Escape Dead Island Announced

A new entry in the Dead Island franchise will see release by fall of this year but the game, in development by Fatshark Studios, features quite a few departures from the rest of the series’ standard trappings.

First, the visuals are far from the more realistic looking main entries, instead opting for a cel-shaded style that reminds me of Killer7 and MadWorld, but without being too cartoony. The gameplay itself is also fairly divergent as the trailer shows lots of hallucinatory visuals and scenarios confronting the player as well as a 3rd-person perspective and a focus on stealth and strategic attacks.

A preview build was available at E3 to a select audience and the news is only now allowed to flow freely. The main character, Cliff Calo, is susceptible to the zombie virus and ill-equipped from the outset, wielding only a screwdriver as a weapon, which drives the priority on stealth. The setting ranges from environments on and off the island, as well as bizarre mental trips that intend to leave the player lost and confounded throughout this journey to uncover the origin of the outbreak.

The game will also have boss battles, more powerful zombies that will require different strategies to take down, exploration and backtracking elements, and a little photo journalism to mix up the action.

Again, the game is currently slated for release this fall on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, but also at a budget friendly rate of $39.99. I’m looking forward to this new, twisted take on the franchise as the new scenario and psychological elements should make for a fresh, original zombie slaying experience!

Source: GameSpot