Review: Dead Island

I've been waiting for this game since it's announcement in 2007. After years of waiting, and quite the cinematic teaser trailer, the wait is over!

Dead Island takes place after a sudden and violent zombie outbreak on the tropical island of Banoi. Played from a first-person perspective, the game features a blend of open-world gameplay with RPG elements. Using one of four characters, each with their own unique abilities and specializations, players must survive the island, rescue survivors, and complete tasks using a multitude of weapons ranging from mundane items to those of a more creative nature.

When it comes to video games, particularly those involving zombies, I try not to be a graphics snob and let the gameplay speak for itself. Never the less, Dead Island features outstanding OUTDOOR environments and an impressive damage model on the zombie adversaries. The mindless expenditure of seemingly infinite amounts of ammunition has become all to common in the zombie genre. It simply isn't "realistic". I applaud Techland's decision to emphasize melee combat for this is where Dead Island succeeds. The ability to create custom weapons and use almost everything in your environment provides players with a seemingly endless methods of undead disposal. Degenerating items through use provides the game with another level of depth. The impressive gameplay, stunning environments, and realistic combat are all aspects of the game that significantly outweigh the games only flaw: the INDOOR graphics. Although not poor, the graphics associated with indoor environments are fairly inconsistent.

Looking for a next gen zombie game? Look no further. Dead Island is exactly what we've all been searching for: an open ended zombie survival game featuring blood, gore and a shit-load of weapons at your disposal. To put it simply, I'm addicted to this game!

4.5/5 Dead thumbs up!

- King of the Zombies