Dead Island Riptide
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Developer: Deep Silver
Rating out of five: **
Released in 2011, the open-world survival-horror game Dead Island was marred by bugs and glitches, but underneath sub-par production values there were moments of gleefully unedifying, macabre fun.
Dead Island Riptide sees the four playable survivors of the fictional holiday resort Banoi abruptly marooned on yet another infected island.
Returning developer Techland has ironed out many of the bugs for the sequel; however, the much-touted dynamic weather effects often, and awkwardly, turn a verdant, sun-drenched vista into a sodden rainstorm within seconds.
An instantly forgettable new protagonist also joins an expanded roster of zombie mutants, and the introduction of hub-defense missions offers a brief respite from the tedium of repeatedly fetching item x for person y.
While there's still a gratifying core to the uniquely visceral first-person combat, even the well-crafted exotic environments and support for online co-op cannot mask what this really is: a cynical retread of its predecessor, which will leave you wanting something with a lot more brains. - The Independent