are some good stuff in the game ofcourse. But i was really disappointed when i played this game.
  95. TStout
    Apr 17, 2012
    8
    This game was an absolute blast to play. While there are a few instances of bugs with clipping, they are a forgivable offense in light of the overall hilarity and replayability of this title. The characters' rage powers are different and interesting, which helps add to the replay value since the experience retains much of its freshness via the different styles you approach the fightingThis game was an absolute blast to play. While there are a few instances of bugs with clipping, they are a forgivable offense in light of the overall hilarity and replayability of this title. The characters' rage powers are different and interesting, which helps add to the replay value since the experience retains much of its freshness via the different styles you approach the fighting with each of the four characters. The variety of zombies is fun, although sometimes a bit far fetched in concept, they are still fun to dismember, decapitate, and otherwise decimate. If you are a fan of the genre, and want to savor the macabre mayhem a bit more than is allowed by the Left 4 Dead series, then this is the game for you.… Expand
  96. SCHMOOPITIZE
    May 14, 2012
    8
    RPG ZOMBIE KILLING! The only problem i see is that after 5 hours you will need to play with a friend to hold interest. This is because the characters have no back-story and the actual story is stale. However, the game-play is GREAT. The combat is exactly like skyrim's so if you don't like that then don't buy it.
  97. hanibaldemp
    Jun 4, 2012
    8
    This game is great. Had alot of fun with friends and is definately one of my favourite games of 2011. The lack of content would be the only downfall with us finishing the game in a few days. though it can still be played enjoyably after it has been completed therefore 8/10.
  98. ShelleyMarrissa
    Jun 15, 2012
    10
    Let me just start by saying that I am not usually interested in zombie killing games but a friend of mine persuaded me to give it a go as it is a lot more open that others. I was shocked, the scenery and graphics were truly stunning and at times I was terrified. The missions were fun and at times they really did have me on the edge of my seat and they were challenging but not as impossibleLet me just start by saying that I am not usually interested in zombie killing games but a friend of mine persuaded me to give it a go as it is a lot more open that others. I was shocked, the scenery and graphics were truly stunning and at times I was terrified. The missions were fun and at times they really did have me on the edge of my seat and they were challenging but not as impossible are some other people are saying if you do not play co-op. Don't get me wrong, this is by no means an easy game; but I think it is worth it to play alone. The story was also very good and to be honest, I didn't predict nearly any of it. Really enjoyable game, would really recommend it.… Expand
  99. chawaba
    Jul 6, 2012
    1
    Not only is the game way too hard, when you get hit enough that you have to walk even a few feet away, often the monster size zombies your facing will completely regenerate- mine not only did that, it turned around and lost both of the $600 knives I had thrown into its chest while trying to kill it. Completely ruined my gaming mood for the day, this game actually makes me feel like notNot only is the game way too hard, when you get hit enough that you have to walk even a few feet away, often the monster size zombies your facing will completely regenerate- mine not only did that, it turned around and lost both of the $600 knives I had thrown into its chest while trying to kill it. Completely ruined my gaming mood for the day, this game actually makes me feel like not playing anymore. When you can go through a chunk of the game and make only a tiny bit of money only to lose it immediately, you really just want to chuck the controller at the TV, the xbox out the window and the game through the window of the company that made it. Want pointers? - Fix the driving mechanics
    - Don't make almost every hit from a zombie a knock-back hit
    - If you can't stop the zombies from regenerating while you're 10 feet away grabbing an energy drink, make it so that the thrown weapons always drop and remain for a while so that the player doesn't lose even more weapons
    - Armor of some kind would be nice, particularly if the zombies can beat the crap out of you in a single hit, and that's just the regulars
    - While it is very nice that you can pick your weapon lineup, after you run out (chucking them at big guys) you really start to wish that the rest in your inventory would cycle out for you There are more but I have other things to do and I just can't be any more frustrated with this game right now.    … Expand
  100. nms1215
    Dec 20, 2012
    8
    This game is poorly judged- it is a great game with some small flaws. Imagine Left 4 Dead mixed with Far Cry. This game is a huge open world filled with zombies (including a good range of types), with a large array of weapons and items, as well as a way to upgrade and construct weapons using items you find along the way.

    Starting Out: The reason most people did not give Dead Island a    This game is poorly judged- it is a great game with some small flaws. Imagine Left 4 Dead mixed with Far Cry. This game is a huge open world filled with zombies (including a good range of types), with a large array of weapons and items, as well as a way to upgrade and construct weapons using items you find along the way.

    Starting Out: The reason most people did not give Dead Island a fair chance is that is starts plain- you get no real game introduction where the developers hold your hand while teaching you controls and mechanics. Instead, you wake up in a zombie apocalypse and are told what each button does (such as kicking), but not the significance of said button (what good does kicking do for me?). This can be frustrating at first, but as you get the hang of everything you learn that this is an enjoyable part of the game. After gaining experience and leveling up, and gaining weapons I chose myself, I became an experience survivor. I knew that kicking a zombie is a great way to buy a couple of seconds, or that sometimes you are better off running for your freaking life. You *learn* these things. It makes the survival aspect seem completely legitimate. Also, the world does not quite open up and get really cool until level 15 or so (it comes faster than you know it, so give it a fair shot).

    Good: This game has amazing graphics and outstanding gameplay. It does a great job of making melee weapons precise zed-bashing/slicing instruments, allowing you to target heads, arms, etc. fluidly. The missions provide exciting environments and enemy interactions, and the world is beautifully constructed.

    Bad: The game really has a poor narrative. I found myself bored by the characters and missions (they tend to be "we need their help so you have to risk your life a million times over and make these people safe without risking them in order to get their minor assistance") and was immediately skipping cutscenes and dialog. The quest log for me was not a story guide, but an adventure guide. It was telling me "here is where the excitement is, this is your reward."

    All in all, I think this a great game to play with your buddies and go zombie-killing, and just have some laughs. It can be difficult, but there are never moments where you get furious at the game or a poor teammate. The game is just fun and definitely worth the buy.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2011
9
#9 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 75 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 75
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 75
  3. Negative: 1 out of 75
  1. GamingTrend
    Mar 1, 2012
    93
    Dead Island is a hell of a ride from start to (near) finish and is a zombie game that stands out from the rest of the pack.
    Read full review
  2. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    Dec 2, 2011
    55
    A wasted opportunity - frustrating to play and too ugly to love. [Dec 2011, p.98]
  3. Game Chronicles
    Nov 23, 2011
    85
    I admit that I was not expecting much from Dead Island, given the oversaturated subject matter and the delayed development time. And while the game definitely has its share of weaknesses, it is pleasantly surprising in its own right.
    Read full review
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