Dead Island: Ryder White Review

A Not-so-easy Ride Through the Wasteland

In the world of action survival games, few franchises have managed to capture both critical acclaim and controversy as well as Techland's Dead Island series. Following on from its highly praised predecessor, Dead Islanders are in for a treat with this latest installment – but be warned, things just got even deadlier.

Set several years after the events that left the original game's protagonist barely alive (pun intended), Ryder White is an expansion pack of sorts to the main narrative thread. Players take on the role of – you guessed it! – Ryder himself as he navigates through a post-apocalyptic California, fighting for survival against hordes upon hordes of undead abominations.

Gameplay-wise, not much has changed from its predecessor. The same hack-and-slash combat mechanics are still present and accounted for, with the addition of some new moves to help you dispatch those shambling zombies even faster. Graphically speaking however, things have taken a significant leap forward; Ryder himself looks more detailed than ever before, making every gruesome kill all the more satisfying.

But while these visual improvements do wonders for immersion (and trust me – there's plenty of blood-soaked action here), it’s actually what isn’t included in this expansion that really raises some eyebrows. Gone are the memorable supporting cast members from the first game; instead we're left alone with just Ryder himself as he ploughs through hordes upon hores 'sic' of undead flesh-eaters.

This lack of variety can quickly become tiresome, especially when combined with an overly linear design that feels almost too familiar to anyone who played Dead Island 1. Don't get me wrong – there are some genuinely intense moments scattered throughout; the final boss fight in particular is one for the books (literally speaking, naturally). However, outside of these rare high points, things can feel like Groundhog Day all over again.

It's a shame too because with some judicious editing and perhaps even an additional playable character or two thrown into the mix – hell, even just some proper story progression would've gone miles towards making this expansion worth its salt. As it stands though, Dead Island: Ryder White feels more like a glorified DLC pack than anything remotely close to what fans of the series truly deserve.

Overall rating: 6/10

Recommended for die-hard Dead Island fans only; everyone else may want to look elsewhere... unless you're in need of some good old-fashioned zombie-slaying action, that is.

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