Dead Island Awakens in September

[Ocelot]

If zombies hunger for brains, why are they attacking an alcohol-soaked spring break beach party? This question sadly goes unanswered in Dead Island's E3 trailer.

[Story]

[SiliconNooB]

There is so much coming this year. It's kind of great, but also overwhelming.

I remember when I used to be able to remember the games I wanted for the year, and their approximate release schedule - well no more!

[MasterChief]

OK, didn't see a lot of RPG there, and damn if zombies aren't just overdone at this point. Gonna wait for more info to get excited.

[DarkRPGMaster]

OK, didn't see a lot of RPG there, and damn if zombies aren't just overdone at this point. Gonna wait for more info to get excited.

This. I need more info before I become excited in terms of RPG player. Does have my interest in terms of my zombie surviving side, though.

[SiliconNooB]

It's going to be about as much RPG as the Dead Rising games (which actually seem to be better representatives of the genre than Mass Effect 2 and possibly 3).

[EmperorZorn]

Zombies are way overdone.

I'm glad that we are getting at least some RPGs that attempt to use less common themes and settings.
Titles such as Skyrim (finally an RPG set in the frozen north) or Risen 2 (a pirate RPG with muskets and voodoo).

[Drav]

Does this game have any RPG elements beyond experience points? Branching plotlines? Reputations systems? Moral choices? Rhetorical questions?

[Rya.Reisender]

Well, JRPGs have no branching plotlines, reputation systems and moral choices either (usually).

[Drav]

Ok, but it's not really competing with JRPGs. Not for my attention, anyway.

[Ocelot]

According to the devs, it has a bunch of side quests, a large open island to explore, customizable skill trees, and a weapons upgrade/customizaton system.

So not so much RPG in the narrative "choices and consequences" sense, but more in the action-RPG mechanics. Kinda like Borderlands. Not my cuppa tea, but it hits on a few of our RPG definitions, anyway (note that I am posting this in response to a reasonable query about the game's mechanics from ThroneofDraviaris, not to open up a general debate about our coverage decisions in this thread).

[Drav]

Looks like I'm waiting for Dead State then. Or whenever that other one with permadeath is getting done.

[Ocelot]

Yeah, Dead State looks more like a traditional WRPG.