Dead Rising (Reviews)

GamePro staff, GamePro

23/08/2006 10:11:12

Trading in horror's usual dank alleys and noir lighting for an infested shopping mall, Dead Rising's arsenal of ad hoc weaponry is its most valuable asset. Between the remade movies and "survival horror" video games, zombies are by now too familiar to be scarier than expired milk. If Dead Rising is any indication, though, there's still plenty of fun to be had at their expense.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

Willamette is covertly quarantined by the military, and ambitious photojournalist Frank West gets himself air-dropped onto the huge local shopping mall to grab the scoop. From that point on, the clock is ticking: you've got 72 hours to take the best photos of your career, get to the bottom of what happened, and escape in one uninfected piece. You're not alone in this shopping mecca: swarms of undead infest every corner, and survivors range from cowering nitwits to armed psychos. Some need your help, others consider you fair game, and any could know more than they let on. "Case Files" develop over time, dropping odd pieces of a greater whole, and a buddy in the security center occasionally alerts you to "scoop" opportunities: people barricaded in a storefront, a competing photographer, a gunfight. You can prioritize as you see fit, but most of the narrative elements feel tacked on, providing only arbitrary excuses to send you scampering from one end of the mall to the other, with dimwitted AI and some inexplicable dark spots providing the biggest challenges.

Weapon of Choice

Thank goodness beating the ichor out of hordes of undead is so damn fun then, because whether you're snapping incredible photographs or leading hapless dingbats to safety, you'll be bashing zombie skull constantly. As you level you'll master new unarmed attacks, but they're hardly necessary when just about anything lying around this huge sandbox can be lethal: chainsaws, hedge clippers, frying pans, fire extinguishers, and on and on, each unique attack animated with exaggerated style. The insane variety of weaponry keeps Dead Rising's repetitive combat core from losing its charm, whether you're cracking a potted plant over someone's head, or waving around a glowing neon toy sword. Aiming firearms is slow and frustrating, but barring a few irritating mission requirements you're free to stick with the outlandish melee options.

Mall of America

Dead Rising's varied environments are colorful, crisp, and detailed, the frame-rate remains silky at 720p, and the sound effects are just punchy enough to lend a decent crunch to your attacks. The expansive environments are divided by too-frequent load screens, the story elements fall limp more often than not, and corralling idiotic survivors can try your patience, but the visceral thrill of taking zombies apart is so varied and enjoyable that such disappointments are forgiven. Dead Rising isn't game of the year, but it is a whole lot of mindless fun.

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Graphics: 4.0

Sound: 3.5

Control: 4.0

Fun Factor:

Scoring scale: 1-5

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Publisher: Capcom / Developer: Capcom / Release date: 15/09/2006 / Genre: Action / OFLC Rating: Not Yet Classified