Reviewed by: BobiRoka
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom

You won’t have to spend too long with Dead Rising before you realise that the Zombies are merely a distraction. In this game the clock is your only true nemesis, and to their credit, Capcom have used this aspect to create a unique gameplay dynamic amidst what might have been just another take on the freeform sandbox adventure. As it turns out, the regimented time restrictions enforce a deliberate sense of urgency throughout the proceedings, so time spent fooling about in the intricately detailed environment never amounts to more than a passing glance around.

You can wander the mall experimenting with all manner of usable props to dispatch the endless undead horde, browse the bookshops to kit your inventory out with skill-buffs, or go to the food court to load up on health-replenishing food and drink - but you need to do it NOW. Or it’s game over…

…And it feels a bit odd I think; being told that you need to be at a certain place, by a certain time… because, well… something’s gonna happen then. It’s OK when the plot directs you to meet a certain character at a certain time, but many of the ‘cases’ require an extreme level of suspension of disbelief in order to accept the concept of time as a central narrative device. It just feels a bit forced, despite the multiple side-quests and scenic distractions - many of which you probably won’t experience on a first run-through. This game screams out replayability like a tourist getting their legs ripped off.

I don’t want to give-away too much, suffice it to say that Frank West’s work is far from done 72 (game) hours in. Capcom have truly thrown the game-structure rulebook out for this one – which is quite refreshing I must say, even if their crazy schemes have left us with ONLY 1 SAVE SLOT! I suppose this ties in well with the ‘urgency factor’ I mentioned earlier, but I personally would have preferred not worrying about the threat of saving myself into a dead end and having to start over, even if Frank’s character status and experience total is carried over.

By character status, I’m referring to those essential RPG elements (they’re in every game now etc). Prestige Points are gained from all manner of activities: killing zombies, taking photographs of them (more on this in a bit), escorting survivors, unlocking cases (see above) and erm… killing more zombies. Gain a certain number of prestige points and you go up a ‘level’ and gain a new skill or stat increase (Attack Power, Speed, Life, Inventory space or throwing range). Most of the ‘skills’ in question are actually special moves, which range from crowd surfing and haymakers to that spinning-lariat move the Russian Dude in Street Fighter 2 does. I think the order in which skills are attained is partially random, but advancement occurs at such a stop-start pace that I can’t be 100% about this. Personally, I would have preferred a choice, but it seems as if Capcom want more control over the way in which you progress, or not, as the case might very well be….

As much as this is a game about zombies and clocks, it’s also got a fair bit to do with taking photographs. Well, if you want to anyway. Frank is a photographer after all, and Capcom have gone to town on this aspect quite heavily – more than they probably need to in fact. Get a nice close-up of a zombie with his jaw hanging off and you might get a ‘Horror’ bonus, blag a shot of an NPC with their arse-crack exposed and you might get a ‘Comedy’ or ‘Out-take’ reward. Drama and (squirm) Erotica bonuses are also available, with one early quest completely revolving around the former, should you decide to accept the challenge. All of this could have been a pointless diversion, but since it’s tied into the character advancement structure it’s an extremely valid way of playing the game. So long as you have (game) time for it…

So the main story is a fairly linear in the sense that certain objectives HAVE to be met, though the paths to checkpoints are many, as are the various distractions en route. Survivors are there to be escorted, though their AI can be questionable. The satisfaction gained from leading them to safety is immense, but most often I simply couldn’t hang around long enough for them to decide if they wanted to follow me or kill zombies with whatever random implement I’d equipped them with. Other side-quests involve dispatching Psychopaths, whose job it is to provide the game with some brief boss-type encounters, all of which are varied and a pleasant change to the running-about-against-the-clock dynamic. There’s the clown with two chainsaws, the pyromaniac with his Molotov cocktails and even a fat lesbian cop holding young girls hostage in a lingerie shop. Yes. This game is most definitely an 18 cert. It’s brutal and rude in equal measure, yet humorous in the blackest way possible.

On the subject of boss fights, one gripe that wouldn’t go away (especially towards the end of the 72 hour mode) was the fact that no matter what ordinance you’re attacking these ‘Psychos’ with, they seem to become immune to it for a short period after you first score a hit. You can empty an entire clip into them and only the first bullet will count. It’s obviously an inherent balancing measure brought in to combat the power of certain props, but it’s a tad irritating when you realise you’re just wasting valuable ammunition. The way in which side quests are received – by phone – is also a bit annoying when the phone won’t stop ringing, and then you finally answer it and have to read a load of text, which in this day and age really ought to be spoken aloud. At least based on the presentational standards the game sets itself elsewhere…

Forget about the insane amount of zombies on screen at once, Dead Rising truly looks the part. The mall is superbly detailed and densely populated with all manner of usable props, day and night cycles are modelled to such a degree that certain areas will be pitch dark late at night, when the power goes down, with nothing but glowing red zombie eyes for illumination. Skin textures on characters are extremely high-resolution, and characters look, move and sound scarily realistic. Not quite as scary as the first Final Fantasy movie, but ever so close. Sound Design is absolutely top notch, both in terms of quantity - for the number of props - and the superb clarity of bringing a sledgehammer down on a zombie’s head and squashing them into a pulp, or the thud of a plastic chair from the food-court sending them arse over tit. It’s really worth a special mention, it’s that good.

Controlling frank is a slick and straightforward affair. Triggers switch between normal third person view and first person throwing/firing/photographing modes, shoulder buttons cycle the inventory with jumping/attacking/interacting actions assigned to the face buttons. Special moves you earn later rely on clicking in the left analogue stick, which is a tad awkward but not game destroying bad. You don’t really need to use them, but they’re quite fun when you do. Etc…

Lack of multiplayer is a missed opportunity, especially considering the range of weaponry and massive open environment. Co-op play could have worked really well over Xbox Live. Maybe in time Capcom will release a patch.

As a straight single player experience, Dead Rising certainly does the job. The case structure, though a tad unwieldy at the best of times, provides a compelling narrative hook while conveying – dare I say it – an emotional element rarely done justice in this medium of videogames. After all the horror, and gore, and improvising on the spot, and rescuing those in need, is this really a game about zombies anymore? Like it’s primary inspiration, Romero’s ‘Dawn of the Dead’, this is in fact a game about people, survival, and being a kid in a sweetshop. And it’s also the first genuine reason for owning an Xbox 360, despite its niggling flaws…

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Available for	Reviewed on
Xbox 360	Xbox 360