Versatile game that can be played many different ways. Though frustrating at times, very rewarding experience overall.
Dead Rising, released last August by Capcom, is a completely immsersive game that gives you almost complete control over what happens. Once in the mall, you are given the basics. A safe room, a save point, and instructions on how to defend yourself. From there, it is up to you.
Most of the game takes place in the mall environment. Though it may sound small, it is quite the battlefield, in which there is never a shortage of things to do. Restaurants give replenishing meals for your health, and just about every other location provides some sort of weapon for you to battle the onslaught of zombies.
The main objective of the game is to get the story of what is happening in Willamette, the town in which the mall is located. You are always on the clock, and to get the right ending of the game, you have to complete each mission within a time frame and move onto the next by a certain hour. Unfortunately, if you are tardy on one mission, the rest become locked, and the trail goes cold.
While ambitious, the time system can prove to be somewhat of a burden, because in a free-roam game like this, it would otherwise be common for one to run off for days at a time on a zombie slaughtering rampage. Unfortunately, to complete the game, this cannot be done. Also, the save system is very idiotic as well. There is only one save slot, so if you save without enough time to get to your next case in time, you are stuck and will have to start the game over.
Fortunately, this is not the worst thing that can happen. When you start the game over, you get to keep all of your PP, or experience, from previous games. With experience you gain skills and upgrades to your health, speed, carrying capacity, and more. Therefore, restarting the game may be beneficial at times when more experience is needed to complete a task.
The weapons are one of the best parts of the game. Almost anything can be used as a weapon, so there is rarely a situation in which you are unarmed. From bats and swords, to guns and knives, everything can be used in your defense. Alternatively, you can kill zombies with potted plants, electric guitars, cds thrown like ninja stars, teddy bears, and even their own arms. The only thing that each weapon has in common is its transitory property. They all degrade over time, eventually breaking or running out of ammunition. This adds to the intensity of the game, because you will find yourself resorting to uncommon means of defeating your attackers. Several times I would be swinging away with my bat or katana and have it break on me, leaving precious seconds for me to pick up a park bench and continue to smash my assailants.
Guns are less impressive, and left me slightly disappointed with a desire for more. Each one serves to be not much more than a pea shooter, and don't really serve much purpose when zombies are close. Also, the aiming system is confusing and hard to get used to.
Also in your arsenal of attacks are various skills, such as the ability to pick up a zombie and throw him various ways, the flying kick, the skill of double lariat, which makes Frank windmill with his arms outstretched, and various evasive moves, such as the head butt, the shoulder throw, and the back kick. All of these will be vital in your survival.
There is never a shortage of things to kill, either. Zombies are just about everywhere. Most of the time they are docile, but after 7pm, they become ravenous. Their eyes glow red. They become faster, more alert, and have deadlier attacks. A swarm of red zombies can pull you apart and destroy any evidence that you were ever there.
The game play lacks some intuition that would have greatly helped it. Several times I've been in a elevator trying to escape a throng of the undead, and have been completely frustrated by the simple task of trying to press the call button. If there is a weapon at my feet, Frank would rather pick that up. In doing this, he drops one of his own possessions, thus repeating the process.
The graphics in Dead Rising are decent during game play, but are truly impressive in the cinematic cut scenes. The characters are incredibly detailed, and the main characters look almost real. In game the graphics, while good, are less impressive. Understandably, when there are over 100 zombies on the screen at one time, making each one look life-like would be quite a task, and would prove to be more ironic than relevant. Accordingly, while fighting said 100 zombies, it would be better to focus on staying alive, rather than the lack of eyebrows on zombie 48. At a glance, however, the zombies do look great. Their decomposing skin and glazed eyes create enough of an effect that the human mind fills in the rest.
Overall, Dead Rising is a great game however you choose to play it. I give fair warning, it can be frustrating at times, but the persistence of a dedicated player will lead to an amazing payoff one you get the hang of it. I highly recommend Dead Rising to any fan of zombie movies and anyone who enjoys a good game that can turn a blind eye to the slight lack of polish and intuition. I did, and it was worth it.
DEAD RISING - 8.5