Just as if you were facing a zombie, avoid this tempting package before you turn into something you really don't want to
Contains: Strong Bloody Violence, Horror and Gory Images
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Dead Island: Ryder White is single player DLC which offers a unique perspective on the incidents from the main story of Dead Island, and focuses on Ryder White's role as a soldier to contain the infection in Banoi and his efforts to find a cure for his wife Emily. Dead Island was set on the tropical Island Resort of Banoi that had somehow become rampant with the infected zombies and other mutated beings set on feeding off all living things there, and in this parallel-running storyline to the main game, you can expect to unravel events that weren't fully fleshed out in the actual storyline. The premise of the sub-story manages to contain some interest since you play as Ryder White, making you wonder what series of tragic events led him to become a stock military villain in the main zombie story.
At your disposal are familiar weapons that include bludgeoning tools and sharp blades, and the grisly first-person combat feels brutal and rewarding, never ceasing to amaze you with it's realistically grotesque multilayer damage system to convey each strike vividly with injury and gore. Taking some rather drastic measures though, the role-playing elements and open world design have been discarded by the development team, and there are no new weapons to experiment on the undead with, not even any crates to find rare melee weapons, just the common type that are purposefully placed in your way to each objective (you may be lucky to find a rare one). You start at level 15, as do the enemies and weapons you acquire, but there is no levelling up, no skill tree system, and only a couple of mods available which are ones you've most definitely seen before. The Infected quickly make it clear they will be your biggest threat in this short offering, attacking you in groups and requiring precise, clean cuts to eradicate promptly before you become overwhelmed, which spells lethal danger. Combating each one with a swift decapitation will deem the difference between survival and death. You can hear them approaching with their high-pitched shrieks, making it apparent which side they are attacking from (don't put it past them to spawn behind you), but a crucial flaw is the sound cue for their presence not audible occasionally, leaving you unnecessarily unready and vulnerable. You have to throw caution to progression at all times, since death can strike unexpectedly, and enemy respawns make the gameplay feel unfair when you are exploring the surroundings for money to spend on repairs and upgrades, or miscellaneous items which serve no real purpose. If you have an assault rifle, this will early on prove your most important asset when fighting hordes of infected, as it cuts them to shreds with good damage, but most importantly keeps them at a safe distance.
There are some minor drawbacks to point out, such as some sound faults, framerate dips and clipping issues that don't bode well with the atmosphere trying to be created as immersive and scary - mostly common issues present from the main game that haven't been polished. But big complaints include the linear path you're pushed through towards objectives that is through locations that see no changes other than obstructions to keep you moving in a straight line, and constantly respawning enemies that don't give you much time to scavenge is frustrating to deal with, especially when you respawn far back, lose precious money that can be used to repair weapons, don't get your ammo back, and the enemies mostly return. The real meaning of fear is pondering how on earth you'll get through the difficult scenarios, leading to the horrible realisation that the game is just being unfair. There are a fair share of entertaining moments, including fun, gory melee and some satisfactory shootouts, but the moments of annoyance outweigh the positive points. The decent premise is squandered through a spreading disease of negativity that sucks potential enjoyment out of the experience and spits it back at you leaving you angered and in disbelief. While it gets less difficult in the final stages and proves enjoyable, it's too hard to ignore the early frustrations. Dead Island was a challenging game, but this single player DLC is a virus to itself until it finally self-destructs in it's ridiculously difficult gameplay. Just like you'd act when facing a horrifically mutilated flesh-eating zombie, avoid this tempting package at all costs before you turn into something you really don't want to.
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 6/10
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Good Points: Gory first-person melee combat remains savage and enthralling, Nice plot idea which explores why Ryder White goes from loyal soldier to tenacious villain.
Bad Points: Constantly respawning Infected enemies are very frustrating to deal with, Linear path through revisited locations, Visual and sound issues hamper immersion, Role-playing elements are left out.