This picture isn’t the Dead Island: Riptide collector’s edition. This here’s just a picture of our Nick’s two lovely dogs, Gem and Bailey.

No. I’ve hidden the real image of what comes with Riptide’s EU special edition below the break where it belongs.

UPDATE: Deep Silver have issued an apology which we have included below.

“Warning,” squeaks a sticker that suggests censorship but almost certainly exists only to suggest tee-hee naughtiness within. “Includes content that may cause offence.” Uh-huh.

To what end? Offence serves its purpose, doesn’t it? Sometimes the shock of a good bit of shlock can shake us from our preconceptions – remove us from our day-to-day long enough to consider another perspective. Perhaps that’s what’s happening here. So what’s Deep Silver’s game, selling what they’re calling the Zombie Bait Edition? It must be properly subversive stuff.

“Dead Island Riptide is one of the most anticipated releases of the year and is set to build on the original’s reputation for OTT action, dark humour and brutal zombie bashing,” said Sales & Marketing Director Paul Nicholls.

“We wanted to provide a unique collector’s edition that was utterly ‘Dead Island’ and would make a striking conversation piece on any discerning zombie gamer’s mantel.”

Oh.

And what a conversation! I imagine it would go something like:

“We need to talk about you, son, and the objects you appear to attach sentimental value to. Like this here near naked lady, stripped down to what Deep Silver suggest are her vital organs.”

It’s so knowing: so utterly Dead Island with its OTT action and dark humour.

Worst of all, though, is knowing that just across the pond, US gamers are getting a perfectly nice metal suitcase instead.

FFS.

UPDATE: Through Twitter,Deep Silver have apologised foroffencecaused by the Dead Island:Collector’s Edition. The released statement does not make it clear whether they will continue selling the bundle:

‘We deeply apologize for any offense caused by the Dead Island Riptide “Zombie Bait Edition”, the collector’s edition announced for Europe and Australia. Like many gaming companies, Deep Silver has many offices in different countries, which is why sometimes different versions of Collector’s Editions come into being for North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

‘For the limited run of the Zombie Bait Edition for Europe and Australia, a decision was made to include a gruesome statue of a zombie torso, which was cut up like many of our fans had done to the undead enemies in the original Dead Island.

‘We sincerely regret this choice. We are collecting feedback continuously from the Dead Island community, as well as the international gaming community at large, for ongoing internal meetings with Deep Silver’s entire international team today. For now, we want to reiterate to the community, fans and industry how deeply sorry we are, and that we are committed to making sure this will never happen again.’