Screamers are a type of zombie featured in Dead Island: Riptide and Dead Island: Epidemic. These zombies have the ability to emit a loud, piercing shriek that can blur the vision of the player and knock the Heroes down or stun them in place as they cover their ears. To make matters worse, their ear-piercing scream will draw Infected and Walkers to the player, who is unable to react unless they move out of the wide range of the Screamer's scream. One is first met in Riptide near the end of the main quest The Crossing, when a cutscene shows a ferry arrives to Pinai Ferry Station after going through most of a zombie horde attack as the boss before taking the ferry to Henderson. They are then later found in various parts of the city as well in Dead Zones.
Appearance[]
In Riptide, the Screamer has two variants. Both appear to have been test subjects seeing that their brains are literally exposed as well as a large metal head brace. There is a possibility that the Screamer was previously institutionalized in a psychiatric ward. This idea is reinforced due to the broken restraints upon their wrists. Additionally, the headgear/restraint denies them of closing their eyes (while humanly alive).
The Screamer bears white hair, which can give away the victim's age as being around their 40's or older, though this could also simply be for its design. One variant of the Screamer wears a tattered green dress which is ripped and exposes their internal organs as bodily damage.
The second variant appears with no shirt nor dress but green slacks/pants. This variant of the Screamer bears the same wounds about their abdomen as their "dress" brethren while adding a few changes to its physical appearance. Green pants replace the tattered green dress, visible stitch-work is present around the shoulders and chest while the areola are missing. They appear to have to been surgically removed from the body as opposed to being eaten, further showing the fact that they were experimented on. Its loud screech could possibilty be an enhanced bronchi or mutation caused by the agony of its head brace.
Behavior[]
The Screamer will stand much like a Walker does when hiding around a corner to grab an unsuspecting person. They will make very few movements other than occasional twitches, again much like an ambush Walker. Upon seeing the player, they will emit a high pitch screech and perform a terrifying skitter across towards the player at a similar speed to an Infected. Luckily, their sight range appears to be as short as a Walker, allowing you space to sneak around them if permitted. Upon reaching the player, they will scream in the players face, causing their vision to blur and the player will put their hands over their ears, preventing them from attacking for several seconds. While the player is defenceless, the Screamer will rapidly attack them in a frenzy like an Infected would. They can been thought of as a support type of infected, as their scream can allow other nearby zombies to close the gap towards the defenceless player, causing even a full health player to be quickly beaten down if surrounded. You can't outrun them but you can out climb them like any other infected. They are easily identifiable from their high pitch screech that can be heard from a long way away, giving you early warning to them.
Strategy[]
- There are very few options when dealing with Screamers. Because of their status as a 'boss' special infected, much like the Thug or Wrestler, there's very little that can one shot them.
- Unlike most other enemies, Screamers are only mildly vulnerable to headshots from firearms. Though the damage from headshots is increased, it is increased by a much smaller amount than with other special zombies. Despite this, using a sniper rifle from a distance is the best way of killing a Screamer without alerting it to your presence.
- Throwables such as grenades or molotovs can be useful against Screamers, especially if you can lure them to below a ledge they can't climb to. When the infected gathers below you (along with any other Walkers or Infected you might have attracted) you can easily dispose of the thing by either blowing it up or burning it to a crisp with a couple of molotovs.
- Failing using grenades or Molotov's, another good way of dealing with a Screamer is to use a shock bomb, which will cause constant electrical damage and stop it from attacking while being electrocuted. If you are feeling very brave or have a high damage electrical weapon, you could even sprint over to it while it is immobilized and try to take it out in the time you have. If you use an electric weapon you might even get another crit and start the process over again.
- Dodging while under the effect of a Screamer's scream has a random chance to cause the Hero to fall. This can actually work to the Hero's advantage, as Screamers (and other zombies) will stop attacking until the Hero gets back up, at which point the scream's effect likely will have cleared. Falling in this way causes no damage or stamina loss.
Notes[]
- 5 can be found in Henderson and usually 1 or 2 in Henderson's Dead Zones.
- It is unclear how the screamer can 'see' its prey as the head brace forces their eyes to remain open, thus rendering it blind. Its possible that it hunts through smells or echo-location.
Trivia[]
- The Screamer's functionality and appearance are very similar to Sirens, an enemy from Killing Floor.
- As seen in one of the gallery images below, the Screamer was also the name used for a prototype Special Infected character intended for inclusion in Left 4 Dead. The character in that game was said to serve a purpose similar to that of the Screamers seen in Dead Island: Riptide, in that he would alert other zombies to the player's location until defeated. A difference between the two games would have been that the Screamers in Left 4 Dead were intended to flee from the player once they had been encountered by them, making it more difficult to silence them. Ultimately they were cut from the final release of the game due to fear that players would be too confused in attempts to track them down in the middle of a much larger horde of infected.
- In the original Dead Island: Riptide, the Screamer had a unique scream animation where it would slow raise its head to scream. This would give survivor enough time to escape its range.
- They work exactly like the Screamers from Dying Light, the only difference being that they're children who are male.
- The Screamer is one of the few zombies to not have a unique Boss Zombie in Dead Island: Riptide. Others being: Rams, Floaters, Suiciders, and Drowners.
- The Screamer is the only female Special Infected.
Gallery[]
