Dead Island

Ultimately, this isn't just a great zombie game. It's a great open-world game, a great action game, a great RPG, and a great co-operative multiplayer game. Being a masterpiece with a unique appreciation for zombies is just gravy.

Dead Island has plenty of reasons to be likeable: a satisfying duration, enough freedom and interactivity to create addiction and enough potential to become a classic. And although it isn't what the elitists would call a mandatory title, I think it's infectious enough for me to pull my friend's sleeve to buy the game too.

If you think you'd like killing a LOT of zombies in huge and varied open-world environments, finding boat-loads of randomized loot, customizing your character and weapons RPG-style, or all of the above, you will love Dead Island. Bring some friends along for the ride and you virtually cannot go wrong. Just don't expect much in terms of story or quest depth, and be sure to mod the game just the way you like it.

You wouldn't imagine how many things one can forgive in a game where killing zombies is so much fun. [October 2011, p.55]

Dead Island is ambitious - even ignoring the technical aspects, Techland attempted to make a game which would cater to people who wanted visceral combat and decent enemies, people who wanted an immersive game with dozens of hours of gameplay and people who just wanted somewhere to drive over zombies and blow stuff up. Dead Island accomplishes all of that and while it has some issues, for the most part it does it with style.

New games featuring the walking dead have trouble standing out from the horde, but Techland's first-person, open-world, action/RPG entry Dead Island distinguishes itself. After kicking and slashing my way through the infected island of Banoi, I can say the game has tons to offer.

Behind all the action there's an amazingly large and deep game. Of course it's also possible to play it simple and concentrate on the main story, but if you start building your own weapons, it's even better.

As a fan of zombie movies and games you should have played Dead Island by now.

There's no emotional soul, but Dead Island is an excellent open-world zombie hacker, slasher, and co-op loot party. [Nov 2011, p.65]

The combination of Coop, Zombies and a tropical Island makes Dead Island a very interesting experience. It may have its flaws, but it's certainly still worth a look, if you consider yourself a fan of dismembering the undead.

A sluggish interface, weak guns and a few dull sewers can't slow this game down. Dead Island is huge, bloody and beautiful.

Dead Island is absolutely a fun and very playable game and worth the money, even if it lacks the incredible detail and more serious challenge of Dead Rising 2. Dead Island may lack new ideas, but it makes up for it with simple playability, and often that's all anyone wants in a game.

It's also got some of the most hard-hitting first-person melee combat in any game I can remember, and an optional cooperative element that really broadens its appeal. Dead Island constantly runs the danger of collapsing under its own weird, esoteric technical quirks, but when it's running at full tilt its charms are hard to resist.

An action RPG from the zombie-filled island that pleases by its great gameplay and surprises in many ways – like in a fine cooperation mode. The game suffers with some faults, but you can find those faults in de facto every sandbox game out there knowing that those faults have almost none eventual impact for your experience.

When Dead Island is firing on all cylinders, it's an absolute blast to play, but sadly, this game will have people running into quite a few technical and gameplay-based frustrations before they get even a couple of hours in.

There is a huge world to explore, thousands of zombies to kill, and tons of side quests to take. Here on the other side of a 25-hour playthrough -- where I skipped a lot of side quests after Act 1 -- I'm anxious to get back into Dead Island, and despite the game's flaws, that's not something I say often.

Dead Island is fresh and banal together; raw in combat and visuals. It could be done better but a mix of Fallout 3 and Left 4 Dead is amazing fun we've missed for so long. [Issue#208]

Dead Island is a wonderful concept and the core gameplay is executed beautifully, but it really doesn't do anything new or interesting.

Incredible potential squandered by a focus on action and dull quest design. Still a decent romp in co-op, but it could have been so much more. [Nov 2011, p.54]

A schlocky, gruesomely fun action role-playing game awaits you on Dead Island. Bring three friends.

Dead Island's saving grace is its open-world approach, cool custom weapons and fun coop. Nonetheless, Techland created a perfect foundation for a cool, RPG-flavored survival horror game, but forgot to polish it, in addition to providing a dull narrative.

Dead Island is yet another tombstone upon a grave of excessive ambitions. Our condolences to those who fell for that excellent cinematic trailer – it has nothing to do with the actual game.