Dead Island (video game)

[Danny]

Remember 3 years ago i posted about a sandbox free roaming fps zombie survival horror set on a tropical island resort? inspired by far cry, system shock and lost?

Turns out its alive and kicking and it announces its return with a chilling, genuinely emotional trailer:

lZqrG1bdGtg
^ YOUTUBEHD by webmaster!

Honestly thats more engaging and interesting to me than anything zombie related i have seen in a long, long time. Also possibly the best videogame trailer i have ever seen. it isnt some amping up generic shite to get you excited, thats a genuinely sad thing that stands on its own and i am very impressed- like the technically trained filmmaker in me is impressed with this. I expected generic shitty metal and gore for the sake of it being 'teh hardcores'.

See this kind of showed why i did not care for the walking dead, because there are ways to pull of zombie scenes that arent romero copies or played for comedy laughs or gross out extremes. I got more of a LOST vibe than night of the living dead with this and i want a zombie movie like this. With no dialogue in a 2 minute trailer we get a story of a tragic family event that just happens to be occurring because of a zombie virus. Its a powerful scene and it doesnt require any attempt to be anything but a sad scene.

Honestly i think thats what zombie films need to get out of the recent funk. don't be 'zombie films'. be films with zombies in them. If you get what i mean.

[bassman]

Wow dude. That was pretty damn moving...

Looks good, but to be honest i've long since grown tired of the zombie video game genre. Even Undead Nightmare, while decent fun, has not been anything spectacular. I would much rather play RDR by itself.

I'm definitely willing to give this game a try, though. Looks promising so far. That trailer brought a tear to my eye...

[Danny]

. That trailer brought a tear to my eye...

i know right, ive watched it again and im gonna alter my opinion and say without a doubt its usurped mass effect 2's launch trailer or gears of wars mad world trailer as the best videogame trailer i have ever seen, its bloody superb.

[Rancid Carcass]

Holy crap - talk about the return of the living dead! Thought this was long gone. Awesome trailer, looks like my 2011 shopping list just got longer... :thumbsup:

[LoSTBoY]

Wow, really impressed with this.

This is how it's done!

[CoinReturn]

Wow, that looks really good! Thanks for posting.

---------- Post added at 05:57 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:52 PM ----------

Some details:

Release date
2011
Description
- first-person melee combat
- 4-player coop
- weapon customization
- set on an open world tropical island
- RPG elements for character development
- hordes of gruesome zombies

-General information-
Dead Island combines first-person action with a heavy focus on melee combat, character development and customization of a vast array of weapons. All of these gameplay features are presented in a dark story inspired by classic zombie movies with a gritty and engrossing campaign that can be played with up to 4 players in co-op mode.

Developed for Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506m7ek.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506t792.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506q7v4.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506e7q1.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506f7m2.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506c7vw.jpg

http://www.abload.de/img/dead-island-2011021506m7xo.jpg

So many good looking games this year, good lord!

[bassman]

I couldn't tell for sure in the trailer. Do we know if these are shamblers, runners, or hobblers?

[blind2d]

Unfortunately it looks to me like they might be Znyders...
"Amazing! Truly, who would've thought?! Murdoc... the zombies can't get us at Point Nemo, can they?" - 2D
"Would you please shut up?! I've already told you a hundred times no! Look, if it hasn't happened yet, it won't, right? I mean, who's here to die and come back?! Moron..." - Murdoc
"Oh... that's good... still, it's amazing how fast video games have progressed in just a few short years! I wonder if this is on Atari? The last game I played was Pong, and it looked NOTHING like this!!" - 2D
I'm excited. Reserved, but excited. And yes, truly magnifique trailer there.

[Danny]

Heres the trailer reversed, its just as sad, if not a little more so this way.

waQCMfVebCA

---------- Post added at 12:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:19 AM ----------


I couldn't tell for sure in the trailer. Do we know if these are shamblers, runners, or hobblers?

some of each, the game has a 'multi layer damage system' so its not a wireframe with certain pre designated wounds ready to go. they create a full skeleton, musculature and internal organs, you cut it and those bones break, those muscles tear, a random cut doesnt appear. its fascinating stuff from a technical stadnpoint. imagine when you slash a sword through a dozen of them and just think what the game is processing in that one action.

[krakenslayer]

Hmm... they look a bit too "runny". It looked more feverish, slow-burn Fulci in it's earlier incarnations. Still, I love free-roaming games, so...

[Neil]

I've HD'd all those youtube links :)

WOW! Just WOW!

Preview - http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/115/1150440p1.html


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Island - The zombie style and the story are massively influenced by George A. Romero's movies.

[shootemindehead]

Excellent trailer that.

Haven't tired of it yet, even though it's been sent to me about 5 times already!

[krakenslayer]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Island - The zombie style and the story are massively influenced by George A. Romero's movies.

Well, that's good, at least they're coming from the right starting point. But those sprinting zombies are, frankly, nothing like Romero ghouls.

[Trin]

Wow... that was a slice of pure awesome. I hope they can translate that emotion into the game storyline. If not, screw gaming... let them make a movie.

[Mr.G]

Trailer looks great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZqrG1bdGtg&feature=player_embedded#at=68

Sorry didn't notice the other topic...my bad!

[AcesandEights]

Merged threads.

Game looks great, or at least the trailer looks great! I figured this project was dead in the water.

[bassman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Island - The zombie style and the story are massively influenced by George A. Romero's movies.

That must have been before they saw Diary and Survival. Now they may not be so quick to make that comparison. :p



This trailer has spread around the net like wildfire. I even saw it on TV yesterday. It's good publicity for them....let's just hope it will live up to the hype.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Fuck the game, I wanna see a movie set like this. That was some very emotional stuff, and personally I prefer the original backwards version compared to the chronological version.

[krisvds]

Agreed. Backwards version packs quite a punch.
As for the 'inspired by Romero' bit: those are runners, not shamblers dammit. Let's just hope they don't include some 'mutated giant end of level type monsters'. Those shenanigans nearly destroyed every zombie videogame 'till now for me.

[MinionZombie]

Aye, the backwards version has a greater impact on the first viewing as you learn the relationship between the characters, so it escalates and there's a greater sense of loss and tragedy when you see if played that way ... indeed the shot of the father coming for the daughter, in reverse, works very well considering the context.

The screenshots look good too, so it certainly looks the part - I just hope that the actual game will be good, and that it has the emotional impact that this trailer had. Speaking of which, whoever made this trailer should be given an award - it's a superb teaser trailer, and conveys a strong sense of emotion in just three minutes that many movies can't be arsed to bother with in 90 minutes!

The zombies are decidedly spritely, mind ... not very GAR ... but runners can be tolerated if what surrounds them is of good enough quality. Perhaps we'll get a variety in the game, eh?

I've downloaded the two versions of the trailer in HD so I can watch them over and over at my own leisure to boot. :)

[LoSTBoY]

It seemed there was only one runner (the bell hop who pushed through the slower zombies) so it might be a case of recently dead have more speed than those longer dead.

[Neil]

Here's the trailer promising it 3yrs ago :)

http://www.ign.com/videos/2007/08/22/dead-island-pc-games-trailer-teaser-gc-2007?objectid=955540

[kidgloves]

Jeez. Those trailers really evoke emotion in the viewer. What a horrific situation to be in.

[blind2d]

Cool, thanks Neil.

[DjfunkmasterG]

Man people on You Tube are in a snit over this trailer... No one realizes the fucking kid is a zombie

[Rancid Carcass]

Man people on You Tube are in a snit over this trailer... No one realizes the fucking kid is a zombie

I think it's because that for the first time people are starting to realise what we've known all along - that the zombie apocalypse isn't some jolly romp involving a few wise cracking adults running round popping zombies in the head and having a high old time, and that it's actually a grade-A shitstorm that spares absolutely no-one. Hats off to Techland for capturing the harsh brutality of a zombie outbreak in a domestic situation which, I'm sure we can all agree on, is something we don't see often enough.

The whole fascination (for me at least), of the zombie apocalypse is that it has a brutal reality to it, that's what's so powerful about the original NIGHT, that it put this inescapable nightmare world in your neighbourhood, on your doorstep and in your living room. Perhaps it's a sad reflection on the state of the genre that this gritty reality has gotten lost in recent years and it's slipped back into the (safe), realm of fantasy – and we've now got a whole generation that view zombies as just another monster, they don't realise that zombies are in fact your friends, family the folk next door. What this trailer has done has exposed them to the true horror of what a zombie apocalypse really means and the impact it would have, and maybe for the first time in their lives, it's made them sit down a think about it, and it's scared them, I mean really scared them – it's not funny any more and it's made them uncomfortable. Just like it's supposed to.

[slickwilly13]

Man people on You Tube are in a snit over this trailer... No one realizes the fucking kid is a zombie

Some people lack intelligence and common sense. I may buy this game, but I am waiting for more info. It looks promising, though.

[Neil]

I'd be tempted to think this footage is actually video 'scene setting' (cut scene) from within the game itself? And the husband a wife are two of the characters you can play? Be clearly the father is bitten, and the wife is on her way out in seconds!

[DjfunkmasterG]

For those who like the music: http://content.deepsilver.com/kochmedia/websites/deadisland/facebook/Dead-Island-Trailer-Theme.mp3

[MikePizzoff]

I agree, Danny, this has to be the best video game trailer I've ever laid eyes upon.

I'm wishing the team behind this would get together and create a feature-length CGI zombie film (Resident Evil: Degeneration, anyone?).

[MinionZombie]

gUZV9GoyCD0

[Neil]

^^ Would like to see it in action, rather than such a static demo...

[MinionZombie]

^^ Would like to see it in action, rather than such a static demo...

I'm sure they will sometime soon - interesting that that demo was, apparently, from 2007.

I wonder what it all looks like now. I too would be fascinated to see how this system of smashing up zombies realistically works out.

---------- Post added 24-Feb-2011 at 11:27 AM ---------- Previous post was 23-Feb-2011 at 06:31 PM ----------

YQ5c9BzohM4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ5c9BzohM4

Here's the "Literal" song version of the trailer. :cool:

[Mr. Clean]

One of the best trailers I have seen. Shame there was no game play footage though.

[Neil]

Would be quite cool if when playing this game, you find yourself outside a deserted swanky hotel, with the body of a young girl wearing a pink top sprawled on the lawn... etc...

[ProfessorChaos]

while that is a rather epic trailer, i'm holding judgement till i see some actual gameplay foootage

and wtf is with the movie rumors? fucking game's not even out yet and the hollywood leeches are looking to milk another existing property for all its worth.:rolleyes:

[Mr. Clean]

Why do alot of people prefer to be sheltered? If a zombie outbreak happened...children would indeed be affected. Bad things happen to innocent people all the time.



(CNN) -- Last week, video game blogs lit up with excitement over a game that was previously on no one's radar. The zombie survival horror game "Dead Island (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZqrG1bdGtg)," doesn't have a release date yet, but it's got a remarkable, haunting trailer, one so skillfully made that it's prompted some bloggers to call it the best game trailer ever released.

Told in reverse, presented in slow-motion, it's a stunning piece of work. A chase, intercut into the scene, fills in the backstory and by the end, the two pieces of virtual film merge.
So what happens in the trailer? A little girl dies. Horrifically. She's chased down a hallway by zombies, bitten into, then temporarily rescued by her parents. Moments later, she becomes a zombie herself. She attacks her father and as he turns in pain, she's flung through a window and falls many stories to her death. In presenting the story in reverse, the trailer begins with her body lying broken on the ground, her eye open and staring.

Effective? Absolutely. In less than a day, a game that sounded like a by-the-numbers zombie shooter had a built-in audience of worshipful players ready to buy "Dead Island" whenever it ships. Deep Silver, the game's developer, said there's been strong interest in a movie adaptation for a game that nobody's yet played.

As a gamer and as a parent of two little girls, I can say that as much as I admire the craft of putting such a game trailer together, it's not one that I can enjoy. The game itself may turn out to be fantastic, but the cinematic preview strikes me as exploitative and cynical, a successful marketing ploy meant to evoke shock and pity.

For the rest of the article...click here ----------> http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/02/24/dead.island.gallaga/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[ProfessorChaos]

not trying to sound like a cynical dickwad here, but seriously, yeah, it's a cool trailer, but the buzz about this game is ridiculous. it's a fucking trailer, nothing more. has this company produced any games prior to this?

i'll gladly eat those words when something substantial appears, but for now, all we've really seen is a well-done cut-scene-ish trailer. impressive, but not as much as some are making it out to be. like i said, it could turn out to be really good and i'll admit i was wrong when that happens, but i sense a bit of over-hyping here....

[Danny]

not trying to sound like a cynical dickwad here, but seriously, yeah, it's a cool trailer, but the buzz about this game is ridiculous. it's a fucking trailer, nothing more. has this company produced any games prior to this?

i'll gladly eat those words when something substantial appears, but for now, all we've really seen is a well-done cut-scene-ish trailer. impressive, but not as much as some are making it out to be. like i said, it could turn out to be really good and i'll admit i was wrong when that happens, but i sense a bit of over-hyping here....

oh your completely right, this is a completely different company. bloody excellent, heartwrenching trailer. game could still be complete dogshit.

[Rancid Carcass]

Don't know if anyone's seen this - some gameplay info over on Gamespot.

http://gdc.gamespot.com/story/6301600/dead-island-exclusive-preview-zombie-species-vehicles-and-electric-machetes?tag=latest-highlights%3Btitle%3B5

[Tricky]

Ok this part puts me off a bit...
"Dead Island will include several different classes of zombie, including your basic slow, shambling types; infected zombies, which are far more aggressive and can break into a full sprint; and suicide zombies, which, when injured, explode like walking bombs and deal damage to any humans or zombies nearby"

I hate when they put super mutated zombies in, it worked for L4D2 because that was a frantic silly slaughterfest, but those Dead Island trailers havent portrayed the game in this way so I think its a shame that they've decided to include "exploding suicide zombies", I mean what makes them explode? have they eaten blocks of C4 or something? :rolleyes:

[Neil]

Don't know if anyone's seen this - some gameplay info over on Gamespot.

http://gdc.gamespot.com/story/6301600/dead-island-exclusive-preview-zombie-species-vehicles-and-electric-machetes?tag=latest-highlights%3Btitle%3B5

More here http://kotaku.com/#!5775758/dead-island-is-a-decades-worth-of-zombie-games-in-one

http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2011/03/deadisland-all-all-screenshot-005.jpg

[ProfessorChaos]

like tricky dick, i'm not digging the "classes" of zombies. never got into the L4D games because of that. i'm kind of a zombie purist, just give me a game with loads of shamblers as the generalized, constant threat, and make the "bosses" be psychotic humans seizing the opportunity to rape, pillage, and murder.

after reading that article neil posted, i have to say that from what i read, i'm quite "meh" about this game. funny that they are basically just taking (what they consider to be) the good parts of other games and trying to act as if they are re-inventing the wheel or something. whenever you have to make a point that your game is "nothing like dead rising 2", yet you use workbenches (a concept from DR2 and fallout3, plus probably a few other games) to make electrified knives:rolleyes:, yet also spout some shit about the weapons being practical and not wacky, it seems a bit contradictory.

after all the bullshit-hyping and pants-wetting over a trailer, plus this rather dull article, i have to say that i'm not interested in this game all at this point. to me, it seems like a "me too" type game that just doesn't offer anything new. in fact, as soon as i saw the trailer and screenshots, i thought "this looks like a knock-off of DR2 and L4D." and that's still my opinion on the game.

[MinionZombie]

The trailer is still spiffing, but I'm disheartened like Tricky and Prof to hear about this L4D rip-off-like approach to classes of zombies.

We'll have to see what's what when we finally get to see some footage of gameplay, but ugh, "suicide zombies"? Really? :rolleyes::bored::rolleyes:

[Danny]

we have seen shit all of it so far aside from graphics. no gameplay, no interface, nothing. my opinion is out till then. as for the 'riip-off' complaints there selling it as 'all the best parts of the best zombies games over the last ten years and thats good enough to keep my interest piqued.

and frigg everyone getting there panties into a bunch over them not all being romero zombies, you are the cancer killing this genre.

[Neil]

funny that they are basically just taking (what they consider to be) the good parts of other games and trying to act as if they are re-inventing the wheel or something.
I didn't read it like that!? It seemed simply the article was using comparisons to other games' gameplay in order to describe how Dead Islands works? ie: They didn't take other ideas, they ended up with some gameplay elements silimar to other games...

They've obviously invested a shed loads of time (& money) in this title, so you have to hope there's some good gameplay elements backing it all up!?

[MinionZombie]

That's the spirit, react to a perceived over-reaction, with another over-reaction. :p

Naturally we have to see footage, but just "suicide zombies" on it's own, as a single concept to which I'm addressing specifically at this time, sucks.

Now, the zombie damage stuff I'm really interested in seeing, and I want to know more about these RPG elements too.

[Neil]

That's the spirit, react to a perceived over-reaction, with another over-reaction. :p

Naturally we have to see footage, but just "suicide zombies" on it's own, as a single concept to which I'm addressing specifically at this time, sucks.

Now, the zombie damage stuff I'm really interested in seeing, and I want to know more about these RPG elements too.

The thing is, a game comprised solely of Romero zombies will probably be incredibly dull, unless it's got a huge tactical element to it, which doesn't lend itself to a FPS game?

[Danny]

The thing is, a game comprised solely of Romero zombies will probably be incredibly dull, unless it's got a huge tactical element to it, which doesn't lend itself to a FPS game?

exactly, hence why dead rising added human psychos and even those grew incredibly fucking stale. respawning convicts in a hummer anyone?

[Tricky]

I can cope with fast zombies in a game of that style and think runners are needed in a game to make it exciting, I never tired of fighting the hordes in L4D2! but I've always disliked the mutants like the spitter, charger, witch etc, they always have to include these stupid super zombies/mutants & it ruins the feel of the game. I always disliked the bosses in the resident evil series too barring the first game!

[ProfessorChaos]

@ neil:

mz and i have gone on at length about it before, but it bears repeating: a single player game with shamblers (maybe hobblers, but not balls-to-the-wall sprinters) that began early in the outbreak, had the world collapsing as the game progressed, and focused on scavenging for supplies, finding, fortifying, and defending shelters, rescuing and recruiting survivors, and managing the dynamics of the survivor group could be epic. think of a medley of fallout/GTA/the sims/dead rising.

that's my dream zombie game...

[Mitchified]

think of a medley of fallout/GTA/the sims/dead rising.


I have this mental image of tossing a poor bastard out of his station wagon and running over the undead while my wanted meter goes up, meaning that even larger swarms of zombies start to target me, all the while blasting Flock of Seagulls on one of the radio stations.

I would ABSOLUTELY play that game.

[Danny]

@ neil:

mz and i have gone on at length about it before, but it bears repeating: a single player game with shamblers (maybe hobblers, but not balls-to-the-wall sprinters) that began early in the outbreak, had the world collapsing as the game progressed, and focused on scavenging for supplies, finding, fortifying, and defending shelters, rescuing and recruiting survivors, and managing the dynamics of the survivor group could be epic. think of a medley of fallout/GTA/the sims/dead rising.

that's my dream zombie game...

thats not a videogame though, there is no true escalating challenge, thats a masturabatory survivalist fantasy nothing more.

[MinionZombie]

I can cope with fast zombies in a game of that style and think runners are needed in a game to make it exciting, I never tired of fighting the hordes in L4D2! but I've always disliked the mutants like the spitter, charger, witch etc, they always have to include these stupid super zombies/mutants & it ruins the feel of the game. I always disliked the bosses in the resident evil series too barring the first game!

I'm not a fan of runners, as many of you will know (;)), but in the right circumstances they can be tolerated (the raptor shriek, not so much, mind) ... but I don't like this idea of "suicide zombies" ... and I wasn't keen on the idea of those ones from L4D, not that I've ever played those games, but I just don't like the idea of 'classes of zombies' so much ... indeed that's an element that I'm not keen on being in Undead Nightmare (not that I've played it ... YET), but being that it's RDR, I'll play it for sure.


@ neil:

mz and i have gone on at length about it before, but it bears repeating: a single player game with shamblers (maybe hobblers, but not balls-to-the-wall sprinters) that began early in the outbreak, had the world collapsing as the game progressed, and focused on scavenging for supplies, finding, fortifying, and defending shelters, rescuing and recruiting survivors, and managing the dynamics of the survivor group could be epic. think of a medley of fallout/GTA/the sims/dead rising.

that's my dream zombie game...

Damn straight - and just think, as the game progresses, there are more and more shamblers, so you have to be inventive about how you get around, and indeed the further you get into the game, the hoardes of shamblers might easily be avoided - but there'd be just as much (if not more) from other human beings (think the biker gang in Dawn). It could be FUCKING EPIC.

Man I'd love that!

[Neil]

@ neil:

mz and i have gone on at length about it before, but it bears repeating: a single player game with shamblers (maybe hobblers, but not balls-to-the-wall sprinters) that began early in the outbreak, had the world collapsing as the game progressed, and focused on scavenging for supplies, finding, fortifying, and defending shelters, rescuing and recruiting survivors, and managing the dynamics of the survivor group could be epic. think of a medley of fallout/GTA/the sims/dead rising.

that's my dream zombie game...
I absolutely agree!

It would have to be uber tactical, with line of sight and hearing for the zombies. Personally I think a step time game would be best where you could move all of your team using points. Points could be used (each turn) to shoot, move or do other things (eg: open doors etc etc). You'd do various levels, with various goals. eg: Obtain supplies, help some survivors escape, or maybe close down a mall?

Real time FPS and shamblers though, just doesn't seem to fit well, as the tactical element sort of gets lost...

[ProfessorChaos]

thats not a videogame though, there is no true escalating challenge, thats a masturabatory survivalist fantasy nothing more.

obviously, our OPINIONS on what constitutes a video game are vastly different. i really don't see how what i described falls under your broad "survivalist's wet dream" blanket, but to each his own.

while what i described may not hold the attention of some ADHD kids, it seems like something many would enjoy rather than the frantic run and gun style game with sprinting infected with 6o-foot tongues or those that charge you like a ram, blow up, etc. to me, those are just gimmicks, and while they bring something original to the table, different people have different tastes, ya know?

and please don't assume that because i'd enjoy the previously mentioned concept, i have a stockpile of guns and survival gear and masturbate thinking of how bad-assed i'd be if "teh zombiez" were real, it's kinda rude....not sure if that's what you're going for, but it sure seems that way.

EDIT: as for the escalating challenge, like MZ was saying, think of an epic scenario where your shelter was being attacked, similar to the bikers in dawn or the governor's group attacking the prison in TWD.

[Mitchified]

obviously, our OPINIONS on what constitutes a video game are vastly different. i really don't see how what i described falls under your broad "survivalist's wet dream" blanket, but to each his own.

while what i described may not hold the attention of some ADHD kids, it seems like something many would enjoy rather than the frantic run and gun style game with sprinting infected with 6o-foot tongues or those that charge you like a ram, blow up, etc. to me, those are just gimmicks, and while they bring something original to the table, different people have different tastes, ya know?

and please don't assume that because i'd enjoy the previously mentioned concept, i have a stockpile of guns and survival gear and masturbate thinking of how bad-assed i'd be if "teh zombiez" were real, it's kinda rude....not sure if that's what you're going for, but it sure seems that way.

EDIT: as for the escalating challenge, like MZ was saying, think of an epic scenario where your shelter was being attacked, similar to the bikers in dawn or the governor's group attacking the prison in TWD.

It almost seems like what you're suggesting is something along the lines of Starcraft, only with zombies. Kind of like if the Oregon Trail got knocked up by Age of Empires.

I've always seen the perfect zombie game as being a sort of FPS/MMORPG hybrid. It would basically take the Borderlands system and implement it into an open world environment that also includes quests, instances, raids, etc. There would be different classes, obviously, each with a different skill set. The only thing that I think would basically have to happen to make the game marketable would be including other zombie types besides typical shamblers, or at least a wide variety of other threats. Probably a mixture of both. Otherwise the game would eventually feel repetitive no matter how well it was done.

[Andy]

I Started off knowing very little about dead island, i watched the trailer that was posted and got really excited about it, then i read up abit and realised it was a FPS game and my heart sank.

Now ive finally seen a gameplay video, it just looks like a cheap knock off of left 4 dead to me. Am i the only one who is totally turned off by this?

[ProfessorChaos]

not at all, man. i've been skeptical since the trailer. everything about this game looks lame to me, probably won't even bother playing it. like i said earlier, looks like a total rip-off of DR and L4D. and the articles i've read about it are not helping, as they keep making those comparisons. doesn't help that the developers keep contradicting themselves either...

[MinionZombie]

Where's this gameplay footage then? I can't find it.

[Mitchified]

Here's what's going to happen with this game. There's going to be a bunch of hype around it. The game itself ends up being mediocre. The fanboys defend it even though it's incredibly meh, and the usual crowd will say that every single aspect of it is terrible even though that's not true, either. IGN will give the X-Box 360 a higher review even though the PS3 version is better, because that's how it ALWAYS works (if you ever want a good laugh, look up the Bioshock reviews for both systems; the PS3 version is the same as the X-Box 360 version except there are enhanced graphics and more content, and it's rated .3 points BELOW the X-Box 360 version).

Then people remember that F3AR is available and forget all about the game entirely.

[Neil]

Three new screenshots - http://ve3d.ign.com/images/game/829562/PC/Dead-Island/category/5/Screenshots

[MinionZombie]

Three new screenshots - http://ve3d.ign.com/images/game/829562/PC/Dead-Island/category/5/Screenshots

Great big huge giant zombie in a straight jacket? :rockbrow: Hmmm...

[Rancid Carcass]

Great big huge giant zombie in a straight jacket? :rockbrow: Hmmm...

It can work...

http://i795.photobucket.com/albums/yy236/cattletech/Piece_of_mind_cover.jpg

:D

[ProfessorChaos]

Great big huge giant zombie in a straight jacket? :rockbrow: Hmmm...

just when i thought i couldn't care any less about this game....

[AcesandEights]

At first i thought you guys might be overreacting, but that zed is gargantuan!

[Mitchified]

At first i thought you guys might be overreacting, but that zed is gargantuan!

At that size, I think it's safe to say that's it's crossed from "zed" to "zeppelin".

Judging from the way this is looking so far, what are the odds that there will be a mission where you have to steal Zombrex for your daughter from the evil Umbrella Corporation?

[Tricky]

Hmmmm I've seen that thing somewhere before.....let me think.....Quake 4 maybe?
http://www.gamezone.com/images/gamezone/19/2/31/s19231_pc_10.jpg

[ProfessorChaos]

yeah, tricky, looks like a cross between that and one of the bosses from the early resident evil games. i know they say that "there's nothing new" out there, or however the saying goes, but this game is really pushing it. so far, not one single thing about it seems worthwhile.

this game seems like such a fucking rip-off of so many different other games...and while they can say it's "inspired by..." or "taking the best elements of....", to me, it stinks of a cheap-ass, wannabe, not-worth-picking-up-in-the-bargain-bin, piece of unoriginal shit.

fuck dead island.

[Danny]

At first i thought you guys might be overreacting, but that zed is gargantuan!

to be fair if the zombie apocalypse happened men of harlem globetrotter stature wouldnt be spared. :lol:

[Mitchified]

to be fair if the zombie apocalypse happened men of harlem globetrotter stature wouldnt be spared. :lol:

That would be the best day ever in the history of the Washington Generals.

[Neil]

Great big huge giant zombie in a straight jacket? :rockbrow: Hmmm...

Isn't the size an optical illusion? Else the realism angle they're going for is surely going to be blown right out of the water?

[MikePizzoff]

Great big huge giant zombie in a straight jacket? :rockbrow: Hmmm...

Yeah, WTF?

[Danny]

Isn't the size an optical illusion? Else the realism angle they're going for is surely going to be blown right out of the water?

well hes standing on a car so hes more brick shit house than godzilla.

From what i gather with there multi layered frame system a bigger zombie like that would be more muscle and probably more limber and harder to take down. granted its still a videogame but at least thats a slightly more realistic take on a tougher zombie than "oh by the way its fingers are swords and you can dip it in molten steel and it will come out swinging".

[Neil]

well hes standing on a car so hes more brick shit house than godzilla.

From what i gather with there multi layered frame system a bigger zombie like that would be more muscle and probably more limber and harder to take down. granted its still a videogame but at least thats a slightly more realistic take on a tougher zombie than "oh by the way its fingers are swords and you can dip it in molten steel and it will come out swinging".
Yeh, so I don't think it's more than your average 6ft tall. It's just that it's right in the foreground, high up on the side of a truck making it appear larger/taller!?

[ProfessorChaos]

well, if that's the case, the graphics department has some lighting/blending/dimensional issues.

but seriously, a hulking bane-looking zombie in a straight jacket? i recall reading that there's supposedly a prison or something near this resort island this game takes place at, but that thing just looks fucking silly.

[Rancid Carcass]

Box art too extreme for the USA!

http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/115/1156850p1.html

[Danny]

well, if that's the case, the graphics department has some lighting/blending/dimensional issues.

but seriously, a hulking bane-looking zombie in a straight jacket? i recall reading that there's supposedly a prison or something near this resort island this game takes place at, but that thing just looks fucking silly.

no more so than a tank or charger from left 4 dead for me, if i can ut up with honking kebab armed hillbillys this isnt exactly going to 'brea the illusion' in a game where the enemies are the walking dead.

[Tom Price]

You guys are putting too much faith into this and are going to be let down bigtime.
FMV cutscene trailers do not = gameplay

[Neil]

FMV cutscene trailers do not = gameplay
Huh? No one has suggested that?

But 4-5yrs+ of serious development gives it a chance at least!


What I don't understand is how it's going to differentiate itself from L4D(2)?

[Rancid Carcass]

Three new screens:

http://pc.incgamers.com/News/27369/triple-dose-of-dead-island-images

Ahhh... so he is a normal sized zombie! Looks like it's a 'Charger' type too.

Despite the L4D zombie class template, I'm looking forward to this.

[Danny]

FMV cutscene trailers do not = gameplay

nobody has said it does.

[MinionZombie]

Well thank fuck it was just a poor angle on that particular shot ... I must say it did look awfully stupid being a great big giant, so thankfully it's not ... ... I'm still a bit "hmmm" on this 'different classes of zombies' thing, mind, not just for this game - I'm speaking generally.

What I'd much rather see now is video of actual gameplay.

[Neil]

Well thank fuck it was just a poor angle on that particular shot ... I must say it did look awfully stupid being a great big giant, so thankfully it's not ... ... I'm still a bit "hmmm" on this 'different classes of zombies' thing, mind, not just for this game - I'm speaking generally.

What I'd much rather see now is video of actual gameplay.

I think different classes are a necessary evil for this sort of gameplay, else it would just be too dull...

[Danny]

I think different classes are a necessary evil for this sort of gameplay, else it would just be too dull...

imagine left 4 dead with nothing but the normal ones standing or the normal hordes rushing you, eventually it would get dull. hell even WITH the hunters, spitters, boomers, tanks ect. its still kinda samey. Still dead island doesnt have anything that crazy- but at the same time its free roaming compared to left 4 deads halo style tunnel vision design style.
Honestly the more i see the more this game looks like far cry meets dead rising meet a little bit of bioshock and just cause thrown in. Which could be awesome but you never know.

[MinionZombie]

Ugh, back we come around on the roundabout ... *refers back to aforementioned Fallout 3 with shambler zombies idea* :sneaky:

[Danny]

Ugh, back we come around on the roundabout ... *refers back to aforementioned Fallout 3 with shambler zombies idea* :sneaky:

difference here is the location, for me at least. I dug fallout but ,eh.... not the most amazing world. I believe, 'brown, brown everywhere' is the internet vernaculars of our time to describe it. This is a nice looking topical local set in the 'real' world. Though yeah samey zombies the whole time will get real boring- hence the psychos in dr, and specials in left 4 dead, but i get sold on a game by its world. this isnt a brown wasteland thats the same from edge to edge of its map so i am more excited. not amazingly so but im more excited to explore than the zombies aspect.
Plus i have a feeling this is the closest we are going to get to a current gen high end disaster report or day of crisis since i am alive is rumoured to be vapourware lately.

[MinionZombie]

*sigh* I don't literally mean Fallout 3 with shamblers. :rolleyes:

The vision has been laid out several times before on HPOTD. That is all.

[Tom Price]

Quote Originally Posted by Tom Price View Post
FMV cutscene trailers do not = gameplay

HELLSING nobody has said it does Except you at the Beginning of this post.

Hey whatever u of MR Greatest Game sinced slice bread when you originated this thread

Go read back to the top of the thread and (command your folks to) wash your underwear
and then move into a tent with Minion Zombie when they all kick you out.
Sent you to college for this?
To be a mooch,...your damn near 28 years old fend for your self the both of you.

[ProfessorChaos]

whatever happened to playing nice, man?

[Danny]

Quote Originally Posted by Tom Price View Post
FMV cutscene trailers do not = gameplay

HELLSING nobody has said it does Except you at the Beginning of this post.

Hey whatever u of MR Greatest Game sinced slice bread when you originated this thread

Go read back to the top of the thread and (command your folks to) wash your underwear
and then move into a tent with Minion Zombie when they all kick you out.
Sent you to college for this?
To be a mooch,...your damn near 28 years old fend for your self the both of you.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/khazrak/YouMad.jpg

Son' you mad. you want to come back when you have your dads trollin' pants on, because thats weak. damn weak. Come with me pathetic wretch and i shall show you the ways of troll.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/khazrak/Deal_with_it_dog_gif-1.gif

[Rancid Carcass]

Found an interview over on INC Gamers, don't know if anyone's seen it yet. I'm afraid your worse fears are confirmed - there's no zombie dogs or sharks and only 20-30 hours main campaign and a large island with holiday resorts, jungles and a city... :p :D

http://ps3.incgamers.com/Interviews/320/dead-island-interview

[Neil]

Found an interview over on INC Gamers, don't know if anyone's seen it yet. I'm afraid your worse fears are confirmed - there's no zombie dogs or sharks and only 20-30 hours main campaign and a large island with holiday resorts, jungles and a city... :p :D

http://ps3.incgamers.com/Interviews/320/dead-island-interview



They’re all humanoid zombies. We want to make sure that, when it comes to fighting, you’re using different tactics and strategies – so there will be melee zombies, ranged-attack zombies and things like that.
Like they're throwing limbs at you or something?

[Danny]

They’re all humanoid zombies. We want to make sure that, when it comes to fighting, you’re using different tactics and strategies – so there will be melee zombies, ranged-attack zombies and things like that.
Like they're throwing limbs at you or something?

maybe its a bub/big daddy sort of deal. gotta admit the horde from the end of land makes a better videogame enemy than the horde of day. -which lets be honest, not the most threatening incarnation of romeros zombies compared to nights in retrospect.

[Mitchified]

maybe its a bub/big daddy sort of deal. gotta admit the horde from the end of land makes a better videogame enemy than the horde of day. -which lets be honest, not the most threatening incarnation of romeros zombies compared to nights in retrospect.

I'd bet heavily that there's going to be at least one Nemesis-esque zombie in the game. There will also probably be some class of zombie that spits acid ('sup, Spitter) and one that uses an absurdly long tongue ('sup, Smoker).

[MinionZombie]

Why was the hoard at the end of Land better than Day, hellsing? :confused:

In my view, the Day hoard was more brutal - mu'fukkas tore Cap'n Rhodes in two, yo! :lol::p:lol:

Although the Land hoard rising slowly from the water en mass was creepy-as-all-get-out. :shifty:

[Danny]

Why was the hoard at the end of Land better than Day, hellsing? :confused:

In my view, the Day hoard was more brutal - mu'fukkas tore Cap'n Rhodes in two, yo! :lol::p:lol:

Although the Land hoard rising slowly from the water en mass was creepy-as-all-get-out. :shifty:


....they did the same but used weapons? :rockbrow:

[MinionZombie]

....they did the same but used weapons? :rockbrow:

Yeah, but the ones in Day used their bare hands - that makes them double-hard-bastards. :sneaky::D

[AcesandEights]

....they did the same but used weapons? :rockbrow:

And runners are scarrier from a practical standpoint too, but trail way behind, as do weapon-wielding zombies, from a thematic and emotional angle, IMO.

[MinionZombie]

And runners are scarrier from a practical standpoint too, but trail way behind, as do weapon-wielding zombies, from a thematic and emotional angle, IMO.

Plus the ones in Day looked like they carried a right old pong with them. :p Even though the ones in Land are older ... but anyway...

[MinionZombie]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm8znL8e2lM
bm8znL8e2lM

New teaser trailer.

[Danny]

every hands on says the same. this is a really hard game. that alone has me excited for the challenge.

[AngryNeighbour]

This looks amazing. I also hear that there is a zombie MMO in the works.

Does anyone know the exact or announced released date for Dead Island?

[Neil]

This looks amazing. I also hear that there is a zombie MMO in the works.

Does anyone know the exact or announced released date for Dead Island?

The release date is this August... But prepare for the usual delay(s)...

[UndeadChicken]

I know I'm probably going to get labeled as a troll for saying this, but I honestly don't have a lot of hope for this game. I mean when I first heard about this game years ago I was expecting a free-roaming sandbox game about zombies done in the style of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls or (new) Fallout series. I wanted a realistic sandbox game about zombies with a serious survival theme because I've grown sick of all the cheesy new zombie games like Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead, however it seems like this game will be a combination of both of those games. You have 4 playable characters who are all pretty much racial stereotypes (smart and pretty Asian chick, tough gangster-rapper black guy, 'cool' white guy with a mohawk, etc), and even though I originally liked the idea of this game being focused on melee combat, they've ruined it for me by allowing your character to make crazy melee weapons like a "shock machete". I officialy lost all interest for this game when I learned that one of the major character-specific skills they were talking about was going to be "punching a zombie's head off".

What I want for once is a zombie game that has a serious theme like the first few Resident Evil games did, but also has the freedom of exploring a whole world and being able to do almost anything you want in a realistic way the way Bethesda's games do. I want a game where you can seek shelter in abandon buildings, find weapons to fight zombies, look for other survivors, scavange supplies to help you stay alive, etc. I want it to feel like I'm actually a character in one of Romero's films fighting to stay alive and keep from getting infected, and having an entire world to explore and seek sanctuary from the undead.

Maybe I'm asking too much for a zombie game, but regardless I don't think I'll like this game. I'd rather just play one of Bethesda's new games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I'm willing to bet it'll be more fun then this game (to me at least) even if it isn't about zombies. :)

[AngryNeighbour]

I know I'm probably going to get labeled as a troll for saying this, but I honestly don't have a lot of hope for this game. I mean when I first heard about this game years ago I was expecting a free-roaming sandbox game about zombies done in the style of Bethesda's Elder Scrolls or (new) Fallout series. I wanted a realistic sandbox game about zombies with a serious survival theme because I've grown sick of all the cheesy new zombie games like Dead Rising and Left 4 Dead, however it seems like this game will be a combination of both of those games. You have 4 playable characters who are all pretty much racial stereotypes (smart and pretty Asian chick, tough gangster-rapper black guy, 'cool' white guy with a mohawk, etc), and even though I originally liked the idea of this game being focused on melee combat, they've ruined it for me by allowing your character to make crazy melee weapons like a "shock machete". I officialy lost all interest for this game when I learned that one of the major character-specific skills they were talking about was going to be "punching a zombie's head off".

What I want for once is a zombie game that has a serious theme like the first few Resident Evil games did, but also has the freedom of exploring a whole world and being able to do almost anything you want in a realistic way the way Bethesda's games do. I want a game where you can seek shelter in abandon buildings, find weapons to fight zombies, look for other survivors, scavange supplies to help you stay alive, etc. I want it to feel like I'm actually a character in one of Romero's films fighting to stay alive and keep from getting infected, and having an entire world to explore and seek sanctuary from the undead.

Maybe I'm asking too much for a zombie game, but regardless I don't think I'll like this game. I'd rather just play one of Bethesda's new games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I'm willing to bet it'll be more fun then this game (to me at least) even if it isn't about zombies. :)

There is a Zombie MMO possibly in the works that meets your description. Search it up. Zombie MMO for Xbox 360. I would link it, but I'm too lazy :P

[Rancid Carcass]

Gamespot UK hands on preview, all sounds rather tasty...

http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/deadisland/news.html?sid=6313671&tag=updates;editor;all;title;9&mode=previews

[MinionZombie]

every hands on says the same. this is a really hard game. that alone has me excited for the challenge.

Hard? Pfft, screw that! :sneaky:


Gamespot UK have had a hands on, all sounds rather tasty...

http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/action/deadisland/news.html?sid=6313671&tag=updates;editor;all;title;9&mode=previews

I wonder if this "stamina" thing will end up being a tad unrealistic - like, might it run down quicker than you genuinely would in real life?

Also, with all this stuff about great big boss zombies, I'm a bit "meh" about it. Like UndeadChicken (and others on this forum), I want a Fallout 3 style RPG-FPS set in a world (not in the future, not post-nuclear either, though) of purely Romero zombies, where a few are no problem, but too many are, and where bad humans are even more troublesome than the undead themselves. Where you're tasked with finding, securing and upgrading your own refuge from the undead throughout, and moving on when you have to. Where you have to help other survivors, and deal with the challenges of avoiding or confronting the humans who take this opportunity to be bad guys - do you stop a bad guy attacking a good guy, or do you help them out and risk your skin doing it? Where you can either blast through the zombie's front door, so-to-speak, in a re-purposed vehicle (which you can adapt and upgrade), or sneak in through the backdoor, so-to-speak, and go for the stealthy approach where you do your damnedest not to be spotted by any (or many) roamers. Where you have to go out hunting for supplies, after having eventually joined a larger group of survivors in a large walled-off area (think Land of the Dead) and deal with the issues and challenges (both practical, and in terms of interpersonal relations) of that new circumstance in which you find yourself.

That would be the ultimate badass zombie game. Nevermind this 'zombie boss' and 'zombie runners' shit in games involving zombies. I want what I just described above. It'd be awesome. FACT. :cool:

[Mitchified]

I wonder if this "stamina" thing will end up being a tad unrealistic - like, might it run down quicker than you genuinely would in real life?

Also, with all this stuff about great big boss zombies, I'm a bit "meh" about it. Like UndeadChicken (and others on this forum), I want a Fallout 3 style RPG-FPS set in a world (not in the future, not post-nuclear either, though) of purely Romero zombies, where a few are no problem, but too many are, and where bad humans are even more troublesome than the undead themselves. Where you're tasked with finding, securing and upgrading your own refuge from the undead throughout, and moving on when you have to. Where you have to help other survivors, and deal with the challenges of avoiding or confronting the humans who take this opportunity to be bad guys - do you stop a bad guy attacking a good guy, or do you help them out and risk your skin doing it? Where you can either blast through the zombie's front door, so-to-speak, in a re-purposed vehicle (which you can adapt and upgrade), or sneak in through the backdoor, so-to-speak, and go for the stealthy approach where you do your damnedest not to be spotted by any (or many) roamers. Where you have to go out hunting for supplies, after having eventually joined a larger group of survivors in a large walled-off area (think Land of the Dead) and deal with the issues and challenges (both practical, and in terms of interpersonal relations) of that new circumstance in which you find yourself.

That would be the ultimate badass zombie game. Nevermind this 'zombie boss' and 'zombie runners' shit in games involving zombies. I want what I just described above. It'd be awesome. FACT. :cool:

So in other words, you want it to be boring and repetitive for everyone not into the zombie survivalist thing but are just looking for a fun game. That's seriously how it would play out if you have basically one kind of enemy for the entire game. Too much realism (erm, so to speak, in this case) doesn't make for a fun video game. If it did, developers would be making HD versions of the Oregon Trail.

What you're describing works well in movies and books, but it makes for boring video games.

[Danny]

So in other words, you want it to be boring and repetitive for everyone not into the zombie survivalist thing but are just looking for a fun game. That's seriously how it would play out if you have basically one kind of enemy for the entire game. Too much realism (erm, so to speak, in this case) doesn't make for a fun video game. If it did, developers would be making HD versions of the Oregon Trail.

What you're describing works well in movies and books, but it makes for boring video games.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/khazrak/130175717395.jpg

been there, said that dude. inb4 shitstorm....

[Mitchified]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/khazrak/130175717395.jpg

been there, said that dude. inb4 shitstorm....

To be fair, isn't there already some zombie simulation text-based MMO out there? I can't remember the name, but I can't see any way to make a "true" zombie apocalypse game outside of text-based.

But hey, if THAT is going to cause a shitstorm, I might as well add more truth to the fire. Left 4 Dead's enemies were better than zombies because they were fast and there were different versions, Dead Rising only worked because of the insane people, Dead Island looks pretty darn bad, and pretty much every resource-based zombie game sucks.

[Danny]

To be fair, isn't there already some zombie simulation text-based MMO out there? I can't remember the name, but I can't see any way to make a "true" zombie apocalypse game outside of text-based.

But hey, if THAT is going to cause a shitstorm, I might as well add more truth to the fire. Left 4 Dead's enemies were better than zombies because they were fast and there were different versions, Dead Rising only worked because of the insane people, Dead Island looks pretty darn bad, and pretty much every resource-based zombie game sucks.

all stuff i've said before, basic zombies are at best a type of natural environmental danger to corral a different type of ai like psychos in dead rising or special infected in left 4 dead that exist to break up the monotony of the thing. The masturbatory survivalist end of the world hodown game would be boring as all get out.

[MinionZombie]

Odd how you complain of a "masturbatory survivalist" game when I'm not describing, nor intending to describe, such a game. Indeed, like with the best zombie movies, it's not really about the zombies - it's about the people. Dismiss it off-hand, and underestimate/criticise a potential audience if you will, but I'm not the only one who'd love to see a game such as I've described - and not for 'gun nut survival wanking' reasons. Some survivalism sure, that's a basic element of being in a zombie situation.

A "masturbatory survivalist" game would clearly be a man in the woods, on his own, wearing a flannel shirt, with a bit of a gut, bad breath, and greasy hair, yelling maniacally at helicopters as he shakes his gun/wife in the air ... and then he goes and jerks off for eight hours before skinning some rabbits for lunch. :sneaky:

I'm sure you could easily read Fallout 3 as a "masturbatory survivalist" game. :rockbrow:

[Danny]

Odd how you complain of a "masturbatory survivalist" game when I'm not describing, nor intending to describe, such a game. Indeed, like with the best zombie movies, it's not really about the zombies - it's about the people. Dismiss it off-hand, and underestimate/criticise a potential audience if you will, but I'm not the only one who'd love to see a game such as I've described - and not for 'gun nut survival wanking' reasons. Some survivalism sure, that's a basic element of being in a zombie situation.

A "masturbatory survivalist" game would clearly be a man in the woods, on his own, wearing a flannel shirt, with a bit of a gut, bad breath, and greasy hair, yelling maniacally at helicopters as he shakes his gun/wife in the air ... and then he goes and jerks off for eight hours before skinning some rabbits for lunch. :sneaky:

I'm sure you could easily read Fallout 3 as a "masturbatory survivalist" game. :rockbrow:

1: fallout IS a masturbatory escapist game.

2: i would probably play a game about a survival nut whos gone full on snooker loopy. :lol:

[Mitchified]

Odd how you complain of a "masturbatory survivalist" game when I'm not describing, nor intending to describe, such a game. Indeed, like with the best zombie movies, it's not really about the zombies - it's about the people. Dismiss it off-hand, and underestimate/criticise a potential audience if you will, but I'm not the only one who'd love to see a game such as I've described - and not for 'gun nut survival wanking' reasons. Some survivalism sure, that's a basic element of being in a zombie situation.

A "masturbatory survivalist" game would clearly be a man in the woods, on his own, wearing a flannel shirt, with a bit of a gut, bad breath, and greasy hair, yelling maniacally at helicopters as he shakes his gun/wife in the air ... and then he goes and jerks off for eight hours before skinning some rabbits for lunch. :sneaky:

I'm sure you could easily read Fallout 3 as a "masturbatory survivalist" game. :rockbrow:

You're right about Fallout 3, although I would like to point out that there's a variety of threats in that game and thus creates variety for the player.

After thinking about it, I can see one way that a zombie game of the type you described could work. If it was done in the same style as Heavy Rain and the upcoming Jurassic Park game, that might work. That way, the entire game from start to finish is based completely on plot and not on action, and each decision you make affects the plot as it continues on.

A game with any "real" action, though.... yeah, that would get boring for the reasons I mentioned above.

[AngryNeighbour]

You're right about Fallout 3, although I would like to point out that there's a variety of threats in that game and thus creates variety for the player.

After thinking about it, I can see one way that a zombie game of the type you described could work. If it was done in the same style as Heavy Rain and the upcoming Jurassic Park game, that might work. That way, the entire game from start to finish is based completely on plot and not on action, and each decision you make affects the plot as it continues on.

A game with any "real" action, though.... yeah, that would get boring for the reasons I mentioned above.

Not necessarily. As MZ has said in his last two posts, zombies aren't the main focus, the main focus is the people in the game and the other characters. If they added in villainous and heroic factions, that would pose moral dilemmas which might keep the gamer entertained. The villain faction steals, attacks and kills other people (they could have a base where they pit people against other people and other types of side games and mini games inside of the game) and there could be the heroic faction where you help people and are rewarded with companions and supplies and stuff like that.

Not to mention you could add in other kind of psychos too. The zombies themselves don't necessarily have to be superpowered to be entertaining, have different classes of hordes and you have to base your strategy and gameplay around the size of the horde. Also you could add crawlers and sleepers in and stuff like that. Ever played Zombie Island for Borderlands? That was somewhat decent.

I think a zombie DLC for Fallout would be amazing, or just a zombie game similar to that. If they did, they should have like DLC where it's like more medieval like Oblivion.

[Mitchified]

Not necessarily. As MZ has said in his last two posts, zombies aren't the main focus, the main focus is the people in the game and the other characters. If they added in villainous and heroic factions, that would pose moral dilemmas which might keep the gamer entertained. The villain faction steals, attacks and kills other people (they could have a base where they pit people against other people and other types of side games and mini games inside of the game) and there could be the heroic faction where you help people and are rewarded with companions and supplies and stuff like that.

If you focus that much on other human factions, what's the point of having zombies in the game at all? You could take literally any threat and plug them in instead of zombies. You're just remaking Fallout 3 with zombies instead of mutants, or at the very best you have a small section of a game (like the zombie DLC for Borderlands that you mentioned), not an entire game.

There's the heart of the problem. If you want an entire game based on a zombie apocalypse, you have to use the zombies as the main antagonists so that you're showcasing your game's point. If you do that, you have to have variety or else the player is going to get bored with the concept over time. And that brings us right back to my original point.

There's only so many ways that you can go with a game if you want the plot to be the main focus. You've got an old-school RPG (which I can't see being any good, really), the movie-esque direction that Heavy Rain takes, or some text-based thing. Anything else that requires an action-based approach has to have a wider variety than simply throwing different amounts of the same enemy at you.

[AngryNeighbour]

If you focus that much on other human factions, what's the point of having zombies in the game at all? You could take literally any threat and plug them in instead of zombies. You're just remaking Fallout 3 with zombies instead of mutants, or at the very best you have a small section of a game (like the zombie DLC for Borderlands that you mentioned), not an entire game.

There's the heart of the problem. If you want an entire game based on a zombie apocalypse, you have to use the zombies as the main antagonists so that you're showcasing your game's point. If you do that, you have to have variety or else the player is going to get bored with the concept over time. And that brings us right back to my original point.

There's only so many ways that you can go with a game if you want the plot to be the main focus. You've got an old-school RPG (which I can't see being any good, really), the movie-esque direction that Heavy Rain takes, or some text-based thing. Anything else that requires an action-based approach has to have a wider variety than simply throwing different amounts of the same enemy at you.

That's true, but all the "missions" involving the factions would revolve around the zombie storyline because maybe for the evil guys it would be like "go catch some zombies and bring them back here so we can use them as paintball targets or something) and for the heroic guys it would be like save this dude from the pack of zombies surrounding his shelter. Stuff like that you know, and then maybe when trying to rescue the guy, the evil people come and try and kill you cause they want something the guy you're trying to save has.

Idk it's possible in my opinion, but you make very good points.

[MinionZombie]

Fallout 3 isn't about the monsters featured in it, so why bother having them in at all? If Dawn of the Dead isn't really about zombies, why bother having them in at all? GTA IV only features other human beings - borrrrrring, right? :sneaky: That's not a valid argument, in my view.

And look at the two Dead Rising games - one type of zombie in the entire game, and it sold like hot cakes (beyond the change they take on after the 72 hours in DR2, but that's beside the point). The main thrust is what's happening around the zombie infestation. One or two you can handle fine, but get surrounded and you're knackered. Angry Neighbour has set out some good ideas of how it would work further.

[Danny]

http://kotaku.com/5804505/over-ten-minutes-of-dead-island-footage-wont-eat-your-brains

new game footage, looks like oblivion meets dead rising minus capcoms 'lol, murrcans' schtik. should be a fun, challenging game by the looks of it.

[CoinReturn]

Looking good! E3 starts on June 7th, so hopefully it'll be playable at the show and we'll get a lot of impressions, good or bad.

[Rancid Carcass]

That is looking pretty f**king tip-top. I'm getting a Far Cry 2 meets Zombie Flesh Eaters vibe from this, can't wait to give it whirl.

[Mitchified]

Fallout 3 isn't about the monsters featured in it, so why bother having them in at all? If Dawn of the Dead isn't really about zombies, why bother having them in at all? GTA IV only features other human beings - borrrrrring, right? :sneaky: That's not a valid argument, in my view.

And look at the two Dead Rising games - one type of zombie in the entire game, and it sold like hot cakes (beyond the change they take on after the 72 hours in DR2, but that's beside the point). The main thrust is what's happening around the zombie infestation. One or two you can handle fine, but get surrounded and you're knackered. Angry Neighbour has set out some good ideas of how it would work further.

Okay, so, I finally have time to reply to this.

Breaking down your examples one by one.


Fallout 3 isn't about the monsters featured in it, so why bother having them in at all?

You're right, Fallout 3 isn't about the monsters in the game. However, combat IS a part of the game, correct? And do you simply fight the same kind of enemy over and over again? No, there's a variety of enemies, everything from mutated cockroaches to abnormally shaped mutants with boards. This variety, which I hit on in an earlier post, is what keeps the action aspects of the game fresh. Having the same type of zombie attack you over and over again would get boring as hell for the vast majority of gamers, and I'm not talking about just the ADD-prone Call of Duty players.


If Dawn of the Dead isn't really about zombies, why bother having them in at all?

Dawn of the Dead is a movie. I already stated in an earlier post that the type of scenario you're describing works in media such as movies and books, mostly because they aren't as vast in scope as a video game is. You're talking about a two hour experience as opposed to (unless you're Capcom) a fifteen to twenty hour experience. This also ties into this:


And look at the two Dead Rising games - one type of zombie in the entire game, and it sold like hot cakes (beyond the change they take on after the 72 hours in DR2, but that's beside the point).

Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2 worked for three reasons: there were encounters with a wide variety of insane people that acted as bosses throughout the game, breaking up the monotony of killing the same types of zombies over and over again, the game's ability to push fun over realism (the average person isn't going to be picking up a wheelchair and accurately bashing things in the head any time soon, nor will they be electrifying one), and the imposed time limit. Dead Rising can't be used as an example as to why the zombie game you're proposing could work because it's completely different from what you're describing. It's not realistic. It doesn't have anything to do with resource management (unless we're counting Zombrex). It's akin to saying that you can use Mega Man as an example as to why Voltron should be an awesome video game because they're both robots. Frankly, Dead Rising has more in common with old school brawlers like Final Fight and Streets of Rage than the kind of game that you described.


GTA IV only features other human beings - borrrrrring, right?

Are they the same types of people throughout the entire game? Same weapons, same tendencies, same personalities? Does every human in GTA IV attack you the exact same way? Are the only differences between encounters the number of people attacking you? The answers to all of those is no. Once again, it all goes back to variety being what keeps the interest of gamers.

When it comes down to it, what you're describing is basically trying to cram aspects from RTS games and a smattering of RPGs into a more action-oriented package, but you're only wanting to use one main type of antagonist. You're talking about a highly niche game (something like, say, Paraworld) that would only appeal to a ridiculously low number of gamers.

As for Dead Island's new trailer, it actually looks decent, but the character's leg looks, I dunno, weird when it kicks out.

[Rancid Carcass]

New 7 minute video of gameplay footage. No commentary this time so you get a good feel for the atmosphere of the game. Thumbs up from me... :thumbsup:

http://uk.ign.com/videos/2011/06/08/e3-2011-dead-island-last-chance-on-the-wall

[AngryNeighbour]

Looks decent, but c'mon when will they get the whole only headshots kill zombies thing right

[krisvds]

Agreed. Though this game looks like it could be a lot of fun we still have to wait for a developer to get zombies 'right'. I wouldn't mind playing a game with only one type of zombie during the entire game (screw mutated dogs and end of level type bosses, pffff) IF said games developer treated the zombie-outbreak the same way as Romero did in his initial trilogy.
A sandbox, RPG type game ( or even a MMORPG) where the biggest threat to your survival is other human npc's (or PC's for that matter) instead of just the zombies could appeal to a vast amount of gamers. I

In the meantime this game looks like a lot of mature fun. Looking forward to it.

[Neil]

Computer & Video Games article - http://www.computerandvideogames.com/307396/previews/dead-island-left-4-dead-copycat-or-much-more/


It gives us no pleasure to plunge the pin into Dead Island's bubble but it needs to be said: all of the hype up until now has been wholly misdirected. People wowed by the trailer are getting excited over a fallacy - Dead Island never was, and never will be, anything like the events depicted in that extraordinarily well-made (if manipulative) short. The real game is actually a slower version of Left 4 Dead crossed with first-person bashers such as Condemned.

To be fair, it's looking promising enough, but we do worry most people will be disappointed by the game in action. After promising an emotional wringer of a title, Dead Island just delivers the silly sight of hip hop recording artist Sam B bludgeoning a zombie to re-death with a broken oar.

Injured players aren't portrayed as valiant heroes dying a martyr's death to save the rest of their group. Nor are they seen as family members tragically torn from their loved ones. Instead, bitten fighters can simply reverse the zombie virus and patch up their wounds by having a sip of liquid from drinks cans found on the floor, then carry on with the senseless massacring.

It's going to be incredibly tough for Techland to funnel the 'emotion' people have been talking so rabidly about into the game (Sony's Team Ico is the only studio who've managed such a thing with any degree of success). Is Dead Island honestly going to be more real and more visceral than all the many many other zombie games in history, as Techland claims?

We'd be mad not to seriously doubt it, and continued claims to the contrary, coupled with more Axis trailers in the future ,will talk up a fantastic game that, ultimately, won't be anything like the finished article. You have been warned...

[Rancid Carcass]

I can't stand articles like this – overly negative for no real reason. I'm mean, since when have CG game trailers ever been representative of actual gameplay? It also seems a little unfair to bash it because you don't die when bitten – as far as I'm aware no zombie game has ever done that, personally I think it would render them virtually unplayable and rather frustrating, particularly for a hack-em-up like what Dead Island seems to be offering. Half the fun of zed games is getting stuck in butchering as many of the buggers as violently as you possibly can which seems like a fair trade-off to me – imagine Dead Rising with fatal bite wounds...
They also seem quite down on Techland too, as if they somehow don't deserve to be releasing a potential AAA title and are not really up to the job, maybe they think only the big established studios are allowed to? I guess there's nothing quite like not giving a new IP a fair chance. Sheesh... :rant: :rolleyes:

[Danny]

people mad that trailers are not like gameplay? what a shock! i enjoyed playing the melancholy, serpia toned folk rock soundtrack'ed gears of war! :lol: and the battlefield where the soldiers sang 'shortenin' bread"

[Neil]

Some pictures from a recent "Dead Island" press event in Italy...

http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/61068/Dead-Island-Italians-Make-Great-Zombies

[Rancid Carcass]

Nice little hands on preview at Inc Gamers:

http://www.incgamers.com/Previews/311/dead-island-hands-on


For anyone that has not seen anything of Dead Island since that trailer, the most important thing to take away is that this is not the straight action game many originally believed it to be. At its core this is a stat-heavy RPG with an emphasis on teamwork, optional questing and levelling up. Anyone looking for the next Left 4 Dead should look away now; anyone looking for something closer to Fallout: Zombies should continue full steam ahead.

Sweet. :cool:

[Danny]

bitchin'

[MikePizzoff]

Could this be the game many of us have been dreaming of?

[shootemindehead]

A zombie RPG???

Holy Jeebus, I'm more in now than ever.

[Trin]

I'm going back a page or two to some posts by Angry and MZ and Mitch, but my thought is this... I want my zombie game to have one single type of zombie which mirrors the Romero zombie. It's not tough individually, but can be in groups. I want the game to be about survival, not about mowing down zombies. I want the securing and management of food/water, fuel, ammo, medicine, and shelter to define the struggle. I want rest and fatigue (physical and mental) to be things that must be managed. I want a freeroam world with no discrete goals. I want stealth, patience, and strategy to rule where twitch reflexes fail.

I'd like it to include multiplayer in a persistent world. NPC encounters are optional. Missions/quests are optional. If plot exists I want it to flow from my choices, not be directed by completing a linear series of levels.

Would this game be boring for the xbox 360 people who crave bigger and bigger boss fights amidst layers of shallow plot with silly twists to extend the gameplay as the villain escapes YET AGAIN to live to fight you another level (sorry - I played RE5 start to finish)? Yes. Is it more of a niche style game that would appeal to zombie survivalists? Yes. Would the zombie itself be easily replaced with whatever villain suits you (perhaps vampires from I Am Legend?). Yes. So be it.

I think a lot more people would be interested in this type of game than the game developers realize. Take the popularity of Minecraft into account. People like to build stuff and explore stuff. Throw in a tense survival situation (something Minecraft attempts but fails to deliver) and you'd have a very popular game.

[Danny]

It's not tough individually, but can be in groups.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/khazrak/957986_20101202_embed001.jpg

chuck green begs to differ.

[Rancid Carcass]

I want the game to be about survival, not about mowing down zombies. I want the securing and management of food/water, fuel, ammo, medicine, and shelter to define the struggle. I want rest and fatigue (physical and mental) to be things that must be managed. I want a freeroam world with no discrete goals.

You might wanna give this a whirl:

http://projectzomboid.com/blog/

It's an indie game, still in development but it's a neat little diversion for an hour or so every now and then.

:)

[shootemindehead]

I'm going back a page or two to some posts by Angry and MZ and Mitch, but my thought is this... I want my zombie game to have one single type of zombie which mirrors the Romero zombie. It's not tough individually, but can be in groups. I want the game to be about survival, not about mowing down zombies. I want the securing and management of food/water, fuel, ammo, medicine, and shelter to define the struggle. I want rest and fatigue (physical and mental) to be things that must be managed. I want a freeroam world with no discrete goals. I want stealth, patience, and strategy to rule where twitch reflexes fail.

I'd like it to include multiplayer in a persistent world. NPC encounters are optional. Missions/quests are optional. If plot exists I want it to flow from my choices, not be directed by completing a linear series of levels.

Would this game be boring for the xbox 360 people who crave bigger and bigger boss fights amidst layers of shallow plot with silly twists to extend the gameplay as the villain escapes YET AGAIN to live to fight you another level (sorry - I played RE5 start to finish)? Yes. Is it more of a niche style game that would appeal to zombie survivalists? Yes. Would the zombie itself be easily replaced with whatever villain suits you (perhaps vampires from I Am Legend?). Yes. So be it.

I think a lot more people would be interested in this type of game than the game developers realize. Take the popularity of Minecraft into account. People like to build stuff and explore stuff. Throw in a tense survival situation (something Minecraft attempts but fails to deliver) and you'd have a very popular game.

You want 'Oblivion' with zombies.

Me too.

[Neil]

The audio of Dead Island...

wqdCbdnFayM

[Danny]

everything i see gets me more excited with this. i was expecting the usual bullshit action or 'metal' tripe and this far in to development we have still seen nothing of that since the original trailer light 6 years ago. really glad they did not stick with that direction.

[Neil]

Available for pre-order on Steam!

[Rancid Carcass]

Some new screens... oh yeah!

http://www.incgamers.com/News/28560/new-dead-island-screens-rated-r-for-revolting

Not so much a day one purchase, more a chain-yourself-to-the-store-entrance-the-night-before-purchase methinks...

:D

[Neil]

Game is now 'Gold'. New co-op trailer:-

5p-DME0W45E&

[LoSTBoY]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eW8U4JRXw-4/TfrM2eoCQuI/AAAAAAAACys/50HZM28z48k/s1600/captain-picard-full-ofjx1u.jpg

[bassman]

I really want to be excited for this game, but all I feel is 'meh'.:|

Damn you, Dead Rising. You've spoiled all my fun...

[MinionZombie]

Kill Montage:

SHCbEIPMQuM&feature=feedu

[Tricky]

Urgh I hope theres a way of removing that awful arcade like "points" system that flashes up on screen whenever you hit a zombie, way to ruin the atmosphere :rolleyes:

[Neil]

Kill Montage:

SHCbEIPMQuM&feature=feedu

Surely gotta be banned in Germany with this level of blood etc? :)

[MikePizzoff]

Are there no reviews of this game yet? This makes me nervous.

[Danny]

Are there no reviews of this game yet? This makes me nervous.

reviews still hold weight for you? i havent paid any attention to them at all for a long while. hell between the gerstman thing, the tomb raider thing, the dragon age 2 metacritic thing and a hundred other little 'debacles' its pretty fucking clear that the '7 to 9 out of ten' professional industry is a fixed joke. At the end of the day its people with no special training give an unquantifiable "out of ten" on a game with no desire to help infrm a purchase, they have just been paid to advertise the game this way by the companies.

Wait till its out and the general public get their hands on it. When theres no backroom agreements and money changing hands to bump up scores. then you'll get an honest opinion.

[Neil]

So, anyone pre-ordered?

[Danny]

whats the point? i have never in 20 years been told a game is out of stock. not like the preorder bonuses to ensure provider loyalty stay exclusive forever.

[Tricky]

So, anyone pre-ordered?

Nope, I'm finding it hard to feel any excitement over this game, as I said on the previous page they've made it look even more arcade like than Left 4 Dead with the stupid points flashing up on screen everytime you strike a zombie, like its Mortal Kombat or something! And the stupid weapon combos like that electrified machete that I've seen in some of the videos, why would electrifying a machete make it any more effective?? :duh: I wouldnt mind if they were advertising it as a daft zombie killin' game from the start, but those emotional trailers which sucked us all in seem to have been just a front for another arcade zombie basher. I'd like to be proved wrong but I'm not hopeful...

[LoSTBoY]

Yep, pre-ordered on Steam.

Will have the game the moment it is released. :D

[CoinReturn]

You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but I'm still on the fence because developers are unproven in making a quality game. Will wait for reviews/impressions before buying.

[Danny]

The poland only preorder. Everything from bear grylls everyday survival kit sans a steaming mug of his piss.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/khazrak/deadislandset1_1.jpg

[Neil]

5e7-fWVob00

[Rancid Carcass]

:hyper::hyper::hyper::hyper:

Me want! Me want! Not been this stoked for a game in a long while.

Damn, this is gonna be a loooooong week...

[MinionZombie]

Why do they keep releasing two versions of their trailers? One for Europe, and one for America. The last time they did that there was literally no difference between the two trailers - and I'm assuming it's the same situation with this one. So what's all that about?

[Tricky]

Hmmm so in the trailer there it doesnt have the stupid arcade in game HUD which flashes up points & Mortal Kombat style "combos" everytime you hit a zombie, does that mean you can remove that from the game and make it more realistic? Thats one of the main things thats putting me off, it makes it seem too cartoonish to take seriously...

[Danny]

Hmmm so in the trailer there it doesnt have the stupid arcade in game HUD which flashes up points & Mortal Kombat style "combos" everytime you hit a zombie, does that mean you can remove that from the game and make it more realistic? Thats one of the main things thats putting me off, it makes it seem too cartoonish to take seriously...

i think they said last weeks its an optional thing to make the 4 player co-op a bit different in tone compared to a more serious experience some other players may want.

[shootemindehead]

I hate running zombies

[LouCipherr]

I hate running zombies

From what I understand, there's shamblers and some quicker moving zombies in this one. Don't know how much of a "runner" they are (the ones I saw were just sorta quicker moving zombies, not the full-on sprinters like in Left4Dead).

I pre-ordered it for my son, who is a major zombie game fan. He's been looking forward to this for a very long time, and after that creepy-assed "reversed" trailer, pre-ordering it became a requirement for him. :lol:

I think the one thing I dig about the gameplay scenes i've seen is the fact that the game doesn't seem to feel the need to throw 3,000 zombies at you at once. It seems like in most places they're spread out in a way that, unlike Left4Dead, makes it feel like you're not just dealing with wave after wave of zombie hordes.

We'll see how good of a job they did next week. *fingers crossed*

[Danny]

I think the one thing I dig about the gameplay scenes i've seen is the fact that the game doesn't seem to feel the need to throw 3,000 zombies at you at once. It seems like in most places they're spread out in a way that, unlike Left4Dead, makes it feel like you're not just dealing with wave after wave of zombie hordes.

We'll see how good of a job they did next week. *fingers crossed*

thats my only gripe with left 4 dead 2. brilliant game with friends. but the zombies start to just stop being a threat and just a human cattle drive where you stand still to admire the scenery and the director adds mroe just because.

i mean when youve killed like 56,3064949 of them or whatever the achievement is the threat is kind of shitty and loses impact.

[shootemindehead]

I pre-ordered it for my son...

Yeah, yeah, Lou...pre-ordered "for your son."

Poor kid isn't going to get a look in.

:P

[MinionZombie]

Yeah, yeah, Lou...pre-ordered "for your son."

Poor kid isn't going to get a look in.

:P

:lol::lol::lol:

[Rancid Carcass]

IGN review to drop on Sunday... Set your alarms!

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/119/1192319p1.html

:cool:

[slickwilly13]

I just received an e-mail from Gamefly. They shipped the game this morning. I will have the game in hand by Tuesday, since Monday is Labor Day.

[Rancid Carcass]

Just in case you haven't seen it already, the IGN review is up - everybody breathe, it doesn't blow chunks! By the sounds of it, it's pretty damn good too...

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/119/1192319p1.html

:)

[Neil]

IGN review to drop on Sunday... Set your alarms!

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/119/1192319p1.html

:cool:Reviews have thus far been around 8/10 to 8.5/10!? Not too bad!

[Rancid Carcass]

Ha! Ha! Great minds think alike. ;)

Those scores put it about level with Dead Rising so it looks like some good zombie slayin' times ahead!

C'mon Friday! :hyper:

[MinionZombie]

While I've not got the game, I saw a video online that gives you an easter egg - apparently you start off in a hotel room, and you have to go right - instead, go left first, and you'll find a little easter egg.

5ISznH-29K4&feature=feedu

[Rancid Carcass]

Nice review to be had here:

http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1928/Dead-Island/p1/

[Danny]

so apparently the digital download off this from places like steam is NOT the retail dead island. its the devbuild debug version. Full of faulty code, quick fixes, console prompts that shouldnt be and things like a dodgy half finished 3rd person mode.
Basically its being called the games industry blunder of the year and needless to say, if you arent buying a hard copy. dont. not yet at least.

[Tricky]

Whats the recommended PC specs for this game then? My PC is on the brink of needing a new processor and main board to be able to run the latest games, some it copes well with, others (like Bulletstorm) it struggles with on high settings!

[Neil]

so apparently the digital download off this from places like steam is NOT the retail dead island. its the devbuild debug version. Full of faulty code, quick fixes, console prompts that shouldnt be and things like a dodgy half finished 3rd person mode.
Basically its being called the games industry blunder of the year and needless to say, if you arent buying a hard copy. dont. not yet at least.

But it hasn't been released on Steam yet has it? Has it?

Seems a VERY serious/daft blunder!?

[LouCipherr]

Yeah, yeah, Lou...pre-ordered "for your son."

Poor kid isn't going to get a look in.

:P

:lol:

I swear dude, I almost never play his 360. Now, if I decide to get it on the PC, there's no way anyone else is playing that shit but me, but I tend to stay away from the 360 only because I cannot STAND the controller and it's lack of accuracy as compared to using a keyboard/mouse.

Don't worry, I'll get sucked into it, just not on Xbox. :D

[shootemindehead]

:lol:

I swear dude, I almost never play his 360. Now, if I decide to get it on the PC, there's no way anyone else is playing that shit but me, but I tend to stay away from the 360 only because I cannot STAND the controller and it's lack of accuracy as compared to using a keyboard/mouse.

Don't worry, I'll get sucked into it, just not on Xbox. :D

You'll hear no argument from me Re: Xbox controllers.

PC it is so!!!

[Rancid Carcass]

Whats the recommended PC specs for this game then?

Dead Island Minimum System Requirements

OS: Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7

CPU: Intel Core2Duo 2.66 GHz

RAM: 1 GB Memory

GFX: Nvidia GeForce 8600GT or ATI 2600XT 512MB

DX: DirectX 9.0C

HDD: 2.0 GB free hard drive space

Other: mouse and keyboard


Dead Island Recommended System Requirements

OS: Windows 7

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66GHz / AMD Athlon II X2 240

RAM: 4 GB RAM

GFX: GeForce 9600 GT 512MB / Radeon HD 3870


Looks like the 360 version for me then, lol...

[slickwilly13]

I have game in hand. Guess which hand?

[SymphonicX]

Reloaded have erm..."released" the dev version....I can't believe they released the dev as a retail copy!!!! LOL.

Come on SkIdRow...only a matter of hours!

This might interrupt my love of Deus Ex HR!

[Mr. Clean]

Pretty good game.

I've already types this review out 3x but this stupid laptop keeps going back on the browser when I hit backspace and erases the whole damn thing.

Some advice....learn to use the kick feature. Weapons decay with each use. You can fix them but it can be costly. You can kick a walker and they usually fall down...when they try to get up you can hit them in the head and kill them in 1 or 2 hits vs 3 or 4.

I imagine co-op is fun as hell. Hope to be playing with some of you in the near future.

[LouCipherr]

You'll hear no argument from me Re: Xbox controllers.

PC it is so!!!

I have no idea how people play FPS games with that shitty controller. Talk about a lack of accuracy using analog sticks to aim. :rolleyes: I mean, it's good for some games, but a FPS? without a mouse/kb combo? NO THANKS.



Dead Island Recommended System Requirements

OS: Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.66GHz / AMD Athlon II X2 240
RAM: 4 GB RAM
GFX: GeForce 9600 GT 512MB / Radeon HD 3870

Looks like the 360 version for me then, lol...

:lol:

Luckily, I meet the recommended system requirements, so I'll be picking this up on the PC. I hope the graphics are a bit of a boost from the 360 version though. While it looks nice, it's by no means "mind-blowing" in the graphics department.


Some advice....learn to use the kick feature. Weapons decay with each use. You can fix them but it can be costly. You can kick a walker and they usually fall down...when they try to get up you can hit them in the head and kill them in 1 or 2 hits vs 3 or 4.

Mr. Clean is right - I've watched my son play this on the 360 yesterday and that was what he was doing - kick them, then when they go down, beat the ever living snot out of them. :lol:

So far I like what I've seen of the game. I do love the fact that you're not constantly attacked by 'hordes' of zombies all at once ala Left4Dead, but at the same time, while you're working on one zombie, several can sometimes sneak up behind you or the zombie you're whacking away on, and next thing you know you've got a lot of zombies waiting to eat your ass. It can get out of control quick if you're not paying attention. :D

[SymphonicX]

I have no idea how people play FPS games with that shitty controller. Talk about a lack of accuracy using analog sticks to aim. :rolleyes: I mean, it's good for some games, but a FPS? without a mouse/kb combo? NO THANKS.

:D

Do you play PC games on a sofa or at a desk like most others?

Cos that's the thing for me. I literally just had this conversation with someone at work (about 20 mins ago). I play my PC games as though it were a console, sitting on my lush corner sofa, in front of a 50 inch 3D plasma TV. My computer outputs via DVI to my HDMI input on my telly. So when I'm sitting there on my lush sofa, I can't exactly use a keyboard and mouse! There's nowhere to put it - except for resting the mouse on a big book (to save RSI in the wrist from bending it weirdly) and having the keyboard on my lap. It's awkward, and quite frankly, stupid.

So yeah gamepads are less accurate, blah blah blah - but using a keyboard and mouse to work an FPS is like using a kettle to drive your car. It's not purpose built...it's uncomfortable, the movement is massively inaccurate.

There's a market here, for people like me who are outputting their PCs not into a shitty 15 inch monitor, but into a massive 50" HD TV. The market is for people who need that interim between a kb/m and a gamepad. Something that delivers the purpose built movement accuracy of a gamepad, with the aiming accuracy of a kb/m combo. Personally, and this is just personally, I hate keyboard and mouse for game playing. It feels really unnatural, and I feel totally stupid trying to play a game with one.

And on the flip side, why should I relegate myself to an underperforming PC-in-a-box such as the PS3 or the Xbox? With games outputting no more than 640p in most cases, why should I relegate myself to that when my actual PC has 10 bloody xboxes just in the graphics card, somewhere I can get my games for next to (or literally) nothing. I plug my xbox controller into my PC and the games bloody map THEMSELVES to the controls now - Deus Ex, Assassins Creed, Crysis 2, Mafia, you name it - they all use the xbox gamepad and the game's tutorials and button mapping respond to the colours and buttons on the xbox controller. PC games WANT you to use a gamepad in most cases - it's just the gamers out there don't. Which is why I'm holding off on Battlefield 3 - if there's no gamepad support on the servers (ie: gamepad only matches) then that game, and DICE, can go f**k themselves!

[LouCipherr]

Do you play PC games on a sofa or at a desk like most others?

At a desk, most definitely. I couldn't play with a kb/mouse combo on the couch well either! :lol:


So yeah gamepads are less accurate, blah blah blah - but using a keyboard and mouse to work an FPS is like using a kettle to drive your car. It's not purpose built...it's uncomfortable, the movement is massively inaccurate.

For your particular situation, I can understand. Overall/generally, a mouse is 1000x more accurate than any analog stick. With my mouse, as Clint Eastwood once said, "I could put a bullet through a fleas' ass at 200 yards!" (Heartbreak Ridge, hoo-rah!)

I guess I like the mouse/kb because it's what I play most. I mean, yeah, it's odd I have this keyboard with 101 keys on it and I'm only using what, perhaps 25% of them? And I did grow up playing an Atari 2600 (a joystick with A SINGLE BUTTON!) so I guess I just got used to playing on the computer.

My son is actually pretty damn decent at playing FPS games like Halo and the like with an analog controller on his 360, but I just couldn't deal with pushing the analog stick to the left, only to find it went a tad further than I wanted, then bumping it back to the right too far, then trying to get it back left and.... <bam> I'm dead, 'cause while I'm trying to aim, some dick kid that's quicker than me (or got lucky) nailed me. ARGH!

Just once I'd like Microsoft to let the PC people play with the 360 people online. I have so many kids say, "Oh, even if they let us do that, I'd stomp you into the ground" Oh, REALLY? :lol: :lol: Just wait until that's allowed, and you'll see millions of kiddies on the 360's crying on their controllers 'cause they "can't beat the PC guys" :evil:

Now that we're talking about it, has anyone actually seen Dead Island on the PC first-hand??

[Tricky]

I much prefer a keyboard/mouse setup over a game pad, I used to be a big console gamer so was pretty nifty with a pad once upon a time, but I much prefer the PC controls, once your adapted its fine! A bit like playing a guitar :) Plus there is absolutely no way you could play a game like Arma 2 on anything but a mouse & keyboard, as every single button on the keyboard does something different.
I'm lethal on Battlefield Bad Company 2 as well :cool:

[Mr. Clean]

I much prefer a keyboard/mouse setup over a game pad, I used to be a big console gamer so was pretty nifty with a pad once upon a time, but I much prefer the PC controls, once your adapted its fine! A bit like playing a guitar :) Plus there is absolutely no way you could play a game like Arma 2 on anything but a mouse & keyboard, as every single button on the keyboard does something different.
I'm lethal on Battlefield Bad Company 2 as well :cool:

lol, I'm the opposite of you. I was a big PC gamer and got tired of having to upgrade every few years so I went console.

I can't exactly agree that the gamepads are less accurate vs a keyboard and mouse combo. I once thought this myself. I will however give you guys the edge on flying a Helicopter. I couldn't have done half the shit I did on battlefield 2 with the chopper using a gamepad. Mouse wins that battle. Since I have went console gamer....I went back and tried to play Counter-Strike and Day of Defeat.....I was terrible....my pc skills are sad...:(

-- -------- Post added at 08:41 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:38 PM ----------

P.S. I'd probably shit my pants and scream like a little girl attempting to take out an infected on Dead Island using a keyboard and mouse now. :lol:

[Tricky]

lol, I'm the opposite of you. I was a big PC gamer and got tired of having to upgrade every few years so I went console.




Yeah a lot of people have said that over the years, although its not really the case anymore, graphics are reaching that ceiling where they really arent going to make vast leaps between generations anymore, hence why my PC is now 4 years old and still going strong! the only things I've changed are the graphics card when my old one died a year ago, and I put some extra RAM in, thats it :cool:

[MinionZombie]

I was a PC gamer for many years (and have still played some PC shooters in recent times - e.g. STALKER: Call of Pripyat, Bad Company 2, and even Dead Rising 2 (where the shooting mechanics work decidedly better on PC than 360). Without a doubt the mouse provides a much more precise and subtle aiming system that doesn't include aim assist or auto aim mechanisms as an option.

I've been doing the majority of my gaming on the 360 since 2007 though, because the PC I was gaming on got overtaken, I didn't want the added hassle of system specs anymore, I wanted an easier 'off the shelf' playability time (buy the game, bung it in, play it with no issues) ... and plus there are tons of games that don't even make it to PC anymore. Console gaming hasn't been perfect by any means, and I do miss the independent precision of the mouse+keyboard ... however, the joypad does allow for more relaxed gaming (PC was always more intense), but the aiming took a while to get used to, but I did improve greatly (yet it's still not as good as KB+M, without a doubt).

With games like GTA or RDR I use the aim assist to snap-on to enemies to take them down as it helps provide more of the speed and precision that I would have otherwise had on the PC (like when I was playing the likes of GTA: San Andreas), and on games like Call of Duty I leave the aim assist on (the thing that 'snaps' you to a nearby enemy when you aim down the sights again and again, and traces enemy movement somewhat when you're hovering over them with your sights).

I remember when I was at uni (and playing PC games almost exclusively), one of our housemates got the original Xbox with Halo 2. We all got into team deathmatch in the same room (fuck this online bullshit where you play against invisible 13 year old chubbers screaming at their "Mom" to bring more Pop Tarts to their sweaty ADHD lair) and it was bloody good fun ... however, originally my aiming was dreadful on the analogue sticks, but I stick with it and went from the worst player out of the four of us getting constantly killed, to the best player out of the four of us who would most likely be #1 on the board after a round. :elol:

[Rancid Carcass]

Just had my first couple of hours in game and damn, it's really rather marvellous! The atmosphere the game has is just incredible, it feels like a bloody fight for survival in a way that other zombie games don't. Each zombie requires a degree of effort to put it down, just like it would do in reality, and it just feels right. At the moment this thing is ticking so many boxes - looting/XP/melee combat/skill tree's and a fantastic open-world environment, if you're sat on the fence don't be - I haven't enjoyed a game this much all year. Perhaps the only thing that bothers me is that there's no 'hard save' as and when you want (maybe I just haven't found it yet in all the panic!), it seems to be an autosave checkpoint thing, minor quibble though. All in all, so far at least, a cracking start to an amazing new franchise with any luck - and the closest thing yet to Zombie Flesheaters: The Game! (Zombies, Tropical Island, I'm getting a definate Fulci vibe from this... oh yeah!

:cool:

[LouCipherr]

With games like GTA or RDR I use the aim assist to snap-on to enemies to take them down as it helps provide more of the speed and precision that I would have otherwise had on the PC

*nods head in agreement* Things like "aim assist" aren't even needed on a PC because of the accuracy of the mouse/kb combo. That's why I think the console controllers are just too impractical for FPS games and the like. GREAT for other things, though.


About the "having to upgrade my system" - y'know guys, I've had the same PC for about 4 years now, and with the exception of updating my video card once in that period, I've never had issues playing even the most recent games...and it's not like I bought a "top of the line" system back then, and it certainly isn't top-of-the-line now. :lol: But it does get the job done very well.

Really, if you get decent parts in the machine (ie: decent speed CPU (2.5+ghz, dual core) and at least 2gb of RAM in the machine) the only thing you really need to be concerned with upgrading every few years is just a video card... and I bet people spend more on xbox 360 games and the like in that time period than it costs to upgrade a video card. ;)

Dj has bugged me for the past few years saying, "when are you gonna upgrade that old computer?" I always tell him, "when it doesn't do what I need it to do, and so far, it still plays all the recent games with no problem and does what I need to do, so why exactly do I need to upgrade??" :lol:

My advice: don't buy a "pc-in-a-box" when you do get a computer. Assmeble it yourself. If you can put a puzzle together, you can put together a computer.. just RTFM and check google if unsure, it's that easy. It will save you LOTS of $.

Here's the "core" of what I'm running right now (and it ain't pretty!):

CPU: AMD FX-60 (2.6ghz, overclocked to 2.8ghz - remember, this chip came out in 2006, and I put it in my computer in mid-2007ish, IIRC)
Motherboard: Asus A8N32-SLI Deluxe
Memory/RAM: 2gb
Video Card: nVidia 9800GTX
HDD: Western Digital Black Caviar, 1TB (7200rpm, make sure you don't get a 5400rpm drive!)

The rest of the hardware doesn't matter as much as these core components. I'd say that machine cost me around $800ish when I built it (I already had the monitor, kb & mouse), and it crushed just about any "pc in a box" at the time unless you were shelling out $1500-2000. Not to mention it was cheaper and had better specs... add to that, most of those pc-in-a-box machines are completely outdated from that time period, and here I am, stilling running the same machine and keeping up with the times.... for now. :lol: That may not be the case in a year or two, but getting 5-6 years out of a PC used for intense gaming is pretty damn good, especially at that price point. :D

[shootemindehead]

Bingo!

I'm a mouse man myself. Nothing beats the mouse/keyboard combo for First Person Perspective games, or god games like the 'Total War' series.

I am somewhat worried though, about the fact that some companies have released their games on consoles only. RDR, being a perfect example. I would have loved to have played that on the PC, without that dumbed down "aim assist" crap. If there's anything that has indicated the challenge reduction that gaming has gone through in the last 10 years, it's "aim assist". I hate it, but playing the likes of GTA without it, is a bloody pain in the arse.

Gonna try and pick up Dead Island today.












I'll moan about it tomorrow.

:)

[Neil]

Gonna try and pick up Dead Island today.

I'll moan about it tomorrow.

:)

General feedback appears +ve!

[Tricky]

General feedback appears +ve!

I read a review in "The Sun" today and although quite positive, it says that a lot of the quests you get given are very repetative, the usual "go and find this and bring it back to me" stuff that RPG's like you to do (I gave up on those when playing STALKER, I got a bit bored of heavily armed guys sending pistol armed me off into the wilderness to find a crappy cache of something or other)

[Neil]

I read a review in "The Sun" today and although quite positive, it says that a lot of the quests you get given are very repetative, the usual "go and find this and bring it back to me" stuff that RPG's like you to do (I gave up on those when playing STALKER, I got a bit bored of heavily armed guys sending pistol armed me off into the wilderness to find a crappy cache of something or other)

Yes, that sounds a bit dull!

Would be nice if they keep adding DLC like Left 4 Dead 2!



...now where's Left 4 Dead 3?

[Tricky]

Yeah, I know in other games you can skip a lot of those quests, but when you do that you end up steamrolling through the main plot in no time and not really getting your moneys worth out of the game. If the quests are interesting, varied and rewarding then its all good, but I hate the mundane ones that you don't gain anything much from, "cheers for risking life and limb & getting through most of your ammo to fetch me a gnarled twig, take this half a broken bottle for your troubles"

[shootemindehead]

Yeah, I know in other games you can skip a lot of those quests, but when you do that you end up steamrolling through the main plot in no time and not really getting your moneys worth out of the game. If the quests are interesting, varied and rewarding then its all good, but I hate the mundane ones that you don't gain anything much from, "cheers for risking life and limb & getting through most of your ammo to fetch me a gnarled twig, take this half a broken bottle for your troubles"

Yeh, but you NEED the broken bottle half for the spell of aknashbashhashalash.


F*ck sake Tricky!

[krisvds]

Review scores are all over the place; a 3/10 for Edge, 6/10 according to Eurogamer, IGN thinks it's an 8 and so on. Numbers will be numbers but I was wondering; apart from the whole PC vs console debate, what's the word from you Romerofans?

[Neil]

Review scores are all over the place; a 3/10 for Edge, 6/10 according to Eurogamer, IGN thinks it's an 8 and so on. Numbers will be numbers but I was wondering; apart from the whole PC vs console debate, what's the word from you Romerofans?

3/10? Are they mad?

[slickwilly13]

A complaint from myself is the controls. Sometimes when the zombies get too close I cannot kick or strike them.

[Danny]

Review scores are all over the place; a 3/10 for Edge, 6/10 according to Eurogamer, IGN thinks it's an 8 and so on. Numbers will be numbers but I was wondering; apart from the whole PC vs console debate, what's the word from you Romerofans?

ign doesnt vote things below a 7 because they are paid by advertising, eurogamer is a joke its a group of fanboys with no journalistic integrity i wouldnt pay attention to either. and, to be blunt, i wouldnt pay attention to us either. you dont go to ask a group of heavy metal fans if a heavy metal album is good and expect the same unbiased answer as though you asked about a classical music album. You aint going to get a completely honest opinion here either. Hell any game thats remotely semi sandbox with zombies will be given an unfair bias on here just because it has zombies in it. so our opinion as a group is worthless too.

[Rancid Carcass]

Review scores are all over the place; what's the word from you Romerofans?

I think it captures the feel of a zombie movie better than any other zombie game I've played, the sense of trepidation as you get out your car on a lonely stretch of road to check an abandoned building for anything useful is pretty intense. I also like the fact that the zombies themselves are a genuine threat – in Left 4 Dead they're basically machine gun fodder, in Dead Rising you can charge headlong into thousands of them armed with nothing more than a teddy bear and come out the other side smiling. In this, it follows the classic theory: on their own they're they may not seem like much, but get a group of 'em together and you'd better watch your ass, and that makes a real difference. Also, I've never heard the word 'F**k' used so much in a game either!

Lol, okay as a fan my opinion may be worthless but I'd ignore the really low scores for the game, there's only a few anyway, the 8 – 9 scores are a much better reflection. May be worth noting that I'm playing an unpatched 360 version and have had no problems whatsoever so far.

We've often wondered round these parts about how cool an open-world zombie RPG would be, and it is. It's a cracking game and just so much fun to play, I dare say it's the best thing I've played all year - Skyrim had better be pretty f**king epic 'cause kicking a zombie to the ground, breaking it's arms and legs and caving it's skull in with a shovel is pretty damn special.

Now screw this sh*t, I'm off to Banoi... :D

[Mr. Clean]

Wish I could be playing....It'll be at least a few weeks before I get to play again...I was on level 10 :(

[Yojimbo]

I want this game so bad! Unfortunately, things have gotten tight since I am supporting my wife while she finishes her degree and helping my little sister pay for her upcoming wedding. Living practicaly paycheck to paycheck, I fear I have no responsible choice other than to wait until this game gets cheaper or until I can find a used version that I can afford before I will have the luxury of checking out this game. Sucks, but I can't justify the $60 expense right now.

It is cool to hear about the game, though it may be just because I get to experience this vicariously through you all. As for me, this might be worth a ramen diet in order to save up for.

[shootemindehead]

PC buyer beware.

This game WILL NOT launch without being online with Steam. Offline Steam will NOT work.

Why the fck that can't be emblazoned on the box, I don't know.

[Neil]

PC buyer beware.

This game WILL NOT launch without being online with Steam. Offline Steam will NOT work.

Why the fck that can't be emblazoned on the box, I don't know.

Standard Steam behaviour...

[shootemindehead]

Not the case Neil. In most Steam games, teh player can start the game in "Offline Mode". But 'Ded Island' won't allow that.

[slickwilly13]

The game is longer than I thought. There is another map besides the island resort. Later in the game, you travel to the inner city.

[Neil]

Not the case Neil. In most Steam games, teh player can start the game in "Offline Mode". But 'Ded Island' won't allow that.

Oops! My bad then!

[Mr. Clean]

The game is longer than I thought. There is another map besides the island resort. Later in the game, you travel to the inner city.

I "think" there is a Jungle portion too...I took a peek at the Strat Guide at Wally World eariler just to see the enemies. I didn't thumb through it too much so I didn't ruin much for myself but.....

There are quite a few different types of living enemies. Punks, Military Types, Police, ect. I can't wait to have a run in with other survivors trying to kill me.

[clanglee]

My Bithday is comming up next week. . . .hoping this will be my present. . . . hoping hoping

[LoSTBoY]

This game is excellent! Started off on my own and straight away some German dude joined and we had a good old time bashing zombies on the beach.

Later I teamed up with a Steam friend and we did some cool missions, I especially like the ones where you have to pick up some gasoline or crates of food, you just get a pickup, dump them in the back and you and your friend drive on back to the safehouse, running over zombies as you go.

I’ve just got into the city (Act 2 of I think 3 as it says the main mission progression is at about 35%) after lots of missions on the resort and pretty much a whole mini map in the hotel. So there is still plenty to do until I’m done.

Love the different classes and levelling, it means I will be playing through it at least 3 more times to try out the other characters and their specialities.

P.S: I assume most of those crappy reviews are from the North America version which was not the final draft and was still full of lots of bugs:


"We deeply regret that an incorrect version of Dead Island was inadvertently made available to players on Steam launch in North America," publisher Deep Silver said in a statement to Joystiq. "We are very sorry for any issues you may have experienced while playing the game - the correct, patched version will be made available to North American players ASAP." Other territories will receive the correct, patched version on Friday.


Fixed maps synchronization when player joined during map load.
Fixed saving player re-spawn position when playing in cooperative mode.
Fixed occasional inability to complete sidequests in Laboratory.
Improved enemy awareness (zombies).
Fixed occasional bug with NPC's hands bend (IK)
Fixed spawning enemies in some quests after joining coop game.
Fixed showing locations on invisible NPCs.
Fixed potential walkthrough blocker when quest "Knockin' on heavens door" was completed before talking to Dominik during "On the air" quest.
Fixed displaying gather rings near some door.
Fixed enemies reaction on fire.
Fixed enemies health and stamina bars in coop.
Fixed filtering of games in lobby.
Volume of pickup's engine has been increased.
Fixed many issues causing game instability.
Fixed switching maps when player died.
Fixed enemies unable to reach player on some arenas.
Thrown items cannot be picked up by another player for 5 seconds.
Fixed animation glitch when trading (TPP).
More than one player can use the same ladder simultaneously.
Fixed stomper interruption when target was hit by another player.
Fixed infinite spawn of shooting enemies.
Fixed not hiding menu if die inside vehicle.
Fixed item level calculation when playing second play-through.
Added information about players requesting pause (COOP)
Fixed AI animation glitch after fast travel or travel through portal.
Added distinction between quest checkpoints and other saves.
Fixed bug causing all inventory to be lost.
Fixed reloading and kicking. After clip was inserted reload is treated as successful.
Purna can gain bonus rage from both "Grim Inspiration" and "Inspiring Kick".
Only "Walker" type enemies increase the extra XP of the "Combo" skill from Xian's Survival skill tree.
Health regeneration was disabled during grab.
Focus on items in shops is not changing after operation (sell, buy).
More HP for all escorted NPCs;
removed all instances of Butcher during escorts.
Fixed tracking after loading checkpoint (a few more checkpoints were affected);
Increased minimum vertical distance to count a waypoint as passed for NPCs (NPCs should no longer go back and forth).

[Neil]

^^ And hopefully they'll be releasing DLC like Left 4 Dead!

[Rancid Carcass]

Gamespy review is up, better late than never...


It's usually safe to take on one zombie. Even two, since you're armed and they're not. Three, if you're mindful. So what do you do when you see four zombies? Go around them? Carefully juggle them with a heavy sweeping weapon and your kick ability? Use a molotov cocktail? Tap into your precious supply of bullets? Activate your fury power?
Dead Island is a constant series of these dilemmas in a world populated by zombies with weight and significance. But in the end, the decisions are all mine. When I die in Left 4 Dead, I often feel like the game bum rushed me. But when I die in Dead Island, I feel like it was my own fault. I took on too many zombies at once, or I didn't watch my back closely, or I didn't maintain my weapons, or I misjudged a swing.


http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/dead-island/1193719p1.html

All in all, not bad for vapourware. :D

[Trin]

It doesn't really bug me that they released the wrong version. That's a single mistake, which regardless of the size of the blunder, it can happen. They responded quickly and all said and done the impact is low.

What causes me to raise my eyebrows is that there is a version that has SOOOO many things wrong with it to be released at all. I've heard that they accidentally released a developer build. That list of bugs has some foundational stuff in there. Far more than what I'd expect any build to have. And I could expect a list of bugs if they'd sent out a build that was a few iterations old. But this isn't a list of things that got developed at the last minute with some minor stuff being shaken out. That is a laundry list of early development gotchas. Did they release a very early version perhaps?

Sounds to me like the game is worth picking up regardless. I'm just ... concerned.

[slickwilly13]

I have played this game so much that I am now dream about being there when I sleep.

[MikePizzoff]

I have played this game so much that I am now dream about being there when I sleep.

That has happened to me with both Minecraft and Bad Company 2.

[clanglee]

I have played this game so much that I am now dream about being there when I sleep.

I do that with all of my favorite games, going back to Pool of Radiance for the C64!!

[Danny]

It doesn't really bug me that they released the wrong version. That's a single mistake, which regardless of the size of the blunder, it can happen. They responded quickly and all said and done the impact is low.

What causes me to raise my eyebrows is that there is a version that has SOOOO many things wrong with it to be released at all. I've heard that they accidentally released a developer build. That list of bugs has some foundational stuff in there. Far more than what I'd expect any build to have. And I could expect a list of bugs if they'd sent out a build that was a few iterations old. But this isn't a list of things that got developed at the last minute with some minor stuff being shaken out. That is a laundry list of early development gotchas. Did they release a very early version perhaps?

Sounds to me like the game is worth picking up regardless. I'm just ... concerned.

thats pretty much what happened, it was an early devbuild full of not just bugs but things that would later be changed like one move being called gender wars or retail but something like "man hating feminist whore" or something in the dev build. then theres other things like this that show what things they stopped working on...

hXmZX8iz2SE

what might have been if it was given more polishing time eh?

[shootemindehead]

It's a decent enough game and I actually haven't enountered a single bug yet. But, to be honest, if it were anything but zombies, I wouldn't have bothered.

And I'd also liked to have had the option to control level difficulty, or "zombie amount". The odd zombie horde would have been nice. Maybe there'll be a mod created for the PC version that'll beef things up. Also, when you die, you just start again from the same position, with absolutely NO penalty. WTF is that all about? What's the point?

And what ever happened to being able to save your bloody game where you wanted to? I hate this console-esque approach to games nowadays, where games employ "save positions" rather than allowing the user to decide when to save their game.

And...

-- -------- Post added at 12:10 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 AM ----------

Hmmm...seems like theres a few mods for the PC already.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2106453

[Neil]

Hmmm...seems like theres a few mods for the PC already.

http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2106453

How long until a shopping mall appears on the island that needs to be taken over? :)

[Rancid Carcass]

It's a decent enough game. But, to be honest, if it were anything but zombies, I wouldn't have bothered.

Of course you could say that about any zombie game! I'm sure had Dead Rising or Left 4 Dead featured looters or rioting thugs they wouldn't have had the same appeal either. ;)

I sort of agree about the save thing. Save anywhere would be useful in a game of this nature, or at least it would have been nice to have a save point in a secure location like DR, just so you can bail out when you need to without losing any progression - nothing worse than being in the middle of something just as dinner is served!

Great game though, just hit the city, well damn, if it's not the most terrifying location I've been to in a videogame... goes against all my natural zombie survival instincts to just get the hell out of there...

:lol:

[shootemindehead]

Sounds good. I'm taking my time though. I'm on the juice run at the moment, happilly running down zombies in my pickup. Never gets old that.

One thing...I'm getting a LOT more "28 Days later" style infected running at me and surprising the crap out of me. They aren't as annoying as I thought they would be and actually add to the game, which is welcome.

[slickwilly13]

There is a penalty when you die. You lose money. The more you have. The more you lose. I found the jungle last night. I also found 4 special zombies that are harder to take down.

[shootemindehead]

Um...didn't notice any money loss. But I have around 20,000.

[Tricky]

What use is currency in a zombie epidemic on an island then? I would have thought it rendered useless! Anyway I've got the game on download from Steam now so I guess i'll find out later!

[Rancid Carcass]

What use is currency in a zombie epidemic on an island then? I would have thought it rendered useless!

Have you learned nothing from Land of the Dead?!! :p

[shootemindehead]

What use is currency in a zombie epidemic on an island then? I would have thought it rendered useless! Anyway I've got the game on download from Steam now so I guess i'll find out later!

It's just used as a points system really. It allows you to repair stuff and upgrade etc.

[Tricky]

Well it finished downloading last night around midnight so despite having to be up for work at 6:30, I allowed myself an hour on it. Seems pretty good, I've turned a lot of the HUD options off which has improved the experience for me, although there is still too much on there, I'd like to turn the whole lot off if I could! Graphics are very pretty, and I needn't have been concerned about my PC not running it as it runs lightening fast on high settings, which says to me that the PC one is just a console conversion and hasn't been tailored specifically for the PC. The only thing that really annoyed me last night was that even though I thought I was playing a single player game, other players kept connecting to my game, then hassling me to help them on their quests. I'm sure its fun to play co-op, but I want to go through it on my own first to explore at my own pace, not getting rushed through it by impatient other players. I'll figure out a way to play offline tonight, didnt really have time last night. So far the zombies are great, there are runners but also a lot of shamblers, and they are genuinely threatening, I jumped out of my skin a couple of times when one managed to sneak up on me and grab me! Looking forward to further playing tonight now, I kind of just messed around and didnt complete any missions last night

[LoSTBoY]

Graphics are very pretty, and I needn't have been concerned about my PC not running it as it runs lightening fast on high settings, which says to me that the PC one is just a console conversion and hasn't been tailored specifically for the PC.

It's generally the opposite with console conversions; games run really bad and graphics are all over the place. I've not seen the console version but I can tell this is not a conversion.

As for people joining you ingame you can turn that off in the settings, if you can get a mate (or 3) you join you though it means lots more zombies. :)

As for me I'm now in the city where shit gets real, gone thorugh another mini map of the sewers and completing lots (almost too many :p) of side quests.

[SymphonicX]

At a desk, most definitely. I couldn't play with a kb/mouse combo on the couch well either! :lol:



For your particular situation, I can understand. Overall/generally, a mouse is 1000x more accurate than any analog stick. With my mouse, as Clint Eastwood once said, "I could put a bullet through a fleas' ass at 200 yards!" (Heartbreak Ridge, hoo-rah!)

I guess I like the mouse/kb because it's what I play most. I mean, yeah, it's odd I have this keyboard with 101 keys on it and I'm only using what, perhaps 25% of them? And I did grow up playing an Atari 2600 (a joystick with A SINGLE BUTTON!) so I guess I just got used to playing on the computer.

My son is actually pretty damn decent at playing FPS games like Halo and the like with an analog controller on his 360, but I just couldn't deal with pushing the analog stick to the left, only to find it went a tad further than I wanted, then bumping it back to the right too far, then trying to get it back left and.... <bam> I'm dead, 'cause while I'm trying to aim, some dick kid that's quicker than me (or got lucky) nailed me. ARGH!

Just once I'd like Microsoft to let the PC people play with the 360 people online. I have so many kids say, "Oh, even if they let us do that, I'd stomp you into the ground" Oh, REALLY? :lol: :lol: Just wait until that's allowed, and you'll see millions of kiddies on the 360's crying on their controllers 'cause they "can't beat the PC guys" :evil:

Now that we're talking about it, has anyone actually seen Dead Island on the PC first-hand??

There's definitely no question its more accurate - comfortability is my first concern however.
As I say I reckon there's a massive gap in the market to bridge the gap between kb/m and gamepad. Accuracy, as you have stated, is the key to FPS games.

On a side note, I plugged in my 360 controller and played an online game of Halo 2 PC and came out with 45 kills, 4 deaths, at the top of a 25 player game - the next person had 25 kills and 15 deaths. My gamepad walked all over them - mainly because they were all messing about with snipers whilst I was driving vehicles and using my agilty to avoid being shot...so it can work - just depends on the game. Battlefield? Nah!

I can confirm I am running Dead Island on a PC at the highest settings available. It's not remotely taxing my system whatsoever and I'd even go as far to say that Deus Ex is more taxing.

Compare to The Witcher 2 though, this game is a breeze -even my system won't pump our more than 25 fps at Ultra settings..! :(

anyway as for the game, its just short of brilliant...only just! it's a bit "gamey" don't you guys think? Like finding bottles of champagne and whiskey for characters in the middle of a zombie epidemic is a bit silly. That's literally my only complaint, is that it's not mature enough.

I am playing this in co-op only - we are just finishing up Act 1 - haven't got to the city part yet, can't wait!

[shootemindehead]

Well it finished downloading last night around midnight so despite having to be up for work at 6:30, I allowed myself an hour on it. Seems pretty good, I've turned a lot of the HUD options off which has improved the experience for me, although there is still too much on there, I'd like to turn the whole lot off if I could! Graphics are very pretty, and I needn't have been concerned about my PC not running it as it runs lightening fast on high settings, which says to me that the PC one is just a console conversion and hasn't been tailored specifically for the PC. The only thing that really annoyed me last night was that even though I thought I was playing a single player game, other players kept connecting to my game, then hassling me to help them on their quests. I'm sure its fun to play co-op, but I want to go through it on my own first to explore at my own pace, not getting rushed through it by impatient other players. I'll figure out a way to play offline tonight, didnt really have time last night. So far the zombies are great, there are runners but also a lot of shamblers, and they are genuinely threatening, I jumped out of my skin a couple of times when one managed to sneak up on me and grab me! Looking forward to further playing tonight now, I kind of just messed around and didnt complete any missions last night

In the "onlne" settings you can set your game to "Single Player". That'll get rid of the messages.

There are some mods out there that will get rid of the HUD, if you want.

I'm in the city at the moment and it's as spooky as feck. You really have to watch out everywhere.

It's turning into a really great game. Cannot believe 'Edge' magazine gave this 3/10. What the hell?

The only bad guys that are silly though are the "ram guys". I don't what they're doing in the game.

[Tricky]

There are some mods out there that will get rid of the HUD, if you want.


I'll have to try that, its not game breaking but it just pops up endless messages or energy bars on screen at all times which spoils the immersion in my opinion by constantly reminding you that your playing a game. That aside though I was really enjoying playing it and it will definitely be getting some hammer over the next couple of months!

[shootemindehead]

Most of those things you can get rid of in teh settings Tricky. Like enemy life bars and all that shite. I only have a basic minimap, my weapon health and my health on screen.

[Tricky]

Yeah enemy life bars & that XP thing were turned off before I even started the game, I'll play around a bit more with the settings tonight :)
I tell you what I was bloody scared when I first went in that lifeguard station and got back into a dark corner by a few shamblers and one of those muscley zombies with only a half knackered bit of wood for protection :eek: moments like that are what survival horror games are all about!

[slickwilly13]

I am at the lab,which is deep in the jungle. It is a 4th map. The zombie seems to get harder and more aggressive as I progress through the game. I am probably 80 % into the main story. I am stilling dreaming about zombies and hacking people up with a machete.

[shootemindehead]

Yeah enemy life bars & that XP thing were turned off before I even started the game, I'll play around a bit more with the settings tonight :)
I tell you what I was bloody scared when I first went in that lifeguard station and got back into a dark corner by a few shamblers and one of those muscley zombies with only a half knackered bit of wood for protection :eek: moments like that are what survival horror games are all about!

Wait til you get to the city.

All that's missing is Miguel in the distance shouting "Hello...is there anybody there?"

[Rancid Carcass]

All that's missing is Miguel in the distance shouting "Hello...is there anybody there?"

:lol: Glad it wasn't just me that thought that too...

[Tricky]

Well I played a good few hours last night, I'm enjoying it but whats with the minimap? You have this detailed map but it doesnt name any of the locations on there so your just left wandering around trying to figure out where stuff is, occasionally finding a sign which points you to it. Also none of the quests are posted to the map when you accept them so its hard to figure out where your supposed to go. Another minor gripe is that once you walk around the corner from somewhere, all the bodies of zombies you killed disappear and the zombies respawn, so you can just walk away from somewhere and then walk back in and nothings changed, even the money and items seem to respawn! Obviously its to keep people interested as revisiting zombie free areas would be boring, but they could leave the bodies dotted around so it gives the impression that more have wandered in rather than they've magically reappeared. Minor issues though, its still a great game! :cool:

[LoSTBoY]

I though the minimap was bust the first time because there was not a tracker showing for the 'find Maggy' mission, but if you press 'L' and highlight any of the other missions it will give you a tracker to follow.

[shootemindehead]

Well I played a good few hours last night, I'm enjoying it but whats with the minimap? You have this detailed map but it doesnt name any of the locations on there so your just left wandering around trying to figure out where stuff is, occasionally finding a sign which points you to it. Also none of the quests are posted to the map when you accept them so its hard to figure out where your supposed to go. Another minor gripe is that once you walk around the corner from somewhere, all the bodies of zombies you killed disappear and the zombies respawn, so you can just walk away from somewhere and then walk back in and nothings changed, even the money and items seem to respawn! Obviously its to keep people interested as revisiting zombie free areas would be boring, but they could leave the bodies dotted around so it gives the impression that more have wandered in rather than they've magically reappeared. Minor issues though, its still a great game! :cool:

Yeh, the minimap is rubbish. But I use the big one, so it's not that big a deal for me. I just wish you could actually turn it off.

The respawn thing is a bit too quick alright. There's no "Here's one I killed earlier" feel to the game.

Perhaps there's modders that can address those issues too.

In fact the whole game looks like it's fairly easy to mod. In a few months, it could look and feel like a different game.

[Rancid Carcass]

Seems to be selling rather well:

http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/dead-island/1194696p1.html

:cool:

[Danny]

Seems to be selling rather well:

http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/dead-island/1194696p1.html

:cool:

considering ive checked 20 shops this week everyday and everyday theyve all said it should be in tomrrow but its sold out right now i cant say im surprised...

[slickwilly13]

I beat the game a little while ago. It took me 42 hr and 48 mins to complete it through one play, but I took my time.

[Neil]

On the PC, is there a quick way to change your weapon?

[shootemindehead]

Controls - Keybinding menu. Look for the "Quick Inventory" key. I had mine set to the middle mouse button scroll down.

[Tricky]

Controls - Keybinding menu. Look for the "Quick Inventory" key. I had mine set to the middle mouse button scroll down.

I need to change that myself actually, I have quick inventory and kick both on the middle mouse button which is a bit awkward, its good to have a quick inventory like that though, it works very similar to the Crysis one!. One thing though, my mouse is a proper gaming mouse with several side triggers as well as the standard mouse buttons, but for some reason Dead Island wont let me assign keys to some of those buttons :confused:

[Neil]

Controls - Keybinding menu. Look for the "Quick Inventory" key. I had mine set to the middle mouse button scroll down.

I know, but the problem is, you press the middle mouse button to bring up your weapons, and then you've got that god awful mouse controlled mess to move your selector around in a circle to select the thing you want... All the time you're being attacked by zombies... I just want to press 1, 2, 3 etc for certain weapons!?

[Tricky]

You can do some awesome take-downs on this game, I love it when you see one of those runners coming towards you, I run at them and then do a flying kick which floors them, then follow it up with a mace whack to the noggin :elol: the damage models are pretty cool too, the way you can break the zombies arms so they just hang uselessly by their sides, its just a shame that taking a leg off instantly kills them rather than making them creepily crawl after you, maybe that will get modded later...

[shootemindehead]

I know, but the problem is, you press the middle mouse button to bring up your weapons, and then you've got that god awful mouse controlled mess to move your selector around in a circle to select the thing you want... All the time you're being attacked by zombies... I just want to press 1, 2, 3 etc for certain weapons!?

Sorry, that button's been fine for me up to now. besides, I only use a mace for up close and the gun for distance. So there's no real chopping and changing for me.

-- -------- Post added at 02:06 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:05 PM ----------


You can do some awesome take-downs on this game, I love it when you see one of those runners coming towards you, I run at them and then do a flying kick which floors them, then follow it up with a mace whack to the noggin :elol:

Yeah, my standard is kick then whack. Works a treat. But if there are too many zombies i just leg it.