Dead Island: Epidemic Hits Closed Beta (With A Shovel)

Same-y MOBAs that can't quite manage the raw mechanical majesty of League of Legends and Dota 2 are an epidemic. So how do we cure that pestilence of painful mediocrity? Well, Techland and Stunlock Studios are suggesting we fight an epidemic with an epidemic - a Dead Island: Epidemic, to be precise. It ups the ante with another of the gaming industry's more rampant diseases (zombies) but also puts some fresh meat on the genre's bones with a three-team dynamic and more open maps. Also ramshackle weapons galore, because that is - in the parlance of our time - how Dead Island do.

Dead Island: Epidemic is now in closed beta, and you can register for a chance to join right here. While no beta is eternal, this one will apparently net you items that carry over into the final game.

Here are the things that could, theoretically, set Dead Island: Epidemic apart from the shambling MOBA horde that's slowly taking over the countryside:

• Battle Royale: Epidemic's core mode features 3 teams of 4 battling it out in a competition to grab supplies, hold key points, outsmart the competition and blast through hordes of zombies.
• Booming Action: You have direct control over your hero. No Last Hitting, mouse-click-to-move nonsense here - it's you, good ol' WASD, and your trigger finger, making it easy to hop in, no muss, no fuss.
• Craft Deadly Weapons: Fan favorite crafting is here from Dead Island, helping you get the edge (pun intended) on the competition and build an arsenal to suit your playstyle!

Not exactly revolutionary, but this sounds like an evolutionary step in an interesting direction, at least. It's kinda weird that Dead Island of all series would head in this particular direction, but I suppose this is what spin-offs are for.

Is anyone in the closed beta right now? Is there a hulk zombie of an NDA threatening to devour your tongue if you talk about it? If not, what are your impressions so far?

On another note entirely, I just got that Dead Island: Epidemic's acronym is DIE. I have no idea whether or not the game will be up to snuff, but look out LoL and Dota. DIE is a pretty killer nickname in a genre that lives and dies by them. (No, I don't actually think Epidemic will fell LoL and Dota with its name. Internet jokes are hard, you guys.)