Dead Island Previews

Deep Silver’s zombie-themed open world action-RPG has got the hands-on preview treatment from a fair number of publications, although the focus so far seems to be on combat and it’s difficult to judge just how much weight the RPG elements have in the overall design.

We kick off things with G4TV‘s piece:

If you’re expecting (whack a zombie) like Dead Rising, you’ll be disappointed. Combat in Dead Island is a more visceral, difficult proposition. Even single zombies will prove challenging until you get your bearings. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing of knife swings down, and while you’re whiffing at approaching zombies, your fatigue level is rising and undead are grabbing you to get at the juicy brains in your head. If you’re grabbed by a zombie, you’ll lose some health, but you’ll be able to push them away to take out your weapon and hopefully bury it in your victim. Combat also involves the judicious use of kicks. You swing your legs to put space between you and attackers, giving yourself a little breathing room so you can slide out a knife or gun.

Gamespot:

The enemies you’ll be facing run the full spectrum of undead horrors. You want the George Romero-style slow, lumbering zombies? The superspeedy 28 Days Later zombies? Or the monstrous and unique boss zombies of Left 4 Dead? Dead Island has room in its rotting heart for all three. We had already encountered the first two types during our time on the beach, but when we skipped ahead to the city area, we got our first look at the third. Surrounded on all sides by ruined, smoldering shops and office buildings, we could hear a heavy ringing noise issuing from nearby. According to Kummer, the church’s bell tower had started ringing uncontrollably; its loud gong, gong acting as a dinner bell for the local undead population. Our mission was to help out the people barricaded within by figuring out a way to shut off the noise.

GamesRadar:

Last time we saw Dead Island we got a taste of the (tank) class, but when we played the game recently we took on the (rogue) character Xian Mei, a lithe Chinese woman with speed and agility. At first we didn’t see what differentiated her when we swung a few weapons, but once we got a hold of a knife (her specialty) we got a sense of her style. It was nasty as hell (and awesome) when we did rapid-fire butcher-knife stabs to zombies’ faces. It also highlighted the many wonderful ways the zombies come apart when you smash, slash, and impale them. At one point we were using a sickle and we swiped at a zombie’s head and its entire brain just popped out of its head like its head was gumball machine. Also your character goes through a progression at first he or she will be frightened and bewildered by the circumstances, making appropriate comments, but as more zombies fall before them, their confidence will grow and they’ll develop cocky lines to toss out while murdering the filthy undead.

Kotaku (which is the only one to call the title a role-playing game):

First I take my weapons to one of Dead Island’˜s many workbenches. Here, I upgrade and repair a diving knife that was just given to Xian Mei by one of the survivors. Repairing blunt weapons and sharpening blades is the simple stuff. And necessary, since weapons will decay and break as players fight off zombies. But players can also spend cash on wilder upgrades, transforming a baseball bat into a spiked nail-bat or a cleaver into an electrified blade that stuns its victims.

Having tweaked a few weapons, I set off to find my quest. It would be given to me by a man named Dominic, one of the many non-player characters with a job that requires a zombie-resistant hero. Xian Mei passes a handful of tourists and island survivors along the way, NPCs of (varying emotional states,) according to Dead Island brand manager Vincent Kummer. Ignoring the NPCs for now, I set off.

Destructoid:

Upon entering the church, I find a nun. She tells me that one of their own has become possessed by a demon and has locked himself in the bell tower. He repeatedly rings the bell, a cry for help which only attracts the zombies more. (Please help me silence these bells,) pleads the nun. (They are calling to the devil’s disciples.) These are typical of the kinds of quests you will complete in Dead Island. Fetching items you’ll need in order to get off the island, rescuing survivors, and staving off zombies will make up the bulk of your time spent playing, and completing missions for others will earn you XP, items and, sometimes, cash.

Although the game is open world, the entire island is infested with zombies so you obviously won’t want to linger in any unsafe area for too long. Zombies also randomly respawn in areas you have already been, so the only way to truly save yourself is by getting off the island. From start to finish, it should reasonably take about 20 hours. With all of the side quests, it’s more like 25-30.

Shacknews:

Combat in Dead Island is brutal and gory, with a purposeful focus on melee weapons that send body parts a-flying. Machetes, cleavers, and knives slice through zombies like hot butter at close range. All melee weapons can also be thrown from a distance, and can be retrieved for re-use. I couldn’t help but chuckle after I skewered a zombie’s torso with my thrown machete, ran up and retrieved the blade as it continued toward me, and then decapitated it with the same blade. Physical actions, such as swinging a weapon or sprinting use up player stamina, which automatically recharges. It’s a nice touch that ensures fights require a bit more strategy than simply spamming the attack button. There are also powerful guns to be found or purchased from survivors selling black market goods, but they’re very rare and will only include thirty to fifty rounds of ammunition apiece. Players also have a melee kick at their disposal, which can be used to knock zombies down and provide some breathing room.