Dead Island combines first-person action with a heavy focus on melee combat, character development and customisation of a vast array of weapons. All of these gameplay features are presented in a dark story inspired by classic zombie movies with a gritty and engrossing campaign that can be played with up to four players in co-op mode.

Set in an open world tropical island, hordes of different festering zombies await players around every corner while they embark on a variety of thrilling missions through the holiday resort. With firearms and ammunition being scarce the player must rely on utilising found items as weapons for self-defense and fight off zombie hordes in intense melee combat. A diverse range of items can be collected and will later serve to transform the player’s ordinary makeshift weapons into serious instruments of destruction.

In addition to satisfying even the most bloodthirsty action fan’s fantasy, Dead Island also features role-playing elements which allow the player to develop one of the game’s unique character classes according to their preferences, all the while learning new skills and fresh tactics during their journey through the perilous environments of the island. What’s more, anytime during a game up to four players can seamlessly join together and experience the intense combat and immersive story with cooperative gameplay.

LionsGate announced that it has optioned film rights from Deep Silver to develop a feature inspired by Dead Island, which became a viral media sensation when its haunting, artful trailer launched in February 2011.  The announcement was made by Lionsgate’s co-COO and Motion Picture Group President Joe Drake. 

The film Dead Island will be an innovation of the zombie genre because of its focus on human emotion, family ties and non-linear storytelling.  Said Drake of the property’s acquisition, “Like the hundreds of journalists and millions of fans who were so passionate and vocal about the Dead Island trailer, we too were awestruck.”  He continued, “This is exactly the type of property we’re looking to adapt at Lionsgate – it’s sophisticated, edgy, and a true elevation of a genre that we know and love.  It also has built in brand recognition around the world, and franchise potential.”

The film Dead Island is currently in the early development stage with producers attached.  Sean Daniel (The Mummy, Tombstone, Dazed And Confused) will spearhead production through his Sean Daniel Company.  A veteran producer with global franchises under his belt, Daniel is to be joined in producing by Stefan Sonnenfeld, who has been a pioneer in the post production field, using the process as a platform to create a unique visual brand with directors including J.J Abrams, Michael Bay and Gore Verbinski.  Jason Brown of The Sean Daniel Company and Missy Papageorge for Sonnenfeld’s Sunny Field Productions are executive producing, with Sarah Perlman of Sunny Field Productions serving as co-producer. 

Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate’s President of Motion Picture Production and Development is overseeing the project at the studio, with Jim Miller, SVP of Production and Development.  Rob McEntegart, Senior EVP of Lionsgate’s Motion Picture Group, negotiated the deal with Deep Silver's U.S. attorney Ed Labowitz.

Features :

• Ultra-realistic combat
  • Intense and amazingly realistic hand-to-hand combat based on dynamic character moves and camera angles
  • Realistic physical reactions of opponents to hits
  • Exceptionally faithful and detailed damage model, showing damaged skin, muscles and even bones
  • Innovative system of targeting and hitting the opponents gives you precise control and a realistic combat feel
• Advanced Artificial Life System
  • AL system allows you to take advantage of instinctive behaviors of groups and individual opponents
  • Living, breathing and dynamically changing ecosystem faced with the destructive influence of a spreading epidemic
  • Realistic and spontaneous NPC behavior
  • Through your actions, actively influence NPC reactions
• Non-linear gameplay
  • Explore a vast, open world of a tropical island, on foot or in vehicles
  • Freedom of choosing your allies and completing tasks that bring you closer to the finale
  • Player decisions influence the way in which the game progresses, making it a multi-threaded story
• Fully Interactive Environments
  • The ability to use all elements of the environment as weapons
  • A liquid, gas and electricity physics simulation system, which allows you to create your own unique ways of eliminating enemies