Zombies, eh? At least their hearts are in the right place. So are their arms, for that matter. And their torso, legs and at least one of their eyeballs.
But despite having all the basic ingredients they need to become a productive member of society, zombies can never quite hold it together and end up a slavering, flaky, inconsistent mess. So (drumroll) a little bit like Dead Island: Riptide, then.
On paper, the Dead Island blueprint is as sizzling as the tropical archipelago in which it is set. It's an open-world survival horror thriller where you craft your own weapons from junk and then crack them round the head of a perpetual supply of shuffling undead types. What's not to like about that? Unfortunately, those already familiar with the series will know that the answer is plenty.
One of the most divisive games of its generation, the original Dead Island's incredible creative vision was badly stymied by clumsy mechanics and shoddy execution. This was reflected in its scattershot reception from both critics and the public alike.
For us personally, we found the combat - the meat and potatoes of the game - to be too one-note and repetitive to warrant the time investment Dead Island required of you before it unlocked the good stuff. But in short bursts - and, especially in co-op - there was a limited amount of fun to be had. We're not fans but your mileage, as the saying goes, may vary.
The idea of the original game's cast somehow washing up on another zombie-infested tropical island is patently ridiculous, but that's precisely what happens, so the plot doesn't spend too much time dwelling on this fact.
As the story goes, after living through the events of the first game, the survivors (you can import your Dead Island 1 save) are whisked off by copter to an awaiting army ship, where they're immediately greeted with the sight of handcuffs. Despite their protestations, they're soon overpowered and drugged and are sent packing to the on-board laboratory for tests.
When they wake up in their cell, they find they've made a new chum - a former navy soldier imaginatively named John Morgan. Despite some initial hostility they discover that they have more than just a dodgy accent and a terribly hammy script in common.
Anyway, to cut a long, and terrible tutorial level short, the ship crashes into yet another island that's teeming with undead assholes, and our gang have to hop off and kick their heads in all over again, preferably before the US army nukes the place off the face of the Earth, because according to an army general who's also washed up on shore, that's totally going to happen. A shame too, because the wild, lagoon-streaked island of Palanai is quite the tropical paradise - if you can look past the smell of rotting flesh, that is.
Comments
16 comments so far...
ingy on 22 Apr '13 said:
Well, i loved the original, it was harshly criticised imo, so i'm definitely taking a punt on this
middle finger on 22 Apr '13 said:
I did enjoy the first one even with its flaws. At 20 pounds after a month I'm sure I will enjoy it.
WHERESMYMONKEY on 22 Apr '13 said:
"Since Dead Island is built for co-op it tends to gravitate towards fetch quests. Three people protected one guy carting a salvaged turret gun isn't so bad, but one guy having to constantly pick up and drop their quarry every time a zombie appears (which is ALL THE TIME)? Not so much. Then of course you have to trawl all the way back to pick up the other turret."
Really you went all the way back for the second one. You fool. you can stash them in the boat then you only need to make one trip.
360_Fan on 22 Apr '13 said:
Yeah I will still give this a go. Anything with co op deserves a few extra points.
Stryker89 on 22 Apr '13 said:
People will forgive such glaring flaws as long as it means they get to kill a few zombies. I could forgive such flaws in the original Dead Island, but in the sequel..? No thanks. They should have learned by now.
ingy on 22 Apr '13 said:
You're right, they should have fixed any flaws from the original,
But most of the complaints in the review aren't flaws as such so didn't need fixing, i mean fetch quests are in every open world game going, but it's listed as a flaw in this one?
Also apparently, there are endless zombies to kill wtf?
freds1 on 22 Apr '13 said:
I enjoyed the first one, I expected something different after watching that trailer, but I enjoyed it.
I'll pick this up after a price drop though.
nefariousbig on 22 Apr '13 said:
Well, it looks like you didn't take my advice and didn't play the game with the analog controls. You wouldn't have had to have ironically called the game repetitive about 30 times if you'd have played that way. There's nothing repetitive about perfectly smashing hordes of zombies in exactly the right places. Although it does seem that you don't really enjoy killing zombies that much, seeing as you didn't give any actual reasons for why it's repetitive. If it's repetitive because it makes you kill zombies over and over again then you should not be reviewing this game.
Petebaldwin on 22 Apr '13 said:
The flaw is that basically every quest was a fetch quest! Skyrim is packed full of fetch/deliver quests but there are enough other ones that it keeps it varied. Dead Island felt more like Courier Simulator 2012.
For me, the biggest flaw was the combat. I never looked foward to a fight as it just felt like a chore.
TheLastDodo on 22 Apr '13 said:
I agree nefarious (well it had to happen eventually
). It's very satisfying lining up and connecting with that perfect strike in Dead Island, not repetitive, certainly no less repetitive than shooting the thousandth fake Taliban grunt in the latest military FPS.
I was going to say it may be best for a fan to review this game but the Destructoid reviewer who was a fan of the first rated this less than CVG did.
Dannyb0yUK on 22 Apr '13 said:
Why would it be best for somebody with a strong bias to review it? That's the worst possible kind of reviewer, someone who isn't impartial. Let's be honest, if fans of the first one aren't rating this one then it kinda says it all. The impression I get is that the first title just about got away with it's flaws- but that they've barely been addressed, let alone improved upon, which is simply inexcusable. Opinion I've seen from those who've played the game and looking at Youtube vids all seems to indicate a disappointing carbon-copy rehash of the first game.
TheLastDodo on 22 Apr '13 said:
Strong bias sounds more like fanboys.
Fanboys? Absolutely not. Fans? Sure. It's a game clearly designed for the fans and real fans tend to be more critical of things they enjoy. But as you say, if the fans aren't enjoying it then that pretty much says it all anyway.
Which is why I brought up the Destructoid review, the Destructoid reviewer enjoyed the first game, gave it a 7, same guy gave Riptide a 5.
Impartial enough?
Welsh Jester on 22 Apr '13 said:
First one was rather poor so didn't expect much anyway, awful collission detection and terrible camera sway among other things.. just not enjoyable and was rather boring.
Left 4 Dead is a ton more fun than this, as is Killing Floor.
alan666 on 22 Apr '13 said:
Was hoping for better things from this game, i traded the original in after a couple of days, i have just now cancelled my order for the Dead Island: Riptide Zombie Bait Edition there is no way i am spending £89.99, the statue was pretty cool though.
Dannyb0yUK on 22 Apr '13 said:
A fair point, one I had not considered.
I wasn't saying the reviews aren't being impartial btw. I was merely questioning the need for someone who, by definition as a fan, wouldn't be impartial. However, you make a good counter-argument to that, so kudos
The Bossman on 23 Apr '13 said:
I already pre-ordered this a few days ago, I'll play co-op with friends like I did in the original, and that's where the game shines. Play it solo and you'll hate it, but mess around with friends and help each other solve quests, and it's fun.