Zombies, zombies, zombies. They are everywhere in pop culture these days. So when Dead Island was originally announced, most just yawned and kept it moving. But then that amazing trailer dropped and it became the talk of the town. But just how would the game compare to that trailer? Well, it’s not as an emotionally engrossing experience, but it certainly is fun.

Put it like this, if you threw Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising into a blender, mixed it up and picked out the seedy parts, you’d end up with Dead Island. That’s pretty much what it is. Whether you enjoyed either of those games or not will likely play a major role in how you feel about Dead Island.

In a nutshell, a zombie takeover has hit a tropical island and nobody is safe. You have the option of controlling four characters – including a struggling hip-hop artist who kicks the game off with the laugh out loud “Who Do You Voodoo B*tch!” in the game’s opening sequence – and traverse the massive island from a first person perspective to see just what the hell is going on.

It has the look and feel of an FPS, but 90% of the game finds you taking part in the melee combat. And to be honest, melee combat is really where its at. You can dismember and bludgeon zombies with everything from a machete to a steel pipe. You’ll be amazed at the amount of weapons lingering around. Where the Dead Rising comparisons come in is where you can actually create weapons by finding blueprints. Take that baseball bat and wrap it in barbed wire and voila! There are some really intriguing contraptions that you’ll find as the game goes on so be sure to seek them all out.

Initially, you’ll want to kill everything you see because it feels right. But as the game progresses and the haunting moans begin to get louder, you realize that the best option is to run as fast as you can. It’s certainly an experience that may bear similarities to Left 4 Dead, but the small tweaks are what make it special. Dying is really no big deal, you’ll lose a few dollars (which are used to purchase items or repair broken ones) and respawn close to where you last left off. The main thing here is to gain XP by completing missions and killing zombies so you can level up certain aspects of your character and make it through the game. The game also is a 4-player co-op where friends or other gamers that are close to your level can jump in and help you through the infested island. It’s a pretty seamless transition when somebody joins your game and most of the time people are helpful because it helps them level up by helping you whack zombies. Although the game kicks off with a wide open space for you to traverse, the sewers and closed areas during the final stretches of the game make it feel more claustrophobic and take away from the joy of running crazy through the island.

The game is a blast but is certainly full of flaws that prevent it from being great.

The story is just kind of there to push the game along and shifts to having to deal with humans who want to blow your head off in the later stages. The gunplay is a little clunky but you’ll be happy once you are able to mow down people with assault rifles. Nevertheless, the story is riddled with awful dialog and drab cutscenes, but those are forgiven once you get back to the game play. The driving missions feel awkward, there are stretches of the game that feel entirely too long and it the zombies feel like outcasts from Left 4 Dead. Graphically, the game is really hit or miss. The island is beautiful from a distance, but upon closer inspection there are a ton of glitches and clipping issues. The characters don’t look so hot up close either.

But the good certainly outweighs the bad as it truly is all about the experience that is quite the memorable one. You’ll likely get jolted when a loose zombie catches you off guard and feel the adrenaline when making a mad dash from a batch of zombies looking to take a bite out of you. It will easily take you twenty hours to get through the main story. But if you want to conquer every side mission and explore the massive land, expect to sink in a good forty hours into this one.

What makes Dead Island it the top of the cool meter is the sheer amount of Easter Eggs packed into the adventure. The video game and pop culture references throughout Dead Island are pretty awesome as well and take some work to find. Everything from Friday The 13th and MC Hammer to slick nods to games including BioShock, Halo, Resident Evil and Assassin’s Creed are nestled throughout the expansive world. Finding them all is an extensive process but once you find Jason Vorhees and his chainsaw, you’ll likely be hooked.

Ultimately, the more you play Dead Island, the more you will get immersed into the game. Sure, it’s glitchy as hell and the voice acting and cutscenes leave much to be desired, but considering all that’s stuffed into this tasty morsel of a game, why complain?

Pros

- What’s more fun than gore and zombies?

- The massive map is a blast to rummage through

- Totally awesome Easter Eggs

Cons

- Lame story

- Graphics are wooden, especially during the cut scenes

- Might feel too much like Left 4 Dead

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

The film will only air on July 26th at 19:30 following the film there will be exclusive interviews with the Tekken project director and screenwriter. For a list of participating box office theaters visit www.FathomEvents.com .

The third installment of the Xbox 360 exclusive title “Fable” had high expectations after the last entry missed being great by a few inches. Strangely enough, it improves in areas that needed improvement but has some nagging issues that keep it from becoming great.

The latest entry in the Fable series finds your character awakening in the kingdom of Albion as the “Hero/Heroine.” You are the younger offspring of Fable II’s main character who has to deal with an older sibling who is a royal jerk that just so happens to rule Albion with an iron fist. So you start off fleeing the kingdom due to some bad circumstances and put in the position of building up your own army to overthrow your brother.

The story is decently put together and more tightly knit than the previous installments. As you look to gain the trust of various leaders throughout the game, you’ll find it to be a journey of charm that can become quite engaging. But that’s the exact problem with Fable III.

As with the other Fable games, you have to ability to become a total badass or a hero. But the option to be good or evil is quite the fruitless endeavor – especially considering that the only way to complete to get through your missions is by having people support you. It immediately rips away the appeal of the game but being evil does shape the story in the last portion of the game – which ends up being far too short to truly enjoy. But there are moments where you can commit the most heinous act only to still continue on with the main story as the people trust you. It’s weird and disjointed.

With that being the main feature that many gamers have looked forward to, it’s a major downer to know that it is relatively pointless. However, playing as the good guy is still a fun journey as you are able to interact with people on a regular basis. You can shake hands, belch, hold hands, get married, dance, fart and a number of other options when you interact with the various faces in various towns scattered about.

But the interactions do get redundant and cycle in the same order. So you may find yourself dancing with the same person constantly to try and build their trust. It gets tiresome but still is an interesting part of the game. Even getting married and having tons of kids can become a snooze. It’s interesting at first, but after a while you end up doing the same things over and over.

Graphically the game looks beautiful. That is, until the technical glitches rear their head one too many times. Collision detection stinks and you see the frame rate chugging along far too often for a game that looks this good standing still. It’s like having a beautiful car with a crappy engine.

The combat system is a bit uneven as well. You have the choice of using magic, guns or melee weapons when fighting. But because there is no limit to magic or ammo, you’ll find yourself rarely using the melee weapons provided. Each of your weapons powers up based on your usage or spending orbs that you get by completing various quests. I opted to ignore upgrading my sword and ran through the game relying solely on magic when the going got tough.

But again, the quest is fun and littered with solid dialog and very humorous situations. Once you make it to a position of power in the main story, you are given the task to figure out how to maintain a kingdom while keeping promises to some of the people you have met along the way. This is the meat and potatoes of the game where choices really do matter. Unfortunately, it is only about a ¼ of the game and tucked neatly at the end. Without giving too much away, there are some truly gut wrenching choices that will find people dying one way or another.

In the end, Fable III could have been a great game but is reduced to slightly above average because of one too many nagging issues. It’s worth playing and spending hours on end completing side missions. But it can get old really fast. Hopefully they will work out the kinks for the next installment.

Pros

- Excellent graphics

- The voice acting and humor is spot on

- The journey is deep and the story is the best of all the Fable titles

Cons

- Technical issues bog down the experience

- The good and evil options don’t make sense until the end

- The best part comes in the final quarter of the game

Rating: 2.75 out of 5

A few years back, Crackdown was the surprise hit for Xbox 360. Combining an open world environment with the ability to become a super cop, the game delivered violence and fun like no other. It’s three years later and the sequel is here to give fans of the first game more. But what Crackdown 2 offers is more of the same rather than bringing anything new to the table. It’s still an extremely fun game, but feels more like an expansion pack rather than a brand new game.

Just like the original installment, Crackdown 2 takes place in Pacific City and features your character as a cop with upgradable super powers. So the entire rooftop jumping, car tossing and crazy arsenal of weapons shtick from the first game is back. But now the city is a little worn down with mutants now taking over the city at night. And…well…that’s about all that is different with Pacific City. Your job is to restore order to the decimated city. But the meat and potatoes of the game revolves around blowing sh*t up and chasing ability orbs scattered throughout the city. The orbs will beef up your agility powers and by the end of the game you’ll be jumping 30 feet in the air and launching vehicles at enemies with ease.

Although the hunt for orbs is fun, the story is not. Let’s just say to even say that Crackdown 2 has a story is an insult in itself. Your job is to clear Pacific City of mutants called “Freaks” by activating homing beacons and then setting them off inside of the lair of the “Freaks.” You do this nine times and that’s pretty much it. Yup. That is all. You can do some side missions which consist of occupying “Cell” territory but it is literally the same old same throughout the entire game.

The game mechanics are a bit wonky as well. Targeting is a pain as you can get locked onto a close enemy and detonate a bomb meant for someone off in the distance and find yourself blown up. Driving mechanics are solid but some of the vehicles handle far better than others. Jumping from building to building is cool. That is, until you think you can grab a ledge but you can’t and plummet to the pavement below. It’s annoying as hell but doesn’t completely deter you from the fun aspects of the game.

The melee attacks are cool but nothing spectacular. You’ll spend a majority of your time jumping in the air while using your rocket launcher blow up the bad guys. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, but you wish the game had a little bit more to it.

The multiplayer aspect is solid as up to four people can cooperate on the campaign mode and run around blowing sh*t up together. The multiplayer modes like deathmatch and rocket tag are a little ho-hum and just feel like a missed opportunity to make Crackdown 2 stand out.

Missed opportunity is the name of the game with Crackdown 2. While fun, the sequel feels like nothing more than a minor league upgrade to a game that had major appeal three years ago. Have fun while it lasts because throwing cars will get old sooner or later.

Pros

-          A vast assortment of weapons to pulverize civilians and baddies is always fun

-          Lots of in-game achievements and orbs to keep you busy even after the directionless campaign ends

-          Remains fun and entertaining because of jacked up abilities

Cons

-          The story is non-existent and basically consists of doing the same mission over and over and over again

-          The graphics don’t offer very much in terms of “wow” factor.

-          Seems more like Crackdown 1.5 rather than a sequel

Rating: 3 out of 5

I finally have a minute to sit down and give you all a taste of my first two hours at E3 2010.¬† The amount of shit in the main hall alone is overwhelming.¬† Imagine the floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center packed like sardines with gamers and low AC.¬†¬† I almost want to yell out ‘Who let the dogs out’ and see what happens.

When you walk in, the first set up you see Perfect World Entertainment.  A subsidiary of Perfect World Beijing, they are the leader in publishing and operating massively multiplayer online games. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., Perfect World Entertainment is bringing the pinnacle of online gaming to North American and international audiences.  The best thing about the games?  They are ALL FREE. Honestly, the quality of these games are quite dope, especially for being free.

Battle of the Immortals from NerdLike. on Vimeo.

My next stop was Capcom’s huge space, showcasing their new game DeadRising 2 for the XBox 360, Playstation 3 and Microsoft Windows.¬† Full of blood, gore and of course, a zombie revival, the game is a cross between an action/adventure and role playing game.¬† Their site was quite enticing to the boys in the crowd, as they have a sexy zombie caged in the middle of the booth.¬†¬† Set 5 years in the future of the first release of Dead Rising and coming out on Aug 31, this one looks like it has mass potential.

Then, we have a couple of new releases from Crave Games, featuring updated titles of some slower paced games.¬† Titles such as Deadliest Catch, Brunswick Pro Bowling and Man vs Wild are all available for demo.¬† I can’t lie, I was kind of feeling the Deadliest Catch title;

Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos ™ game is currently in development for Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo Wii™ and the Sony PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Developed by DoubleTap, the game captures the drama and excitement of the Discovery Channel’s Emmy-winning, #1 series Deadliest Catch, challenging players to take on the world’s toughest job, crab fishing.

Brunswick Pro Bowling an interesting surprise, as it will actually support Microsoft’s Project Natal.¬† In essence, it is actually a more Natal-ified version of Brunswick Pro Bowling, the PlayStation Move bowling title revealed earlier this year. While it was essentially inevitable that Natal would receive some kind of bowling game, we can’t help but wonder how strange it will be to pretend to bowl without something to hold on to. If only there was some peripheral, something tangible we could use to enhance the experience. [Like the new CTA Bowling Ball for the Wii]

The Man Vs. Wild title was also debuted here, set to be released for the Xbox 360, Microsoft, Nintendo Wii and the PS3.¬† Developed by game developer Scientifically Proven, the game captures the heart-pounding excitement and realistic nature of the Discovery Channel’s top-rated television series. The game offers five authentic situations in a role play-style adventure, featuring seasoned survival expert Bear Grylls.¬† Only, this time you won’t be making any suspect rafting videos LOL.

Remember your coveted GameBoy you had as a child?  Someone has found a way to turn it into an closure for their coveted grown up Hard Drive.

[Via Boing Boing]

GEEKitty toys are made from felt, with no metal or plastic parts. Every detail is hand-sewn, making each one unique. Every toy is loaded with tempting GeeKitty catnip, which is significantly fresher than the ‘nip in mass-produced cat toys, and your cat can tell the difference.

GeeKitty sent us one of their original Nintendo controllers for felines. Right away the cats jumped all over it [almost causing a cat riot]. It was an instant love affair. The toys are durable and GeeKitty was right, the catnip is impossible for them to ignore!

One of the components that I like best is the ‘controller cable’ attached to the toy.

GeeKitty wants to give your feline friends a toy of their own!¬† 3 lucky NerdLike readers will win one of the toys from GeeKitty’s collection.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit GeeKitty’s shop and leave a comment below letting us know which toy your GeeKitty would love.

EXTRA ENTRIES: Tweet, Digg or Stumble this giveaway and leave a SEPARATE comment below with your status update or username. You may do this once per day, each worth 1 entry.

For an additional entry: Subscribe via RSS with the big orange button up top. Leave a separate comment letting us know!

The giveaway winner will be chosen on Sept 5th.  Good luck!

[Via Heartless Doll]

“Kurt Cobain is one of the most recognizable frontmen in rock ‘n’ roll history and it’s an honor to have two of Nirvana’s masterpieces included in Guitar Hero 5,” said Activision VP Tim Riley. “This is the first time the original recording of ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ has ever been licensed in an entertainment property and we’re thrilled to offer Guitar Hero fans exclusive access to the unreleased live version of ‘Lithium.’”

[Via Geekoloige]

I am so juiced for this. From Rolling Stone…

the game’s design shows “amazing attention to detail” and depicts The Beatles performing in a variety of settings, such as Liverpool and on the “Ed Sullivan Show” stage.

The game is set to drop Sept. 9th, make sure you’re in line for your copy!