The opening prerendered cutscene, which shows a few signs of the outbreak, already there using the 1st person perspective(every single one from there on breaks that otherwise consistent view, which can't be changed when driving or any other situation, and they're prerendered, but the communication might as well have been like when accepting/declining/briefed. It's just them arguing over what to do next, and without the four speaking, we wouldn't have to suffer through as much of the bad dialog spoken by cardboard cutouts), has you drunk and stumbling through a party(a concert playing Who Do You Voodoo, a bad rap, but, hey, that's the state of mainstream hip-hop music today), where you meet all four main characters, which makes it feel strange when you wake up in your room at the resort after a night of heavy drinking. I guess after that person did that, each of them did the same
? At first, I wasn't entirely sure I was already playing as the one I had chosen. Each of them specializes in a specific type of weapon, such as blunt, bladed, throwable. They have detailed, sad backstories, as well. They are fairly silly, and quite stereotypical, though. And never come up or make a difference in the plot, you can ignore it entirely. Other than what they say when you pick items up or say yes/no, you forget who you even chose, other than the benefit they give, unlike Left 4 Dead, which this so badly wants to be and isn't, where they're distinct and well-rounded. Anyway, you're attacked and bitten but not infected, rescued and resuscitated by the first of a number of groups of survivors(sidemission sources, I skipped all I could and completed this in 15 hours, and there's no real replayability, too repetitive for that. Sure, you can start over, maintaining your stats), and you start helping them out, progressing the forgettable "story". Forget that emotional, involving cinematic trailer, this is nothing like that.
You can play single player, but the drop-in/out co-op is where it's at, 4 person but you can all choose the same character. In part because of that, the saving is purely by checkpoint. And that is where I run into most of the bugs: it crashed twice, three times it removed use of the keyboard – and that's not counting the many times where it did before the menu. And this barely allows you to complete the last fourth or so by yourself, ugh. Strangely, about half of the people are comfortable in the situation, the other half are begging forgiveness for the kill they had to make, asking what are these things, real tonal whiplash. You'll go on (mostly fetch) quests. And escort, of course, complete with the AI throwing themselves into fights they can't win! Near the climax, there are 80 minutes of this that are almost a single, long uninterrupted one! Not to mention how this sends you back and forth, using the same, largely linear, route, over the island(until after the first act
after that, it's a slightly rundown city, there's a jungle, and you wonder what happened to the concept we were promised: paradise with a spreading sense of death and hopelessness), rather than truly allowing the open world it claims.
This has an emphasis on mêlée combat, yet unlike Contagion, there's only one type of attack with mêlée, and no charging, except for when it decides that's what it wants to let you do meaning you can't always depend on it to do what you need it to, smack, slash, "gun-butt". There are simple combos, hit in right time to do special damage. That is, however, where the other of the main draws appear. The game's enemies were rendered to have fully modelled layers of meat and muscle, meaning they have a multi-layered damage system with real-time injuries. You can take off limbs independently, hands, arms, decapitate, in bloody, gory fashion, and can eliminate/limit the attack options of them. Inventory size: 9 on level 1, offered to swap currently equipped to new one found, and may not accidentally do so, hold Use key. Slots aren't taken up by objective items, or, well, anything other than weapons. The quick or wheel isn't that swift, you have to move the mouse to choose
why not left/right, which you can't use in that instance anyway, up/down? And you can only cycle weapons one way! Also, why doesn't it instantly equip a new weapon to empty slots, that can't be done with a click or two. Incendiary kills fast, but you can be hurt by the fire. You can craft, adding nails, poison, electricity, a buzzsaw to name a few. This has experience-based gameplay and character customization, though options are quite limited, it is more character selection rather than "customization".
There is also a stamina bar, meaning that after a set amount of physical action, such as running, jumping, or swinging, you need to stop to regain it, meaning that having a fight with tougher and/or more numerous foes will result in you often running out and getting killed. Kicking is useful, it never "wears down", similar to the guns(pistols, assault rifles, etc. And ammo falls into your lap early on, which along with running others over and firing from a car almost makes this feel like Grand Theft Auto IV) available a quarter through, you never have to switch shoes, which seems like an exploit. You can use it to make them fall. Stomp away their head of a downed one, albeit it takes 2 or 3 seconds, leaving you vulnerable. This features "special class" undead, which are more powerful than the standard ones. They aren't memorable and feel like rip-offs.
In addition to what I've already mentioned, there is a lot of disturbing content and a moderate amount of strong language in this. I mildly recommend this to those who want to be taking apart zombies with friends in a kinda sorta RPG title. 5/10
