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Dead Island Definitive Edition for PS4 only includes first game on disc [UPDATED]

You'll have to download Riptide and Retro Revenge in order to play them.

David Craddock

May 26, 2016 1:45 PM

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Update [3:30p Pacific]

GameSpot reached out to Deep Silver for clarification, and the publisher responded with the following statement. "There are limitations where you are unable to have multiple multiplayer experiences on the same disc, unfortunately we can’t comment further."

Original Story Follows

Rocket science is difficult to understand. So, apparently, are the constructs of PS4 and Xbox One discs. In a series of tweets, publisher Deep Silver revealed that the PS4 edition of Dead Island Definitive Edition will include the original game on the disc, but players will have to hit up PSN.

"On XB1 it is on the same disc. PS4 discs don't support multiple games, so there Riptide comes as a download code. It will install the 3 games on the hard drive and you can select the one you want to play (or pin them individually)."

Dead Island Definitive Edition also includes Dead Island: Retro Revenge, a 16-bit-style endless runner also ostensibly accessed separately.

The publisher's explanation didn't jive with users, who pointed out that other PS4 compilations such as Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Deep Silver's Metro Redux managed to bundle multiple games on a single optical disc.

"We could've worded that better," Deep Silver admitted in a later tweet. "You need a separate menu, you can't just put two games on disc the same way as on XB1."

Then... why not create a separate menu, as the publisher did for Metro Redux?

Regardless of the answer, Dead Island Definitive Edition goes on sale on May 31 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Editor's opinion: This story is gaining traction for all the wrong reasons. Splitting games in a collection between physical and digital media isn't a huge deal, but Deep Silver's terse replies are only digging a deeper hole. Rather than firing off insubstantial replies, the publisher should provide a more detailed explanation that justifies what's looking more and more like lackadaisical execution.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.