Water also has gameplay implications. In a mid-game mission Techland demonstrated, survivors drained a flooded a church in order to get to the catacombs beneath. The very loud pump used to relocate the water attracted nearby zombies, and a lengthy wave-based battle ensued. Riptide introduces a few new mechanics here, including a new weapon in the proximity mine and construction elements, a la Call of Duty's Zombies mode. You can build fences (or use them to trip zombies) to keep your team safe, as well as relocate mounted machine-guns to tear down the masses.Riptide is a lateral move for Dead Island -- it's not a sequel so much as an expansion pack-like continuation. You won't find innovative new mechanics or a new cast of characters wielding wacky new weapons. Instead, you'll have the same cheesy characters spouting off silly one-liners. You'll use the same UI to swap between custom weapons. You will, however, be able to import your save game and skills to continue leveling up, earning new skills on the higher end of the expanded skill tree.
If you're committed to Dead Island already, you're in for a treat. Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor for IGN's Xbox 360 team. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.