oligibbons

Just awful! Feels incredibly lightweight and arcade-esque. Lacking in so many area, and one thing that epitomized this was when not in a cut-scene, conversations between characters feature only text and no sound. For a game released in 2010, this should be standard. I would call this game lazy, mindless and unplayable. An absolute waste of my money.

After month and months of anticipation for this game, it really took me by surprise to see the terrible reviews that this game got. After playing it myself, I thought it was best to review it myself. I love(d) the game, but that's not to say there aren't a few issues with it. Yes, the co-op match-making is a little uneven and the co-op mode as a whole is a little factured at the time of writing this; and there may be a number of glitches throughout the game in general; also, the game engine does seem to struggle with the more complicated renders; but these are only minor, superficial problems that have no real impact on the overall game. Also, Techland are working tirelessly at the moment to bring updates that will fix these issues. There are plenty of positives in this game, that people seem to ignore - For example, the vistas are beautiful! There is nothing better than strolling along the beaches of paradise, before taking on a horde of the undead. Also, the atmosphere that is created can be chilling to say the least - This is best shown in close quarters though; especially in the dark. Furthermore, the sheer desperation shown by NPCs really gives you a sense of panic and despair. The soundtrack does a lot to carry this as well. I've seen people complain about the fact that there is too much money on the island -- You are in a holiday resort for the best part of the game. Whenever I go on holiday, I tend to have a lot of money on me as well... It's something that you would expect to find in this situation. Also, people have been complaining about the fact that so much has been "borrowed" from other games, such as levelling systems as well as skill trees... It makes the game better than it would be without it, so I don't see how you can complain at something that improves the game. That said, there could definitely be a lot done to improve the unrefined look of the game. But to a degree, it is this "rough-around-the-edges" charm adds character to the game, in the same way it did to Fallout 3. And on the topic of Bethesda's Game of the Year title, a lot was made of the comparison's between the two as it approached launch, and I saw more that slight flickers as to why this was - Needless to say, the expansive and desolate open-world map is of a similar vein, but the minimalist feel that lets the game breathe for itself is also striking between both games. This game is definitely not for everyone. But if you are looking for a game that you can lock yourself in your room for hours on end, with the windows closed and the volume turned up as you completely immerse yourself into a frightening world, then this could be the game for you. However, if you are looking for a refined masterpiece, a la Red Dead Redemption, then this isn't for you. You can't even think of tackling this game without a forgiving mindset, so if you treat this game kindly, it will reward you with a very very satisfying ride.