Dead Island (Xbox 360) review "At first, I honestly thought Dead Island would have been flawed greatly, a game that would only be eligible for the bottom shelf. But I was wrong. Dead Island is actually very well composed and structured accordingly. It can be rough around the edges, it does have its bugs, but I thought its riveting storyline bombarded and killed off the aftertaste. When I placed it into the console, I thought, yet another zombie game that lacks bite and quality. But I was surprised by the depth and intensity. ..."

At first, I honestly thought Dead Island would have been flawed greatly, a game that would only be eligible for the bottom shelf. But I was wrong. Dead Island is actually very well composed and structured accordingly. It can be rough around the edges, it does have its bugs, but I thought its riveting storyline bombarded and killed off the aftertaste. When I placed it into the console, I thought, yet another zombie game that lacks bite and quality. But I was surprised by the depth and intensity. It’s a very intense game, there is nowhere to hide, guns are very rare bullets are ever rarer. But weapons are strewn among the dead; you can pick up anything, and use them against the defiance.

Dead Island isn’t a scary game, it’s a little jumpy, when a zombie appears out of nowhere, but that’s really it. The concept of the game is quite simple, you have to pick a character, and use that character as a machine to mop up any zombies that come your way. You also have the intention of escaping the flock and the blood lamented island, with your face and body still intact. The experience is epic, you kill to stay breathing, your heart is a burning globe, and you have no lighter if it fails. Medicine kits are very rare, so you have to use energy drink and water to stay alive, you are a walking piece of prime meat for the zombies, a blanket for their stomachs.

The island you find yourself in is off the coast of Papua New Guinea, a place of paradise, and a place of complete serenity. But everything changes dramatically; you are pushed into the action, a drop so profound. The dead roam endlessly to find the living; you are under the spotlight, its like you are under surveillance, the zombies seem to know your whereabouts, blocking them out isn’t an option. You can upgrade your weapons by using a workbench; you can turn a generic piece of a wood, into something sterner, and potent.

There are hundreds of side quests to enjoy, you can be a savoir to a lot of people, and you can be the walking administrator of good luck, waving your wand for fellow survivors. By doing this, you can earn weapons and bullets, which are key to opening the door to surviving the horror. If you use a weapon relentlessly it will degrade, so by keeping a few weapons aside, you more than likely to survive the onslaught.

Dead Island is a game that won’t win accolades; it won’t bask in any serious glory. But it’s a game that has surpassed any judgment, it’s a game that popped up in front of skeptical eyes, it’s a title that will probably be brushed aside by serious call of duty of fanatics, but it can be an enjoyable experience. An experience that will take your mind through different avenues, a game that will surprise you. In the sunlight, you are the prey, a survivor craving to breakthrough, kill the nest, and walk away disinfected and unharmed.

The life stream of the game is long, if you take the side quests into consideration, the experience can last as long as 25 hours. That’s a major coup. So please delve into an infected world, full of creatures that once were humans, patrol the areas and bring humanity back up from its knees. Under the weight, you can prevail.

Community review by Alk31997 (March 28, 2012) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.