History VideoGame / DeadIsland

** At the start of the game, you can find the two of them dead in there hotel room.

* [[MadeofIndestructium Made of Indestructium/Artistic License - Trucks]]: driving the trucks on the roads, you can use them to flatten any undead which are unfortunate enough to get in your way. This will eventually smash the windows and cause smoke to billow from the engine, but the vehicles are still perfectly drivable in this condition[[hottip:*: The trucks are actually pretty effective for handling Thugs, which can be a nuisance to deal with on foot]]. So far so good - you can also drive them down cliffs onto the beach, and you can even drive them [[BeyondTheImpossible through the sea and back onto land]] with no ill effects. They'll even fit on the wooden walkways between the shacks - with a little persistance[[hottip:+:You can get 'stuck' on bits of scenery, but you can often get free if you drive alternatelyy forward and backwards while steering hard, like you're doing a 3 point turn]], you can drive most of the way out to Svetlana.

* AndIMustScream: The manual states that Suicider zombies still retain some awareness, but they are driven by a primal urge to explode near uninfected survivors. Particularly horrible considering what Suiciders look like. Much {{Squick}} ensues.

* KatanasAreJustBetter: Katanas are probably the best sharp weapons in the game, with a very long reach, high damage, and surprisingly good speed (most long-reach weapons are slow as hell). On the downside, they're extremely rare; in most playthroughs you'll only find 2 in the entire game from quest rewards, though merchants will have one now and then.

* UnwinnableByMistake: Pre-ObviousRulePatch, [[spoiler:[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-Q20jhv29o Chapter 14, Pure Blood.]]]] An EscortMission where the DemonicSpiders are more interested in your escort then they are you. The Unwinnable part? Every other mission in the game permits SaveScumming - zombies that you kill are still dead when you revive, as DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist. Here, every time your escort is killed, ''all the zombies resurrect.'' Nasty, but just a case of TrialAndErrorGameplay, right? Wrong. '''Weapons damaged, ammo spent and health kits used in previous attempts remain so.''' You will eventually run out of all three, leaving you to fight a horde you couldn't beat fully armed with [[WarringWithoutWeapons your bare hands]]. The developers responded by removing Butchers from enemy spawns and changing the escorts to InvulnerableCivilians.

* BoringButPractical: Your spring-loaded neck boot, or 'mighty foot.' The amount of damage it does is pretty low but you don't get exhausted while using it, it can't be interrupted, and it has a pretty decent knockback. You will use it a lot to make the most common opponents fall before killing them, saving your real weapons for truly dangerous monsters.

* FakeDifficulty: The inventory system is arbitrary to the point of distraction! There's no weight limit, so you can carry any amount of pretty much anything you find (although see GameBreakingBug below). Fair enough, except for health items like an Energy Drinks and Fruit - if you pick these up, you will eat them immediately, so take care to remember where they are in case you need to run back for them when you get clobbered by a Thug. And also, you can only carry up to 12 weapons (expandable up to 18 as you level up), so get used to dropping perfectly serviceable knives and guns as you find new or better ones. And, oh, yeah - Medkits and Alcohol count as weapons too! And, of course - Champagne doesn't count as Alcohol, so you can carry as much as you like! [[FlatWhat What.]]

* FakeDifficulty: the inventory system is arbitrary to the point of distraction! There's no weight limit, so you can carry any amount of pretty much anything you find (although see GameBreakingBug below). Fair enough, except for health items like an Energy Drinks and Fruit - if you pick these up, you will eat them immediately, so take care to remember where they are in case you need to run back for them when you get clobbered by a Thug. And also, you can only carry up to 12 weapons (expandable up to 18 as you level up), so get used to dropping perfectly serviceable knives and guns as you find new or better ones. And, oh, yeah - Medkits and Alcohol count as weapons too! To use a medkit - swap out one of your weapons, 'arm' the medkit and press fire![[hottip:*:This applies to Alcohol too, except that getting drunk has no obvious advantages, so you'll probably only do it once or twice.]] And, of course - Champagne doesn't count as Alcohol, so you can carry as much as you like! [[FlatWhat What.]]

* LonelyPianoPiece: This game uses it a LOT.

* BoringButPractical: Your 'mighty foot.' The amount of damage it does is pretty low but you don't get exhausted while using it, it can't be interrupted, and it has a pretty decent knockback. You will use it a lot to make the most common opponents fall before killing them, saving your real weapons for truly dangerous monsters.

* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: The entire main cast. The family that gets killed in the trailer aren't playable characters. Justified, since they all, you know, die. You do find them dead in their hotel room at the beginning.
** The launch trailer is the first trailer to show the {{Crew}} working together.

* GunsAreWorthless: As expected of a game focused on melee combat. You can find your first gun from an escort quest in Act I, and pistol ammo from a cop car near the hotel, but it's not worth it to rely on it right away. Not that it matters, as guns are on average weaker than the melee weapons you find, random ammo is hard to find, and headshots don't do extra damage against zombies.
** NotCompletelyUseless: However, against human enemies, headshots are a one-hit kill, and 99% of them carry guns and bullets, making ammo a non-issue.

* GunsAreWorthless: As expected of a game focused on melee combat. You can find your first gun from an escort quest in act 1, and pistol ammo from a cop car near the hotel, but it's not worth it to rely on it right away. Not that it matters, as guns are on average weaker than the melee weapons you find and headshots don't do extra damage against zombies.

* GunsAreWorthless: As expected of a game focused on melee combat. You probably won't find your first gun until Act II and ammo is very scarce. Not that it matters, as guns are on average weaker than the melee weapons you find and headshots don't do extra damage against zombies.

* ChainsawGood: Averted: Dead Island is a rare example of a ZombieApocalypse where a chainsaw is NOT an option to kill them with.
* ChunkySalsaRule: Both played straight and averted. Due to gameplay mechanics, the zombies in this game ''cannot crawl'', so chopping or breaking their legs will instantly kill them. Shooting/Smashing/Cutting their head off is also an instant kill, but this trope is averted with the stronger zombies from Thugs upward. Thugs can have their legs and head destroyed, but only if it actually is the killing blow. Rams, floaters, and butchers can't be maimed at all due to their special designs. As for Suiciders, well, they [[InvokedTrope invoke it upon themselves.]]

* MusicalSpoiler: Well, an audible one, at any rate. Each zombie type has it's own distinct sound. Walkers moan and groan; Infected will wail and shriek; Thugs give a low, drawn-out roar; Rams sound like a struggling bull who's having a hard time breathing; Floaters gargle and cough as they try to clear the fluid out of their lungs; Suiciders give a spine-chilling sigh as they exhale (that is, when they're not using what's left of their humanity to ask you to make the pain stop); and Butchers hyperventilate.

* ChainsawGood: Averted: Dead Island is quite possibly the first ZombieApocalypse video game featuring melee weapons where a chainsaw is NOT an option to kill them with.

* BulletTime: Killing an enemy with a critical hit will slow down time for a second to let you see what part of their body is being blown and ripped to pieces by your weapon. Especially satisfying on Human

* AndIMustScream: The manual states that Suicider zombies still retain some awareness, though driven by a primal urge to explode near uninfected survivors. Particularly horrible considering what Suiciders look like. Much {{Squick}} ensues.
** When you get close to them, they say "Help me."

** One woman and her compatriots seem perfectly content getting drunk inside a bungalow with an unbarred door, on a beach full of zombies. She'll even give you Diamonds if you fetch booze for her.

* DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist: Despite the relatively hardcore nature of the game, dying entails a small money penalty and that's it.

* FanDisservice: Tons of bikini-clad chicks in this game? Awesome! Wait... they're almost all undead berserkers? Not so awesome...

* KatanasAreJustBetter: Katanas are probably the best sharp weapons in the game, with a very long reach, high damage, and surprisingly good speed (most long-reach weapons are slow as hell). On the downside, they're extremely rare; in most playthroughs you'll only find 2 in the entire game, both side-quest rewards.

* SuperDrowningSkills: Hilariously, despite the fact that the zombies are, you know, ''zombies'', they still suffer continuous damage if they get fully submerged.

** If you join somebody else's game, it gives you the opportunity to have two of the same character running around.

* HealingPotion: Energy Drinks, candy bars and apples will heal any wound.