A solid, gory, zombie hack N slash game, with stunning graphics and more weapons you can shake a pole at!
Dead Rising takes place from the perspective of a photojournalist as he willingly traps himself in a mall. While most of us would rather be trapped in a mall in the same way Frank Whaley was once trapped in a mall, this game is about something else, so don't get your hopes up about seeing Jennifer Connelly. The game features, on the surface, a gory slash fest of zombie killing enhanced by the setting. The whole mall is yours to explore and leverage against the undead horde sporting goods, electronics, toys, furniture, footwear, you name it. In many ways, a toolbox of goodies like that would offer plenty of play time, but Dead Rising offers a lot more. The opening scene, for example, is one of the most immersive, intriguing beginnings to a game in quite some time. It's not driven by the main character, but rather by his role as the everyman. Aside from his relatively exciting profession, he's not that much different from the rest of us. He's an ordinary man who chooses to put himself in extraordinary situations, and his perspective makes for a refreshing change of pace from secret agents, demon slayers and mafia dons, who have about as much in common with Joe Six Pack as Superman. Many games hint at a big picture, something going on beyond all the action, but most of them fail to deliver. The stories end up pushed to the background where, considering their execution, is probably where they belong, anyway. Dead Rising hints at something strange (in addition to hundreds of walking dead), and then gives you the tools and motivation to figure it out. The main character is dropped into a situation that makes no sense and is given little help from anyone he encounters because, for the most part, they're all clueless, too. That means you're trying to solve a mystery and take out zombies at the same time, and you'll have at your disposal a set of tools to help you. In many cases, you can decide whom to help (and the escort missions get old fast) but you'll be motivated to be thorough because your character can improve upon himself in several ways, including his hit points. You'll gain levels like those found in role-playing games, so the more experience you rack up, the more effective you'll be at the main attraction (zombie killing). And because that's probably what caught your attention in the first place, rest assured that's what will be the most fun. Almost everything in the mall has some useful effect on the bad guys, and the bad guys never fail to entertain. Not only do they plod along relentlessly (it's called shambling), they react just right when you mess with them. When you whack a golf ball in their direction, their bodies jerk back just right (and Frank is quite the player, apparently, because he hits the ball straighter than I ever will). They fall to pieces when you slash at them with a sword, they stumbled and fall all over each other when you knock them over with furniture. The options aren't just numerous, they're fun. It's so much fun to mess with the zombies that it's easy to forget they're dangerous. Chances are good you'll be so entertained by taking batting practice on the group in front of you that you'll forget about the rest of them coming from every other direction. The only bad news is the save system, which sticks out like a sore thumb in an otherwise beautifully crafted game. You have one, count 'em, one saved game file. If you die, you can either go back to where you last saved or start the game over. That's it. At first, it seemed to be a horribly anachronistic decision for a game on a console with a lot of hard drive space. And if you don't have the patience to replay pieces of games, the save system will go a long way in making Dead Rising a less than rewarding experience. But the other way to approach the save system is an opportunity to explore the whole game. That's not the same as referring to a spartan save system as hardcore or another layer of difficulty, (as others have done) that's not the point. The point is that there are many, many ways to get from point A to point B in Dead Rising, and the save system actually helps you discover them. This is a conclusion reached only after giving it more chances than some players are prepared for, because at first blush the system is a headache. What also makes the system more interesting is that when you restart, you'll do so with your character as you left him. Experience is cumulative, even if you die. So instead of banging your head against the same wall over and over again, you'll be improving. If you truly have a tough time with a certain task or enemy, you'll be leveling as you fight, so next time, you have a better chance of success. That makes the save system less about difficulty and more about spending time getting to know your character and his options. On top of it all, like rich, creamy frosting, the game never forgets that the protagonist is a photojournalist. You'll get points for taking pictures of the carnage as it happens. The better you frame the gore and drama, the more points you'll earn. While you're looking through the lens you have no way to defend yourself, which adds a delicious risk/reward element to the action.
Capcom has done much, much more than just put a camera around a guy's neck and drop him in a mall full of zombies. There's a tightly woven story, the elements of which are actually part of the game. Seems like a novel idea, but it shouldn't be. Dead Rising is one of the highest notes of gaming, on any platform.
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+ Amazing graphics
+ Solid, gory gameplay
+ Hundreds of zombies to funt
+ Massive world to explore
+ Great mini games
- Sometimes repeative
- Some boring mini games
- A few bugs and frame rate issues