Dead Island was arguably one of the most strangely received games, with some fans loving it and claiming it to be Game of the Year-worthy, while others couldn’t stand playing it. The game’s follow-up, Riptide, is finally here, but does it suffer a similar fate?

The game currently holds Metascores of 64, 60 and 69 on PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 respectively, while holding 66.17, 62.12 and 67.40 ratings on GameRankings.

It looks like Dead Island: Riptide is sitting somewhere in the middle of the ratings board, but what are critics saying about the game?

IGN: 7.2

“Dead Island Riptide is more of the same, and while that means flaws, it also means gory dismemberment fun.”

GameSpot: 4.0

“Riptide is dumb, and mind-numbingly slow, and somehow manages to make the art of zombie-slaying feel like utter tedium. And if slaying zombies isn’t fun in a game that’s all about slaying zombies, why bother?”

GamesRadar: 4/5

“It’s addicting zombie-slaying action, dozens of interesting weapons, and immersive qualities far outweigh its dull story and occasional technical hiccups, the latter of which pale in comparison to those of the original.”

Game Informer: 8.0

“Riptide’s flaws are many, but they couldn’t hold me back from having a blast. Few games nail the visceral feel of melee combat and co-op fun like Dead Island. At its worst, an annoying hiccup breaks the immersion of the grizzly trek through a zombie-infested paradise. At its best, Riptide hits the same high notes as the original.”

CVG: 5.9

“Not as good as it looks in the travel brochure. Iffy level layouts, unimaginative quests and monotonous combat prevent a promising cauldron of RPG, survivor-horror and FPS elements from reaching boiling point.”

Eurogamer: 6/10

“What makes that so sad is that this feels like a series only a few great decisions away from being really good. A better script with a sense of humour, a bit more imagination in quest design, more coherent inventory management and character development… These things shouldn’t be unattainable goals for a developer that must be flush from the unexpected success of the first game. If there is to be more Dead Island – and I wouldn’t object to that – then those things must be high priorities for it to avoid another mauling.”

VideoGamer: 5/10

“Riptide is yet another missed opportunity, and just too painfully average, wonky and padded out with filler to truly recommend.”

OXM US: 7.5

“While it’s got some irritating rough patches, Dead Island: Riptide’s 15-hour campaign still manages to be a lot more fun than it has any right to be.”

EGM: 6.0

“Newcomers to the franchise will likely be more forgiving of many flaws, much like many of us were with the first Dead Island, considering the fun zombie-bashing core and unique dichotomy of an apocalypse in paradise has remained intact. Veterans of the first Dead Island, on the other hand, will feel cheated, as they’ll recognize the cheap carbon copy that Riptide actually is. Combine this with glitches galore and a plot with more holes in it than the sinking ship the game starts off on, and it’s hard to recommend Riptide to all but the most naïve of zombie enthusiasts.”

Destructoid: 5/10

“Is Dead Island: Riptide a fun game? At times, yes. In terms of raw combat and power fantasy, it’s just as good as Dead Island … and it’s just as bad at the same time. The bottom line is that there’s no excuse for it not being superior. Being “just as good” isn’t good enough, especially not when Dead Island had things on its side that Riptide doesn’t. Those new to the series entirely will likely not notice the problems quite so much, and be as forgiving to it as newcomers were to Dead Island. While Riptide banks on you having loved the first, in actuality you have a lot more to gain if you’ve never touched it.”

So what’s your view on Dead Island: Riptide? Will you be picking it up this week? Dead Island: Riptide is featured as one of MyGaming’s games you can play this week.

More Dead Island news:

Dead Island: Riptide banned from Germany

Dead Island: Riptide release date revealed

Dead Island Riptide announced to continue battle between life and death

Dead Island review (PS3)