Title: Dead Island
Developer: Techland
What I Think: For a production that is essentially a role-playing zombie apocalypse situation (an overdone trope on many media platforms), Dead Island certainly has its appeal. Firstly, you can select which character you want to play as, which is a seriously underrated feature in many games. I have been playing as a woman named Xian Mei – an undercover spy that specializes in bladed weapons. All of the playable characters have their own personalised backstories and the extra characters that you meet in the game have their own tales to tell too, which adds the essential immersive element to the game.
Unlike a lot of zombie apocalypse games, the need for guns is not as prominent in this one, which is great for those of us who prefer not to blindly fire at all targets. In Dead Island, strategy is a must as your character needs to stock up on molotovs etc., and gain weapon modifications to enhance your arsenal. There are also workshops scattered about which are essential to maintaining and upgrading your weaponry. There are a range of zombies throughout the game that require different methods of attack in order to kill them which, again, requires creative thinking from you as a player to bring them down.
The game thankfully is not all about attacking and killing zombies, but aiding other humans in their mission of survival. There are a lot of ‘gathering and retrieving’ quests, though you are also able to act as a guide to those in need, a doctor to others, and an engineer at many times.
Although I have yet to complete the main story-line, the fact that sequels are promised and Dead Island was the producer’s best selling game, suggests that there are many more brilliant features to come.
Would I Recommend It?: Yes. Especially if you would like to find out what song comes to mind when you are slashing fictional zombies in a panic (mine is apparently Sleigh Ride, even in June).
Rating: 7/10.
Words by Charlie Ginger Jones