Deep Silver talks RPG elements and combat mechanics in Dead Island

Now that the honeymoon with the now famous Dead Island trailer has passed, we're all starting to seriously wonder what  Dead Island will bring to the table to set it apart from the plethora of other zombie games now shambling around the market.  A few of the differences, we've been told, were the emphasis on melee combat and an XP system that brings some RPG elements into the gameplay. Details have been scant, but luckily Aubrey Norris, Manager of Marketing & PR and fabled Rabid Bear Hunter of the North, at Deep Silver spoke to PlayStation Lifestyle recently to talk about these elements with a little more clarity.

On the RPG elements:

Well, for starters, you don’t just have one mission you are sent on in the game. Of course, there is the main quest/storyline that you are following that eventually allows you access to different parts of the island, but there’s also a ton of side quests and people to help. And, every time you help someone, kill a zombie, complete a quest, etc. you get XP, which will allow you to level up upon meeting XP thresholds. When you level, you get several points to dedicate between different skill trees so that you can customize your character and his or her abilities to your chosen playstyle. Combine this with a massive island to explore, thousands of weapons that can also be upgraded and customized and entire black market economy on the island, and we think Dead Island is the perfect amalgam of RPG and zombie action.

On the combat mechanic:

The most important thing with first-person melee combat is that it must be engaging. Swinging your weapon back and forth statically and mowing through enemies the same way each time can get really old really quick. So with Dead Island we implemented multiple unlockable active skills that can be used to provide options in terms of what kinds of attacks can be used. For example, one of Sam B.’s active skills is called “Fury”, where he unleashes a flurry of powerful blows with his fists upon enemies after building up enough to use this skill. So if you’re playing as Sam B, you won’t just be just picking up a plank, swinging it over and over and over. You’ll be doing that, and going into Fury mode, and curb stomping their heads, and more active skills that we haven’t revealed yet.  On top of the active skill system, the combat mechanics are actually set up with the shooter audience in mind. Dead Island isn’t a button masher – you don’t just sit there mashing the X button hoping that it does some cool damage. With Dead Island, you actually aim your blows like you would a shooter. Is there a zombie coming at you with a machete in his hand? Then you can aim your weapon at his arm and cut it off, reducing the amount of damage he could potentially do to you. Just want to go straight for the headshot? You can aim your blows directly at the head and bash it straight in. Don’t want to get too close? Any weapon in the game is throwable, allowing you to keep a safe distance between yourself and your opponent.

In short, the entire thing seems to be setting up nicely. With RPG and combat elements reminiscent of games which are usually much more robust than your typical zombie experiences.  The sidequests and RPG progression of the first Dead Rising comes to mind which will be a fine addition if done correctly and free from some of the major annoyances that were present, such as an annoying save system and the general "busy work" feel many of the missions had.

Combat, on the other hand, is a tricky area. It's rare to see it done right, and I really only see the Condemned series as the ones to make a proper go at it. That system, however, was overly complicated when it came to the deeper levels of the mechanics, and if Dead Island can find a proper balance between that system and something a little more arcade-y, we might have a winner here.

[Source: PlayStation Lifestyle]