Dead Island: Definite Edition, review, Ps4, Xbox One: 'Updated graphics can't save this dated game'

There’s something about the “Definitive Edition” tag. Yes, there are plenty of old games that have benefited from being finessed for the PS4 or Xbox One, their graphics polished and bugs smoothed out. But in some cases, it seems like an admission. Why wasn’t the original version the “definitive” one? How much did you screw it up?

These are two questions that hang over Dead Island: Definitive Edition, which features three games: the original, its semi-sequel Riptide, and a new 2D endless runner Retro Revenge. The first two are very similar – Riptide is known as a “semi-sequel” because it’s essentially an oversized DLC – and as such, they are similarly flawed.

Both revolve around the same characters, collectively known as “The Immune. In Dead Island, they band together after becoming trapped on the idyllic holiday resort of Banoi during a rather nasty outbreak of zombies. In Riptide, they come together after becoming trapped on the nearby island Palanai, although they now have a few more weapons and access to tower defence systems.

When Dead Island was first released in 2011, it was met with a strange mix of disappointment and success. People had been spellbound by its slow-motion trailer, in which a family is torn apart by zombies in reverse.

As it turned out, this game didn't actually exist. Dead Island and Riptide instead ended up relying on a hokey array of arcade-style characters to carry their uninspiring plots. Missions mostly involve a request from a character to “go here and bring this back,” dialogue is atrocious (“Who do you Voodoo, bitch?” being a personal favourite) and, despite being open world RPGs, movement is very limited. As one of the developers who worked on Dead Island was quoted as saying years later: “You have a knee-high wall, which your grandma could climb over, but you [can’t]”.

All of these problems still exist in the next-gen reboot, but now you can experience them with better graphics and an improved frame-rate. Which raises the question: “If this is the ‘definitive’ version, how bad was the original?”

Critics were mostly down on Dead Island when originally it came out. But it was still a very successful game, selling 5m copies, a record for Techland. What this proves is that, if there is enough varied zombie smashing to be had, then people are willing to wade through all the flaws.

Dead Island and Riptide do have redeemable features (unfortunately, the same can't be said for the endlessly dull runner Retro Revenge). The skills tree that you unlock as you develop your character adds purpose to the mayhem and makes everything gradually more satisfying. When you finally manage to get your hands on proper weapons, the ensuing carnival of dismemberment can be great fun.

The main problem with this bundle is how much things have changed since the original Dead Island and Riptide releases in 2011 and 2013. If you want a completely immersive, open-world zombie game, then you should buy Dying Light. It’s the game Techland wanted Dead Island to be but didn’t get the chance at the time. The visuals are stunning, the storytelling compelling, and you’re able to run, jump and climb all over the city while developing your character's attributes. Like the original Dead Island trailer, it’s also genuinely horrifying and lingers expertly on the human tragedies that have unfolded.

Dead Island and Riptide are both too flawed to warrant visual updates, as their problems go far beyond graphics. With the depth newer games offer compared to several years ago, the fundamentally thin Dead Island series now seems almost as dated as the Retro Revenge add-on.