Zombie-themed television shows and video games have taken the entertainment world by storm over the last couple of years, and shows like The Walking Dead have propelled their popularity.
A screenshot of Dead Island Riptide (image: Deep Silver)
Not to miss out on all the hype, video game developers have been quick to jump on the trend, and among the host of titles, Techland’s Dead Island was released in late 2011. Following initial success, publisher Deep Silver and Techland decided to launch a follow-up, Dead Island Riptide, in late April.
With all the zombie lore abound, how does Riptide measure up
What we like about it
The zombies in Riptide are fast, sneaky little buggers who will not think twice before storming the player. It is a stark departure from the slow walkers in other media, but that is just the way it is done in the Dead Island franchise.
It is a bit frustrating at first, but once gamers start to encounter different kinds of zombies, players will understand the necessity to have them move a bit quicker. It would actually be a very boring game if they all moved at snail’s pace.
Riptide follows up from the original, and players will still be able to choose their favourite characters from an extended list. Each character has their own unique specialities and weaknesses, which can adapt to the player’s style.
Killing the zombies will grant the player Experience Points, which is used to level up and buy skills points – which makes killing them a lot easier. It is always great to be able to craft a personalised skill tree, as gamers have control over their attributes.
In terms of gameplay, the maps are vast and there is a lot of exploring to do in Riptide. While most of the weapons encountered are hand-to-hand, a number of guns are available later, as the game progresses.
Graphically, the title is sufficient in conveying the details, but it could have been slightly better. There are still a number on instances where the visuals simply do not match up with other, but it is forgivable.
But one area where the game does not disappoint is building tension and creating action-packed levels. The music here also plays a huge role as it changes when the action heats up. Players can never be sure if an area is clear, and more often than not zombies will sneak up and scare the players into a mess.
What we do not like about it
As mentioned, it takes a massive adjustment to experiencing zombies that actually run towards the player, and it will take a slight shift in mind-set to always be on the lookout for runners. But all it takes is being vigilant and possibly a couple of hours of ‘zombie killing’.
The controls are a bit on the weird side, with some buttons placements causing confusion – but as with any game, players will quickly get used to it. But one thing that is frustrating about the controls is that the character will not always respond in the way the player hopes. It is a never-ending battle, with characters struggling to jump over a knee-high fences or smoothly walking over a plank on the floor.
What can also be a bit frustrating, is that characters use stamina for everything they do – running, jumping and even swinging a blunt weapon. In a killing frenzy or when a horde approaches, that can cause a number of problems if the player runs out of stamina – leaving them vulnerable.
Missions are the big driver of the story behind Riptide, and unfortunately they lack depth. Most of them are the typical fetch-missions and grinding levels, but luckily there are some that genuinely provide some entertainment.
Conclusion
Dead Island Riptide is a great follow-up to the original Dead Island, and if players enjoyed the first title, they will definitely enjoy this one. There are a number of things that could have been done differently, but none of them reduce the quality of the title or the gameplay.
Riptide has its moments of pure excitement, while some moments will be filled with nerve-wrecking missions and zombies that spew acid and self-destruct. It has a sufficient combination of player satisfaction and plot, but it might not be to everyone’s taste.
Our score: 7/10
