Dead Rising – Review

There is something intrinsically entertaining about zombies, be it their shuffling gait, dull groaning, or just the comedy value of seeing them fall over the tiniest of obstacles. Capcom’s Dead Rising is a game that aims to exploit the sheer fun of ‘killing’ masses of the living dead in almost any manner you please, be that by shotgun, chainsaw, lawn mower—or plastic boomerang.

The premise of Dead Rising is simple: you play as Frank West, a photojournalist who enters the sleepy town of Willamette looking for the one big scoop that will win him a Pulitzer. However, when Frank happens upon what he thinks is a civil disturbance, and the scoop he’s looking for, it actually turns out to be something far more sinister. Yes, you guessed it, zombies—literally thousands of them.

Dead Rising adds a few welcome twists to the survival horror genre, a genre that has been suffering from a lack of new ideas as of late. By making the game run in a restricted real-time countdown, the player has to keep a constant eye on Frank’s wristwatch, because if he should be tardy and miss the editorial deadline then the truth will slip away from his grasp, and the story of the century will be ruined. Another aspect of the game that really had gamers salivating prior to its release was the idea that almost all the items in the game could be used either as weaponry or food. Perhaps the most humorous weapon to be found is the showerhead, where plunging one into a zombie’s unwitting head causes them to haplessly shower in their own blood before collapsing in a heap (Mmm, nice—Ed).

Yet, believe it or not, zombie mashing is not the sole objective of Dead Rising, and, as mentioned earlier, the gameplay is built around real-time events that unfold in the Willamette’s mall. Each event or case file commences at a certain time and brings Frank that tiny bit closer to the truth behind the town’s undead outbreak. As well as following the punishing storyline, there are numerous activities that can keep the player busy during those quiet times, especially as there are fifty four other survivors stuck in the mall that need Frank’s help and attention. Survivors can be trapped all over the mall and usually need the Frank’s assistance in order to get them to safety.

As well as making the player feel that bit better about all the carnage by rescuing survivors, saving those in need also garners a hefty amount of prestige points too. Other survivors, who may not be so happy to see Frank are the psychopaths—indeed, zombie outbreaks do tend to bring out the worst in people and Frank will encounter several ‘colourful’ psychos such as a satanic chainsaw-juggling clown, or petrol bomb-wielding punk. Psychos are probably the biggest challenge in the game, but, at the same time, their defeat also grants massive rewards such as special weapons and tons of prestige points.

Prestige points, as players soon discover, are the game’s major fuel source. Frank will level up once enough prestige points have been earned, which allows him to move faster, deliver a stronger attack, carry more items, increase his health, and even gain special abilities. Prestige points are gained by defeating psychos, rescuing survivors, advancing the story, destroying zombies, or by taking photographs. Photography can be the most lucrative way of earning prestige points due to composition and content. For example, if the player snaps a photo of a zombie from miles away then a pitiful prestige score will be awarded; however, if a well-composed photo of a zombie getting its head blown off is captured, then thousands of points are gained. Photos are judged on four different styles: horror, brutality, drama—and erotica. The erotica photos have caused quite a stir on Internet forums due to the concept of taking photos of semi-naked women in return for prestige points. This reviewer’s highest scoring photo showed an element of taste, however, and was a close-up of a reunited couple hugging. (yeah, right—Ed).

One major gripe that has since emerged concerning Dead Rising is its save system. Dead Rising only allows players one save per gamer tag, which makes things hellish if a case file is missed. To compensate, players can carry over their character from one game into a brand new game, which makes everything slightly easier and also leaves the player free to pursue actions and decisions initially avoided or missed the first time through.

Aside from the standard 72-hour game modes, there are two other unlockable game modes too. Overtime mode, as its name suggests, places the player as Frank after the initial 72 hours, having to test his wits against not only zombies but the military as well. Finally, there is Unlimited mode, which is unlocked after the completion of Overtime mode. Unlimited mode is the game that many gamers bought a 360 for, as it removes any time constraints; this may, however, disappoint some players because Unlimited mode is slightly misleading. Unlimited mode may have been better named ‘survival’ mode, because Frank’s life is on a continual decline throughout the game, and the mode also removes the ability to save. Plus, this game mode is the only way to unlock some of the main game’s achievements.

To sum up, Dead Rising offers something that no other game has ever done before, the ability to kill thousands of zombies in around 200 different manners. Had Dead Rising’s central premise been to kill an endless stream of zombies, the game would have become very old, very fast. However, the inclusion of varied main missions and side missions, and time-based gameplay, invigorates a title that otherwise could have ended up as little more than a stagnant zombie-filled swamp. The unforgiving save system, coupled with the strict time limits, may make the game a little too challenging for some gamers; but, overall, Dead Rising earns itself a thoroughly blood-spattered eight zombie-sheriff’s badges.

Review by Nige

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