Deep Silver’s Escape Dead Island keeps the tone but adds some fun by way of striking comic book visuals that make the game play smooth and electric. As much as I love the first two games in the series, this seems like a step up in certain ways.
Taking place at the start of the original outbreak, Escape Dead Island begins in a secret facility where you play an agent searching for information and battling zombies with a sword and hand gun. The visuals jump out at you as the new game goes in a decidedly graphic direction. Presented as a third person hack and slash rather than a first person bloodbath, Escape Dead Island is to the Dead Island series what House of the Dead Overkill is to the House of the Dead series. The grim and emotional core is replaced with a fun, blood splattering overhaul that though it takes itself seriously, never forgets to be fun.
As a third person game with comic book like visuals, the movement is fast paced and oven includes visual sound effects like BAM, SLASH and CRACK! Yes, it wants to be fun and it succeeds.
Once the game finishes the set up, you are transported to a boat with three young adults heading to get the scoop on whats going on. The leader of the group, if there is one, is Cliff Calo, the son of a wealthy Media head. This is the character you play for the bulk of the game as you attempt to unravel the mysteries of Dead Island. The actions in this game are simple and button tap based but it doesn’t make the zombies less dangerous. Though you can dodge with great speed, don’t be surprised if you dodge right into another zombie who takes a bite out of you.
Some gamers have been turned off by the style of this entry but I assure you that though it’s different, it’s solid.
