Dead Island (possibly Not for the Kids, Eh?)

[dinosaurJR]

Now, I know you guys - I really do, and one thing I know about you guys, apart from the unfortunate incident with the Plushies *shudders* is that you all enjoy a good zombie game.

Therefore I thought it would be a good idea to bring to your attention this;

Dead Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It looks amazing! I found it while browsing Steam (yes, my PC can run it!!) but it is also coming out on PS3 and 360...

The zombies have muscle and skin modeled on their skeletons, so all damage and injuries can be inflicted and seen in real time (you hit a guy in the solar plexus with an axe, an appropriately sized hole appears in his solar plexus - you swipe a guy in the thigh with an axe, the leg does a John Lennon, leaves the band and forges a successful solo career... Simple!)

The graphics look really, really good and the game play, if the preliminary reviews are to be believed, is smooth and really well balanced - think a mix of Left 4 Dead style FPS action, Dead Rising style character development, Dead Rising 2 style weapon modification and Resident Evil type story telling... I cant wait!!!!

Also, add four player co op campaign online play and you, sir have yourself a deal.

Edit; one of the reviews I stumbled upon (from Australia, no less ;

Preview: Dead Island

 

[Aerilon]

Doesn't sound too bad; may have to hunt out for a preview or something later. The only catch with the game though; no guns. I suppose we have got Call of Duty's Zombie mode for that though, so can't complain.

Might be worth a look when it's released. 9th September? I believe there is a Space Marine Game out around about that time too.

 

[Adm_Z]

Hahaha, though I am not a huge fan of these kinds of games, the things you mentioned are actually the things I complained about to my buddies when I played Nazi Zombies with them. Repetitive physics, redundant flesh removal... Yeah, it was too visually predictable for me. But a game where zombies rip apart realistically might be more interesting. And 4 player co-op intrigues me. I will never buy it, but I would be interested in playing it.

 

[thunderfoot]

Hyper accurate Zombies! Oh my! I looked at the preview. I can see where some might enjoy it because it is very well done. Someone put a great deal of time and effort into getting it right and the craftsmanship shows. But FPS games are not something I've ever been interested in. Except for HALO. Once in awhile, I'd like to see one of the game design companies buck the trend and not simply pile on with their version. And while I am wishing for things which cannot be, I want all of my hair back. Along with my waistline. And I'd like to be a little taller. Also, I'd like to be able to stop taking the meds. They make it hard separate reality from fantasy sometimes. Are all of you real? Or are you just photons on my monitor screen who've found a way to communicate with me? It's so confusing some days.

 

[Adm_Z]

lol thunderfoot, I completely understand your point of view. I personally dislike FPS games, though I play the occasional Republic commando, and Teamfortress2, Games like Call of duty make me kind of sick to watch. I know too many people in the military I guess. This is not to say that the games are not a blast to play, but even if I do, it just feels like something is wrong with playing as a soldier who keeps getting killed. Especially with how I play LOL.

Nazi Zombies is ok, but like I said, its just a massive slaughter which is a comcept which I am not overly fond of. I am with you in that games like Halo are much more fun for me because you don't have to even think about reality.


But back on topic... Yeessssss Zombiess...

 

[Amateur]

The lack of guns actually seems like a bonus to me. They've been the major thing that's put me off FPS'; but a game with realistic hack'n'slash may be a fun diversion.

Might have to pay a visit to Blockbuster on the 9th

 

[Ragnar]

I've actually been looking forward to this game a fair bit, it looks super fun to play with friends in co-op, which is it's biggest selling point to me

Nothing like running around a massive island packing nailbats and axes with your friends

 

[dinosaurJR]

People, people, there are guns... But the game seems to be designed to play more like a Resident Evil survival horror than a Left 4 Dead blast-a-thon.

I dont know if any of you remember playing through the original Resident Evil on the PlayStation (before any of this PS-One Nonsense) - I mean the big, bulky gray beast... Anyway - the atmosphere was the defining factor. The "ohmygodohmygodwhatisroundthenextcorner-AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGH" kind of colon clamping, stomach knotting tension (usually followed by a big pay off scare) - that really made the game (and some would argue the whole franchise, up to RE4 when things got all FPS shooter-ish) a cut above - lets face it, the graphics were basic, the dynamics of the game left a lot to be desired (anyone ever turn the wrong way after the camera cuts to a different angle? You remember, so you run right into the zombie / tyrant / hunter you were avoiding, rather than AWAY from it... oh what fun we had...) Or the stopping to shoot, because the controls couldn't handle shooting on the move?

The thing is that Dead Island seems (at this point at least) to lean more toward being a survival horror than pure FPS blast em up... I would guess (Like Dead Rising too) that the guns are great, until you have to reload... You either get swamped by zombies and have to melee anyway or you run out of ammo quickly... Guns play a part, but I would guess the role is minor - now, bring on the nail studded 2x4!!!

I mean lets face it - you dont get many assault riles on holiday islands, do you? More likely is the baseball bat / skillet / machete / gardening shears / chain saw / park bench / kitchen sink etc... Perhaps the odd pistol (anyone who has played Dead Rising will attest to how useless the pistol is against a horde of zombies) from the law enforcement / security and maybe a shotgun or two... Seriously, if this was real life (and thank the maker it isn't) it would be the good old fashioned cudgel that most of us would use...

I haven't been this excited since the build up to the release of Halo 3...

 

[Avon]

I dont know if any of you remember playing through the original Resident Evil on the PlayStation

Yeah man, I do. To this day, it's still one of my favourute games of all time. The early Silent Hill games were awesome too.

To be honest, I love all 'open-world' games where you can go anywhere and do anything in any order. These are the best games in my opinion (I guess that started for me with the old GTA series).

Anyway, I missed the Zombie add-on for Red Dead Redemption, so I will definately be looking out for this one, thanks DJR

 

[dinosaurJR]

Yeah man, I do. To this day, it's still one of my favourute games of all time. The early Silent Hill games were awesome too.

To be honest, I love all 'open-world' games where you can go anywhere and do anything in any order. These are the best games in my opinion (I guess that started for me with the old GTA series).

Anyway, I missed the Zombie add-on for Red Dead Redemption, so I will definately be looking out for this one, thanks DJR

I know, right? I loved how Konami got around the hard and software limitations of the time by having the "fog"... they actually took the limit in draw distance and made it integral to the game - genius. The crackle of the radio to this day sends chills down my spine - especially in the diner at the very start when you first get the radio and the flying thing bursts through the window... The scene in the original Resident Evil too, when the dogs burst through the GF Hall window... That was another classic scene... Yeah I had a mis-spent youth playing Resident Evil, Silent hill, FF VII and many others...

The Resident Evil re make for the Gamecube was just awesome too.

 

[Avon]

The crackle of the radio to this day sends chills down my spine

Yeah, me too. That's some creepy stuff

Couple of months ago, I managed to pick up cheap 'Silent Hill the Room' on PS2. Not as good as the originals, but still awesome atmosphere and creepyness.

The scene in the original Resident Evil too, when the dogs burst through the GF Hall window... That was another classic scene...

OMG yeah. I remember my mate warning me about the dogs, so I was expecting it......I still jumped and screamed like a girl when they came crashing through! Classic.

Yeah I had a mis-spent youth playing Resident Evil, Silent hill, FF VII and many others...

You and me both, dude. And dont get me started on Final Fantasy. I lost years of my life to that franchise. I must have played FF7 at least four times all the way through, awesome game

Anyway, just noticed Dead Island on Amazon for pre-order. Think I might be tempted

 

[dinosaurJR]

I'm going one of two ways here... I can either use this as an excuse to get another 360 (yes, thank you red ring of death...) or I can get it via Steam for the PC... I didn't even think about getting the physical media for the game... So I guess there are three ways...

Im not sure that I can get the best out of the game on the hardware I have, and its not like I can upgrade (its a HP DV6 laptop, not upgradable other than RAM...) I mean I could go as far as installing 8 gig ddr3 ram, I have a 64 bit OS so I can benefit from it, but can Dead Island utilise 8 gig?

I guess I'll wait a little after release and see if it is a resource hog or glitch fest (like Cliffs of Dover) first before buying... I so nearly pre-purchased on Steam...

 

[dinosaurJR]

Ok - I am weak - I pre ordered... It unlocks tonight at midnight...

 

[Ragnar]

Haha I will be getting it too, but not until the end of this month when my student loan comes through