Thought you scraped out of the zombie apocalypse by the skin of your teeth? Think again. Dead Island is back in the sequel Riptide. The first Dead Island had some decent visuals but was mostly underwhelming after a spectacular trailer. This time, there was no trailer and almost no hype.

So can this game score well with low expectations this time around? It really seems that it depends on who you ask. One thing that everyone agrees on that this game sure can be buggy and repetitive.

Game Informer (80%): 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.

IGN (72%):  Rather than fix the graphics and the performance problems that plagued the original two years ago, Techland slightly modified the setting and delivered a new character and more content. It’s a fun time, but there are no surprises or killer new features to make it an impressive package.

Eurogamer (60%): For as long as you don’t notice the fundamental flaws in game systems and for as long as you can put up with the instantly forgettable story and mission objectives, this is a game where you can have a lot of fun improvising your way through hordes of the undead.

Destructoid (50%):  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.

GameSpot (40%): There’s no drama, and little excitement. Instead, there’s a rehash of old ideas, combat that’s fun for all of five minutes, and a seemingly never-ending slog of repetitive missions filled with characters that have the emotional depth of a wet sponge. If there were ever a video game equivalent of smacking your head against a brick wall, Riptide would be it.

Dead Island: Riptide is developed by Techland and published by Deep Silver. It’s available on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.