After a trailer that many still see as one of the best ever, Dead Island's release did not meet the same praise and a lot of people, disappointed, forgot about the game. I never did. Several aspects of the game are clunky and there are bugs aplenty, but it offered such a fun mix of genres that it defined my taste in gaming for years.

I couldn't tell you how long I've spent at that paradisiacal resort in the first act. At the same time the best part of the game and a perfect exemple of what's to come, this first act will determine whether or not you like the experience.
Once you've picked your character among the four available and survived the hectic intro that immediately throws you into the action... It's up to you to decide what to do in this zombie infested open-world ! Follow the story missions and discover what happened to the island, complete silly and more serious side missions for characters not always aware of the zombie situation, or explore at your leisure the fancy places this resort houses.

"At your leisure" may be a bit of an exaggeration, as there are quite a few zombies roaming around and they really want to hold on to their loot. So you'll have to use the many weapons and items lying around, or craft your very own at workbenches. Adding nails, electricity, setting them on fire... It's a lot of fun and they become that much more effective.
The better they are, the easier it will be to dismember the various zombies. Especially useful against special enemies like Thugs, it's always fun to aim for the limbs and watch them fly away as blood flows everywhere (... I swear, there's nothing wrong with me).
Then it's time to loot, and you'll realize that... It's everywhere ! Piles of luggage, shelves, lockers, corpses... It's a looter's paradise. You'll find money, materials, weapons... They have different rarities, so every drop is another chance for a legendary, which makes scavenging always exciting.
But that's for the practical side of exploring. I've spent so much time just wandering aimlessly around the beaches, the pools or the hotel while playing with the only inhabitants left, the zombies. Throwing beachballs and watching them tumble never gets old, and neither does kicking them repeatedly into the pools, until they run out of air and blub blub to death (... Again, I assure you, I'm perfectly normal).

The second, third and fourth act, which respectively take place in a city, a jungle and a prison, are unfortunately not as good. There are several reasons for this : those places are obviously not as fancy and the feeling of discovery is gone, the driving that was well implemented and felt satisfying around the resort isn't as useful anymore, and escort missions become more and more frequent. It almost feels like those later acts were a little... rushed.
They do, however, provide a nice change of scenery and allow the game to introduce new special enemies. You'll run into the Ram for the first time in the streets of the city, with its scaffoldings and dirty back alleys it's easy to get cornered in. The jungle brings that little touch of mystery and mysticism that's very fitting for such a place, away from prying eyes and home of forbidden experiments. It's also the place you'll meet the Butcher, who is, hands down, a real threat.
Both of them formidable enemies, they're proof that simple designs can be effective and bring some variety to the bestiary. The prison is uh... Well it's just a prison, but it's the shortest act so you won't really have time to get bored with it.
You can visit all those places and complete every mission in coop as well. Wether you're meeting with friends or dropping in with randoms, joining games is easy and everyone is free to either do their own thing, or work together for fun zombie slaying.

As alluded to earlier, the game still comes with its fair share of bugs. Very few are game-breaking, and most of them are collision bugs : doors refusing to open, invisible walls, items stuck in the world... This is particularly true when you throw weapons at zombies, as those get lost easily (Sorry about that, Logan...).
There are also some clunky mechanics (ladders, platforming, and once you get your hands on your first firearm, it becomes clear that the game was mostly designed around melee combat), as well as places less exciting than others (the sewers or even the prison are not the most exotic locations...).
Still, the game works and offers one of the first open-world zombie bashing experiences, and will be fun all the way to the end if you enjoy the amazing first act.
As such, the comparison with its unofficial sequel, Dying Light, is impossible to avoid. Improved gameplay, parkour elements, refined mechanics... It's easy to see it as the better game, but as much as I love Dying Light, it never had the soul that Dead Island has.

It's worth noting that this Definitive Edition brings a few quality of life improvements, enhanced graphics, and allows you to find the weapons you throw way more reliably. In return, some cool little details (like picking up missions on sheets of paper) are gone, the guns models have changed, and you can't kick beach balls or drown zombies anymore (Imagine my dismay...). Both versions have their advantages, but the graphical improvements may be worth it.

Fun zombie killing, tons of loot, crafting, exploration of abandoned places that were left in a hurry... Dead Island had it all in my eyes. There's no denying it's a little rough around the edges, and suffers from a second half that's not as interesting as the first... But it was a game like no other.
If we're going by its actual qualities and take into account its flaws and numerous bugs, it's probably worth a 7. But as one of my all-time favorites, it has always been a 9 to me.
With a Dead Island 2 that tried to stray away from the formula and a Dead Island 3 on the horizon, here's hoping the next sequel is given the time and resources it needs to be as fun as the original was ! Until then, who do you voodoo... Sir ?

A really great game, I liked it, but there was a problem: none of the achievements unlocked when I completed them, which forced me to use an achievement unlocker.

Старая, линейная, тупая, однообразная, душная, багованная, симулятор сбора консервов и сока