By Chad Sapieha , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Ambitious zombie game loaded with violence, mature themes.
Parents need to know that Dead Island is a violent, open-world action game set in a remote island resort that has been overrun by zombies. Players move between enclaves of survivors, carrying out tasks and killing countless zombies in brutal, gory fashion along the way. Adult narrative elements, including…
Characters frequently employ profanity, including words such as "f--k," "s--t,"
Drinking, Drugs & SmokingThe player's character can drink alcohol, which makes the camera become blurred.
Violence & ScarinessAction involves destroying zombies in a variety of violent, gruesome ways, inclu
Sex, Romance & NuditySome of the zombies and survivors are dressed in skimpy bathing suits, and one c
Products & Purchases Not presentZombies can take down a careless survivor in a matter of seconds, so caution is
Positive MessagesThis game is about surviving an undead apocalypse. There are few moral or social
Positive Role ModelsThe player can assume the role of one of four different characters. A couple of
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The player's character can drink alcohol, which makes the camera become blurred. Intravenous drugs are mentioned by an addict, and several drunken characters can be seen in the game's opening scene, which is set in a bar.
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Action involves destroying zombies in a variety of violent, gruesome ways, including running them down with vehicles, stabbing them with knives, and hitting them with spiked two-by-fours. When struck, the undead typically grunt and bleed profusely, leaving large red puddles on the ground. Severed body parts can be found littering the island in various spots.
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Some of the zombies and survivors are dressed in skimpy bathing suits, and one character briefly mentions teen molestation in dialogue.
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Zombies can take down a careless survivor in a matter of seconds, so caution is a must. Controls are a bit too sensitive at times, but generally comfortable. Rookies to this kind of open-world action game will likely take a while to get their bearings and figure out how best to go about the many missions available to them at any given moment.
This game is about surviving an undead apocalypse. There are few moral or social messages to be derived, save the glorification of gory, bloody violence. Some narrative sequences hit lightly on touchy subjects including molestation and alcohol and drug abuse, though without any sort of agenda.
The player can assume the role of one of four different characters. A couple of them have vaguely shady pasts, but we don't get to know much about their histories beyond a short pre-game blurb. Once in game, their primary concern becomes simple survival. However, all four are extremely tough and show no remorse in dispatching the undead by the dozens.
Parents need to know that Dead Island is a violent, open-world action game set in a remote island resort that has been overrun by zombies. Players move between enclaves of survivors, carrying out tasks and killing countless zombies in brutal, gory fashion along the way. Adult narrative elements, including alcohol, drugs, brief talk of sexual abuse, and strong profanity, validate the game's Mature rating. Parents should also note that this game supports online cooperative play with open voice chat for up to four players. Common Sense Media does not recommend open online play for pre-teens.
Based on 17 parent reviews
Katherine R. Parent of 8, 10, 14, 18+, 18+ and 5-year-old April 12, 2024 May 10, 2023DEAD ISLAND places players in the shoes of one of four survivors (players choose their protagonist at the game's outset) who wake up after an evening of drunken high jinks at a remote island resort only to find the atoll swarming with zombies. After hooking up with a small group of survivors, it's your job to head out into the undead apocalypse armed with whatever you can find -- knives, pipes, the fender of an old pick-up truck -- and carry out missions necessary to the group's continued survival, such as finding keys, carrying messages, and looking for engine parts required to fix vehicles. The island is open to roam, which means players have free license to explore large swaths of the resort at their leisure, carrying out multiple tasks at once. You can even join up with other players online who are working on the same missions. As the game progresses, players earn points that can be applied to level up special skills, as well as upgrades that can be used to modify weapons.
Zombie games are a dime a dozen these days, so it's nice to see one that's had a little thought put into it, even if it isn't perfect. Dead Island takes a concept gamers are used to thinking of as global -- a zombie apocalypse -- and places it in a controlled microcosm in the form of a secluded island resort. However, thanks to the open nature of the environment, the game world still feels larger, more random, and, consequently, scarier and more realistic than most other games of its ilk. Add in a subtle leveling system, customizable weapons, and a clever drop-in cooperative system, and you have a zombie actioner unlike anything else available.
The graphics aren't great, the controls are a bit touchy, and it can be pretty hard -- especially if you try to work through the entire campaign without enlisting the aid of other players online. That said, it's one of those rare games that will stay with you, if not because of its horrific, overarching plot then because of its smaller, more affecting scares, such as watching helplessly as a descending plane radios for help before crashing into the jungle. Zombie fans won't want to miss it.
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