A postcard beach, a cocktail in hand, and a walking corpse crossing the pool.

On gut instinct, Dead Island edges out only 22% of games. And yet, look at fun: it climbs ahead of 66% of titles, though on very few votes, so treat it as provisional. Rediscovery and the soundtrack land around average, and so does desert island. But attachment drops very low, art style lower still, and controller feel stays below the pack. That is the tension: you have a good time, especially with friends, but nothing really sticks. The memory evaporates as fast as the stay at the Royal Palms.

Against the survival horror of its era, Techland was not chasing fear but improvised mayhem, taped-together weapons, co-op with mates. It is an honest pitch, and the tropical setting still sets it apart from the usual zombie greyness. What it lacks is the precision and the visual personality the community penalizes here.

So, who is it for? For you if you want dumb, gleeful co-op, upgraded machetes, and an island that reeks of rotten paradise. Much less so if you want a striking art direction or a game that stays with you for years.