One particularly impressive thing about Techland's "Dead Island" is how it has so far managed to capture the attention of gamers everywhere without much detail being revealed. We know that it is a melee-focused first-person zombie survival game set on an open-world tropical island and we know that co-op play is an option with a total of four playable characters. Wouldn't you like to know a little more though? You would? Good. Hit the jump and you will.
There's a one-page preview in the latest issue of Edge. While it doesn't go into a ton of detail, a few new facts are laid bare. We already knew that the four playable characters are hotel staffer Xian Mei, former rapper Sam B, surfer Logan and Purna, whose identity is a mystery. Edge description pegs her as "a tough-looking female bodyguard," and Logan as "a muscle-bound guy with a mohican."
There is also some talk of how each character possesses a specialized set of skills. Only Sam B, the ex-rapper, is detailed. He is apparently at his fighting best when equipped with heavy weapons, and he is able to enter "fury" mode for short periods of time. During these moments, Sam is able to connect with "killer punches."
The preview also goes into a little bit of detail on the game's special zombies, and even names them. There may be others, but those that were seen include the "vomiting" Drowner, the "explosive, boil-ridden" Suicider, the "charging, straitjacket-wearing" Ram (pictured above) and the Butcher, "which uses exposed arm bones as weapons." It also seems that zombies won't be your only concern on the island; "local gangs and looters" will be in the mix as well.