Review: "Dead Island: Riptide" (2013) "Hopefully I Won't See You On The Island....."

By: Adam Zimmerman

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When Dead Island: Riptide was first conceived, it was originally planned as a large expansion of the original. When it got too large for an expansion, they decided to make a full-blown sequel.

Because it started as an expansion, it does feel very much like the first game. It feels so much like the original that even the bugs from the first game return for the sequel.


Not everything is the same as the original though. A new character, John Morgan, has been added to the group. He’s a melee fighter, which fills the void between Sam B, the blunt weapon expert, and Logan Carter, the throwing expert. I really enjoy playing as John. He has sprinting kicks that send zombies flying, plus he lets you live out your Wolverine fantasies with his awesome deadly metal claws. He also has a very useful ability that sometimes, when you are very low on health, will let you, instead of dying, regain some of your health instead.

Also different in Riptide is the locale. In the original Dead Island, the game was split up into four sections. There was the resort, the city, the jungle, and lastly the prison. This time around, it’s just all tropical island. It’s a little like the island from Far Cry 3, except with no animals and a whole lot of zombies.


On the gameplay front, most of it is exactly like Dead Island. New to this game are defense scenarios. Basically you have to set up a bunch of defenses like fences and barricades, as well as traps, and survive several waves of zombies.

 They can be pretty fun, especially when you can coordinate your defenses with your friends. It also pays off this time around to try and focus on one type of weapon, whether it’s blades, firearms, etc. Beyond being able to just level up your individual weapons, you can now level up your skills with the different weapon types.

 For firearms it may mean being able to hold a little more ammo, or for blades it could be less stamina used per strike. It’s nothing major, but it does give you a small reason to focus on certain types of weapons.


Normally I am a story guy. Most of my favorite games are games with the best stories. Luckily for me, I don’t play Dead Island for the story. It’s not the worst I’ve ever encountered, but I wouldn’t call it very good either. Cut-scenes and the story are delivered using the in-game engine, which makes some straight to tv movies look like Alfred Hitchcock’s best.


Despite all the new stuff, as I mentioned earlier, Riptide suffers from some of the same bugs as the first game, plus has a few new ones to boot. The enemy AI is still shoddy sometimes. A zombie might spends a few minutes trying to tear down your defenses, only to have them just walk away aimlessly when the barricade comes down. The frame-rate in Riptide is also occasionally worse than the original. Throw an exploding barrel into the middle of a large group of zombies and watch frame-rate slow down to about 2 frames per second.


For those that played and enjoyed the first game, you will be happy to know that you can carry your character over from the first game into Riptide. You won’t be able to keep your equipment, but your level and all you skills will transfer over. If you had maxed out your character in the first game, you don’t have to worry about not being able to improve your character at all. The level cap has also been raised to 70, which is 20 more than the original.

New upgrades have also been added to each character as well. If you were a lower level character, or you want to play as someone different this time around, the game will still start you with 15 skills points to assign as you choose.

I should also point out that you didn’t need to have finished the first game with your character to be able to transfer them over to Riptide. Even if you are only a level 5 and played the first game for an hour and a half, they can still be carried over.


I was lucky enough not to experience almost any of the glitches during my time with the game, but they have been reported by many others. At it’s best, few games can match the brutal feel of combat and the levels of co-op fun that can be found in Riptide. At it’s worst, it can turn into an annoying, though still entertaining glitch fest.


Our Honest View gives Dead Island: Riptide an 8 out of 10. While a very fun game, especially with friends, technical glitches and a pretty weak story keep it from greatness. If you liked the first game, or love killing lots of zombies, I highly recommend getting this game. If you did not like the first game, then nothing in Riptide is going to turn you into a major fan.

Replay Value: Moderate


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Review: "Far Cry 3" (2012) Ends 2012 With A BANG!

Let me start off by saying that 2012 had some of the best games! "WWE 13" , "Borderlands 2", "Max Payne 3". The best part of all these games where they were spread out throughout the year. But after November not much else was coming out except for......FAR CRY 3.  Let me start by saying that it should not be "Far Cry 3" is it shouldn't have a "3" in the title because it strays so much away from the others and becomes it's own amazing game! Now...I'll hand the review of to DJ are wrestling expert.

David "Dj" Duarte's thoughts:

Farcry 3 is a rare breed of games that offers a little bit of something for everyone. There is a very solid single player, an in depth mulitplayer, and a co-op mode for those couch gamers like me. In this review I will be touching upon those 3 key aspects to the game, here goes. Starting with the simplest, the co-op can be played via 2 people locally or 4 people online. The story of the co-op is rather silly in nature and leaves much to be desired, however the gameplay is equally as solid as the story so its not all lost.

My biggest problem playing the co-op was you a given a set load out at the beginning of every chapter, (which there are 5 of ranging a total of about 7 hours) you are allowed to steal weapons from fallen enemies however they don't carry over should you die or complete the chapter.

The story gives you some insight into the world of the island, prior to Jason Brody arriving which is the main character of the game. I would say out of the many aspects of this game this is the weakest, that being said I still spent many hours on it, weakest doesn't always mean bad.

Second on the list is the multiplayer, because every good game needs a mulitplayer right? The hands on time I spent with the multiplayer reminded me a great deal of "Call of Duty" dare I say it. The simplicity of customizing guns and kill streaks rely heavy on themes from other popular shooters, however there are little things that make this multiplayer stand on its own " tattooed feet". First is after grinding out levels you can make your own tattoo design to further customize your looks, a tad silly yes but still its new. Secondly an ability called "Warcry" its an area effect that can range from healing, damage resistance, fire proof etc, it adds an additional layer of skill to an otherwise basic fps. Thirdly and lastly is the endgame. Once a match is won the top 3 from the winning team and a player from the losing team have a little cinematic. The cinematic is based on 2 different groups "humiliation" and "mercy".

If you've ever played a first-person shooter  you should know your never gonna see the mercy, watching someone kick another pirate in the junk is funny the first couple of times but really shows the immaturity of the people your playing with. That being said, it is an in depth multiplayer with loads to see and do and with plenty of rewards for people willing to play through and find them, but don't be mistaken this isn't a wild take from the norm its there for multiplayers sake so if your expecting a big change id advise to stay away.

Here is the biggest most expansive portion of the game, the main reason to show any interest. The game starts out with a very well done cinema to show you the insanity of the island and the frailty of the main character Jason Brody. The games main point in the beginning (without any spoilers of course) is to rescue your surviving friends and get off the island. Seems simple right? With an insane man named Voss attempting to thwart your every attempt, it sets the stage for what promises to be a roller coaster of a story. As the game progresses, Jason becomes more obsessed with killing Voss the man who as made his life hell.

Jason's character development in this game really stood out for me, the way he goes from a typical rich kid on vacation, to a "Bonfide Badass" warrior really sets the tone for what proves to be a very dark game. Rambo without the muscles of course!

The story never leaves you wanting, with every triumph comes another problem. Leading to  a almost insurmountable opposition, there is never any shortage of action. Mix this all with a very rewarding skill tree set up you won't be disappointed. This is all without listing the wide breadth of side missions such as finding lost relics scattered about the island, liberating outposts for the rebels unlocks the ability for fast travel, climbing abandoned radio towers unlocks new weapons as well as that section of the map, hunting allows you the ability to craft ammo pouches or bigger wallets, racing leagues, knife throwing and sniper completions all offer you a chance to earn some more money. So there is plenty to dissuade you should you find yourself needing a break from the story.

My final review of the game; Greatest Reviews gives "Far Cry 3" (2012) 4 stars out of 5. The only thing keeping it from a perfect score is co-op leaves much to be desired and the multiplayer is a shadow when they could have done so much more with it. With that all being said I thoroughly enjoyed my time with all the aspects this game has to offer, and would highly recommend it to anyone with the time and patience to dedicate themselves to a world all its own.