It’s been more than three years since we last heard any news on Techland’s zombie survival horror game Dead Island. Now it’s back, with a trailer demonstrating that not even children are safe from the undead hordes.
When last we saw Dead Island it was heading for a 2008 release on the Xbox 360 and PC. Now it’s ready to enter the spotlight once more with one of the most shocking CGI trailers I’ve ever seen. Children being killed is generally subject video games shy away from, but in this piece it’s the main event. Watching a helpless little girl being run down by a gang of shambling zombies is disturbing, chilling, and yes, heartbreaking.
If Techland can evoke these feelings in the game proper, it could have something amazing on its hands.
It’s an event that’s likely to take place on an island resort overrun by the shambling dead, which is exactly what’s happened on Dead Island. Developer Techland is taking a more realistic approach to the zombie survival genre. That not only means that children might die, you won’t have a cache of guns to try and defend them.
It’s a first-person game without guns. The player will have to rely on found objects to survive, and there just aren’t that many guns in a tropical paradise. You’re not going to stumble across a machinegun nest, or a stray rocket launcher. What you see is what you get. You ‘ll battle zombies with whatever is on hand. Eventually, thanks to the game’s experience and leveling system, you’ll get better at it, but even the best guy with a bat is still a guy with a bat, facing down several hundred creatures hungry for his flesh.
Hit up the link below to see what IGN saw when they recently visited Dead Island.
Welcome to Dead Island [IGN UK]
Mr Waffle
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10:41 AMSo it’s Dead Rising in paradise, then?
Hope the controls are better :|
doubleDizz
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10:54 AMURL LINKS!! FCU!K
thistler
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10:54 AMDamn. Ever since I became a father this type of imagery churns my guts. I’ve noticed cheap tricks on tv shows and movies where they put the child in danger unsettle me with ease. That being said, this game looks like it could be awesome. I wish I had the stomach for it.
Randy Bones
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:51 PMHey, even as a person who has no intention of ever having kids, that churned my stomach watching…
This trailer has gotten past my zombie-genre hatred, I will be buying this game when I can… and probably importing it, by the way SCAG has been dragging the R18 thing.
If they can convey that sort of emotion mixed with the horror, then I think this game will be something amazing…
Puck
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10:55 AMAmazing trailer – just so beautifully done, aesthetically and emotionally.
Blayde
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10:56 AMThat trailer gave me chills. If this was a film I would make sweet love to it while weeping my little eyes out.
On a more related note, scavenging for weaponry is going to be a nice change of pace from “have this grenade launcher just lying on the ground”
Sam Ridyard
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 10:59 AMThat was incredible. It ends perfectly.
Like you said Mike, if the gameplay ends up supporting the emotion delivered in the trailer, then I’m sold.
Mark Serrels
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:02 AMLoved this trailer.
But I also loved the trailer for I am Alive.
Just sayin’!
HotDamn!
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:04 AMWow…now THAT is a trailer.
Jason Rodwell
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:11 AMlooks good hopefully it will add some fresh new dramatics and morals to the game other than just killing hordes of zombies.
Ben White
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:20 AMI didn’t quite get the sequence of events on the first watch.
Now I am too sad to watch it again.
Not sure if I’ll be into this one, looks a bit too heavy for my taste at this stage.
Cannon de Rosnay
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:41 AMFor me, zombies have lost their menacing and terrifying touch lately, due to their heavy use in media. From the Zombie Survival Guide to the Dead Rising series, they’ve almost become cliched as a red-shirt-esque bad-ass-rapes-hordes sort of enemy.
Maybe this’ll bring back the fear I had when I was young of just endless hordes of unstoppable mindless enemies.
I want to be able to shit my pants when it comes to zombies again. Maybe this’ll do it.
AussieSniper
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 11:51 AMI’m buying this just because they killed a kid. Even if all the critics on the planet give it 1.0 out of 10, I am buying it.
Bout time the snotty little brats get it in a video game.
Ray
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:24 PMSee, it’s shit like that give the Australian Christian Lobby legs to stand on. Stop talking.
Raif
Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 1:04 PMVery true. I’d stop playing video games and start studying up on the issues if I were you.
This game will probz have a hard time getting through the classifications.
Reoh
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:11 PMWoah… first zombie game clip I didn’t laugh through. Emotional impact win.
Aidan Dullard
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:12 PMDevastating :/
Ev
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:14 PMWow :O
Cody
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:32 PMWow that looks awesome.
SunSkorpion
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 12:59 PMThats a great railer. The sombre tone is an awesome break from the usual zombie fare of hack and smash.
If the same maturity is given to the game itself, it could be really cool.
Braaains
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 2:04 PMThat’s a great trailer, no question about it.
But you’d think after 3+ years in development they’d be at the point of showing a bit of gameplay rather than just a CGI movie.
Jiff
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 2:09 PMBrilliant trailer, never seen the zombie apocalypse presented that way.. great impact
Also, the art, lighting, rendering and animation are all top notch. Which studio did the trailer?
AarghZombies
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 3:37 PMHOLY CRAP – that was awesome!
John
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 4:29 PMThere are three types of people who see this video.
Teenagers and immature young adults.
Quarter-life adults
Fathers
Being a father, this video is seriously hard to watch and take in. It’s not the characters as much as it is the content. The context of him failing against something he never stood a chance against. The context of me failing my family; they are all I care about.
sharmona
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 4:46 PMI. Am. John..
sorry had to do it .
Shane
Friday, February 18, 2011 at 8:06 AMI’m still debating whether or not to watch for this reason, John.
(I turned off Dead Rising when I found the survivor whose baby had been taken by the zombies. Got physically ill at the thought, and sold the game the next day.)
Lachie
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 4:32 PMWow, that was great.
But why the **** dont PS3 get any zombie games :/
Shade Kirby
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 4:50 PMIt’s good to see that zombies might actually get a horror boost in this game.
Dunnowhathuh
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 5:53 PMThat trailer was not only well put together, it made me want to cut myself it was that depressing. Looking forward to seeing more of the game in the future.
Steve M
Thursday, February 17, 2011 at 6:51 PMSo do I trust the engaging, emotional and mature majority of the trailer, or the incredibly cheesy title and logo? There’s definitely a mixed message there, but hopefully the game proper matches the tone of this trailer.