If
Borderlands already didn’t have enough missions are land to cover there’s The
Zombie Island of Dr. Ned to keep gamers busy on a side story that is an
interesting change of pace in a game that is already filled with offbeat
characters and situations that add up to a really good time. With a price tag of
$10 on the Xbox Live Marketplace, this download offers more than enough
zombie-killing action and missions for fans to want to return to Planet Pandora.
After
downloading the add-on, you’ll receive a message telling you that a new locale
is available at anytime and just about the only way to get there is to find a
Fast Travel Station. You are then automatically whisked away to Jakob’s Cove, a
small patch of corporate owned property for the employees of the Jakobs
Corporation. Instead of finding a pretty little town you find yourself standing
before a dark swamp that looks like a nightmarish landscape decorated with
jack-o-lanterns as if the town was celebrating Halloween before the place went
to hell.
You see,
Jakob’s Cove, it seems, was also a science experiment gone awry. What was left
of its inhabitants has become an army of walking dead. It seems that the
corporation has struck a deal with a leading scientist and mad doctor to head
the experiments and it is none other than Dr. Ned … who is not Dr. Zed despite
the striking similarities and the obvious fake moustache. So you find yourself
going on missions to rid Jakob’s Cove of its zombies and other nightmarish
creatures to right the wrongs caused by the experiment.
The zombies,
however, are many and before you know it you will often find yourself
overwhelmed by the number of walking dead. A bit like the Left 4 Dead games,
there are different kinds of zombies such as the one that spits out green goop
that distorts your vision and even slows you down. Thankfully, the game
introduces new weapons right away such as the powerful pistol with a scope so
you can blow their heads clean off. You see, the only real way to kill a zombie
is to shoot them in the head.
The main
missions will take you through various locales in Jakob’s Cove such as the
docks, Jakob’s Lumber Mill, the transport station, Hallows End and Ned’s
Bleeding Heart Infirmary just to name of few areas you’ll be visiting. While the
map is huge, no vehicles are necessary or really offered to get around so you’ll
be able to find all the spots easily to carry out the various missions in the
game.
Speaking of
missions, the main story missions are actually quite lengthy and fun to tackle.
There’s also a message board that the Claptrap robot will happily point out
offers side missions such as the mission that has you looking for a woman’s lost
husband or find some Corpse Eater eggs somewhere in the swamp. You’ll also be
taking on a few bosses, many of which are actually quite interesting such as the
mythical monster known as Pumpkinhead and a Frankenstein’s Monster-like freak.
The bad news
is that The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned doesn’t offer dozens of new weapons nor
does it add new skills and abilities you can use later in the game like, say,
Fallout 3’s add-on missions. What it does do, however, it does well and that is
tell an interesting story and add plenty of gory action that keeps that game so
exciting. Like the core game, Zombie Island isn’t afraid to be outrageous and
because of this it leads to some comical moments in the story. It’s actually a
pleasantly lengthy game too.
What is also
a major plus is that the island doesn’t look like Pandora so the swamp setting
and abandoned buildings are a nice addition. Sure, the zombies don’t look
frightful but it’s a nice change from killing bandits and desert psychos.
The Zombie
Island of Dr. Ned might not add loads of new elements to the main game but it’s
a deliciously over-the-top good time that Borderlands fans should definitely
download. Wildly hilarious and loaded with plenty of interesting boss battles
that adds to the delightfully absurd feel of the main game, you will love the
new zombie-filled territory and missions.
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Gameplay: 8.2
Jakob’s Cove is
an interesting Halloween-themed landscape overrun by zombies and, of course, the
zany Dr. Ned who will send you on a number of missions in various areas. There
are a few new weapons to use but the main attraction here are the zombies and
the fun boss battles.
Graphics: 8.5
The dark swampy
locale and the interesting scatter of jack-o-lanterns makes Jacob’s Cove a
rather visually intriguing place to visit and the zombies look appropriately
freaky. You’ll just love the visually striking bosses in the game.
Sound:
8.5
The game does the
atmosphere right with the croaking of unseen frogs in the swamp and the
occasional intercom chatter in the background. While it’s not as creepy as other
games, the zombie sounds will creep you out. Thankfully, the dialogue is
absolutely hilarious.
Difficulty: Medium
These zombies
aren’t always easy to bring down and the more than gang up on you the more
likely you’re going to be starting a mission from the beginning. Some boss
battles will actually not fail to challenge you.
Concept: 8.5
There is a
generous amount of main quest and side missions to take on as well as an
assortment of zombies to fight. The new scoped revolver is a handy gun that
you’ll be glad to take back with you if you haven’t finished the Vault main
mission.
Multiplayer: 9.0
Borderlands is so
much more fun with up to four players and Jakob’s Cove isn’t any different.
Besides, you will want to take on these zombies with some solid backup rather
than go at it solo.
Overall: 8.2
A thoroughly
enjoyable and action-filled story, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned should be on the
top of your Must Download list for those who want to extend their Borderlands
experience. It’s offbeat and comical but you will have a great time so if you
own the game you should certainly download this mission.
