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Dead Island: Definitive Edition: Let’s start off with some technical information this game, made by the same Polish company, Techland, also responsible for Dying Light and Call of Juarez. Dead Island is arguably their biggest release.
Deep Silver are the publishers and they have published a range of games like Homefront: The Revolution, Saints Row, Catherine (one of the best games you will ever play) and the upcoming Mighty No.9. Both companies who are behind this game are making a name for themselves, hence why they can take a risk and re-release a game.
Dead Island was originally released in 2011 on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Now, just under 5 years later, it’s back on the market. However I must admit I am always a bit sceptical about Definitive Editions and re-releases. Saying this, looking at my collection shows that even though I’m sceptical I seem to buy them anyway. I own a number of games on either PS2/3 Xbox original/360 and the PS4/Xbox One so they always must be doing something right.
It is worth mentioning that this is the first game that I have played that I hadn’t played on the original console – I mean I do have it because I’m sure it was free with ‘Games with Gold’ last year but I drunkenly switched it on one evening and fell asleep before I even made it past the options… you shouldn’t drink and game guys: it never works out well.
If anyone is wondering which console to get this game on I will say one thing: the disc on the PS4 only has the original game on, whereas the disc on the Xbox One also has Retro Revenge and Riptide. In light of knowing all of that, I am playing the game on the PS4. I just find games run a little smoother and I am more accustomed to the controller making it more fun for me to play. This review will be mainly focused on the main game but I will add sections about the Riptide expansion pack and the Retro Revenge title.
The story takes place on a fictional island off of Papua New Guinea called Banoi and what an island it is. I actually did look it up within five minutes as a potential honeymoon destination, but decided I didn’t fancy risking fate and being attacked by zombies. To cut the story down to the barebones and not give much away, you have four playable characters that you can choose from: Sam B (rapper) who specialises in blunt weapons – this is who I chose as I love smashing zombies, Logan Carter (former American Football star) who specialises in throwing knives, Xian Mei (desk clerk) who specialises in blade weapons, and Purna (former police officer) who specialises in firearms. All four of these characters offer you something different but all follow the same story… Basically, the island has been infected and you’re the only son of a gun who can’t get infected – but you can die.
So as the story commences, you have to save the island and save the people. What I prefer about this game, compared to Dead Rising 3, is that at least there is some story. The main story isn’t great and won’t be the aspect that keeps you playing but it does follow some sort of plot. The story itself will take you long enough to complete (20 hours), but it’s the side quests which offer a fair amount of variation and could take you another 30-40 hours. The game offers plenty of scope and is simple but darn enjoyable.
What confused me about this game is that you have no way of changing the difficulty. However this didn’t seem to be a problem, as each quest you take on has its own difficulty level, so you can choose which ones to pick depending how far you are in the game.
Go to page 2 for more thoughts on the game plus conclusions.
Similar to the story, the gameplay is also simple but effective. You have a variety of weapons from guns, knives, spades, wooden sticks and your trusty fists. With the ability to upgrade, repair and throw, you will keep on changing your weapon until you find the chosen one. The game controls relatively well but my only gripe was that every now and again, whilst walking, you seemed to limp. I thought at the start it was due to the fact you have a hangover but it didn’t seem to go. This only happened every now and again and I think it may be just a simple coding error. Attacking the zombies has a good feel to it; the different types of zombies move differently and I found myself learning their movements and how to fend each one off. I have to admit that wading through an army of zombies, decapitating them with a wooden plank is absolutely fantastic.
Don’t switch the sound on too loud. This is my warning to anyone looking to play this game. Hiding round corners, on the floor and behind doors are blood-seeking zombies that alert you with a deadly howl forcing you to jump out your seat and change your pants. I mean, the sound is fantastic. Listening carefully, you can tell whether you are about to run into a zombie infested area or whether you won’t even need to swing your weapon. “Who do you voodoo …?” will ring round your head for hours after playing and you will find yourself head-bumping to the catchy beat. Overall the sound is a really successful attribute for Dead Island and enhances the gaming experience.
The graphics on the other hand are one of the weakest areas. Yes they do look better than they did on the previous gen but they don’t look particular great which is incredibly frustrating. I have to be honest and say that The Last of Us on the PS3 has better graphics than this game. However, I didn’t really find it frustrating me too much. The game was fun to play I didn’t really care too much how it looked, although it is a shame as the island itself could have been an astonishing spectacle.
Here is a warning for anyone who hasn’t played the game before: This game is very addictive and can take over your life.
Oh I nearly forgot: you’ll also get Retro Revenge. This is a side scrolling game similar to Streets of Rage and Alien Storm which is great fun. It is unbelievably samey but well worth a few hours of play. And it’s about rescuing a cat. Who doesn’t love rescuing grumpy cats…? Retro Revenge has some quirky jokes and oozes of blood and gore, but is definitely just a filler and nothing more.
Not only do you get Retro Revenge you also get Dead Island Riptide which takes place straight after the end of Dead Island. It’s pretty much the same game but smaller. It’s not quite as good but it is still a fun adventure.
Should you buy this game? This is the age-old question. For anyone who hasn’t played this game before I would definitely say yes. It’s fun, addictive and focused on kicking the living daylights out of zombies. For anyone who has finished this game on the previous gen consoles, it would be hard to decide. Will you be happy with what they have done… well, yeah, but do you want to play it again – this is clearly something you would have to decide. However with the fantastic price you can currently pick it up for I would happily spend my hard earned money on Dead Island: The Definitive Edition.
Now stop reading and start playing I sure know that I am about to conquer some side quests and destroy more zombies.
Thanks to the Youtube channels featured for the gaming footage.
Dead Island: Definitive Edition is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. Click on the packshot for the full-size version.
Important info:
- Publisher: Deep Silver
- Players: single player campaign, multiplayer
- HDTV options: up to 1080p
- Sound: DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
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GRAPHICS SOUND GAMEPLAY ENJOYMENT |
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Dead Island
Director: Aljen Juchefskey
Producers: Guido Eickmeyer and Missy Papageorge
Writers: Michal Madej, Rafal W Orkan, Haris Orkin and Pawel Selinger
Music: Pawel Blaszczak and Giles Lamb
Cast:
Sam B: Phil LaMarr
Xian Mei: Kim Mai Guest
Logan Carter: David Kaye
Purna: Peta Johnson
Yerema / Additional Voices: Sumalee Montano
Jin / Additional Voices: Tara Sands
Ryder White / Additional Voices: Joe Hanna
Mowen / Additional Voices: Adam G.
Titus / Additional Voices: Kevin Daniels
Matutero / Additional Voices: James Mathis
Ope: Leon Morenzie
Bobby / Additional Voices: Dave Wittenberg
Sinamoi / Additional Voices: Steve Blum
Dr. West / Additional Voices: John Cygan
Mother Helen / Additional Voices: Elizabeth Gilpin
Ojibon / Additional Voices: Kamil Haque
Will / Brian / Tembi / Scientist 1 / Afran’s Soldier / Additional Voices: Thomas Isao Morinaka
Christine / Additional Voices: Amanda Philipson
Katie: Malia Tyler
Afran: Roy Vongtama
Dead Island: Riptide
Director: Pawel Marchewka
Writers: Tomasz Duszynski, William Harms, Maciej Jurewicz, Haris Orkin and Magdalena Tomkowicz
Music: Pawel Blaszczak
Cast:
Xian Mei: Kim Mai Guest
Purna: Peta Johnson
Sam B: Phil LaMarr
Logan: David Kaye
John Morgan: Adam Croasdell
Colonel Hardy: Andy McPhee
Frank Serpo: Jon Curry
Dr. Jane/Various Characters: Jean Gilpin
Harlow: Jennifer Cruise
Jacqueline/Angel Guerra/Rose: Marcella Lentz-Pope
Trevor: Dave B Mitchell
Dr. Kessler/Various Characters: André Sogliuzzo
Dr. Cecil/Various Characters: Kevin Daniels
Wayne/Various Characters: Adam Gifford
Marvin/Various Characters: Keone Young
Chimamanda: Patricia Belcher (uncredited)
Zoey: Leila Birch (uncredited)
Miya: Carin Chea (uncredited)
Various Characters: Nicholas Guy Smith (uncredited)
I have been a video game player since 1993 and a music fan since I can remember. I studied Film and Journalism at university and ended up becoming a Primary School teacher. Video games changed my life and sent me on the right track and have stayed with me ever since.
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