Xbox 360 Critic Reviews

Riptide’s flaws are many, but they couldn’t hold me back from having a blast. Few games nail the visceral feel of melee combat and co-op fun like Dead Island. At its worst, an annoying hiccup breaks the immersion of the grizzly trek through a zombie-infested paradise. At its best, Riptide hits the same high notes as the original.

Despite its propensity for insignificant plot points, I can’t wait to play Dead Island Riptide again. I’ll return for the desperate bid for survival, and stay for the stories that emerge as a result.

Not much has happened in terms of gameplay. If you've played Dead Island you'll know exactly what to expect, but Riptide still combines RPG elements with an action concept for a nice thrill ride.

Dead Island Riptide remains a product of moderate value, repeating in part the success of its predecessor.

While it’s got some irritating rough patches, Dead Island: Riptide’s 15-hour campaign still manages to be a lot more fun than it has any right to be.

More of the same is literally what Dead Island: Riptide has to offer. The original's strengths and weaknesses return unchanged but inside a wider open world that greatly increases exploration, quests and things to do. It's still very enjoyable, especially in multiplayer, but the original's sense of freshness is almost lost.

The game has a lot going for it when everything is working properly and the handful of new gameplay elements turns Riptide into something legitimately better than its predecessor. In some ways, Dead Island: Riptide feels like a massive content patch, but considering its smarter pacing and greater visual and gameplay variety, it's closer to what the original game probably should have been.

I seriously love Dead Island Riptide for its satisfying zombie dismemberment and co-op, but technically, it's done nothing to build itself into a great game.

If you've played Dead Island and want more of the same - Riptide is the game for you. It's smoother, better looking and less buggy, but in the end it's pretty much the same experience all over again, albeit an improved one.

Riptide offers what Dead Island’s fans were waiting for: a “more of the same” splatter-gory gameplay with some tiny additions... but not enough to give everyone else something to remember!