Dead Island trailer shows tragedy in Paradise

By Ryan Fleming May 17, 2011

It wasn’t so long ago that a mostly unknown zombie melee game called Dead Island burst onto the scene, thanks to the help of a fairly astonishing trailer. It isn’t unreasonable to say that the trailer turned the game from “one-of-many” releases to an eagerly anticipated title, and while the trailer was developed by an independent company named Axis Animation, it did its job and got the name Dead Island on people’s minds. One year ago the game was forgotten and relegated to video game limbo, and now it is the focus of a bidding war between Hollywood studios. What a difference a good trailer can make.

The newly released trailer follows the same strategy of the previous clip by focusing on the melancholy world left behind by the destruction and death. The difference is that bits of the gameplay are actually highlighted—or at least in-game graphics.

The trailers are actually a bit misleading though, as the game is more about the action-oriented combat than the emotional toll the setting would take on a person, but that probably won’t matter as long as the game is good. If the trailers can continue to generate interest, they will have done their job—the rest is up to Techland and Deep Silver.

Find out for yourself how the game stacks up when Dead Island is released on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 on August 1.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…

Gaming

How to get fuses in Dead Island 2

A group of survivors looking stressed and annoyed.

eThere are going to be tons of things blocking your progress when trying to escape LA in Dead Island 2. Aside from the, you know, hordes of zombies, you will find plenty of gates and doors that need power to open. Most can be worked around by installing a battery or circuit breaker, but some require something else. Fuses aren't required at any point in the main story, but instead are limited keys that hide away some of the game's best loot. If you've been spotting all these gates and garage doors taunting you to open them, but lack the fuses to do so, we'll tell you how you can get your hands on some in Dead Island 2.
Where to get fuses in Dead Island 2

Unlike batteries or circuit breakers, fuses won't be found anywhere on the map while exploring. Instead, the only way to get these electrical devices is to purchase them. Obviously, your local hardware store isn't open for business anymore, so your options are limited to the vendors you come across such as Carlos in Emma's house or Ezekiel on The Pier. No matter who you get them from, you're going to be paying a premium. Each fuse costs $1,500, and the sellers usually only hold a few at a time. Even if they had the stock and you had the cash, your character can only hold three fuses at a time before needing to spend them to get more.

Gaming

How to fast travel in Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 zombie

In a somewhat curious design choice, Dead Island 2 doesn't feature a fully connected open world. Instead, you go to individual zones that are connected via loading screen as you progress through the game. Early on, this might lead you to think that there's no fast travel function, however, that isn't the case. You don't get the ability to quickly zip between locations for longer than you would in most other games, and it does have restrictions, so here's everything you need to know about fast travel in Dead Island 2.

Gaming

How to complete the Resurrect the Rex quest in Dead Island 2

Dead Island 2 zombie

Despite the world literally and figuratively falling apart around you in Dead Island 2, some (or rather most) of the cast of characters you come across don't seem to take the whole "zombie apocalypse" thing all that seriously. One couple you meet early on in your escapades through the undead-filled streets of LA are particularly nonplussed by the undead horde surrounding their house. This old rock star isn't quite as sharp as he used to be, so when he plans to go pick up some old recordings of his band from a friend's house, what else can you do but step in and offer to do it for him? If you're having trouble finding this washed-up star his old tunes, we'll show you where to look.