First Impressions - Dead Island: Riptide

I have been dying to play Dead Island: Riptide ever since I saw it at PAX Prime last year. I am a huge fan of the original Dead Island (Busy Gamer Review), bugs and all. So it was great trepidation and excitement that I cracked my Rigor Mortis Edition suitcase (nice touch!) and tore into the first few levels of the game.

Once again, you get to pick a character based on your personal preferences. Each is balanced differently, so take a moment to review and consider your favored style of play. I have a special place in my heart for Xian, a bad-ass melee girl. As a bonus, I was able to import my leveled-up Xian from Dead Island into Riptide.

The game opens with a very spoilery recap of the original (in case you didn't finish it), dovetailing nicely into the opening events of the adventure at hand.

Just to be clear: This game spells out exactly how the first one ended. You have been warned. The combined events make for a rather long opening cinematic, but it sets up the game nicely.

The first (training) level is aboard a ship, complete with enough rocking back and forth to make even the heartiest of sailors feel a bit seasick. Note: If shaky-cams make you run for the bathroom, you will not make it through this level! But if you can keep your sea legs long enough to make it 20 minutes into the game, you'll be rewarded with a trip to a lush jungle filled with undead.

What's good about it:

• Ability to import leveled-up characters from the previous game. Don't expect to turn into Superman, however. The game will be balanced based on your level, meaning my Level 39 Xian was fighting Level 38/39/higher bad guys right off the bat. But at least you don't need to start in the kiddie pool.
• Frequent autosave points. Games that don't allow you to "save anywhere" can be a major roadblock for busy gamers. If you do force us to use autosave points, we ask that you're at least generous with them. Riptide meets that requirement.
• Play the way you want. I love melee and tend to do poorly with firearms. Riptide gives you level credit based on your fighting style, and doesn't penalize you for not being a strong shooter (or hand-to-hand person, for that matter).
• Respawn. If you die, a short countdown clock starts and then the game revives you. Anyone else in combat can still be eaten while you're gone though.
• Beautiful graphics. The game designers have taken what was an already beautiful world and made it stunning. I found myself stopping at quiet points to take in the waterfalls and fauna. Even the zombies are pretty damn good-looking, in an undead kind of way.

What's not so good:

• Stilly buggy! I encountered a few notable bugs in just the first hour of play. My sound went out completely mid-combat on the boat, putting me at a disadvantage. Rebooting brought it back. I also received a "survivor died" message during a cut-scene that forced me to finally quit the game and start over to clear it.
• Movement can be odd at times. I don't know how else to describe it. In addition to the aforementioned seasickness moments, there were points where Xian seemed to be... well, drunk! I expect a bit of clumsiness from a new character, but by Level 39 I should be able to walk and wield a machete without too much difficulty.
• Sealing off my game remains difficult. The default mode is cooperative play. Essentially, you are offered up to any nearby players who happen to be around the same level and in the same mission period. I prefer to play alone. Finding a way to shut out others from my game should be simple, and turned off by default. It's not.

Should you play it?

Hard-core Dead Island fans will appreciate the new weapons, defense systems, and locales. Newcomers to the series may be better off tracking down the much less expensive original game and giving it a whirl. Level up a character or two, get to know the combat, and explore the story. If you join the ranks who adore the series, Riptide will be waiting for you when you're done.