➤ The resurrected island 🎮

Perhaps also to buffer the prolonged wait for Dead Island 2, which among other things does not seem to be doing well given the new rumors of an alleged cancellation, Deep Silver has launched into the now usual remaster operation also for its tropical horror series, churning out this Dead Island: Definitive Edition for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is a collection containing the first Dead Island, the sequel Dead Island: Riptide and an additional bonus game called Dead Island: Retro Revenge which presents a completely different concept being a sort of themed endless runner, the only fresh and innovative element of the whole package.

The reworking operation carried out on the two titles is commendable, although it almost exclusively involves the technical aspect of the Chrome graphic engine, probably also acting as a "gymnasium" to prepare the way for the construction of the real new chapter, but although the remaster is now a custom it is still difficult to passively accept the revival of the same titles of the last generation three years after the launch of the new consoles and at the gates of a possible further hardware evolution that could be revealed already in the coming months. From a conceptual point of view we would certainly have preferred, at this point, to find ourselves in front of Dead Island 2, the new chapter announced at E3 in 2014 and subsequently dispersed in an odyssey of problems and changes of hands, which led to it. finally on the Sumo Digital desks after Yager was "relieved of office". The situation will have prompted Deep Silver to think of filling the wait with a remaster, to which someone could maliciously object that no doctor has necessarily prescribed a mandatory dose of Dead Island every few years, but the quality of the titles is undeniable and if nothing else. the package comes with an affordable price, even more so if you buy only one title of the two, digitally.

Tropics overdose

The two games are structurally identical to the original versions, so we refer you to the Dead Island review and the Dead Island review: Riptide for all the specific information and individual evaluations, which remain substantially valid even today, although the technological context is very different. , as well as the videogame landscape, with the competition represented by other interpretations of survival horror in a subjective open world.

Ironically, the main rival comes from within, with the Techlands having in effect overcome several limits of their ex-series with the new Dying Light, particularly in the version that includes the expansion The Following. There is a particular premise to make: already at the time of the original release of Dead Island: Riptide a certain identity question had arisen on the game, which appeared as an evolved and enhanced version of the original, but not so distinct as to seem a real second chapter, even if the amount of content has always amply justified its release as a title in its own right. This impression is even more evident if you are faced with a package that includes both chapters together: in fact, the gaming experience is still very similar between the two titles and also considering that the plot does not represent exactly a cornerstone of the game. everything would be recommended to beginners to simply buy Dead Island: Riptide digitally for € 19,90 as amply enough to experience Techland's particular tropical nightmare in the best possible way. It is a consideration that we feel like making because as a title it can easily stand alone and the price in this case is also adequate, which perhaps cannot be said of the whole package from 39,99 euros which also from a conceptual point of view (the will to bring Dead Island back to the new audience) begins to creak a bit, with a second chapter that should be close by now.

We return with renewed horror to the old lost tropical paradises of Dead Island

Aesthetic renovation

The reworking carried out by Techland (apparently no other teams responsible for the remaster are mentioned) here exclusively concerns the technical sector of both games, having updated the graphics system thanks to the latest version of the Chrome engine. The effects of this rejuvenation are clearly visible between the increased resolution of the textures and the application of the new physics-based lighting and shading system, as well as the implementation of HBAO and motion blur. The greatest impact is obtained on the exteriors, already fascinating at the time but even more evocative in this reworking with the new lighting effects, especially in Riptide which starts from an originally higher base. It is quite clear that the whole infrastructure is based on games that now have various springs on their shoulders, in particular as regards the first Dead Island, but considering that already at the time both titles represented remarkable results, with their extensive freely explorable scenographies, this updating does some justice to the originals and tropical paradises are now even more fascinating. The improvement of the textures appears quite evident in the interiors and in the reproduction of the characters even if the announced modification of the polygonal models for the latter does not seem to have produced substantial changes in their appearance. We might have expected an attempt to bring everything to 60 frames per second, which would have represented a significant variation in the gaming experience and which has not happened, with both titles still running at around 30 frames per second, if not. other with a rather stable frame rate. There is some tearing especially in the indoor sections, but the problem could be solved with later patches. In principle, the two Dead Islands manage to make a dignified figure in the midst of the properly new generation titles but their "ancient" origins appear quite clear, especially as regards the first chapter even if perhaps even more work has been done on it to try to equalize the general graphic level to that of Riptide.

Xbox One achievements

Even the unlockable objectives have remained practically the same as the original chapters, without therefore representing any element of novelty beyond a general relocation of the points to also include the DLC of the individual chapters in the total calculation of 1000 points for each title present. In general, the achievements require a certain commitment and are linked to cumulative performances rather than to the progression of the story, based on the results achieved in the medium-long term in the exploration of the environments, which is in line with the spirit of the games.

New clothes, old stuff

In short, it cannot be said that this remaster has not been taken with a certain commitment from a technical point of view, the problem is the fact that it does not present any variation in all other areas, with the gameplay and contents that have remained exactly the same. , except the introduction of the mod "Power Fists Power-up" which can be activated from the beginning and the introduction of the unreleased title Dead Island: Retro Revenge. For this reason there is really nothing to add to the comments made at the time on Dead Island and Riptide, because the proposed experience is exactly the same, with its strengths and weaknesses, elements that had already remained. all too unchanged in the passage between the first and second chapter. It is remarkable how the open setting still stimulates the free exploration of the environments, with the constant threat of that wonderful and lethal tropical sandbox to keep us on our toes but also to push us further and further forward in the discovery of the scenarios, all supported by a good character progression system, loot and crafting and weapon management, as well as an excellent cooperative multiplayer that further amplifies the gaming experience.

On the other hand, historical defects remain such as narrative deficiencies, the lack of variety and depth of the quests and a certain chaos that dominates in subjective melee clashes. Nothing new, in fact, since these are the strengths and weaknesses of the original titles already examined in the original reviews, as well as the individual evaluations of both games can still be valid, given that the technical aspect is compensated by the adaptation work performed for these remasters. The new introduction in terms of content is therefore represented by Dead Island: Retro Revenge, but it is very little. It is a nice 2D arcade, represented with a strongly retro graphic style, which mixes the classic elements of the scrolling fighting game with those of the endless runner. In the role of a metalhead in search of his kidnapped kitten, we find ourselves running continuously (with the forced scrolling of the screen) along three predefined lanes and eliminating the various zombie aberrations that face us with various attacks and devastating combos, trying to reach the end of each level. Nice and fun, Retro Revenge is just an extra that can offer a bizarre variation on the theme but in itself does not have a significant weight as an added value for the Collection.

Comment

Tested version Xbox One Price 39,99 € Resources4Gaming.com

6.5

Readers (15)

7.6

Your vote

Squeezed on the one hand by modern productions such as Dying Light which have now evolved its structure and on the other by the arrival (hopefully) of the second chapter fully "next gen", it is a bit hard to find the meaning of this Dead Island : Definitive Collection. The quality of the two titles - although debated already in origin - has not been scratched by the past years, also due to the intact originality of the formula conceived by Techland, but the substance has remained the same, moreover for two games that were already too similar to each other. as a structure and setting. For those who have never tried the series this can be an excellent opportunity, but it probably makes more sense to download only one of the two titles digitally, perhaps Riptide being the most advanced overall, waiting for Dead Island 2.