Wednesday, July 27, 2011

must be attacked from behind #deadisland


dodging one of their furious charges

helpful with, ahem, burning zombies #deadisland


Ram zombies are hulking beasts that

Hands on with "Dead Island"

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article/hands-dead-island Well, I played it the other week at E3 and can tell you exactly what it is: A first-person action-RPG with a focus on melee combat and weapon crafting. Oh, and you can play it online with three buddies, with drop-in/drop-out co-op.

Dead Island Trailer Wins Gold Award At Cannes

http://www.ripten.com/2011/06/29/dead-island-trailer-wins-gold-award-at-cannes/

Well, now they can celebrate as the Dead Island trailer took a Gold award at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the Internet Film category.

Monday, July 25, 2011

an entire group of their cohorts #deadisland


also throw melee weapons, particularly

strapped with explosives, and you #deadisland


can use them to strategically take out

Dead Island Trailer Wins Gold Award At Cannes

http://www.ripten.com/2011/06/29/dead-island-trailer-wins-gold-award-at-cannes/

When Dead Island's original announcement trailer released in February it created quite a stir. Some praised it for it's stunning animation, ingenious use of a music, reverse slow motion and how it all came together to depict an emotional, beautiful, yet gruesomely violent scene. Still others were distressed in the use and death of a fictional child in the animated film. While it became a viral success and and gave great hype to Dead Island, Polish developer Techland found themselves on the defensive and had to explain that children will not die in the game.

E3 2011 Preview: Dead Island

http://www.atomicgamer.com/articles/1266/e3-2011-preview-dead-island

We've only seen a few glimpses of how the whole game is structured from beginning to end, but with word that you can use a vehicle to travel around, this sounds like it'll be more than just a cooperative game where you drop back to the lobby after finishing a "level". There's an ongoing adventure here between the game's four characters, each with their own specialties, talent trees, and personalities.I get the feeling that the success of Dead Island could rely a lot on how that all works when four random people get into a game together; does each player have their own persistent characters? Can there be two versions of Sam B in the same session together? Can you take weapons and levels from one multiplayer session into the next?

E3 MVG 2011 Selection: Dead Island preview – hands-on with the co-op mode that could be better than Left 4 Dead

http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/dead-island/preview/e3-mvg-2011-selection-dead-island-preview-hands-on-with-the-co-op-mode-that-could-be-better-than-left-4-dead/a-2011061392610496024/g-20070808134934738055 Dead Island's campaign weighs in at over 25 hours, not including multiple playthroughs for each character. This; combined with co-op multiplayer, means you can expect to put some serious time into smashing zombies' faces with your heel. After a few more months of polish, Dead Island has serious potential to be a great game; not just a great zombie game.

"Dead Island" Demo Leaves Stronger Zombie Cravings

http://www.bostonbastardbrigade.com/2011/07/dead-island-demo-leaves-stronger-zombie-cravings/

I was roughly 300 yards away from the first-aid site, so I couldn't even finish the mission. While five minutes doesn't sound like the most ideal amount of time to spend on a much-talked about title what I was able to get out of Dead Island was a good taste of its fast-paced gameplay and heart-stopping horror that will hopefully make this game stand out from all the others.The September release date is getting closer as we speak, so it will only be a matter of time before we see if Dead Island really can become king of the zombie gaming titles.

E3 MVG 2011 Selection: Dead Island preview – hands-on with the co-op mode that could be better than Left 4 Dead

http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/dead-island/preview/e3-mvg-2011-selection-dead-island-preview-hands-on-with-the-co-op-mode-that-could-be-better-than-left-4-dead/a-2011061392610496024/g-20070808134934738055

As with any good zombie game, Dead Island is naturally amusing and everyone sitting in our playthrough was chuckling the majority of the time. The main reason for this was the ability to zombie stomp prone zombies. Some are a bit thick headed and require additional stomps, which led us as a group to repeatedly stomp zombies well after they were dead. You can also remove enemies' limbs both before and after they are incapacitated, leading to some pretty funny-looking lopsided zombies.

Friday, July 22, 2011

weapons—will have distinctly different #deadisland


effects on dead flesh. Suicide zombies

likewise, the two main categories #deadisland


of melee weapons—sharp and blunt

E3 2011: Deep Silver Swings For the Big Leagues with Dead Island

http://fronttowardsgamer.com/2011/06/11/e3-2011-deep-silver-swings-for-the-big-leagues-with-dead-island/

The gameplay itself and character model graphics are a little rough.I felt like I was playing Far Cry 2 or S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky (also from Deep Silver) as far as gameplay goes, animations were a little janky at points, and we had several machines crash during our playthrough for another four man team. However, we're not looking for a release until at least a year from now, which gives Deep Silver plenty of time to clean things up. Dead Island could very easily be Deep Silver's breakout game, catapulting them from PC gaming obscurity into the triple-A big league in one fell swoop.

E3 top pick: Dead Island

http://gamerlimit.com/2011/06/e3-top-pick-dead-island/ Like everything else in the game, you must earn these skills. Through a series of skill trees, you have the choice to level up into different abilities that can prove critical in clutch situations. This is based on the number of kills and your ability to stay alive, of course.

E3 2011 Preview: Dead Island

http://www.atomicgamer.com/articles/1266/e3-2011-preview-dead-island Firearms are kicking around on the island, but you need to save them for tough situations, because ammo is very scarce. Even melee weapons break down eventually, and while the item decay isn't quite as bad as it was in Dead Rising and you can repair items at workbenches, having your machete break right when you're about to put the finishing touches on a dismemberment is something you have to prepare for in advance. What's helpful is that you can throw many of the weapons in your arsenal, and that's important when the exploding zombies start charging at you. There are components and schematics you can recover for building new weapons, so there's an extra RPG element on top of the leveling and talent systems, too.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

E3 2011: Deep Silver Swings For the Big Leagues with Dead Island

http://fronttowardsgamer.com/2011/06/11/e3-2011-deep-silver-swings-for-the-big-leagues-with-dead-island/

Third, team play. It's four player co-op, but you're not forced to use four players. If you want to go solo, the zombies will scale accordingly like Borderlands. However, this game obviously plays better with more people; given the difficulty of the game that I played, having folks able to watch your back is pretty essential (and more fun). Note, make sure you have friends with you, because with friendly fire is turned off, any item that is thrown or found as loot can be picked up by anyone.Zombies can be looted, and the stronger "thug" zombies can drop some nice loot as well as cash, so make sure one of your "enterprising" friends doesn't swoop in and grab your gear. Fortunately, unlike Borderlands, trading with your comrades is a breeze; a simple press of the X button between both players brings up a trade window.

Hands On With Deus Ex and Dead Island

http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2011/06/14/hands-on-with-deus-ex-and-dead-island/ I think Deus Ex and Dead Island will satisfy my genre gaming urge this coming year, which is kinda funny considering I'm not typically a first-person action gamer. I'm anticipating that Deus Ex: Human Revolution will at the very least match the quality of its predecessor in terms of telling a morally compelling story in a fascinating tech driven future. I'm excited by the prospect of having my nerves frayed by the savory tension of Dead Island's up-close-and-personal zombie combat. Yet, as I cannot predict how the entirety of either experience will play out when they launch, all I can say right now is that I had a lot of fun in my short demo time with both games.

on a zombie, of course, nothing does #deadisland


the job quicker than a swift decapitation

weapon-toting zombies, take off their #deadisland


wielding arm and if you've got the jump

E3 MVG 2011 Selection: Dead Island preview – hands-on with the co-op mode that could be better than Left 4 Dead

http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/dead-island/preview/e3-mvg-2011-selection-dead-island-preview-hands-on-with-the-co-op-mode-that-could-be-better-than-left-4-dead/a-2011061392610496024/g-20070808134934738055

Although it's an island, the small city still has more traditional streets and alleys, giving the game a more familiar zombie game vibe. As we trekked toward the various objectives, we could realistically take any route we wanted to get there.The streets are filthy with sewers we could drop into and ladders we could climb; adding different strategies.

Hands On With Deus Ex and Dead Island

http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2011/06/14/hands-on-with-deus-ex-and-dead-island/

I hardly got to experience the RPG elements of Dead Island that would see me taking on certain missions for various islanders and earning xp which I could invest in certain skills, but I'm already sold on the game. Dead Island seems like it'll be as unforgiving as the melodramatic trailer that hit a few months ago promised it would be and its demo already showcased the game's ability to simultaneously terrify and be greatly entertaining.

Monday, July 18, 2011

guns will be available, but ammunition #deadisland


you'll be smart to go for the legs with

a sticky bomb or to convert a standard #deadisland


machete into an electric mutation

Preorder Dead Island from Amazon to score a digital art book

http://www.relyonhorror.com/latest-news/preorder-dead-island-from-amazon-to-score-a-digital-art-book/

If you preorder the game from Amazon you'll be receiving a free digital art book that will feature "game art and concept art of everything from the characters, that fat tourist dude with the camera, zombie types, environment concepts" and much more, says a Deep Silver rep. You can check out two sample images from the art book below.

E3 2011: Deep Silver Swings For the Big Leagues with Dead Island

http://fronttowardsgamer.com/2011/06/11/e3-2011-deep-silver-swings-for-the-big-leagues-with-dead-island/

So what differentiates the game from the 4-player co-op experience you would get from Left 4 Dead? Let's break it down:

First, Dead Island is an open world environment…and when I say "open world", I need you to understand what that means for the game.The demo the four of us played was a single side quest that took about twenty minutes. When we got back to the safe zone after a harrowing afternoon of hacking and slashing zombies through tropical-paradise-turned-wasteland, we looked at the sector map for the area we were at, and we'd barely scratched the surface. The guy giving the demo said that map covered approximately 8-10% of the island's playable area. Massive. And from what we toured, there weren't a lot of duplicated areas or art assets used.

E3: Dead Island

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110904-E3-Dead-Island

The island's open environment occasionally offers multiple paths to get to a location. The scale is more reminiscent of Far Cry than Fallout 3, but there is plenty of fun to be had by exploring and seeing what you can get away with in the game world. The game's excellent mini-map keeps the player from feeling lost in Dead Island's large and dangerous world.It curves and redirects you to your objective, as you explore and walk along new paths.

E3 2011: Deep Silver Swings For the Big Leagues with Dead Island

http://fronttowardsgamer.com/2011/06/11/e3-2011-deep-silver-swings-for-the-big-leagues-with-dead-island/

Now people are getting their hands on the game, I can tell you that the game is going to give Left 4 Dead a run for its money when it releases on September 6th.As I went into the booth for the hands-on demo, I saw multiple "Best of Show Nominee" ribbons adorning the behind-closed-door area for Deep Silver, and I can't say that I don't agree.

Hands On With Deus Ex and Dead Island

http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2011/06/14/hands-on-with-deus-ex-and-dead-island/

Dead Island is brutal and the fact that the game focuses on melee combat really highlights this.While managing a fatigue meter that runs down very quickly, you fight off small groups of zombies while trying not to get surrounded yourself. It's great fun to rush into a group of two or three undead, kick them to the ground and bust one of their heads open with a paddle, but if you're not quick to run away immediately afterwards and let your fatigue bar recover then you'll find yourself quickly overpowered. This is what made Dead Island so enjoyable for me: the constant play between the excitement of rushing into a mob berserker style to obliterate a zombie and the immediately following vulnerability.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Get A Digital Art Book When Pre-Ordering Dead Island

http://gamerfront.net/2011/07/get-a-digital-art-book-when-pre-ordering-dead-island

Those of you Dead Island fans out there are in for a treat if you're thinking about pre-ordering a copy of the game through Amazon.The digital retailer will hand out an exclusive digital art book for all of those who decide to send their pre-orders specifically through their site.

E3 2011: Deep Silver Swings For the Big Leagues with Dead Island

http://fronttowardsgamer.com/2011/06/11/e3-2011-deep-silver-swings-for-the-big-leagues-with-dead-island/

A lot of folks got severely bent out of shape when they heard that the emotional roller coaster trailer from Deep Silver's Dead Island didn't really match the vibe that initial impressions that people were getting from it. People saw gameplay footage and thought that it was a poorly put together Left 4 Dead clone, and the trailer was merely window dressing for what was bound to be a sub-par 3rd party title.

Hands On With Deus Ex and Dead Island

http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2011/06/14/hands-on-with-deus-ex-and-dead-island/

The demo started with a first person montage of the night prior to the zombie apocalypse viewed through the eyes of some drunken douchebag who passes out shortly after the attacks start. Then the player wakes up in cabin of scared survivors with zombies pounding at the door. You discover that your life was saved by a person who is apparently trapped outside and it's up to you to go and rescue them.The doors open and using a wooden paddle you begin the terrifying joy of bashing zombie brains on the beach.

Hands On With Deus Ex and Dead Island

http://www.4colorrebellion.com/archives/2011/06/14/hands-on-with-deus-ex-and-dead-island/

Switching gears and talking about Dead Island, this was a game that I actually wasn't able to shutup about after only playing the demo.I love most zombie games as much as the next person, but I also think that horror titles work best when they make you simultaneously feel like a badass and absolutely terrified. Dead Island strikes a perfect balance between fun, brutal first person combat and the terrifying experience of being constantly surrounded by zombies, each of which are genuinely dangerous to you.

spear guns, hatchets #deadisland


machetes comprise just a handful of the

frying pans, chairs, tables, #deadisland


fire extinguishers, microwaves, meat cleavers

E3: Dead Island

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/110904-E3-Dead-Island

Dead Island's zombie apocalypse provides an unlikely pairing of serene environments and brutal encounters with the undead.

Dead Island Hands-On Impressions

http://www.vgrevolution.com/2011/06/dead-island-hands-on-impressions/

The gameplay of Dead Island is fast paced and intense, with lulls at times. But don't let your guard down as walker and other infected nightmares lie around each corner. I really enjoyed the RPG aspects of the game and think they will hook many gamers as you'll be wanting to level and build your various characters. For perfectionist, you'll more than likely find yourself playing 4 times, once as each character. Unfortunately, it seems the story/quest lines will be very similar, so story-wise it might become repetitive.Bottom line is if you are looking for a great looking(hacking a zombie limb off never looked so good) and an epic horror adventure, then Dead Island will the game you'll want this Fall.

Monday, July 11, 2011

paddles, cleavers, wrenches #deadisland


wood planks with optional rusty nails

in combination with the emotions and the open-world element #deadisland


We want to keep it as real as possible

Pre-Order Edition of Dead Island Is Announced

http://www.brainlazy.com/article/video-games/pre-order-edition-dead-island-announced/

Dead Island, the upcoming gruesome zombie action game with RPG elements by renowned developer Techland, 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 four players in co-op mode.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Dead Island Hands-On Impressions

http://www.vgrevolution.com/2011/06/dead-island-hands-on-impressions/

Gathering items and money is a very important part of your survival. You don't want to be caught in a zombie moshpit without a suitable weapon. All weapons in the game can be upgraded and modified.Throughout the island there are safe areas where you'll have access to a workbench. If you have enough money and the correct parts, for example duct tape, nails, plastic explosives, then you'll be able to upgrade and create various specialized weapons. During my time on Dead Island I created a few weapons, including explosive knives that when thrown at a zombie, explode after a time delay. Or I was able to pimp out a bat with nails that made ripping off zombie arms a cinch. One note I should mention is that guns are few and far between on the island, and ammo is in even shorter supply. Melee is the focus of attack in Dead Island.

Pre-Order Edition of Dead Island Is Announced

http://www.brainlazy.com/article/video-games/pre-order-edition-dead-island-announced/ In addition to the Bloodbath Arena DLC, the Dead Island Special Edition will sport an exclusive piece of cover art and the blueprint for a special weapon, called the "Ripper": A destructive combination of a baseball bat and a buzz saw that leaves attacking zombies battered and bleeding to death. Only players who pre-ordered this edition of the game will be able to craft this unique weapon and share it with friends.

It is a little lacking in humans #deadisland

It is a little lacking in humans #deadisland
Xian Lee - the slim, attractive receptionist from the Royal Palms Resort hotel

gangs and looters aren't too friendly either #deadisland

gangs and looters aren't too friendly either #deadisland
the capital, Moresby, was founded by Australian settlers in 1895

an assassin, a tank, a leader, and a jack of all trades #deadisland

an assassin, a tank, a leader, and a jack of all trades #deadisland
on an island with zombies running rampant

interestingly, Romero's recent film #deadisland

interestingly, Romero's recent film #deadisland
Survival of the Dead also culminates

on an island with zombies running #deadisland

on an island with zombies running #deadisland
it's a smaller island compared

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Survival of the Dead also culminates #deadisland


on an island with zombies running rampant

you'll get an interesting matrix of selfish or selfless requests #deadisland


limited resources and the protagonists'

Dead Island Hands-On Impressions

http://www.vgrevolution.com/2011/06/dead-island-hands-on-impressions/

Gamers will take control of four characters, each of which has his or her own unique traits and abilities. Some will be fast and agile while others will be big and powerful. Choose wisely because you will want to stay with the character throughout your adventure as the more you play the more XP and abilities for that character you unlock. Dead Island has major roots in the RPG realm but the action and gameplay is that of a first person action title. As you play, you earn XP and will gather weapons, parts, and money.

Square Enix Will Distribute Dead Island

http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2011/05/dead-island-square-enix/ Best known for its prolific Final Fantasy series, Square Enix has handled distribution for games like James Bond 007: Blood Stone and Call of Duty: Black Ops in Japan.

E3 top pick: Dead Island

http://gamerlimit.com/2011/06/e3-top-pick-dead-island/

Howard doesn't know whether he is immune to becoming a zombie like we are, and he'll be damned if he's going to risk infection finding out.Therein lies his problem — Howard has been separated from his wife and kid. They're out there somewhere and they're alive, he can feel it. That's why he looks to us.

Hands On: Take a tropical vacation where you are the finest cuisine. 411mania.com gets an exclusive look at Dead Island at E3.

http://www.411mania.com/games/previews/191300

The one element I don't like is the repair element of your weapons. After using your weapons a certain amount of time they fail and break down.Now I do like the stamina meter and you have to be careful about how much you dash or run as well as bash zombies, so you can't just button mash or melee the hell out of your character with your weapons. Each character you can play as has their own special skills and attributes. There are different types of zombies as well. Also after you kill your enemies you can search their bodies for items and extra cash. You will need cash to buy new weapons, upgrades, items, and weapon repairs.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

E3 top pick: Dead Island

http://gamerlimit.com/2011/06/e3-top-pick-dead-island/

At E3, Gamer Limit spent some quality time with the title, along with representatives from Techland and Deep Silver.After about 40 minutes poring over the nooks and crannies of the fictional island of Banoi, I must say that no other game captures the elements of survival and fear quite like Dead Island. It's enough to make this my E3 top pick.

E3 top pick: Dead Island

http://gamerlimit.com/2011/06/e3-top-pick-dead-island/

With any proper zombie story, it's all about the survivors. That's where we start — in a church among the few who were lucky enough to escape the outbreak. No sanctuary here, however. The place is ruined with debris scattered about, windows boarded up. It doesn't feel like a safe haven at all, as stress lines every face and weighs in every voice.We meet Howard.

Pure 20 Minute Dead Island Gameplay Footage

http://playstationlifestyle.net/2011/06/01/pure-20-minute-dead-island-gameplay-footage/

Dead Island, currently in development by Techland, allows players to take on the island solely or with up to three other real life players in cooperative mode.For more on the game be sure to check out PlayStation LifeStyle's previous coverage. We'll also get an inside look at the game during E3. Stay tuned.

Hands-On Impressions of Dead Island 4 Player Co-Op

http://nerdreactor.com/2011/06/20/hands-on-impressions-of-dead-island-4-player-co-op/ You have one of four characters to choose from; Xian Mei, Logan, Sam B, and Purna. Depending on which one you choose, your character will have unique attributes different from the others. I got the Xian Mei, so I was good at knives and short range weapons. That game takes stamina into account, so you can't just go blindly flailing your arms. At one point, I picked up a sledgehammer and when I tried to use it, my stamina dropped drastically. Clearly this weapon was meant for someone else.