Zero Punctuation: Dead Island

[k-ossuburb]

I've only experienced one escort mission so far and I rather liked it. It was frustrating, arduous, painful and bloody annoying all the way through but I got a massive pay-off in the end.

See, I was taking this mechanic guy to some place so he could unlock those sewers for me, he died twice on the way there and I resented the fact that I couldn't stab him in the neck with a homemade knife covered in zombie jizz, I kept muttering how much I hated him. However, a few more missions down the line and I find him again, outside the church, on the ground and beaten almost to a bloody death, I was so happy I did a little kick dance on his corpse and then teabagged him for 20 minutes.

 

[Sonicron]

Ha! I actually really liked this one. I seem to be developing a particular taste for the reviews that ooze concentrated exasperation, so this was right up my alley.

Can't wait to see him ripping into Space Marine. Should be good for a couple of laughs.

 

[The Electro Gypsy]

I like this review, and I agree with it in every way, even if it wasn't as harsh I hoped it'd be.

I#m just glad I'm not the only person who thinks it's shit.

 

[deckai]

Hmm, this looks bad. I was planning on buying Dead Island as soon as I had my 360 back, but maybe now I'll just rent it or borrow from a friend, at least til I can figure out if it really is as terrible as Yahtzee says.

The thing is, this game makes more fun if you can play it with friends.

As far as his "review" goes... again I got the feeling that he didn't play it long enough. For example the kick only works for the first third of the game, later the zombies need more than one kick to fall down. At this point, the kick is a viable option for only one character(the Asian women, she gets a special attack against downed enemies) or to create a bit of breathing space. The targeting mechanism, is something you need to get used to, I thought it work good enough, as soon as I discovered what range my favorite weapons had.

And for the whole side-quest thing... they are side-quests .. no one is obligated to do them... beside, all quests are displayed on your map, so you can ignore the way-points on the mini-map, and move trough the resort or city as you think it's best.

I liked it, I may not be perfect, but I thought the mechanics worked good enough and the whole game was a nice mix of action and survival, where even the lower zombies could overwhelm you if you weren't careful.

 

[Sansha]

Thank you, Ben, for saving me yet another handful of cash.

 

[gphjr14]

I don't care for zombie games and even I could tell this one was going to blow. Also I've heard it had several glitches that made it unplayable and for some people you couldn't save your progress which kind of defeats the whole purpose of playing, since you can't progress.

Well there isn't a save function, so you where misinformed
OT: Dead island is such a great game, granted its not for everyone

http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/09/13/dead-island-saved-game-glitch-faq/

I'd say I'm well informed if this is the same Dead Island game being discussed in the link.

 

[seiler88]

Yea, this game sounded mediocre from the get go so no surprise here.

Also you want to know why zombies are the only "apocalypse" monsters these days?

There the only ones left that still have their metaphorical balls!

 

[Ushiromiya Battler]

I don't care for zombie games and even I could tell this one was going to blow. Also I've heard it had several glitches that made it unplayable and for some people you couldn't save your progress which kind of defeats the whole purpose of playing, since you can't progress.

Well there isn't a save function, so you where misinformed
OT: Dead island is such a great game, granted its not for everyone

http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/09/13/dead-island-saved-game-glitch-faq/

I'd say I'm well informed if this is the same Dead Island game being discussed in the link.

You guys are misunderstanding each other.
There's a autosave glitch, though there is no ''normal'' save function.

OT: I actually liked the game, though he did have some valid points. Except for the weapon mechanics. Worked pretty well on a computer.

EDIT: Captcha: VeryTosh It's

 

[XT inc]

I think one of Yahtzee's Opening statements is one of my general worries about the gaming industry and zombie games.

And it's I don't want them to stop.

It is the fear that this "Fad" Is going to get burnt out before they make a single decent zombie game from a AAA studio that isn't some indie game that has the right Idea, but only goes as far a an indie game can go.

A zombie game would have to balance rpg elements what with the having to learn new skills and all, because a college degree in C++ gets you about as far as, your face was eaten while you slept because you can't barricade your house with code, or my favorite, you died of something horrible because you shat in the corner of your bedroom for 4 weeks.

It takes a lot of planning to balance and make entertainement out of all the things that would occur in say a walking dead world, that doesn't ammount to spamming the fire gun button at speeds that justify lack of iron sights, or wading through the dead without a care, like dead rising.

In short, there needs to be good zombie games that hold true to dawn of the dead, or what have you, instead of all these crazy infected shmups.

 

[MB202]

I would TOTALLY buy a mummy apocalypse game!

 

[ryukage_sama]

Hmm, four Ds in a row. "DD" "DD": a pair of double DDs.
I wonder if there is some Freudian significance to that?

 

[jobu59749]

I think my problem is that I like games with more depth than, "Pick up that object and brain everything that represents the undead." When the mechanics they boasted worked, it was great, but after the 1000th time of doing it, I got bored. I think yahtzee hit the nail on the head. Let borderlands be borderlands, and dead rising be dead rising, etc.

 

[Azuaron]

Let's come up with a list of monsters that have (and monsters that have not) been used for apocalypses. Maybe game developers will see it and start changing the "have nots" to "haves".

Have:

1. Zombies. Ohmygod zombies.

2. Vampires (Omega Man/I am Legend)

3. Dragons (Reign of Fire)

4. Humans. Not monsters, per se, but have touched off some apocalypses.

5. Robots. (The Matrix)

Have not (to my knowledge):

1. Lycanthropes (Underworld movies come close, but they're not quite "apocalypse". Even Werewolf: The Apocalypse is all about preventing the apocalypse!)

2. Mummies. Although, they're pretty much just zombies.

3. Lovecraftian anything (they never succeed! Why do they never succeed? They're, like, made for an apocalyptic setting, but no one ever lets them set off the apocalypse!)

What other awesome monsters could be used for the apocalypse?

 

[DragonManRen]

I just "love" it how Tourette's Syndrome is referenced for comedy. As if anybody who does that actually knows what it is. Who else has their neurological disorders laughed at?

Other than that minor irritation, a good review. I think I'll pass on Dead Island.

 

[Clonekiller]

One more thing. Dead Island tries to play up the sorrow of a zombie apocalypse, but it makes no effort to get you emotionally attached to the characters. As a result, when a guy gets infected and must say his last goodbye to his daughter, you just sit there an yawn because it has no impact on you whatsoever. (Zoe's backstory comic was more emotionally impactful cause, at least, she's a main character and the player feels at least some sort of emotional attachment to her)

 

[TheDooD]

Why can't we have a Mummy Apocalypse game where we have hordes of plague baring bodies, flesh eatting bugs and of course possessed cultist. Don't forget we have to stop a large breasted, extremely vain reincarnation of Cleopatra who just happens to be archmage. The final bosses better be Anubis who has at lease 2 different forms and no QTE and of course the crazy chick possessed by Cthulhu. I'll gladly stand outside GameStop in a snowstorm for that game.

 

[Brian Hendershot]

I think the only reason dead island is even still in my game library is because it's the only game of its type out there. I like the idea of dead island, but not dead island itself.

On a side not...fuck thugs. Just fuck them.

 

[otakon17]

I agree the sewers were bollocks and the escort's were a pain but I greatly enjoyed this game. Still, well done Mr. Croshaw, funny and to the point as always.

 

[otakon17]

Why can't we have a Mummy Apocalypse game where we have hordes of plague baring bodies, flesh eatting bugs and of course possessed cultist. Don't forget we have to stop a large breasted, extremely vain reincarnation of Cleopatra who just happens to be archmage. The final bosses better be Anubis who has at lease 2 different forms and no QTE and of course the crazy chick possessed by Cthulhu. I'll gladly stand outside GameStop in a snowstorm for that game.

That is an awesome sounding game idea. No really, I would definitely join your lonely vigil at Gamestop for something like that.

 

[Mangue Surfer]

Wait... did he like it or not?

Even though it was zombies again, I really enjoyed Dead Island. And all the things Yahtzee seems to find frustrating about the game didn't bother me. I just got straight to the zombie killing. This is why I play zombie games. To kill zombies.

PS. Ok the escort missions were a buggerance but apart from that I love this game.

"frustrating" it's a trick word in these days. Can simple mean challenging, can mean nothing. For instance, the PC version of Dead Island have mods to make the game easier and mods to make the game harder. For example, frustrating for me is Fallout 3 since some bugs make the game impossible to finish even if the game itself isn't challenging at all.