Dead Island for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

We all heard the hype behind this game for months before it came out. We all saw the reverse trailer. We all heard how it was supposed to completely change the genre. Well, I am here to say that even though it didn't come through in every aspect, it is still a very fun game.

A lot of people thought this game was going to be like L4D, which it is NOT. This game feels a lot more like Borderlands with zombies then anything else. You get exp by killing zombies and completing quests, gain level ups, and get a skill point per level to invest in one of three different trees. As an RPG fanatic, I liked this approach, but others may be turned off by it.

One very odd thing about this game was its focus on melee combat. 90% of your zombie kills will be at the end of a baseball bat or the like. While this may seem weird to some, I thought it actually added to the tension of the game. Getting surrounded by zombies with an AK-47 in hand is no big deal, but being in the same situation with a kichen knife is a totally different story. Be prepared to head back to your safe zone a lot at the beginning, as early melee weapons deteriorate very rapidly.

I enjoyed this game very much, but there were a few glitches that frustrated me at times. Don't get attached to your favorite melee weapon if you ever plan on throwing it, as they sometimes disappear into the earth along with the zombies body. Having a level 50 rare weapon disappear before your eyes is not a happy experience. Also, NPC's sometimes have some minor pathing issues.

All in all, this is a pretty solid game. If you are a fan of Borderlands or the zombie apocalypse genre in general, you should give this a try.

The commercials seem to hint that there would be elements of a shooter as you see people running with guns. Terrible disappointment as I was hoping for an open zombie survival environment game for a long time and the combat system disappoints. The game lacks momentum and a sense of direction that causes a sense of stagnation. This is not to be blamed on the open map it is to be blamed on poor map construction and the fact that if you die you can be placed far away from an objective you almost reached. The autosave system sucks and hinders more than it helps. It's like getting penalized for exploring especially when energy drinks seem to conveniently disappear when you are low on health. The heavy fines are a drawback especially since formulas to create things take so long to get. The game shouldn't be formulaic but it should be consistent as it is hard to tell exactly why some thugs take longer to drop than others of the same level and causes you to needlessly waste rage mode which builds way to slow for a combat system like this. Another drawback is that you feel more like an errand boy than a hero. For a game this ambitious I expected a great deal more than what I got. The sense of being charged to upgrade and repair melee weapons seems more frustrating than helpful because that's the bulk of what you get to do so why aggrevate players with such a petty weapons system. This game should really be played with allies but that seems like a failed element as well. To survive knowing how to use rage mode is helpful but you need to know when to run or run them over but even that can be disappointing. The open environment is the only true good thing in this game; too bad the combat system and the calibur of missions don't enhance how the elements work together. The number of playable errand boys seems like a plus but with mechanics and a lack of momentum you begin to realize you are running around in less than thrilling circles with as the "C" word on your forehead.