Mutants, zombies, viral outbreaks….what else makes for a thrilling 1st-Person Perspective Survival Horror game? Dead Island was a monstrous hit when it was first released in September of 2011. With various characters to choose from with different special abilities and strengthened attack variations, you knew, as soon as you put the disk in your home gaming console, that you were in for a wild ride! Here, we have Dead Island: Riptide, the 2013 release from Techland / Deep Silver. This sequel adds a new member to your ‘hero’ roster: ADF Sergeant John Morgan. This character, who teams up with the veterans Sam B, Purna, Xian Mei, and Logan Carter, claims he was supposed to be part of a humanitarian effort on some nearby island, until Serpo appeared and ruined everything.
When they finally escape the ship they were on, they end up meeting a highly attractive survivor named Harlow Jordan, who ends up being more than she appears. Surviving surging horde after horde of the volatile zombies and mutants, you find temporary safe haven at different locations around Palanai. Although Harlow appears to be the genuine altruist, initially, you find out more about her than you cared to know. But I won’t spoil the game for you.
Harlow helps you through a few missions with information and she does lead you right to a scientist you helps you with extra important information. You begin in the Paradise Survival camp, then you move on to the Halai Village where you find out about the scientist who more enlightening news, as well as disturbing information about your ‘immunity’. This leads to more startling revelations. But that’s all I am going to reveal as I don’t want to spoil the game for fans.
Not being a fan of 1st-Person Perspective games, I was skeptical about these titles, at first, but it was addicting and I was easily sucked into it after about ½ an hour of playing. Although you get a variety of new weapons and health aids, as well as meeting up with new enemies to challenge you, you do lose some classic favorites like the Tesla Sledge Hammer that Sam B utilized.
Each character has a special skill where weapons are concerned. Sam B, a rap/hip-hop musician making a comeback, is an expert at utilizing blunt objects as sledgehammers and baseball bats. Logan Carter, a former professional football player, specializes in throwing weapons such as knives and small bladed weapons. Purna, a former Australian policewoman, specializes in firearms, but is also keen with knives. Xian Mei, a former Banoi Island waitress and hotel desk clerk, is excellent with larger bladed weapons like swords and machetes. An added bonus is that, throughout gameplay, as you gain more experience and money, you can modify weapons to make more devastatingly powerful weapons, as the Tesla Hammer (above) is a prime example. I’ve been able to send the Thug Zombies flying with this interesting weapon when my strikes were timed properly. But this weapon was in the first Dead Island game. I’ve not come across it, yet, in RIPTIDE.
Some returning enemies are still as dangerous as they were in the first game, such as the Ram, an escaped mental patient, still wrapped in its straight-jacket, that has two very powerful attacks: his running ram, and his kick. Attacking from the front does very little damage, if any at all. If you have a gun, shooting him in the head does some damage, but not a whole lot. The best method of dealing with the Ram is to leap out of the way as he charges you, then quickly turn and attack him from behind with a powerful weapon! This does the greatest amount of damage. A modified weapon such as a barbed flanged mace does plenty of damage.
A new enemy is the Drowner.
It is known for being highly sensitive to activity in the water around them. When in a boat, they sense the motor’s running and they’ll awaken. They do run fast for being in the water, so be careful, as they can quickly climb in the boat and knock you out of it. Then, there’s the Screamer, who is slender, wiry, and fast! His/her smacks can drain you, fast, of your health. What makes the Screamer more dangerous is that its screams are highly ear-piercing and can temporarily incapacitate you…..long enough for it to smack you down and out-for-the-count! So, my best maneuver to avoid this was to keep jumping backwards away from it. You may briefly collapse from its screams, but this will not hurt you. While you’re down, nothing attacks you, surprisingly.
You will know the Screamer by its brains popping out the top of its head, with their eyes being pried open by some maniacal-looking device. There are other new enemies, but I won’t spoil it all for you. So, as you progress through the game, you’ll find more weapons, better weapons, and gain more experience through modifying those important finds, as well as finding new weapon diagrams. Many of these diagrams and plans are obtained by way of completing important tasks and missions you encounter throughout the game.
There is another useful weapon that I found on top of a billboard-style sign when approaching the Panai Ferry that will take you to Henderson. You’ll notice a few hungry zombies at a billboard sign with a truck embedded on it. You dispose of the zombies and climb the ladder that’s behind the pillars. Once up top, you’ll see an already dormant zombie lying there in the back of the truck. By it is a sniper-style rifle! And there’s ammo with it, along with extra goodies like Molotov cocktails and some baggage with money or additional goodies for weapons modifications. Just be on the look-out for this useful gun.
I did enjoy this game, thoroughly. But my ONLY complaint is that it did not seem as long as the first one. But that was over-shadowed by the awesome gameplay and the new character, John Morgan, that is a soldier as well as a martial arts expert. You’ll, additionally, enjoy the storyline and the surprise ending, too. How enjoyable the game is, truthfully, is strictly relative and subject to one’s own opinions. If you love survival horror, this is a game to try! On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 9.5 as I noticed some slight errors within the programming. A male zombie screaming like a female zombie is one error I noticed. If it is not like that in other copies of this game, then good. But my copy has that error in it. I have the SPECIAL EDITION, for my PlayStation 3. Otherwise, this is a great game for the Survival Horror genre. Plenty of splatters, gore, and shocking surprises for any fan of this genre!
RATED “M” for Mature – not recommended for those under 17!
Dead Island, Riptide, Xian Mei, Sam B, Logan Carter, all other names, likenesses, pictures, music, etc. are property, license, and © Copyright 2012 and Published by Deep Silver Inc.
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