Dead Island Feature: You Got Zombies in my RPG Preview - PAGE 1

Zombies have made a comeback in recent years, reappearing in nearly every form of media you could possibly think of, and video games are no exception.  Within a few years, the zombie hordes managed to infect just about every video game genre, and the zombies sub-genre quickly became oversaturated with AAA titles and countless copycats. 

Enter Dead Island, a whole new breed of zombie action that appeared on the radar fairly recently despite being in development for years at Techland, thanks to an emotionally charged debut trailer that made gamers weep like sensitive little children.  We managed to get some hands-on time at E3 and realized very quickly this was not your average zombie hack ‘n’ slash. Our interest was piqued, and we were completely hooked. For us, Dead Island was a huge breath of fresh air. 

This week, we got a chance to speak with Deep Silver’s Vincent Kummer, brand manager for Dead Island, and he was kind enough to offer some pretty deep insight into the game’s cross-genre mechanics, painting for us a more detailed picture of what we can expect when the game releases in September. 

With its four class-based characters and unique skill trees, many have compared Dead Island not to other zombie games but Gearbox Software's Borderlands – a comparison Kummer is well aware of and does not completely dispute. He points out, however, that the focus is vastly different, as similar games out there tend to be more action-driven, while Dead Island pays greater attention on the story-driven experience. 

For Dead Island, the idea has always been to create a zombie RPG, but there were so many gameplay mechanics from other genres the team wanted to use. At one point, Techland wanted making a full-fledged RPG – with different storylines and everything – and even considered a multiplayer game that allowed players to step into the shoes of both survivors and zombies. Ultimately, however, the team decided to focus on refining the co-op aspect and flesh out a single storyline, rather than cramming too much into the game and risk mediocrity. 

An RPG to the Core

Dead Island can best be described as an open world first-person action RPG with an emphasis on cooperative play.  Techland began the project with a zombie RPG in mind, and although the game has gone through numerous changes since conception, it has always remained a role-playing game at heart. 

The gameplay is supported by core RPG elements, like exploration, character progression, and a robust crafting system. The crafting aspect of the game is rather important because it effectively bridges the open world exploration with the feeling of character progression. When you make your way through Banoi, you will find new materials and new weapons, which can be combined together to produce better equipment. You may begin with a rusty knife, for instance, then wind up with a shiny, diving knife later on, which you can further upgrade with explosives or other effects. Essentially, the crafting system follows your progression through Dead Island, and your weapons will improve alongside your character, giving you a sense of growing more powerful over time.  

Money also comes into play, since you can’t find everything you need just lying around, waiting to be looted. Like with any resource, money starts out scarce and will be easier to come by as the game progresses.  Just because you have money doesn’t mean you’ll be able to buy everything you want. To further emphasize survival, the game really forces you to prioritize. Should you repair and upgrade your weapons or pick up a few extra med kits? 

“What we want to have in the game is that feeling of survival, so it’s going to be difficult to get your hands on a huge amount of money, new weapons or any of the good stuff,” Kummer explained.

“When you start the game, you’ll find a couple bucks here and there, letting you repair your weapons from time to time. But it’s definitely not a situation where you’ll immediately find a workbench when you start the game and start leveling or crafting your weapons. In the beginning, it’s really going to be tough.”

If you’re a fan of exploration, Dead Island has you covered, from shanty towns to the sewers below Banoi.  Because this is an open world game, the pacing will vary, giving players many opportunities to explore the island in relative leisure and converse with NPCs unharassed. 

Meet the Survivors

Players can choose from four different characters when starting a game, each characterized by a class type and unique skills. So far, Techland and Deep Silver have revealed Xian Mei, an assassin type, Logan, the Jack of all trades, and Sam B, the tank. Purna, the fourth survivor, remains a mystery for the most part, though we expect to hear more about her in the coming weeks.

The game is going to feel different depending on which character you choose. When starting the game, you won’t find any preset skills attached to the characters, and you’ll just be fighting with whatever you have on hand and there shouldn’t be a huge difference between how each character feels. As soon as you start leveling, the characters will deviate from one another in terms of skill sets and abilities. The assassin, for instance, relies heavily on speed and evasion while leaning more toward knives or similar weapons. By contrast, the Jack of all trades is going to stand in the back with throwing weapons, getting his kills at a distance.

Story-wise, the survivors do feature their own backstories, but their identities and background have no significant effect on the overarching plot. Similarly, your decisions during the game will not alter the story outcome; it’s going to be one storyline with a fixed ending. You may choose to help NPCs and take on different quests, but for the sake of a cohesive co-op experience, Techland opted to use just one story. Because if you had played one way but your friend plays another way, as Kummer explained, the story would make absolutely no sense when you join each other’s games.

In terms of co-op, Techland is still working on how to balance the game for players at different levels. If you’re a lowbie going into a game where the host is level 30, the game actually provides spoiler warnings. Additionally, you won’t be able to take back high-level gear because “that would simply destroy your gaming experience” by ruining the whole survival aspect.

While Dead Island does focus greatly on cooperative play, the game will accommodate solo gamers. The difference lies in the number of zombies and their levels. If you’re playing alone or with one other person, for example, you may run into a group of level two or level three zombies. If it’s a full team of four, on the other hand, you’ll run into a group of level six enemies.   Some zombies carry weapons, and some don’t, and the game will scale itself based on the number of people playing.

The Story Behind Banoi

Why a resort hotel on a tropical paradise island? For Techland and Deep Silver, the setting is practically a no-brainer. The resort was a picture of something beautiful that goes completely wrong. You go and start with paradise, then tear it apart piece by piece.

The developers wanted to create this feeling of the entire island being torn away, leaving its visitors and inhabitants desperate and without hope, then lay this burden on the player. Throughout the island, you will encounter numerous NPCs who are in need of your assistance, whether they’re searching for a missing family member or just seeking other survivors. One instance Kummer mentioned was a husband asking others to kill his wife, who had been turned and was no longer herself.

For now, Techland is focused on final touches and balancing the game for seamless cooperative play. Kummer mentions that the team was extremely encouraged by the positive feedback from E3.

“When we first showed the game, there was a lot of skepticism regarding the melee combat, but people got what we were doing and seemed to be having fun slicing through zombies, co-oping with others.”

If you're curious about the combat in Dead Island or just looking for more gameplay details, read our in-depth E3 2011 coverage.