Dead Island is a hack-and-slash zombie game that is unlike any other game on the market. This unique and in-depth action game will leave you breathless with its gorgeous graphics, catchy tunes, and immersive details. Everything, and I mean everything, is detailed right down to the last drop. This is what a zombie game should be.
Story Without giving too much away, here's the plot. You wake up in a hotel resort, possibly with a hangover from the night before. Upon finally getting to your feet you realize something is not right. It's very dark, the lights are flickering, and it's super quiet. You're treated to a shock upon leaving your hotel room. There are dead bodies on the floor, and there is cash, food, and luggage scattered everywhere. Outside, people are jumping off buildings. Something has gone incredibly wrong, and it's not long until you need to respond.
Music I'm a big believer that great music can make a great game, and Dead Island only proves this point. The music ranges from ambient background tunes to stuff straight from the best horror movies. The sound effects are amazing. From swinging a baseball bat so hard you break the bones of a zombie to gunshots being fired, everything sounds so real. Even the zombie's moans and grunts go hand-in-hand with the action that is being presented to you on the screen.
Control The PS3 controller felt right at home playing this game, and I've heard that the Xbox 360 control scheme is even better, so good in fact, that the PC version of this game adapted it (meaning you can take your Xbox 360 controller and plug it into your personal computer and it will automatically configure the controls just as if you were playing the game on the Xbox 360 itself). Suffice it to say, the game controls well no matter what platform you play it on. Running, jumping, and attacking is very intuitive, and within 15 minutes you should have things mastered.
Graphics The new engine that this game runs on (called Chrome), does an amazing job of showing off the visuals. As stated earlier, the graphics of this game are amazing. Every single item in this game is richly detailed. Boat paddles break if used too much as a weapon, palm trees blow in the breeze, and water swooshes and sways as the wind blows. You can literally just stand in a spot for awhile and gaze in awe at just how much painstaking detail the programmers put into this game. Other than the loading screens, there is never a dull moment when you play this game.
Overall This is an excellent game to get into whether you are an action gamer or not. There is a ton of customization, which allows you to create awesome weapons such as the shock machete and flame baseball bat, strong RPG elements, and plenty of replay value with the New Game + that carries over your charter level, weapons, etc. I've personally spent over 50 hours on this game. You might be a little frightened, but you definitely won't regret picking it up.
