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Dead Island Producer Discusses Realism And Tone
GDC yielded our first look at Dead Island in action. Many attendees, including myself, noticed a perceived tonal discrepancy between the dramatic trailer and the lighthearted play session.
When we asked about the nature of the game, representatives responded that the action genre would dictate the direction, but that mature and serious moments would be found.
Speaking to Eurogamer, Deep Silver producer Sebastian Reichert has further clarified the issue of Dead Island's tone.
“It gives you the feeling about the world we are in,” Deep Silver producer Sebastian Reichert said, speaking to the nature of the trailer.
“Our main approach is you have a realistic...I don't want to say sad approach, but due to the fact it's a harsh topic and you are forced to do awkward things, our game doesn't want to be funny. It's a gritty game.”
“You have some characters who are funny because the way they handle their stress is over-the-top comments. But the feeling of the trailer is something we have in the game all the time,” Reichert continued. He was likely referring to the character demoed, who spouted expletives and one-liners while punching heads off of zombies.
He continued by clarifying that the game will cater to fast-paced and brutal play. “This is something the trailer shows. The father has to be brutal to save his kid. The trailer works great.”
Reichert concluded by hinting that the scene from the trailer is somehow grounded in the video game, but that he wouldn’t say more so to avoid spoiling Easter Eggs.
You can read the full interview here.
On a personal note, I’ll be the first to admit that a concrete judgment on the tone of a game can’t be made from a half hour demo. That being said, if Deep Silver wanted to reinforce the mature, realistic, and gritty aspects of the game, perhaps they picked the wrong character to debut gameplay. My co-workers laughed through the bulk of the demo – a red flag for a game that isn’t supposed to be funny.
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