Dead Rising... Romero should be proud!
Got a chance to play Capcoms' newest zombie themed game, Dead Rising for the XBOX 360, this week. I will first tell you, Resident evil this one isn't, and I mean this in a good way. I was already excited about this game ever since seeing video clips and screen shots back in 2005. However, this game kept getting pushed back and it started to aggrevate me to no ends. Especially since there wasn't a whole lot of games for the XBOX 360 getting released. Got to play it some at E3 this year and it revitalized my excitement for it once again. Was the wait worth it? Read on. Lets see, what else before I get started...hmmmm....oh! Interesting enough and the reason for this posts' title having Romero in it (to those that don't know, Romero is the director/writer of Dawn of the Dead which has zombies and a mall it it too) is the note or warning on the games' case. It actually states: This game was not developed, approved or licensed by the owners or creaters of George A Romero's Dawn of the Dead. I now have to wonder if those so called "owners" of this very famous and cultish zombie flick actually tried to sue Capcom or at the least bitched about it. Well, both this game and Dawn of the Dead has 1) zombies 2) happens at a mall 3) ummm...they both have a cop in it??? Ok, grasping there for a third but that should tell you that this game is NOT a rip off of Dawn of the Dead. Nuff of my ramblings and lets get started:
About the game:
This game pretty much described on the packaging as...
You are Frank West, a hard-edged photojournalist hellbent to investigating the mystery at Wiccamette Mall. Its swarming with zombies. You have 72 hours. Anything and everything is a weapon!
Well, this is the short version of what this game is. When I played the demo (which release a week before its release) all you pretty much did is run around and kill zombies in a decent sized area of the mall. It was fun and I played it for some time before I got tired and wanted to do something constructive. Well, my prayers were answered because in the game you don't worry so much about killing hundreds of zombies as much as moving through them to save people and solving cases. Thats right...no Dynasty Warriors with zombies here...you gotta work for it and defeat some obsticales. You were dropped off here by a helicopter that will be returning in 72 hours. What you gotta do during this time is solve the cases, take some pics to take back for your story, and save some people while your at it. Oh, and don't forget...survive! That is pretty much it in a hand basket. Now lets move on to the good stuff.
Pros:
Zombies! Thats a pro right? You gotta hand it to them. Being able to pick up just about anything from a cash register to a cops' night stick to music cds and kill zombies with them is great! I don't know how many objects you can pick up and use in this game, but it has to be hundreds! Something extra that some will not care about but makes the game funny at time is the fact that not all interactive items in the game is used for killing zombies. Some are for wearing and just having fun with. You can change clothes and wear masks that actually make an appearence in the cut scenes when they happen. Ok...fluff, but fun damnit! Another great thing is that you are always doing something or saving someone. Not a lot of idle hand time here. You only got 72 hours and you gotta make the best of it. Not bashing Dynasty Warriors here but again this is no hack and slash game. You gotta work for it! Graphics are great and cut scenes beautiful! Another pro is that once you beat the 72 hour single player game (there is no multi player) you can unlock other game types. I haven't unlocked these yet but one is Overtime Mode which starts at day 4 and Infinity Mode with I think just allows you to hack and slash it up.
Cons:
Can't have pros with cons can we? I guess one con is the fact you only get one save game. This can really screw you over because if you save at a point that you can't possible finish the game then you are forced to restart from the beginning of the game. That really sucks! Hasn't happened to me but knowing this forces you to replay large parts of the game because you are always afraid to save and eff up the win. Good thing is if you restart from the beginning, you get to save your status this feature helps with the next con... It is pretty effin hard folks. Not a push over game at all! However, its no Ninja Gaiden for the XBOX either. My last con for this game is the lack of multiplayer. This is the XBOX 360 people...the era of XBOX Live! With this game comming out a year after its' original release date there should have been multiplayer and at the least co-op play.
Final thoughts...
Damn this was a long one. Your lucky it is so late and I don't want to type out 3000 words about this game! But, alas, I will give you my final ratings for this one.
Did I enjoy the game? HELL yeah and still playin it!
Would I buy this game before playing it? YEP
Would I buy this game after playing it? YEP
Rating? This bad boy gets a solid 4.5 out of a 5
Now get off your arses and go buy this game!
Layta!
Joe
About the game:
This game pretty much described on the packaging as...
You are Frank West, a hard-edged photojournalist hellbent to investigating the mystery at Wiccamette Mall. Its swarming with zombies. You have 72 hours. Anything and everything is a weapon!
Well, this is the short version of what this game is. When I played the demo (which release a week before its release) all you pretty much did is run around and kill zombies in a decent sized area of the mall. It was fun and I played it for some time before I got tired and wanted to do something constructive. Well, my prayers were answered because in the game you don't worry so much about killing hundreds of zombies as much as moving through them to save people and solving cases. Thats right...no Dynasty Warriors with zombies here...you gotta work for it and defeat some obsticales. You were dropped off here by a helicopter that will be returning in 72 hours. What you gotta do during this time is solve the cases, take some pics to take back for your story, and save some people while your at it. Oh, and don't forget...survive! That is pretty much it in a hand basket. Now lets move on to the good stuff.
Pros:
Zombies! Thats a pro right? You gotta hand it to them. Being able to pick up just about anything from a cash register to a cops' night stick to music cds and kill zombies with them is great! I don't know how many objects you can pick up and use in this game, but it has to be hundreds! Something extra that some will not care about but makes the game funny at time is the fact that not all interactive items in the game is used for killing zombies. Some are for wearing and just having fun with. You can change clothes and wear masks that actually make an appearence in the cut scenes when they happen. Ok...fluff, but fun damnit! Another great thing is that you are always doing something or saving someone. Not a lot of idle hand time here. You only got 72 hours and you gotta make the best of it. Not bashing Dynasty Warriors here but again this is no hack and slash game. You gotta work for it! Graphics are great and cut scenes beautiful! Another pro is that once you beat the 72 hour single player game (there is no multi player) you can unlock other game types. I haven't unlocked these yet but one is Overtime Mode which starts at day 4 and Infinity Mode with I think just allows you to hack and slash it up.
Cons:
Can't have pros with cons can we? I guess one con is the fact you only get one save game. This can really screw you over because if you save at a point that you can't possible finish the game then you are forced to restart from the beginning of the game. That really sucks! Hasn't happened to me but knowing this forces you to replay large parts of the game because you are always afraid to save and eff up the win. Good thing is if you restart from the beginning, you get to save your status this feature helps with the next con... It is pretty effin hard folks. Not a push over game at all! However, its no Ninja Gaiden for the XBOX either. My last con for this game is the lack of multiplayer. This is the XBOX 360 people...the era of XBOX Live! With this game comming out a year after its' original release date there should have been multiplayer and at the least co-op play.
Final thoughts...
Damn this was a long one. Your lucky it is so late and I don't want to type out 3000 words about this game! But, alas, I will give you my final ratings for this one.
Did I enjoy the game? HELL yeah and still playin it!
Would I buy this game before playing it? YEP
Would I buy this game after playing it? YEP
Rating? This bad boy gets a solid 4.5 out of a 5
Now get off your arses and go buy this game!
Layta!
Joe
posted by The Ginger @ 8/25/2006 12:58:00 AM
1 comments
