Dead Island - Early Reviews

Dhruin

Dhruin

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We recently ran a Dead Island newsbit after a reader sent it in but we didn't add it to the database. Now that early reviews are in and they all call the game an action/RPG, it's time to cover it. In fact, most of these articles call it "Fallout 3 with zombies", so while I wouldn't expect RPG nirvana, it might be worth a look if you'd like an action zombie game with decent RPG flavourings. Each review points out rough edges but the overall vibe is positive.
From IGN, who scored 8/10:
Dead Island is Fallout 3 with zombies. Plenty of people are going to compare it to Dead Rising (as you can create weapons) and Left 4 Dead (as the action is first-person and good for four players online), but when I finally got past the game's obtuse opening and less than stellar cutscenes, I found a world rife with quests, interesting environments, and a character progression system that had me begging for more hours in the day. In short, Dead Island's a rough around the edges role-playing game, and I dug it.
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They also have a video review here (thanks Melvil).
Eurogamer is only 6/10 but there is still light at the end of the tunnel:
Now that we've established that Dead Island is a ramshackle B-movie rather than a streamlined blockbuster, let's clear up another misconception. This is not just a horror action game with occasional RPG bits glued on. It's a full-on openworld horror role-playing game, complete with crafting, side quests and skill trees. In fact, I'll put money on the fact that the conversation at developer Techland's Warsaw HQ started with the question, "What would happen if Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead went on a holiday to the Far Cry island?" That, in a blood-stained disembowelled nutshell, is Dead Island.
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TeamXbox, with 9/10:
The comparison has been made many times before, and will continue to be made as well, but it works because it fits. Dead Island is Fallout 3 with Zombies. Dead Island is not Left4Dead, nor is it Dead Rising. If you are expecting the experience of either of those two games while playing Dead Island, you will be setting yourself up for disappointment, and will only have yourself to blame. This is an action-RPG with zombies in it. There is a surprising amount of depth to the character customization and even to the abilities of the different characters. More on that later though; let’s get into a discussion of what went right, what went wrong, and everything in between.
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X360 Achievements, with 84%:
Dead Island is a huge game and assuming you take the time to complete all of the side missions you will be looking at 30-40 hours to get everything done, even in a team. Such a grand undertaking might be a touch too repetitive for solo play, but this game was designed for co-op and thankfully thrives on it. The story may be hokum, but the experience of being trapped on an island with only the bare minimum in terms of supplies is one that sells itself. You will probably spend as much time hightailing it away from zombies as you do fighting them, but even a great escape can be an adrenaline-pounding thing of beauty. The only issues really are the graphics and mission-related glitches, which are more intrusive than they should be and hold the game back from true greatness. So, pick up a posse, immerse yourself in Banoi and don’t forget the sunscreen... Although perhaps a machete would be a better option.
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Thanks to VG247 for some of these.
More information.
 
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That's a big shame, despite it getting overall good scores. The trailer got me hugely interested, but according to IGN, it doesn't have much in common with the game. There are graphics problems, like texture pop-in, clipping and stiff animation, but I hope they're just talking about the console versions. So there is still hope.

That trailer got me hella-excited when I saw it, though. :/
 
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Anyone know how the Coop works, is it Dedicated Server or Steam?
 
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Dead Island is a huge game and assuming you take the time to complete all of the side missions you will be looking at 30-40 hours to get everything done, even in a team. Such a grand undertaking might be a touch too repetitive for solo play, but this game was designed for co-op and thankfully thrives on it.
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Sigh... I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I was hoping the single-player was going to be more focused towards solo play. This is starting to sound like Borderlands with zombies.

Still, I'm intrigued by the comparisons to FO3, and I'll definitely be checking it out.
 
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This game has always sounded like borderlands / L4D.. A game with very little story and focus on co-op.

I don't get the comparisons with FO3 really.

Might buy when it hits the bargain bin, probably worth testing at least.
 
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If only the co-op supported more than 4 players….

So far, it doesn't really sound like my kind of game. I'll probably check it out eventually, but I can certainly wait based on early feedback.
 
"game is huge" "30-40 hours" including side missions. ???
 
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JDR13 said:
Sigh… I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I was hoping the single-player was going to be more focused towards solo play. This is starting to sound like Borderlands with zombies.

Still, I'm intrigued by the comparisons to FO3, and I'll definitely be checking it out.
Click to expand...

I don't know, I had a ton of fun with Borderlands. I played every minute of it in single player. I don't think that will be the case with this game. It looks too focused on co-op.
 
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Keep in mind that the technical shortcomings are all coming from console versions of the game, no one has reviewed the PC version as of yet. It might be that the console versions have a case of the Risen's as it were...my pc version unlocks tonight, I'll report here if the tech problems persist across platforms.
 
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Well, mine will be here tomorrow. I'll be playing it purely solo so I'll be happy to tell you if it sucks or not.
 
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I'm with baba, Borderlands was basically made for co-op as well and I had a blast playing that solo. I'm hoping this game ups the ante a bit. From all the trailers and reviews I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it. It's got a little bit of everything like from the craftable weapons from Dead Rising, Borderlands style gameplay, RPG elements, stamina and weapons that degrade. Little touches like weapons that don't last forever or the fact that you can't just keep swinging for hours on end make a game just a bit better.

I was expecting an epic story after seeing that trailer with the zombie kid, but I've toned down my expectations ever since I've seen actual gameplay footage.

I've got to pre-order this dang thing so I can grab the extra junk. I know I'm buying it on day one anyways, might as well as see what they include for pre-ordering.
 
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I pre-ordered on Steam. They offered a weapon, a baseball bat with a buzz saw on the end of it. (Personally, I like the survival idea of using items of opportunity like kitchen knives and oars, which I read there is still plenty of, so I'm not that thrilled about the Dead Risingesque weapon.) You also get some kind of arena DLC, which is supposed to be released in a month. I'll be playing this solo, as multiplayer doesn't interest me much, so I didn't care much about that either. :p
 
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