Despite several flaws, a solid RPG game set on beautiful, zombie infested island ripe for hacking and slashing.
It would appear that Dead Island is a survival horror game. However, it becomes evident that it is not a survival horror, particularly as you progress through the story. You must select one of four playable characters: Sam B., Purna, Logan Carter, and Xian Mei. Each character has unique abilities with different types of weapons and each has his or her own backstory. Sam B. is an aspiring rapper, Logan Carter was a star quarterback, Purna is former police officer, and Xian Mei is an employee of the nearby resort. There is a skill tree for each character, making it evident that the game is RPG heavy. The game is open-world with many side quests available from many characters scattered around the island.
The game favors the use of melee combat whereas firearms are secondary in importance since ammo is scarce. The melee combat is gross as there is gore galore. I played as Sam B. a man who specializes in blunt weapons which are used to crack skulls of the undead. The undead vary from ordinary walkers to infected zombies to tall thugs that run at you as soon as they see you. Other more powerful undead are the spitter type, the suicide bomber type, and a ram. The weapons used for survival wear down over time after use. This would require you to repair your weapons frequently by using the various workbenches around the island. You can also upgrade the weapons by using the mods you found from completing missions and side quests or from weapons chests.
The missions require plenty of exploration and there will never be a shortage of undead to kill so that you can level up. It is easy to be overwhelmed by a large group of zombies so it is imperative to fight smart. Many of the side quests made me feel like they were a matter of life and death as the zombies were onto me while I was trying to acquire food or gasoline for the quest giver. It becomes a lot of fun driving vehicles to reach destinations while mowing down zombies that come running at you. Side quests are not necessary to complete to advance the main story, but they are crucial in helping your character develop his/her abilities. The driving part of the game was a little awkward from the first-person perspective without being able to have a clear rear view. The gameplay has its imperfections, but it is never boring since there is always something to do on the zombie infested island.
Eventually, your character will have unique physical abilities. Sam eventually developed the physical ability to crush skulls of undead that were on the ground. Each character also has fury, an ability in which the character becomes enraged and unleashes a major attack once the rage meter is full. Fury is great when battling a large wave of zombies and you have low health. The screen turns gray while the enemies turn red.
The weapon system includes knives, baseball bats, scythes, maces, and some guns. Guns can be recovered from humans that fire at you and zombies. The gunfights can be fun while they last which is a pretty short time. If you let a weapon deteriorate to the fullest the weapon can never be used again. A complete deterioration is a shame if you had upgraded your weapon to include spikes and a mod that can make a weapon deliver electric shocks to the undead.
The voice acting is not one of the game's strengths. The character's emotions are not very convincing and the animations are stiff and bland, but it does not take much away from the entertainment value of the game. The graphics are fine but there is unevenness and clipping in several parts of the game. The inventory management system is clunky and it is possible to lose weapons you threw at enemies after you die. Therefore, a weapon you had upgraded can be sadly lost because you were overwhelmed by the undead. You restart at a latest checkpoint and the checkpoint system is inconsistent. The restart at the latest checkpoint can occur in a variety of places so you can't be sure where you will restart.
I think that the RPG aspect of the game is great as it allows you to level up your character. You can explore the island as much as you want and the side quests allow for exploration that goes beyond the main story. The various flaws in the game don't detract from the fun the game offers. The fun is in the exploration and the gore that results from bashing the bodies of the endless number of zombies.