Isle of the Dead | 1993
Isle of the Dead is a first-person shooter horror video game developed by Rainmaker Software and published by Merit Software in 1993. The game centers on Jake Dunbar, the sole survivor of a plane crash, who finds himself on a mysterious tropical island infested with zombies, controlled by a mad scientist. Dunbar interacts with nonlinear characters to acquire weapons and uses adventure game commands to collect items.
Originally conceived as a hack-and-slash game, Isle of the Dead was developed to evoke the feel of horror pulp comics. A mini comic was included with the game at launch. Reviews were negative, criticizing the graphics, in-game map, and structure. Publications like Computer Gaming World rated it as one of the worst video games of all time.
Isle of the Dead combines first-person shooting and point-and-click adventure elements. The story follows Jake Dunbar as he escapes from a zombie-infested tropical island and seeks to rescue a woman.
Dunbar scavenges for items among the wreckage and explores the beach, moving inland. He can progress by hacking through underbrush with a machete. He interacts with nonlinear characters to obtain firearms, but ammunition is scarce and limited. Items are stored and accessed in an inventory screen. The game transitions from 3D to 2D when acquiring items and uses an adventure game interface with commands like "Look," "Get," and "Use." Instant-death traps exist, such as a scene where a gun explodes if not properly lubricated. Upon finishing the game, Dunbar is depicted committing suicide.
Isle of the Dead was developed by Rainmaker Software and published by Merit Software in Dallas, Texas. The game's concept and design were handled by A. Sean Glaspell, with programming by Bruce J. Mack and Brian Kelsch, and art by Mike Friedman. Although originally intended as a hack-and-slash game, programmer Brian Kelsch was dissatisfied with the game's arbitrary tasks, leading to the addition of a narrative hook for a stronger storyline. Kelsch aimed for a horror pulp comic feel, which is why a mini comic was included. Isle of the Dead was showcased at the 1993 Consumer Electronics Show and released the same year. A port for the Atari Jaguar CD was in development but never released.
After its launch, Isle of the Dead received negative reviews. Sandy Petersen of Dragon criticized the game for its dull difficulty and monotony in zombie combat, giving it a score of zero. Chris Lombardi of Computer Gaming World claimed the game aimed for a campy design but rated it among the worst in adventure games and 3D graphics. Various publications compared it to Wolfenstein 3D, but Petersen rated it much lower. On the other hand, Electronic Games offered a more positive review, stating the game shouldn't be taken too seriously.
Retrospective reviews have also been negative. Kurt Kalata of Hardcore Gaming 101 criticized the game as a "terribly low-quality mess" that combines the worst elements of point-and-click adventure and first-person shooting, pointing out a lack of feedback when taking damage and the death animations. Richard Corbett of PC Gamer criticized the game's structure and in-game map as unhelpful. Adam Smith of Rock Paper Shotgun rated Isle of the Dead as one of the worst games, stating it lacked merit in both theme and gameplay. PopHorror offered a slightly more forgiving review, mentioning that it might be worth downloading if one wants to remember the beginnings of the horror genre in the 1990s.
