Dead Island

Techland’s zombie survival/horror game recently hit shelves across the United States, bringing with it hours of fast-paced hack-n-slash. On the surface, Dead Island is exactly what consumers might expect it to be: a bloody trek from point A to point B that pits the player against hundreds of shambling zombies just begging to be maimed and decapitated. Under the surface, Dead Island offers a level of character and weapon customization previously unseen by games falling under the umbrella of zombie survival/horror.

Dead Island borrows from several different games of similar genre, most notably Dead Rising. Like in Dead Rising, players can craft weapons out of random brick-a-brack found almost anywhere in the tropical paradise of Banoi, New Guinea. Players can then combine these items with a foundation weapon, such as a baseball bat or knife, to create devastating modifications. Want to burn zombies with a flaming axe? You can do that. Want to crush skulls with a morning star pulsating with electric current? You can do that too.

Modifications also extend to small arms (pistols, shotguns, rifles). You can imbue your bullets with fire, lightning, and even the ability to make zombies puke their guts out on contact. Small explosions and splash damage can also be crafted using specific components. Want to blow away hordes of the undead in one fell swoop? Simply string two empty deodorant cans together with duct tape and you have yourself a genuine homemade bomb. Classics like the Molotov Cocktail can also be crafted should you run out of melee weapons or are simply in the mood to cause mass destruction.

In addition to the innumerable choices available regarding what weapons to use, players can outfit their characters with certain skills. By adding points to three different skill trees – combat, fury, and survival – players can further build and craft their character toward individual tastes. Although each playable character has the same three skill trees, each tree will affect its respective character differently. For example, the survival tree will allow one character to regenerate health over time and another more efficiency with med packs. Combine effective use of skill points with a fully-upgraded, modified weapons and you have yourself a lean, mean, zombie-killing machine.

This doesn’t mean Dead Island is easy in any sense of the word. Characters do not have a large vessel of health to draw from, meaning the level of danger when surrounded by zombies (and you will get surrounded) is very high. Health can be restored using med packs or food found scattered amid the remains of Banoi. However, these will not save you if you go into combat unprepared or happen to get too close to a suicider, a zombie with the ability to explode violently, instantly draining your character’s health to zero.

Zombies are fairly diversified, ranging from your typical slow, shambling zombie to extremely fast, agile zombies with bone scythes for arms. This helps keep combat from getting dull and ensures there’s always a surprise waiting around the next corner. Zombies also increase in health and scale the more players are involved in a single game. Since Dead Island supports up to four players in a single game, the potential for challenge and the necessity of teamwork is increased.

The multiplayer aspect of Dead Island is something for which I applaud Techland. The game will notify players every time they come within close proximity of another player with the same or less level of story progress. Simply press one button and you can join the neighboring player’s game in seconds. Dropping out of another player’s game and back into your own is just as quick and easy. The game thus ensures players the opportunity to play in a manner that suits their individual tastes.

Dead Island also capitalizes beautifully on what zombie games do best: give their players the opportunity to kill zombies. And if you play through Dead Island, you will kill a lot of zombies. Killing is ultimately satisfying and fun to watch. Decapitated heads fly after being separated from their shoulders. Limbs break and are severed with realistic gluts of blood and gore. Zombies react accordingly to being set on fire or electrocuted. All in all, Dead Island excels at creating a environment in which players can enjoy dispatching the undead in creative ways.

Sound effects in Dead Island are great. The sound of a sledgehammer turning a zombie’s head into pulp is grossly satisfying. Voice acting is good and fairly diversified across the board. Zombie’s moan and scream in a way that complements the tedious nature of combat. The music in Dead Island is mostly soft and reminiscent of a tropical paradise. It’s not amazing, but it certainly does not detract from the overall feel of the game.

My biggest complaint with Dead Island lies in its graphical qualities. Banoi looks beautiful in all the right places, but that’s where the good graphics end. Voice syncing during cut scenes is downright terrible and all the in-game characters have this weird quality about their faces that makes them look older than I imagine Techland wanted to depict them. Graphical glitches plague every corner of Banoi. Several times, I notices palm tree leaves jutting through scenery or zombies magically dropping through the floor. The moment I realized Dead Island had some serious issues was shortly after a zombie lobbed a knife through a concrete wall and into my character.

I am a firm believer that graphics do not equate to gameplay. I still enjoyed playing Dead Island regardless of its obvious flaws. Nevertheless, Dead Island had the feel of an unfinished game, one that was released prematurely. I know Techland is working on fixing some of these glitches, but the fact that they were not fixed earlier lost the game some points in my mind.

VERDICT

Despite a few issues, I still rate Dead Island my favorite zombie game to date. I have been waiting a long time for a zombie game that allowed players to customize characters and weapons in such a detailed manner. I would have liked to see even more customization options, but overall, Dead Island succeeded in paving the road for what I hope will be a pattern for zombie games to come.

SCORE: 8.5/10