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Dead Island: Riptide (First Impressions)

Dead Island: Riptide releases today and fans of the series will be able to continue their journey of survival against hordes of undead. Riptide has been overhauled in many ways over its predecessor and features more zombies, hours of decapitations and even an additional playable character. Dead Island has seen its share of problems and Riptide is no different. However, Riptide is more polished and entertaining than the original, and comes with one hell of a zombie adventure.  

Dead Island: Riptide is what a zombie RPG should be and focuses heavily on the game's co-op mechanics and making melee combat fun again. Players will loot the decimate island of Palanai located in the South Pacific and upgrade their various weapons to survive. Riptide begins right were the original ended, with our four survivors, Sam B, Xian Mei, Logan Carter and Purna. We also see the addition of a fifth playable character, John Morgan, who is a Navy ship cook that specializes in hand-to-hand combat. John is a welcomed addition to the team and his skills come in handy later on when all hell breaks out. The team crash on the flooded island and find that the only way to get around is with boats.



New enemies make the adventure even more terrifying with the addition of the Drowner, Grenadier and Wrestler zombies. Riptide has also seen a major overhaul in the game's engine, and players will now face environmental weather effects which add tension and atmosphere to the chaotic zombie battles. Gamers will soon realize they are not safe anywhere, not even on a boat, since zombies can pull you off here as well.

The game's setting is wildly entertaining and the enemies will adjust to the player's level. What does this mean? Well if you are a level 50 then the zombies around you will be this level as well. The team shares in the gained XP and money from their kills as the team scours the island and finishes off quests.

All-in-all, Dead Island: Riptide is a fun and entertaining game that is worth the money spent on it despite the game's minor flaws. Stay tuned for our full review from the team later this week.

Overall First Impression: A+

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