This game rose to AAA hype levels based on a trailer that a 3rd party did for them. My chances of it living up to the hype it created - 25%. I predict we'll see a lot of used copies a few weeks after release.

I would wager that roughly 50% of the people who saw the trailer have already forgotten about the game by now.

I've heard you state that before, and I'm not sure I totally agree with you. For one, yes it's not the first time that a game trailer has used pre-rendered CGI instead of in-game footage in the ads -- I still remember how the crowd at a local HI movie theater was wowed by the FMV stuff shown during a FF VII trailer before a movie. This is different though. I really think that the DI trailer presented an emotional story that, if it doesn't pay off in a meaningful way in the actual game, could be considered a serious and intentional misrepresentation of the actual final product. I was trying to think of a good real-life movie trailer analogy. This was the best I could come up with :
<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4ywmoXZwkA0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I chose that one since the trailer makes it seem sort of like a Bourne-inspired action thriller, when the actual movie is more of a slow, meditative European art-house film. But even that isn't really the same since at least those scenes from The American are in the actual movie.

I know not to expect anything like I saw in that trailer, but I'm just wondering if some reviewers might really hold it against them that what they saw isn't going to be what they get. In a way, that trailer might be as representative of the final product as this one below :
<iframe width="420" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KmkVWuP_sO0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

And ghouls, mutants, radioactive scorpions and behemoths. There is just something about zombies by themselves that I find boring. Comparing this to Fallout 3 might be a stretch.

Maybe I should've been clearer. There is definitely the potential for this to happen, for sure. However, IMO of course, any reviewer that goes to this well as a direct reason to discount the game based on actual gameplay vs what the game "promised" will leave me with nothing but eyerolls. If anything, the trailer gives people that are giving the game a lower scoring review and "easy out."

That trailer was 7 months ago and was an obvious buzz grab. It's not like there hasn't been info or real footage between now and then to keep people informed on what the game is all about. Again, anybody still clinging to the idea that the game is going to be some emotional masterpiece because of that original trailer is a fool.

Well there is a actual "Release Trailer" out...

<iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cGnALtczXxA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Well, that is more representative of what I was expecting. But they insisted on repeating that same music, this time to almost comical effect -- it's a little too somber and emotional for chopping hordes of zombies into pieces.

Wonder where they came up with the idea to have huge fat zombies vomiting up geysers of toxic bile at survivors. That was sure an original touch.

BTW : I guess there may be some ESRB issue with the hanging guy acting as the "I" in the game's title, since the box art and other ads don't quite show what we saw in that trailer:


edit : Yup, I was right about that. Here's the article.

The hanging guy doesn't make sense anyway. Shouldn't he be writhing around?

Not to mention a palm frond definitely couldn't handle the weight of a zombie, unless he was severely emaciated. This game isn't realistic at all.

8.0 from IGN

From the video review and the guys comments, it almost seems like they would have given it a 9 or higher.

I dunno. They mention a lot of flaws in the game. An 8.0 seems pretty generous considering how they harp on them.

"If you want to become a braindead zombie watch the Jersey Shore"

Looks fun. I might have bought this at the beginning of summer when the game drought begin. But now with a wave of AAA titles coming I'll wait for it to be at a better price point.

This is my stepping stone before Gears and Batman...just enough time to play it, and sell it for a premium.

I read the review and if anything was surprised about the "7.0" for graphics. Most of the trailers nd video I've seen it looked pretty good to me. On the plus side it doesn't appear to be in line with MOH and finish the game in two days.

I'm still disappointed though with no real pre-order bonus deals. In the BB flyer today they're throwing in a "DVD or BR" of Zombieland

Yeah, I've been interested in this game for a long time, and the "Fallout 3 with zombies" comparisons have me intrigued. But the graphics in all of the previews I've seen have looked pretty cheap. Still, I'd probably jump on any decent pre-order deals, but there are none, so I'll wait for a price drop.

Teamxbox review just went up not long ago......9.0

http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360...ead-Island/p1/

8.5 from Game Informer

Looks like one of those games that probably should've come out this summer or even in spring. It's going to get overshadowed by all the AAA titles coming out soon, even if it has a few week head start.

I'm shocked.

8.5 from Gametrailers

also Co-optimus gave it a perfect score when it came to the coop part...saying that many of the flaws go away in coop...calling it one of the best coop games of the year..

http://www.co-optimus.com/review/839...op-review.html

3/5 from joystiq.

Do you mean that you're shocked by it reviewing so well? If so, I'm in the same boat. I thought for sure it would be a turd.

Yes.