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Dead Island

Archive: 82 posts

Just watched the trailer... not really appropriate for this forum, so I won't post the link.


Do a youtube/google search right now - watch the video.

*waits*

.... How AWESOME was that!!! 		2011-02-18 14:58:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

****, the graphics looks brilliant. I'm not really a fan of zombie stuff, but I might actually get this.2011-02-18 15:11:00

Author:
Alec
Posts: 3871

That was a very powerful trailer.2011-02-18 15:31:00

Author:
EinRobot
Posts: 739

Dead Nation, Dead Rising (2), Left for Dead (2) ; and now Dead Island.

I love my Zombie fare... and this looks pretty sweet		2011-02-18 15:47:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Yeah I saw the trailer yesterday and was going to make a topic myself lol. Looks really promising, I want to see some gameplay footage!2011-02-18 17:30:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

****, the graphics looks brilliant. I'm not really a fan of zombie stuff, but I might actually get this.
I was thinking kind of the opposite, while the graphics in that cut-scene do look good, I think what they conveyed was the appeal for me. If they carried the emotional attachment of the trailer throughout, I wouldn't care if it looked like the first Silent Hill. I would be there, day one.		2011-02-18 18:18:00

Author:
EinRobot
Posts: 739

YES.
This has some elements of my dream game, so that gives it a 99% chance of pre-order <3		2011-02-18 18:20:00

Author:
Testudini
Posts: 3262

Well, it's been something like 6/7 years in the making - rebuilt from the ground up several times to make it perfect.

I'll agree, we need to see some gameplay footage - but me likes the trailer 		2011-02-18 21:30:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Never heard of dead island XD but I love zombie stuff 2011-02-18 21:42:00

Author:
Bloo_boy
Posts: 1019

Look for the official "reverse chronology" trailer, with the sombre music.

It reminds me of the Walking Dead treatment of Zombies (very faithful)		2011-02-18 21:48:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqz-ggWnsV4&feature=related

Reversed (Chronological): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bwtr_-4vz6g

I thought the reversed one was more emotional. The random sounds might have thrown it off a bit, but the music kept me listening, and just seeing the girl fall made me feel sad for her and her family.		2011-02-18 23:26:00

Author:
CyberSora
Posts: 5551

Brilliant trailer.

And: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/710516/Dead-Island-Trailer-Remix-The-Funny-Version.html		2011-02-19 01:08:00

Author:
Kog
Posts: 2358

My 'Oh God not another zombie game' senses went off. Then I watched the trailer. If this wasn't a first person game I might buy it. Hell, I'm waiting for Portal 2 so why not, gotta try it before I hate it <32011-02-19 06:50:00

Author:
JamesDNaux
Posts: 757

Brilliant trailer.

And: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/710516/Dead-Island-Trailer-Remix-The-Funny-Version.html

lol, in a way that music actually made the trailer more disturbing...		2011-02-19 10:33:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

Seen the trailer, I didn't think much of it until I did more research on it.
Anything that is an FPS with RPG elements is a winner in my book, hope to see gameplay footage soon. 8D		2011-02-19 11:26:00

Author:
AbstractFlesh
Posts: 837

& with a focus on Mellee combat as opposed to fire-arms.

So it must be more Dead Rising, than Left 4 Dead?		2011-02-19 11:30:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

No gameplay = no interest 2011-02-19 11:35:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

No gameplay = no interest

There is some old "in-game" footage kicking around - but that was from a few years ago, and they have since rebuilt it from the ground up.

Just from the trailer though, I'm more than willing to give this a chance

I freakin' love zombies		2011-02-19 12:22:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

This game looks awesome...and it has co-op I believe, which will enhance the awesomeness I hope.2011-02-19 16:16:00

Author:
Spider-Jew
Posts: 1090

Wow, it looks like someone may be planning on making a Dead Island movie, just after seeing the trailer;

http://ca.kotaku.com/5764704/dead-island-movie-already-optioned

xD		2011-02-19 22:03:00

Author:
Kog
Posts: 2358

& with a focus on Mellee combat as opposed to fire-arms.

So it must be more Dead Rising, than Left 4 Dead?

Wait, so this isn't like going online with hundreds of other people (think Home) and surviving with them on the island?

/dreams shattered		2011-02-20 04:12:00

Author:
CyberSora
Posts: 5551

Saw this on Geekologie a few days ago.

Let's hope the game is as good as the trailer!		2011-02-20 04:13:00

Author:
Mr_T-Shirt
Posts: 1477

No gameplay = no interest

Agreed. Peoples interest is in the trailer, not the game itself, especially considering you can tell little about it at this point in time.

Lets not judge a book by it's very awsome cover.		2011-02-21 03:34:00

Author:
MrFunctionality
Posts: 637

So'z it gonna be L4D 2 + DR 2 except on an island?2011-02-21 03:50:00

Author:
Unknown User

Trailer made me haz a sad.2011-02-21 04:32:00

Author:
Bremnen
Posts: 1800

I tried searching for Dead Island on youtube......and I got Interior cracadal alligator I drive a chevrolet movie viador'ed..Well heck atleast I didnt get rick rolled , I was getting kinda tired of the song anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ykDgyXIfI		2011-02-21 05:11:00

Author:
Bloo_boy
Posts: 1019

I tried searching for Dead Island on youtube......and I got Interior cracadal alligator I drive a chevrolet movie viador'ed..Well heck atleast I didnt get rick rolled , I was getting kinda tired of the song anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ykDgyXIfI

Oh the memories ;_;

I listened to that song for 47 minutes last week during the math lesson in school. Let's just say, don't do it unless you want to have a headache for 2h. ;___;		2011-02-21 12:54:00

Author:
Alec
Posts: 3871

I tried searching for Dead Island on youtube......and I got Interior cracadal alligator I drive a chevrolet movie viador'ed..Well heck atleast I didnt get rick rolled , I was getting kinda tired of the song anyway.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4ykDgyXIfI

WHOA!

The graphics look so real! 		2011-02-21 21:22:00

Author:
CyberSora
Posts: 5551

Hmmmmm,

Some dissapointing screenshots have been released (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/857544-dead-island-screenshots-show-off-zombies-still-not-as-good-as-the-trailer) that seem to indicate the game will take zombies less than seriously.

It seems that it was just a nice trailer after all.

Still might be a fun Zombie Romp - but the markets getting a bit saturated with that kind of thing IMO ;

I've got some great Ideas about how they could improve the Zombie Game Genre - but do they ask me?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR9WsSTAqvg&feature=player_embedded		2011-03-09 15:56:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Hmmmmm,

Some dissapointing screenshots have been released (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/857544-dead-island-screenshots-show-off-zombies-still-not-as-good-as-the-trailer) that seem to indicate the game will take zombies less than seriously.

It seems that it was just a nice trailer after all.

Still might be a fun Zombie Romp - but the markets getting a bit saturated with that kind of thing IMO ;

I've got some great Ideas about how they could improve the Zombie Game Genre - but do they ask me?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR9WsSTAqvg&feature=player_embedded

Yeah, was a little disappointed. Just seems to be Borderlands, with zombies.
But at the same time, that isn't a bad thing, just not as epic as expected.		2011-03-09 18:09:00

Author:
Testudini
Posts: 3262

Oh yeah, I'll still be buying it.

I was just hoping for something more like Demon Soul's - an actual Zombie 'survival' game with a bit of a challenge, rather than a ridiculous over the top kill fest.

And it'll have to be pretty ridiculous and OTT if it's going to beat Dead Rising/Left 4 Dead


Edit: & I just remembered - Borderlands already *has* Zombies 		2011-03-09 18:17:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

bump!

Seriously, this game looks awesome!!
They have realeased a 11 min pure gameplay video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDzFzNg0bxk
zomg, you can drive cars too. I hope this is the free roam zombie game i've dreamed of for a loooooong time..

Btw, that video is played on a xbox360.		2011-05-23 20:11:00

Author:
Jonaolst
Posts: 935

Yeah I was going to update the thread, you beat me to it

The game is looking really great, combat is visceral and I love the RPG elements. The character models of the NPC's leave a lot to be desired but if everything else works out the way I hope then I can live with that. 2010 left me with zombie fatigue but this game looks like it will bring me back to the undead 		2011-05-23 20:22:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

After watching the gameplay video jonaolst posted I'll definitely get this game. 2011-05-23 21:04:00

Author:
Alec
Posts: 3871

Nice - I like the look of he gameplay.
Looks alot less frantic than the likes of Left 4 Dead... much more close combat/melee focused.

Looks like FUN 		2011-05-24 11:31:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Bumping.

IGN posted a review of the game: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/119/1192319p1.html

Looks like a lot of fun.		2011-09-04 18:59:00

Author:
Alec
Posts: 3871

lol, I had to share this review:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTJWJ5nT0Ws&feature=related

Definitely picking this up, Deus Ex is keeping me in the RPG/FPS kind of mood and I know this is one of those games I will really enjoy despite it's flaws.		2011-09-04 19:37:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

Yes, I can't wait for Dead Island. I played it for a bit at Comic-Con. Zombie killing is most always a good time. If you guys pick it up on Tuesday and want to play some co-op, add me on the PSN. Maybe even join me during the RadioPlaystation (http://radioplaystation.com) show, because I think we will be playing this and Resistance 3 during the show. Oh man...so many games to buy in the next 3 months.2011-09-04 20:01:00

Author:
Spider-Jew
Posts: 1090

I loooove zombie games, but i dont know if this is exactly something i would get, i mean, im a die hard L4D and Dead Rising fan, but it just doesnt seem that fun to me. That kinda RPG aspect helping people and such kinda brings the fun down, seems more like a Survival Horror-esque zombie game like Dead Space rather than a "Have fun spraying guts all over the place and fight big *** zombies(Or in Dead Risings case psychopaths) with friends" like L4D has. It just doesnt seem like they pulled it off as any other developer would, im definitely renting this game to check it out, but im not sure if im pulling $60 out for this just yet.2011-09-04 20:51:00

Author:
Charlemagne
Posts: 513

Might pick this up on friday, but I'm still playing through Deus Ex just now.

Anyone else been in the Home space for Dead Island? - You get some game items if you play the mini-game there 		2011-09-04 22:14:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Might pick this up on friday, but I'm still playing through Deus Ex just now.

Anyone else been in the Home space for Dead Island? - You get some game items if you play the mini-game there

Yes, the Central Plaza is quite fun right now. The Dead Island game in Home is one of my favorites that they have done. I have some Exploding Meat waiting for the zombies when Tuesday comes.

Oh, and if you guys buy Dead Island at Best Buy, you get Zombieland on Blu-ray or DVD for FREE.		2011-09-04 22:32:00

Author:
Spider-Jew
Posts: 1090

Been reading through reviews for more info. Joystiq gave it a 3/5, Eurogamer gave it 6/10, Destructoid gave it 7/10. Scores mean nothing to me, observations do. EVERY review talks about the same technical problems and pretty much say the game is unfinished BUT still worth playing because it is so different from everything else out there and there is a lot of fun to be had. Hmmm, I will probably wait until these issues are patched before I pick it up (oh wait, I will then be too busy playing RAGE, Dark Souls, UC3, Skyrim, BF3, MGS Collection and so much more *sigh*).2011-09-05 13:23:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

It always happens to me, I skip games when they're released, then I buy them later and at the end I don't play them 2011-09-05 13:34:00

Author:
OmegaSlayer
Posts: 5112

It always happens to me, I skip games when they're released, then I buy them later and at the end I don't play them

I never buy a game then don't play it, it goes against my principles. I will probably pick this up during a slow period like January when there is not much else being released. By then the game should be fully patched up and a lot more playable.		2011-09-05 13:36:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

I really can't wait for this game!
I've already pre-ordered and just waiting for it to release
GameInformer says it's the Zombie Game we've been waiting for...		2011-09-05 13:39:00

Author:
Unknown User

This game looks crazy! But I'm stuck on whether I should get this or not....2011-09-05 14:50:00

Author:
Random
Posts: 673

So the game came out an hour or so ago on Steam, and I've been playing since.

Gotta say, the combat is as I was hoping: FUN. Kick a zombie down then pop his cranium with a rusting pipe. Aw ye.

Also, there's just SO MUCH to do. There's tons of areas to explore, and within 20 minutes of starting you have tons and tons of quests to do. I can easily see this game lasting for a long time on just singleplayer. Then theres the hours of co-op.

Though, the game is kinda buggy, as right off the bat the game told me to use the right stick (on my keyboard...) and, the best part: if you press Y (without enabling anything beforehand) you go into a glitchy flying mode. 		2011-09-06 06:57:00

Author:
Kog
Posts: 2358

yeah, that's because they released the de-bugger version on PC lol.

I pre-ordered yesterday from shopto on 360, with 3 mates, so looking forward to some co-op action when it comes out here 		2011-09-06 14:31:00

Author:
Unknown User

I will be heading out to pick up Dead Island shortly. Oh zombie killing, why are you so fun?2011-09-06 17:15:00

Author:
Spider-Jew
Posts: 1090

I only really enjoy games like this co-op. but they really are fantastic when you do play co-op...2011-09-06 22:33:00

Author:
Unknown User

So I had to restart the game, because one of the new "oops wrong game version lol" patches broke my save.

Wasn't a big deal as I quickly got back to were I was, and it was still a fun time.

I'm quite enjoying the variety of quests there are to do, and I like how a lot of them have a darker tone to them, and not some light hearted "go teach Lassie how to dance" quest. One of the ones I did was for a spanish guy who needed a key to someones bungalo. Of course, the guy with the key had been zombified and so getting the key was impossible for said spanish guy. So it was up to me to do it. But, when I got to the zombies location, he wasn't there. Instead, there was a trail of blood and gore leading down a nearby passage. So I follow this trail all the way to an underground restroom. (Oh, and this restroom didn't have any lights on.) I slowly go down to find an area with several mutilated corpses and a heck ton of blood. I check each stall and then come to the last where I find the zombie I was after. Following the happy times the quest had taken my through so far, it turned out that the zombie was a Thug, which are a pain to take on on your own (Until you break both their arms and then they are just pathetic ) Took a bit, but I killed the guy and got the key, and ran the heck out of the restroom. I then got like, 200 dollars from the quest giver, which is really not much. :C		2011-09-07 03:03:00

Author:
Kog
Posts: 2358

I think the biggest mistake they made was the promo video they made for the game.
It is completely unrepresentative of what the actual game is like and created unrealistic expectations for the game.

I mean, it's still a cool video - but it's got nothing to do with Dead Island, as it is in the released version.

Still, this'll do for a zombie co-op until Left 4 Dead 3 comes out 		2011-09-07 23:29:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

I think the biggest mistake they made was the promo video they made for the game.
It is completely unrepresentative of what the actual game is like and created unrealistic expectations for the game.

I mean, it's still a cool video - but it's got nothing to do with Dead Island, as it is in the released version.

Still, this'll do for a zombie co-op until Left 4 Dead 3 comes out

I doubt L4D3 will come out soon, Valve takes forever to make sequels. But at least theres something to play until then right? 		2011-09-08 00:02:00

Author:
Charlemagne
Posts: 513

Well I inevitably caved and picked up the game today, planning to play my first run as Sam B, blunt weapons and I usually get along. I understand a big patch was released for the console versions, hopefully the experience will be a smooth one.2011-09-08 17:14:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

Well I inevitably caved and picked up the game today, planning to play my first run as Sam B, blunt weapons and I usually get along. I understand a big patch was released for the console versions, hopefully the experience will be a smooth one.

Ladder climbing looks better on here than on Resistance 3 lol. Both games are great though. i was having fun playing this last night. I was just going around collecting all sorts of quests to do, smashing zombies all over the place. It was a fun time, indeed.		2011-09-08 22:12:00

Author:
Spider-Jew
Posts: 1090

Ladder climbing looks better on here than on Resistance 3 lol. Both games are great though. i was having fun playing this last night. I was just going around collecting all sorts of quests to do, smashing zombies all over the place. It was a fun time, indeed.

lol, yeah, A LOT better! I played about 3 hours last night and I experienced screen tear, sound cuts, clipping problems, collision detection issues, voices not synced to animation and various other bugs. As I was experiencing all this I somehow didn't really mind. Dead Island is...strangely compelling, it's like some sort of diamond buried in mud. Exiting the hotel and looking down upon the island gave me the same sense of wonder as Oblivion when you exit the caves and look upon the world for the first time realizing you can visit, explore and adventure in all you see before you (and what a beautiful world it is!). The juxtaposition of an island paradise filled with the undead is a stroke of genius imo.

Once I got use to the slightly floaty camera and weapon reach, combat became immensely satisfying. Taking a a zombies arms off with a cleaver so he is left only with his head to bite you, smashing a zombies skull in with a crowbar, running over groups of zombies in a pick-up, these are the things that bring me joy. The game has a mature tone, I love the conversations with the NPC's, the music is great as are the ambient sounds. I look forward to getting in a lot more game time this weekend, curious to see how useful the tackle ability I purchased will be (and the patch has not gone live yet so I guess things will only get better).

EDIT: patch is now live 		2011-09-09 09:22:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

One word. Indestructible Sand Castles. I totaled my vehicle hitting one. :| Other than that, the game is pretty fun, but not very compelling as an RPG. And the voice acting gets redundant very soon. Those are just the flaws. The game looks great. The gore is gratuitous. The concept is solid. I give it a 7/102011-09-10 01:14:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

I am currently lvl 25, 44% main story, doing every single side quest and really, really loving the game, happy I picked it up. The game keeps throwing new, massive environments at the player and each one is completely different from the last, I'm really impressed tbh. The patch has solved a lot of the technical issues. There is still texture pop-in and sound cuts but that's about it. As far as the zombie sub-genre goes this is at the top of my list just below RE4 and RE2. As far as open-world action RPG's are concerned it's also one of my favorites. As far as games that suck you in and keep you playing hour upon hour this is definitely in my top 10.

I think there is a bit of a double standard with the press with some of these games. It seems like games that come from big studios that have an established pedigree always get rave reviews regardless of their flaws. Considering this comes from a small Polish studio it is quite an accomplishment and should be applauded. I am glad to see a lot of gamers have ignored a lot of these reviews and picked the game up. If it proves a commercial success Techland can make this a franchise and improve upon everything in a sequel with an increased budget (although they may need to drop the Island part of the title and just have each game as "Dead (FILL IN THE BLANK)"? lol). Anyway, back to slaying zombies 		2011-09-10 18:58:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

If it proves a commercial success Techland can make this a franchise

I hope so. It has a few flaws, like indestructible sand castles and 100 lb beach balls, but those can be over looked for now. If there is a sequel, I am sure they will have more time to tinker with the physics engine.		2011-09-10 19:03:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

They're not 100lb beach balls - the harder you kick a beachball, the greater the air resistance, the less it travels. Especially if it is ever so slightly partially deflated.

And do you expect them to accurately model SAND?! - probably the second hardest thing to accurately model on a computer next to water?


Only had one issue so far in the Bloody Valentine Quest where the chick refused to be driven anywhere.

Aside from that, I'm quite enjoying it - it's like a great mix between Borderlands and Left 4 Dead - two of my favourite games.

Not had a chance to try the co-op yet - but in most cases Co-Op makes thing fun by a factor of the amount of players - so 2 players = Twice as Fun etc.
Just need to convince some mates to buy it - as they're still on the fence (and aren't as obsessed by Zombies as I am) 		2011-09-11 09:57:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

I would just like the sand castles to maybe... crumble into small chunks? and try running into a beach ball... ok, now go out and do it in real life. It doesnt stop you in your tracks.2011-09-11 10:01:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

Put one foot on top of the beach ball with all your weight and then try kicking it 2011-09-11 10:11:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

All right, Mac. Lets break this game down play by play-

What the game does wrong:
The characters

In an RPG, character is everything. If you do not have a character your audience can relate to, your game won't float. And by "float" I don't mean sell. I mean, it wont stick. The term RPG means Role Playing Game. If your audience cannot connect with the character, and "become" the character, then you are screwed. Your audience won't "Live" the game. Andy they cannot enjoy it as much. A good RPG should either focus on:
- one FANTASTIC character that the story revolves around (I look up to this guy)
- or have a custom character made by the player (This guy is me).
This gives the player a genuine love of character, and makes them give a **** weather they live or die. Dead Island suffers from following a different path- The path of Borderlands, and so many other "almost there" RPGs. You get to chose from 4 generic class characters that mean nothing to you, because the central story isn't tailored to ONE character, but rather the characters are tailored to the story. The characters each have a brief history, and unless you connect at that point, you will not find yourself caring about the character's life. I am not speaking in terms of points, or scores, but you won't care if they live, die, or get screwed in the end, because you didn't connect with their story.

The genre bending

Dead Island. Too shallow to be an RPG, too feeble to be an action game. Other than survival horror, a vast and all encompassing genre, what exactly is Dead Island? Well, all the RPG basics are in order, We have experience points, in game currency, classes, talent trees, and customizable weapons... But where is the variety? I mean Borderlands has variety up the butt hole from the get go, and don't even get me started on Bethesda's RPGs. But this game has... Several types of crow bars and beach paraphernalia ... A few classes of enemies, and... What else? This game lacks a lot of the depth that I need in a world in order to suck me in for a thousand hours.

Now as an action game, here we go! It is violent! It has gore! It has damage modeled weapons! What isn't to like? Oh yeah. A slow, cumbersome weapons system with floaty combat, slow walking speed, limited reach, and seemingly random flailing at times. Where is the fantastic melee combat from other first person action games like Half-Life, the Elder Scrolls, or even... Minecraft? The punches and kicks suffice, but with tough to control, slow to attack weapons, and NO radar of normal enemies, this part of the game feels more neglected than any other element.

In the end, Dead Island is too weak at any of its elements to claim to be any of them.

The control scheme

Not a whole lot to complain about here, the menus. The menus are slow to respond to your controls, and the weapons menu is placed in the most asinine place you could think to put a menu in a game featuring guns... ON THE RIGHT TRIGGER. and with absolutely NO action mapping available, you CANNOT move this menu from its home. It being on the right trigger also means that that space is not used for attacks, which are located on the right shoulder button instead. Just a minor issue on paper, but in practice, this causes those who play a lot of FPS games to accidentally swap weapons mid combat. Not a good thing by anyone's standards.

The physics engine

In the year 2004, we saw great strides in gaming, namely Half-Life 2. HL2 brought with is new standards for physics in gaming. Standards that were surpassed by leaps and bounds almost 2 years later in the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And here we are. 2011, 7 years after Half-Life 2 hit store shelves. And Dead Island has landed us square back in the the year 2003 (As far as physics are concerned.. Time travel doesn't exist.) Ragdoll physics is nice, but it has been standard since forever. And if that, and beach balls (filled with rocks) are all that this game has to offer, then why even bother with a physics engine at all?


What this game does right:
The art direction

Dead Island looks amazing, and not just graphically. The game has an island beach disaster feel that just sticks, and makes you want to come back, and become invested in the in game world. The zombies all fit, and have a look about them that is just.. Real. I like these zombies, all covered in some kind of pox, better than almost any other zombie I have been offered by the media. The character design of the NPCs as well as the PCs is excellent. Their looks all match their personalities, and fit the setting amazingly well, though there are a few beach babes with the EXACT same body model with a different bathing suit slapped on. The props all look great, and the weapons look real. I especially love the visible degradation of the various melee weapons scattered about the island.

The sound design

From every footstep, to every scream and right on through every slushy clunk of monkey wrench into brain matter, the sound design of Dead Island is spot on. One thing that stood out above all others was the voice acting. It is among the best of the medium. We have really come a long way since RE1 on PS1. The zombies, the NPCs, all do their job. And the main characters, especially the Aborigine girl, have great voice acting in their opening back stories. A stark shift from stereotypical, dreadful voice acting in a game. Bravo.

The setting

Zombies, I have seen done to death. Sexy beach resorts I have seen done to death. Zombies on sexy beach resorts? Never heard of that candle before! It is refreshing to have some gorgeous scenery to smash brains into. And the voice actors add to the setting by giving it a very specific Aussie charm. Very nice.

The tension

Let's just put it this way... The game is scary. It really is. The actors make the mood very tense, and the surprise zombie attacks make your stomach jump out of your throat. It all just comes together so nicely. It really does remind me of the feeling I got when first playing Resident Evil back in... God, when did I get my PS1? But yeah. It is the first legitimately cheese free horror game in a long time. Not to say there aren't funny parts, but it all just works out cheese free.		2011-09-11 11:40:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

Wow... I just finished it..
It was.. AMAZING
The story was interesting and made me wanna keep going further into it. The ending was really surprising.
The characters seemed to have had their own personality, a likable one. Except for Sam B, he has a bad mouth, and is kinda grumpy
Gameplay was really fun, the visuals were really awesome.
The mix in different gameplay options were well done too. Fighting non-infected, so it's a gun-to-gun fight, then it mixes back up to Zombies, not to mention the AI escorting (Which I've never been a fan of that, in any game. But it still mixes it up a bit). Had a very well and wide selection of a variety of different Zombies with different abilities.
I loved the powers, such as the fury.
It was kinda long, just the main missions itself, not even mentioning all the side-missions waiting.
As some games don't do, I like how this one lets you start the game back over with the same weapons.
The leveling system is balanced good in my opinion. It doesn't take FOREVER to level up, and it doesn't take too little to level up.
And for the cherry on top, the multiplayer is awesome too.
I really liked the large (obviously) selection of weapons, the coloring system of the damage.
Really unique game to me Seems like they took awesome pros from really good games, took out the cons, and made it into one big awesome game.
But it still has some annoying glitches. It was really annoying when I downloaded the patch, it reset all my trophy information in the Extras log.		2011-09-11 11:55:00

Author:
Unknown User

All right, Mac. Lets break this game down play by play-

What the game does wrong:
The characters

In an RPG, character is everything. If you do not have a character your audience can relate to, your game won't float. And by "float" I don't mean sell. I mean, it wont stick. The term RPG means Role Playing Game. If your audience cannot connect with the character, and "become" the character, then you are screwed. Your audience won't "Live" the game. Andy they cannot enjoy it as much. A good RPG should either focus on:
- one FANTASTIC character that the story revolves around (I look up to this guy)
- or have a custom character made by the player (This guy is me).
This gives the player a genuine love of character, and makes them give a **** weather they live or die. Dead Island suffers from following a different path- The path of Borderlands, and so many other "almost there" RPGs. You get to chose from 4 generic class characters that mean nothing to you, because the central story isn't tailored to ONE character, but rather the characters are tailored to the story. The characters each have a brief history, and unless you connect at that point, you will not find yourself caring about the character's life. I am not speaking in terms of points, or scores, but you won't care if they live, die, or get screwed in the end, because you didn't connect with their story.

The genre bending

Dead Island. Too shallow to be an RPG, too feeble to be an action game. Other than survival horror, a vast and all encompassing genre, what exactly is Dead Island? Well, all the RPG basics are in order, We have experience points, in game currency, classes, talent trees, and customizable weapons... But where is the variety? I mean Borderlands has variety up the butt hole from the get go, and don't even get me started on Bethesda's RPGs. But this game has... Several types of crow bars and beach paraphernalia ... A few classes of enemies, and... What else? This game lacks a lot of the depth that I need in a world in order to suck me in for a thousand hours.

Now as an action game, here we go! It is violent! It has gore! It has damage modeled weapons! What isn't to like? Oh yeah. A slow, cumbersome weapons system with floaty combat, slow walking speed, limited reach, and seemingly random flailing at times. Where is the fantastic melee combat from other first person action games like Half-Life, the Elder Scrolls, or even... Minecraft? The punches and kicks suffice, but with tough to control, slow to attack weapons, and NO radar of normal enemies, this part of the game feels more neglected than any other element.

In the end, Dead Island is too weak at any of its elements to claim to be any of them.

The control scheme

Not a whole lot to complain about here, the menus. The menus are slow to respond to your controls, and the weapons menu is placed in the most asinine place you could think to put a menu in a game featuring guns... ON THE RIGHT TRIGGER. and with absolutely NO action mapping available, you CANNOT move this menu from its home. It being on the right trigger also means that that space is not used for attacks, which are located on the right shoulder button instead. Just a minor issue on paper, but in practice, this causes those who play a lot of FPS games to accidentally swap weapons mid combat. Not a good thing by anyone's standards.

The physics engine

In the year 2004, we saw great strides in gaming, namely Half-Life 2. HL2 brought with is new standards for physics in gaming. Standards that were surpassed by leaps and bounds almost 2 years later in the Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. And here we are. 2011, 7 years after Half-Life 2 hit store shelves. And Dead Island has landed us square back in the the year 2003 (As far as physics are concerned.. Time travel doesn't exist.) Ragdoll physics is nice, but it has been standard since forever. And if that, and beach balls (filled with rocks) are all that this game has to offer, then why even bother with a physics engine at all?


What this game does right:
The art direction

Dead Island looks amazing, and not just graphically. The game has an island beach disaster feel that just sticks, and makes you want to come back, and become invested in the in game world. The zombies all fit, and have a look about them that is just.. Real. I like these zombies, all covered in some kind of pox, better than almost any other zombie I have been offered by the media. The character design of the NPCs as well as the PCs is excellent. Their looks all match their personalities, and fit the setting amazingly well, though there are a few beach babes with the EXACT same body model with a different bathing suit slapped on. The props all look great, and the weapons look real. I especially love the visible degradation of the various melee weapons scattered about the island.

The sound design

From every footstep, to every scream and right on through every slushy clunk of monkey wrench into brain matter, the sound design of Dead Island is spot on. One thing that stood out above all others was the voice acting. It is among the best of the medium. We have really come a long way since RE1 on PS1. The zombies, the NPCs, all do their job. And the main characters, especially the Aborigine girl, have great voice acting in their opening back stories. A stark shift from stereotypical, dreadful voice acting in a game. Bravo.

The setting

Zombies, I have seen done to death. Sexy beach resorts I have seen done to death. Zombies on sexy beach resorts? Never heard of that candle before! It is refreshing to have some gorgeous scenery to smash brains into. And the voice actors add to the setting by giving it a very specific Aussie charm. Very nice.

The tension

Let's just put it this way... The game is scary. It really is. The actors make the mood very tense, and the surprise zombie attacks make your stomach jump out of your throat. It all just comes together so nicely. It really does remind me of the feeling I got when first playing Resident Evil back in... God, when did I get my PS1? But yeah. It is the first legitimately cheese free horror game in a long time. Not to say there aren't funny parts, but it all just works out cheese free.

As always - I would debate those findings

You know me, I like to complain about just about anything - but only when I think it's justified.

Firstly, I would say the character system is passable for an RPG lite (there has NEVER been a 'proper' RPG computer game - the closest being Never Winter Nights).
The Characters are split into archetypes - Blunt specialist, Blade specialist, Thrown Weapon Specialist and FireArm specialist.
Consider that Oblivion only had 3 character archetypes - Warrior/Mage/Thief - which is the standard RPG format.

Perhaps a definitve definition of what constitutes an 'RPG' would help.
"RPG" could be construed as "Playing the role of a character" - which narrows the definition down to EVERY computer game where you control a character. So they would 'all' be RPG's except for the most abstract.

And what of "genre"? CoD is not marked down because it contains some RPG elements - though they are not enough to constitute a "full RPG". Is this "genre bending"? or is it simply adding in game mechanics that make things more fun?


The control scheme - like any other - takes some getting used to. But even your "default" control scheme was at one point alien and new. I've really had no problems with it. They seem to be complaining simply because the control scheme differs from CoD

While the physics may not be "Half Life 2" standards - Half Life 2 was not an "open world" game. And it at least does have movable objects, it's not like there are 'no' physics acting in the environment. In one of my first encounters with a zombie, I kicked them back onto some table and chairs - and was actually quite impressed how they splayed out, knocking the table over and then slumped into the chair.

Aside from that, I'd agree 		2011-09-11 12:09:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

As always - I would debate those findings
That's why we like you!


Half Life 2 was not an "open world" game.

But Elder Scrolls was! BAM		2011-09-11 12:15:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

But Elder Scrolls was! BAM

But Oblivion doesn't have moving tables/chairs etc.
In fact, Oblivion had mostly "static" objects when you were outside. All of the Tables/Chairs/barrels/flowerpots/troughs etc were unmovable. No physics acting on them at all.
retract that "Bam" this instant!!!

Also, I don't reckon these Dead Island guys had anywhere near the budget that Bethesda did.

Don't get me wrong - the game has flaws - but there are enough positives in the game for me to discount most of them.

I didn't see Oblivion getting marked down for it's "half-FPS" approach - even thought the actual fighting/shooting/magic mechanics were tragically flawed (again, because there was enough 'other stuff' happening in the game that those niggles could take a back seat)		2011-09-11 12:41:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

Well I started playing it yesterday and haven't had much luck. The trophies are glitched and don't unlock. And worst of all the game saving is a bit.. strange. I got to chapter 6 last night. Then upon reloading I was at chapter 2. Sort of turned me off it now sadly. I'll wait a bit and hopefully a few patches might resolve the saving issue. Some friends have also lost progress so I'm not alone.2011-09-11 14:05:00

Author:
OneEyedBanshee
Posts: 1370

Well I started playing it yesterday and haven't had much luck. The trophies are glitched and don't unlock. And worst of all the game saving is a bit.. strange. I got to chapter 6 last night. Then upon reloading I was at chapter 2. Sort of turned me off it now sadly. I'll wait a bit and hopefully a few patches might resolve the saving issue. Some friends have also lost progress so I'm not alone.

ive had the same problem so ive exchanged it for deus ex: hr as it was on sale ?30. got to say im glad i did.

i will properly get it again in a couple of months i think tho. the bits i did play i loved		2011-09-11 15:46:00

Author:
Ash_uk1
Posts: 255

Reached Act 3 today, I am astonished by the scope and scale of the game. Before picking up DI I thought most of my time would be spent on the lush island paradise with a couple of indoor environments, this game is so much more then that. I looted my first "exceptional" class weapon, a Wakizashi (short samurai sword) which I promptly upgraded with the Toxic mod. This weapon helped me get the "All I Need is One" trophy from the first time I used it. 5 zombies came running out at me (not at once) and all 5 were promptly decapitated with one swing, good times.

I have been playing solo (I almost always play this type of game solo) and it works perfectly as an SP game. My buddy should be picking the game up soon though so I will start a new file and try out the co-op. Is anyone else completely in love with the music in each safe area? I love how each place has it's own unique track but all share that sad, somber tone. The sound design all around is amazing and I actually appreciate all the different accents with NPC's, it is an island resort after all and would have tourists from all over the world 		2011-09-11 16:09:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

Doesn't the little "Biohazard" symbol that appears top centre of the screen indicate an Auto-Save (I presume when asked to use the auto-save feature at the start of the game, that you chose "yes"?)

Luckily, I just got paid -so I've bought both and bizarrely - that's the problem I've had with Deus Ex (quest glitching - reverting back to auto-saves from hours ago etc)

Is it too much to ask that they properly bug test a game before they release it?! -
We've come to rely too heavily on the "we'll just patch it later" ethos


I like how they've emphasised the 'human' element of the game - you know, people in total grief stricken remourse about having to murder their zombified family members etc.
Zombies should be taken seriously		2011-09-11 16:12:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

I will NOT retract my BAM! Because if you drop an item outside in Oblivion, it is still a physics enabled item. You can steal every cup from every house in Tamriel, and drop them all in a pile outside Jensine's "Good as New" Merchandise to show her your love!2011-09-11 20:06:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

I will NOT retract my BAM! Because if you drop an item outside in Oblivion, it is still a physics enabled item. You can steal every cup from every house in Tamriel, and drop them all in a pile outside Jensine's "Good as New" Merchandise to show her your love!
Yup, Oblivion is pretty cool that way - though I found that if I dropped something outside - it would randomly disappear on occasion.
My favourite tickle in Oblivion was secretly pickpocketting people - but instead of stealing something from them, I'd put forks in their pocket.
It was my tribute to the god of madness (http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Fork_of_Horripilation)

There is a comparison though (all be it an unfavourable one) - with the weapons in Dead Island - I just threw my entire inventory at a thug zombie, because I didn't want to get close - and he ended up with 11 assorted knives sticking out him... I would have thrown the 12th knife, but then I'd have no weapons left. 		2011-09-11 20:22:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

The one thing that they COULD have done, and could EASILY be implemented in a patch is ragdoll collision detection. This appears in all it's wonder in Dead Rising. When you push a zombie, he bumps into the zombie behind him. In Dead Island, they pass through each other like 'what?'2011-09-11 20:35:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

This game has been a pain in the butt for me since I bought it...the online system barely works, I can't play with anyone else in the game cause apparently they took down that stat deletion patch before I could update it and now it has people with different versions of the game playing. =/
After trying a hour with my friend we finally found out he had to delete his update data so we could play.
I didn't get my stats wiped but he did since he had it so it kind of sucks.
There's also a lot of weird graphical glitches, and the enemy AI for some of the zombies is just plain stupid (The thug will literally turn around and walk away from you if you walk like 15 feet away)
But...I'm still somehow addicted to it lol I like how huge and detailed the environments are and the combat and leveling up is pretty fun		2011-09-12 04:31:00

Author:
Unknown User

This game has been a pain in the butt for me since I bought it...the online system barely works, I can't play with anyone else in the game cause apparently they took down that stat deletion patch before I could update it and now it has people with different versions of the game playing. =/
After trying a hour with my friend we finally found out he had to delete his update data so we could play.
I didn't get my stats wiped but he did since he had it so it kind of sucks.
There's also a lot of weird graphical glitches, and the enemy AI for some of the zombies is just plain stupid (The thug will literally turn around and walk away from you if you walk like 15 feet away)
But...I'm still somehow addicted to it lol I like how huge and detailed the environments are and the combat and leveling up is pretty fun
Thugs are like guards, and they don't like to leave their post, so if you get too far from their main spot, they'll just ignore you. On the other hand, walkers spawn where ever, and move around, so they can chase you for as long as you let them.		2011-09-12 05:26:00

Author:
Kog
Posts: 2358

and the enemy AI for some of the zombies is just plain stupid (The thug will literally turn around and walk away from you if you walk like 15 feet away)

rofl, I see you haven't met the butcher type zombie yet, good luck with that (especially when multiple ones attack you with groups of other zombies).

I wonder what the algorithm is for generating exceptional weapons as loot. The only gold trophy in the game is awarded for looting 5 exceptional weapons and after nearly 25 hours play I have still only looted 1, anyone have more luck looting these? My buddy went to pick the game up yesterday, he checked 5 different shops and everywhere they were sold out saying "we did not expect the game to sell so well" 		2011-09-12 09:07:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

I have revised my opinion on this game;
It's actually gone way up in my estimation.

I understand people marking it down because "the physics aren't as good as HL2/oblivion" - but the thing is, these devs aren't in the same league as the ones they are being compared to. Their previous titles were pretty lack lustre - especially the aweful Call of Juarez - so this is their first 'passable' game. And if you are comparing it to the best in the business, then that has to be a good sign.

PLus - first and foremost - this is a "Zombie Game" - people may think it's a genre blend - but actually it's distinct in it's own genre of "Zombie Game"; And when you compare Dead Islands treatment of Zombies, compared with the biggest rival Zombie games (which would be Dead Rising or Left 4 Dead) , then it compares very favourably. In fact I would go so far as to say it's one of the best zombie games made so far.

Sure, there's always extra things you could add - like zombie collision - but I have a feeling the player would abuse this system (as the Push Back was abused in Left 4 Dead) to unbalance the game.

As Zombie games go - this is a good 'un 		2011-09-12 09:48:00

Author:
Macnme
Posts: 1970

The fact is this game was treated unfairly by the press, full stop. Yes it has it's bugs, which open world game doesn't? It comes with the territory. I remember when Fallout 3 came out, amazing game that got exceptional review scores. However, for the first 2-3 months post-release people were raging on a daily basis because of all the bugs/glitches and this is a game from Bethesda who's dev team and budget I am sure dwarfs Techland's in size. We can sit here all day and talk about what they could have done better but it has to be in context and ultimately is not a conversation worth spending too much time on because the game does so much right. This game is like the perfect mix of Borderlands+Dead Rising+Fallout+Far Cry+L4D and yet it's still completely unique and has it's own identity.

After 25+ hours I am happy to add another game to my favorites of 2011 list (and I had a feeling within the first 5 hours it would earn a spot there lol). I am starting to sound like a broken record but this year has just been incredible for gaming! I think over the past few years a lot of gamers have become too cynical and lost the joy and wonder that comes with gaming. From the Atari 2600 until today I have never lost that feeling of magic when playing a great game. If I ever do it's time to hang up the controller 		2011-09-12 10:50:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

This has indeed been a great year for gaming. And though i criticize the game, I still give it a very high score, and favor it over any of the new resident evil titles.2011-09-12 15:48:00

Author:
poorjack
Posts: 1806

I was going to make a post about the references I have found in DI but then someone already did that for me:

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/119/1193854/DeadIslandSecretsOfPopCulture_1315858806.jpg


Cool stuff 		2011-09-13 17:38:00

Author:
OCK
Posts: 1536

This is something me and my friend joked about which brought me to making a video about it;


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_7tfxBUs_k		2011-09-14 02:32:00

Author:
Kog
Posts: 2358


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