Tuesday 22 February 2011

Dead Island Trailer



Saw this a few days ago and meant to post it. This is perhaps one of the greatest game trailers I've ever seen. Yes, it features zombies, as the current fascination with them seems to suggest the whole world is moving toward some sort of zombie singularity, but I don't care. This trailer is epic.

Here's some context:

"Welcome to the Island of Banoi!

The player is drawn into the world of Dead Island on the brink of a mysterious epidemic that suddenly, and without warning, breaks out on the fictional island of Banoi. As a guest of the Royal Palms Resort, the player's stay was supposed to be a dream holiday; a luxurious getaway to the beautiful beaches of a tropical paradise. But faced with the reality of a zombie apocalypse, there is only one thing left to do: Survive

This is Dead Island... a paradise to die for."

Set for release sometime this year, Dead Island is a first-person melee combat game set on an open tropical world. Featuring up to 4-player co-op, weapon customization, RPG elements for character development, and of course a stack of zombies to plough your chainsaw through, Dead Island looks ready to give Left4Dead a run for its money. 

4 comments:

AP said...

Having read the context of the game (whose tone seems completely at odds to the tone of the video), I just had to show you this:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/107943-Shaun-of-the-Dead-Gets-the-Dead-Island-Treatment

I actually don't think it'll be that great a game. It already seems like the design team can't decide whether it's emotionally stirring or tounge-in-cheek shlock horror. I'm going on a limb and saying it'll get around 70-75 on MetaCritic

Alekazam said...

75 wouldn't be a total travesty. That is, considering how games reviews work these days anyway:

http://i702.photobucket.com/albums/ww24/Reconite/modernreviewscale.png

Given it's the same company that did Call of Juarez, I'd expect something of similar quality, so I reckon you're about right with the score. But i've naturally come to expect that of overhyped games without any pedigree anyway. Also, The Escapist are a bunch of miserable cunts who love pissing on anyone's parade, come rain or shine. I'll take them for humour rather than fair and balanced games journalism.

Still, one can hope it'll be good! Either way, the trailer is still one of most epic proportions, imho.

AP said...

I dunno about the Escapist. Their official reviews (not Yahtzee's blithering 'Am I a critic, should I not criticise?' fest), are on the whole positive, almost always.

The trailer does look very good. Though what scares me is that a) the tone of that trailer and the tone of the blurb you provided are so poles apart it makes me think that the design team aren't sure of what their tone is, which doesn't bode well - a lot of suckiness comes from not everyone singing from the same hymn sheet, and (see older trailers for this game if you don't believe me), and b) the game has been in development since at least 2008, and probably from 2007. A game that has taken at least 4 years to make will become incredibly expensive, and that it is taking so long but seems pretty conventional again implies some developmental hell to me - which also implies it will be a bit turdy.

It's actually amazing how few copies 70+ rated games sell off of their own steam. The video for Dead Island, and its complete unknown status before it, will probably send pre-orders for the game through the roof (if there's one thing fanboys can't get enough of, it's fucking zombies) which may tip this game into the black, but I'm tipping this game to be one financially ruinous mother'ucka

Alekazam said...

Absolutely. Given the trailer, I wouldn't have thought the game was a 'fps-melee-come-rpg' either.

I have seen the other trailers from way back in 2007, but I personally don't have any expectations for the game either. I posted the trailer purely for the trailer's sake rather than any sort of hype for the game itself.

Of course, you could take the view that because of its eternity in development it might turn out to be a steaming pile of shit. On the other hand, I could just as well point to Alan Wake, which spent five years in development when it was announced in 2005, and turned out to be one of the best games of last year. Further, I could add the example of Alpha Protocol, which spent the standard time in creation, promised much, and ended up shit due to the so called developmental hell.

Suffice to say, I will hold judgment until its release. I reckon you're about right with the score, but at the end of the day only two things occur. First, it would be nice to have something challenge Left4Dead, and second, the trailer, however the game turns out, is fuckin' A. =)