A Big Breakdown of the Great and Not So Great
So am I disappointed? Not at all.
Now it is here and I've had enough game time to help you out with a breakdown of what I feel makes this game great ... and what some may consider not so great.
The Great:
- There are more interactive items in this game than just about any other game I've played in the past. Many other games might include a lot of side items maybe just sitting there, but boxes and benches would often be there as something to just break through or walk on as opposed to ... being there so you can pick it up and use it to defend yourself, as they are in Dead Rising.
- They did an incredible job making it possible for hundreds of zombies to be on screen at any given point without slowing down the gameplay. Also, each zombie acts and reacts individually. Unlike say ... Hitman: Blood Money ... where the hundreds of people walking the street in the Mardi Gras level all seemed to have no free will. (Normally I'd say "like zombies" but um ... that doesn't apply in this game, hehe)
- You're in a freaking shopping mall. My friend pointed out that it is often a person's dream to be able to roam a shopping mall and access the stores and their items freely ... so maybe people didn't dream about zombies being there ... but still!
- What a way to take out some frustration you may have had in some of the Resident Evil games you played in the past where you weren't able to just pound the crap out of a slow and stupid zombie! The action and atmosphere is much different from many other zombie-type games.
- The environment is very highly detailed. From polished floors to boarded doors, this game has it all. Certainly a great job on the graphics and visuals!
- Very diverse gameplay, despite what some may worry to be monotonous. The game keeps you interested with the variety of included factors (e.g. zombie slashing, zombie maiming, zombie punching ... oh yeah ... and photo taking, escort missions, case missions, interactive environment, etc.).
The Not So Great (or what some may consider to be):
- Focused on what people didn't like, the resounding feedback has been revolving around the save system. To explain, I think I counted a bout 5 save points in like ... the biggest mall ever (okay, I don't know that, but still). The other part to the frustration stems from the fact that the game is based around a 72 hour period of time (only amidst actually playing the game, not in real life time either). So if you want to save before you attempt a harder task ... you may find that you won't have enough time to run from where you are to a save point and then be able to return in time.
- Some of the controls are a bit awkward to get used to. They do make most of it very easy ... but gun aiming has been a particular point of conflict. Even after playing the game for several hours, I would still find myself pushing the wrong analog stick to aim (they use the left analog stick and the right trigger in combination to aim). I'm sure getting it down solid will come in time, but the aiming still leaves a bit to be desired. You don't at all often have to use a gun, but there are some instances where there isn't much other option.
- I have mixed feelings about the escort missions. Their AI isn't always the best. There was one instance where a person got stuck behind an automatic door that they couldn't seem to figure out how to open. I even broke windows and was like "come on!" a buncha times and they couldn't figure it out. I think the main thing I've been hearing is just the large number of them that are in the game. Considering some escape routes aren't always so easily accessible, I can see how this could be very frustrating. The other side to that is that it adds an element of reality.
- So far, the most annoying thing to me has been the freakin' walkie-talkie. Otis, the janitor, will call you on it constantly and it won't stop until you pick it up, for the most part. To go along with that, while you're talking on it, you can't really do anything else ... even while amidst a crowd of zombies. To go on top of THAT, if you cut him off (and you might by accident, because he talks slow and you might think he's finished) he will just call you right back and start over. How about a way to speed up the conversation? Text message me or something, hehe.
- Maybe I just haven't found a way to do this yet, but after accepting a mission, there's not really a menu area I can see where you can re-cap what was explained to you upon accepting a mission. You can check your watch and it will slowly scroll the mission details at the bottom of the screen, but you're left vulnerable and the clock keeps on ticking like that.
Overall:
This is an excellent must-have game for the XBox 360. I am thoroughly impressed with many aspects of the gameplay and the environment. I remember seeing Dawn of the Dead and thinking "dang, this would make a great game" and this game is so similar in some aspects they even have a disclaimer on the front of the box that says "This game is not affiliated in any .... etc. etc. ... with George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead" hehe.
I could see the frustration in there being no multiplayer ... but at the same time, it seems everyone expects every game to have a multi-player mode these days. Who knows, the might have had to sacrifice a lot of features in the game if they were to include a multi-player mode.
In any case, I think the minor set-backs are more than made up for with many impressive aspects. Game on, Capcom.
- Brian