Dead Island

The fictional island Banoi, near Papua New Guinea, Oceania, is a lush environment filled with beaches, jungle and mountains, but also modern buildings that make it a paradise resort. After a heavy night of partying and drinking, the protagonist wakes up to a nightmare. The island has been overrun by zombies, slowly turning more and more humans to their side. The protagonist, however, appears to have a certain immunity against that. The remaining survivors scattered around the island have retreated into different outposts where they try to hold the fort. The protagonist goal is, above all, to stay alive, help defend the people on the island against the zombie onslaught, and eventually find a way to get off the island.

Dead Island is a first-person horror-themed action game with strong RPG elements. The game offers a large amount of free-roaming gameplay. The large island can generally be explored in any direction, with a few sections where the player is warned that the playable area is about to be left. Gameplay and progress is largely quest-driven. Survivors offer rewards for locating missing family members and scavenging items, but also trivial tasks such as returning a teddy bear. There are main quests that further the overall story divided in different chapters, as well as many optional sidequests. The island can be explored on foot or by driving a vehicle. The gameplay is violent and action-focused. Even though many encounters can be avoided by outrunning zombies, the player is always encouraged to take on the opposition.