Dead Island

Dead Island
PAL cover art
Developer(s)	Techland
Publisher(s)	Deep Silver
Engine	Chrome Engine 5
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, OnLive
Release	NA: 2011-09-06 PAL: 2011-09-09
Genre(s)	First-person shooter, Sandbox
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Dead Island is an upcoming open world horror action adventure video game in development by Techland for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and OnLive. It is centered on the challenge of survival on a zombie-infested island with a major emphasis on melee combat. It was originally announced in 2008, but was pushed back to 2011 and will be released on the 6th of September.

Gameplay

A promotional still featuring Xian Mei, one of the four main characters, preparing to attack oncoming zombies.

Dead Island will feature open world gameplay, played from a first person perspective, with up to four-player co-operative play in a heavily interactive environment. The focus will be on melee combat, incorporating customizable weaponry, vehicular customization/combat, and RPG elements.

There is an experience system and a skill tree system. There is also a stamina bar, meaning that after a set amount of action with a weapon, the character will need to stop to regain their stamina before continuing to attack. It has also been confirmed that there are "special class" zombies, which are more powerful than the standard zombie. Players will need to use flashlights in dark areas and during night time sections throughout the game, adding suspense to the game. Changing seasons have been confirmed to not take place during the game, although a weather system is in effect. Although there is a child being "infected" in the original "Dead Island" trailer, it has been stated that there will be no children zombies in the game. The developers feel that the lack of children adds an element of reality, showing that they "just didn't make it."

Plot

The game is set in the Palms Resort, in fictional Banoi, located off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Characters

• Xian Mei, an employee at the Royal Palms Resort. Born and raised in China, she chose an occupation that allowed her to leave her country of birth in order to experience different people and cultures. She is a fast learner, intelligent, and also-as a passionate sportswoman-quick on her feet. Having just arrived at Banoi Island, Xian Mei was responsible for a myriad of menial tasks at the hotel, before starting work as a receptionist. This opportunity to meet and greet all the different nationalities that visited the hotel was ideal for Xian Mei, as it provided a perfect source of inspiration for her dreams of travelling the globe.
• Sam B, a one-hit wonder rap star of fading fame. He was booked by the Royal Palms Resort to perform his well known song "Who Do You Voodoo?" at a high profile hotel party. He gladly took the chance to play this gig. Once strong, self-confident and proud, Sam B has had a troubled past and a history of drug and alcohol abuse, as his private life became caught in a haze of fake friends and bad advisors.
• Logan, a former NFL star, spoiled by life and successful in every possible way. Logan's ego finally put an end to his bright future. Taking part in a reckless street race with tragic consequences, Logan not only killed a young woman-his unfortunate passenger-he also fractured his knee, putting an end to his sports career. His fall from stardom inevitably followed and he plunged swiftly into a life of bitterness and despair. In an attempt to get away from the demons hunting him, he gladly takes the chance to experience the beauties and wonders of Banoi Island.
• Purna is a former officer of the Sydney Police department. After losing her career when she killed a child molester who could not be touched legally because of his wealth and connections, Purna then turned to working as a bodyguard for VIPs in dangerous places all over the world. She is hired not just for her skills but her looks as wealthy men did not mind showing up with Purna on their arm.

Enemies

Details about specific in-game enemies have been sparse, but a few enemies have been confirmed. These are "The Suicider", a large enemy with boils upon its body, heavily disfiguring it; "The Butcher", a humanoid-shaped zombie with long hair, and missing both arms from the elbow, with only bones sticking out of the sockets; "The Thug", which will knock players over, stunning them; "The Ram", a large man wrapped in a strait-jacket with a mask covering his mouth and finally "The Drowner", another large disfigured enemy covered in slime with large red eyes.

Development

Dead Island will be published by Deep Silver.

The original Dead Island logo (top) and the censored version for release in North America (bottom).

The zombies have fully-modelled layers of meat and muscle rendered onto their bodies, meaning they have a multi-layered damage system with real-time injuries.

A trailer featuring the transformation of a young girl into a zombie, played in a nonlinear sequence, was commented upon by Ben Parfitt of MCV. Parfitt praised the trailer itself, but criticized the online reaction to it, writing "It's a video that uses an image of a dead girl and images of her dying to create an emotional bond with a product." Wired exclaimed, "It may be the best video game trailer I’ve ever seen; gorgeous, well-edited and emotionally engaging." However Wired urged caution, stating that Techland did not make the trailer and that "everyone is hyped up about a short film, not the game itself."

Dead Island was originally stated to be released in 2008, developed by Techland and produced by Adrian Ciszewski but was delayed.

On March 21, 2011, gaming licenser ESRB announced that the original version of the Dead Island logo was not suitable for release in North America, and Deep Silver was told to change it. Instead of the hanging corpse in the original logo, it was changed to a zombie standing by the tree. This logo change will currently only appear on the boxart of the North American release, with the logo remaining unchanged in other territories.

On May 17, 2011, an official teaser trailer featuring some gameplay aspects was released on the official Dead Island YouTube channel. The trailer focuses on the island itself, along with photographs of people on holiday, with zombies intercepting the screen towards the end. The teaser is known as "Part 1: Tragedy Hits Paradise", hinting at other future teasers.

On May 23, 2011, a video on GameTrailers for the game was released which demonstrates actual gameplay.

On June 6, 2011, Dead Island updated its YouTube account with the E3 trailer, titled "Part 2: Dead Island Begins", with the announcement of its release being set for September 6, 2011 for the US, and September 9, 2011 for the worldwide release. On June 9, 2011 a video was released talking about the multiplayer aspect of the game.

On August 9, 2011, Deep Silver announced that Dead Island's development has finished and that production has begun.

Marketing

In Australia, a collector's edition was available to pre-order exclusively from EB Games. The collector's edition came with a Turtle Beach X11 headset, Ripper Weapon DLC and Bloodbath Arena DLC.

On July 20th, Dead Island became available for Pre-Purchase on Steam.

In PlayStation Home (North American version), the PlayStation 3's social gaming network, users can pre-order Dead Island from a special kiosk in the Central Plaza (Home's central meeting point) and receive an "Exploding Zombie Outfit" (features a remote option for users to explode) for their Home avatar.

Deep Silver funded a four-part series of comedic short films written and starring hosts of Talkradar from the video game journalistic website GamesRadar, entitled Dead Island: Secret Origins. The film depicts fictionalized versions of the hosts who travel to Dead Island and become zombies out of choice.

External links

• Official Dead Island Site
• Official YouTube Channel
• Official Facebook page