Kink3bird
04-07-2010, 08:16 PM
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/cover.jpg
Foreword
With zombie-mania on the rise, it seems you can't escape seeing, playing in, or planning for a zombie apocalypse. Nothing quite compares to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, Steam's Left 4 Dead series, and that stoner conversation you can't go a week without talking about... "Dude, what if there was a zombie apocalypse?". But back in 06', possibly one of the greatest zombie titles came out and one of the most unique Xbox 360 titles was released. With it's sequel finally being uncovered, it's not too late to look back at Dead Rising.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/box.jpg
Story
You are Frank West, photojournalist extraordinaire! You are investigating why the (fictional) town of Willamette, Colorado has been sealed off by the Colorado Army National Guard. Frank is dropped on top of the city's mall by helicopter and tells the pilot, Ed DeLuca, to return in 72 hours. Upon entering the mall, Frank finds zombies assaulting the front entrance, eventually being let in by a panicked (and most annoying) older woman looking for her dog. A Homeland Security officer named Brad urges everyone to retreat to the security room. Frank is the only one to reach the room with Brad and upon entering, the janitor, Otis Washington, welds the door shut. Brad then leaves the security room via the air ducts. Jessie, also of Homeland Security, recognizes an old man she identifies as Dr. Barnaby in one of Frank's photos, but neither Brad nor Jessie are willing to share what they know. After receiving a transceiver and map from Otis in order to be kept informed of the mall's events, Frank returns to the mall through the air ducts. He encounters survivors who need his assistance to the security room, as well as other people driven to madness by the zombie infestation, known as Psychopaths.
Although the setting appears to be inspired by a little known movie and it's remake, a disclaimer at the beginning of the game debunks this theory. Even more so as you progress, the story is more like a B cult movie and has little to do with any political and social commentary.
With all that said, lets re-cap... Your a photojournalist, your stuck in a zombie infested mall, your ride won't return for another three days (72 hours) and this sandbox style game leaves you with many objectives before uncovering why there are zombies in the first place! You have a lot of work to do but don't worry, it's well worth it!
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/xbox360_deadrising_12.jpg
Game play
The main objective is to stay alive inside the mall for three days until your ride via helicopter returns. The controls are set up much like Grand Theft Auto type games as free-roaming and side quests are a big part of the game (the main story only makes for 7 hours of actual game play). Controlling Frank is very fluid and easy to control with a learning curve of about less than an hour, this game is great for anyone to pick up.
One of the main perks this game has besides it's gigantic sandbox style game play is the fact that anything you can pick up can be used as a weapon! Yes, your in pretty much a Toys R Us of death and that means anything from frying pans, chainsaws, baseball bats, toy swords, sacrificial swords, toy swords, Katanas (there is a lot of swords for all you sword lovers out there), bowling balls, canned food, canned sauce, baking ingredients, sledge hammers, machine guns, assault rifles, police batons, stuffed animals, jewelry, buckets, cactus, benches, bicycles, skateboards, lawn mowers, hockey sticks, machetes, gumball machines, even a shopping cart of doom! You name it, rather you see it, you can kill a zombie with it!
There are many side quests and adventures inside Williamette Mall that you can do besides sitting in a safe room waiting for your ride to show up. Survivors are riddled throughout the mall and can be led back to the safe room via you leading them there by practically holding their hand. Although I am a avid hater of escorting NPC's anywhere besides their own death, the AI in this game is praisable. While playing throughout the game I never had to once worry about them getting stuck or them keeping up leaving the only job I really need to worry about is clearing a path through the zombie horde. Survivors can even carry weapons and assist you on your way back to the safe room.
There are also a mess of people who have gone insane while witnessing the atrocities of the zombie outbreak in Williamette Mall and are fashionably enough called Psychopaths! Psychopaths offer not only interesting and fun boss challenges but actually add to the story and keep the game unique. You'll encounter escaped convicts running a muck to a Vietnam Vet who has relapsed into his war crazed delusions! And yes, there's even a evil clown in the game... Psychopaths offer new special weapons and open up new areas to you upon overcoming them as well as giving you more survivors to rescue.
Did I forget to mention your also a photographer? You earn PP points throughout the game by photographing the unique, the bizarre, and even the sexy! It really is a fun tool to play around with besides using it to unlock achievements. You can virtually photograph any and all your crazy antics inside Williamette Mall and save them scrapbook style to ponder over later.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/dead-rising-xbox-360-clown.jpg
Visuals/Sound
One of the best things about Dead Rising is its style. This game goes for the polar opposite of what zombie games like the Resident Evil series go for, trading dark, dank, moody landscapes for bright, colorful, almost painfully pleasant-looking environments. This is a shopping mall, after all, and you'll find things like an in-mall amusement center for kids; a huge, picturesque outdoor park area; and a cheesy, Western-themed food court; as well as plenty of ridiculously themed shops all over the place. It's a delightfully contrasting world to the death and destruction that's so prevalent throughout the game. It all looks great, too.
The audio in Dead Rising is even more impressive, thanks largely to the fantastic sound effects. The weapons in particular are top notch. Guns are appropriately booming and blades slice and dice through zombie flesh with a sickeningly awesome gushing sound. However, it's really the blunt objects that are the star of the show. Every weapon makes a totally different sound, and each one sounds exactly right. The hollow thunk made by smacking a zombie with a mannequin torso sounds just as excellent as the silly chord-strum-combined-with-loud-smacking sound of an electric guitar connecting with a zombie's skull.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/blueb.jpg
The Verdict
Dead Rising may be a four year old title, have a frustrating save system, and constantly pin you against the clock, but it's also one of the most enjoyable and uniquely entertaining games on the Xbox 360. For zombie fans it's a must, especially those who enjoy Left 4 Dead to Zombieland, it gives you a experience you won't get in any other game. The freedom and access to change everything from clothing to weapons to how you wanna complete the game is also a nice added bonus.
In short, this game is not just a sandbox but a desert of achievements that are well worth acquiring and are more fun then repetitive to get. You also don't want to forget that with a squeal arriving this summer, you may want to pick this up so you won't be left outside the know when it arrives in your local gaming store.
Story - B+, it may get a little ridiculous when you see what spreads the zombie virus but it's as charming as a cult movie
Game play - Addictingly frustrating, and overflowing with unlocks
Visuals / Sounds - Bright, beautiful, and with spot on realistic sound to match
Verdict - 80% or just go buy it already! It may be overwhelming and frustrating at times but you'll find yourself picking this title up more and more to just rent it
Foreword
With zombie-mania on the rise, it seems you can't escape seeing, playing in, or planning for a zombie apocalypse. Nothing quite compares to George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead, Steam's Left 4 Dead series, and that stoner conversation you can't go a week without talking about... "Dude, what if there was a zombie apocalypse?". But back in 06', possibly one of the greatest zombie titles came out and one of the most unique Xbox 360 titles was released. With it's sequel finally being uncovered, it's not too late to look back at Dead Rising.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/box.jpg
Story
You are Frank West, photojournalist extraordinaire! You are investigating why the (fictional) town of Willamette, Colorado has been sealed off by the Colorado Army National Guard. Frank is dropped on top of the city's mall by helicopter and tells the pilot, Ed DeLuca, to return in 72 hours. Upon entering the mall, Frank finds zombies assaulting the front entrance, eventually being let in by a panicked (and most annoying) older woman looking for her dog. A Homeland Security officer named Brad urges everyone to retreat to the security room. Frank is the only one to reach the room with Brad and upon entering, the janitor, Otis Washington, welds the door shut. Brad then leaves the security room via the air ducts. Jessie, also of Homeland Security, recognizes an old man she identifies as Dr. Barnaby in one of Frank's photos, but neither Brad nor Jessie are willing to share what they know. After receiving a transceiver and map from Otis in order to be kept informed of the mall's events, Frank returns to the mall through the air ducts. He encounters survivors who need his assistance to the security room, as well as other people driven to madness by the zombie infestation, known as Psychopaths.
Although the setting appears to be inspired by a little known movie and it's remake, a disclaimer at the beginning of the game debunks this theory. Even more so as you progress, the story is more like a B cult movie and has little to do with any political and social commentary.
With all that said, lets re-cap... Your a photojournalist, your stuck in a zombie infested mall, your ride won't return for another three days (72 hours) and this sandbox style game leaves you with many objectives before uncovering why there are zombies in the first place! You have a lot of work to do but don't worry, it's well worth it!
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/xbox360_deadrising_12.jpg
Game play
The main objective is to stay alive inside the mall for three days until your ride via helicopter returns. The controls are set up much like Grand Theft Auto type games as free-roaming and side quests are a big part of the game (the main story only makes for 7 hours of actual game play). Controlling Frank is very fluid and easy to control with a learning curve of about less than an hour, this game is great for anyone to pick up.
One of the main perks this game has besides it's gigantic sandbox style game play is the fact that anything you can pick up can be used as a weapon! Yes, your in pretty much a Toys R Us of death and that means anything from frying pans, chainsaws, baseball bats, toy swords, sacrificial swords, toy swords, Katanas (there is a lot of swords for all you sword lovers out there), bowling balls, canned food, canned sauce, baking ingredients, sledge hammers, machine guns, assault rifles, police batons, stuffed animals, jewelry, buckets, cactus, benches, bicycles, skateboards, lawn mowers, hockey sticks, machetes, gumball machines, even a shopping cart of doom! You name it, rather you see it, you can kill a zombie with it!
There are many side quests and adventures inside Williamette Mall that you can do besides sitting in a safe room waiting for your ride to show up. Survivors are riddled throughout the mall and can be led back to the safe room via you leading them there by practically holding their hand. Although I am a avid hater of escorting NPC's anywhere besides their own death, the AI in this game is praisable. While playing throughout the game I never had to once worry about them getting stuck or them keeping up leaving the only job I really need to worry about is clearing a path through the zombie horde. Survivors can even carry weapons and assist you on your way back to the safe room.
There are also a mess of people who have gone insane while witnessing the atrocities of the zombie outbreak in Williamette Mall and are fashionably enough called Psychopaths! Psychopaths offer not only interesting and fun boss challenges but actually add to the story and keep the game unique. You'll encounter escaped convicts running a muck to a Vietnam Vet who has relapsed into his war crazed delusions! And yes, there's even a evil clown in the game... Psychopaths offer new special weapons and open up new areas to you upon overcoming them as well as giving you more survivors to rescue.
Did I forget to mention your also a photographer? You earn PP points throughout the game by photographing the unique, the bizarre, and even the sexy! It really is a fun tool to play around with besides using it to unlock achievements. You can virtually photograph any and all your crazy antics inside Williamette Mall and save them scrapbook style to ponder over later.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/dead-rising-xbox-360-clown.jpg
Visuals/Sound
One of the best things about Dead Rising is its style. This game goes for the polar opposite of what zombie games like the Resident Evil series go for, trading dark, dank, moody landscapes for bright, colorful, almost painfully pleasant-looking environments. This is a shopping mall, after all, and you'll find things like an in-mall amusement center for kids; a huge, picturesque outdoor park area; and a cheesy, Western-themed food court; as well as plenty of ridiculously themed shops all over the place. It's a delightfully contrasting world to the death and destruction that's so prevalent throughout the game. It all looks great, too.
The audio in Dead Rising is even more impressive, thanks largely to the fantastic sound effects. The weapons in particular are top notch. Guns are appropriately booming and blades slice and dice through zombie flesh with a sickeningly awesome gushing sound. However, it's really the blunt objects that are the star of the show. Every weapon makes a totally different sound, and each one sounds exactly right. The hollow thunk made by smacking a zombie with a mannequin torso sounds just as excellent as the silly chord-strum-combined-with-loud-smacking sound of an electric guitar connecting with a zombie's skull.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a265/Blademaster77/blueb.jpg
The Verdict
Dead Rising may be a four year old title, have a frustrating save system, and constantly pin you against the clock, but it's also one of the most enjoyable and uniquely entertaining games on the Xbox 360. For zombie fans it's a must, especially those who enjoy Left 4 Dead to Zombieland, it gives you a experience you won't get in any other game. The freedom and access to change everything from clothing to weapons to how you wanna complete the game is also a nice added bonus.
In short, this game is not just a sandbox but a desert of achievements that are well worth acquiring and are more fun then repetitive to get. You also don't want to forget that with a squeal arriving this summer, you may want to pick this up so you won't be left outside the know when it arrives in your local gaming store.
Story - B+, it may get a little ridiculous when you see what spreads the zombie virus but it's as charming as a cult movie
Game play - Addictingly frustrating, and overflowing with unlocks
Visuals / Sounds - Bright, beautiful, and with spot on realistic sound to match
Verdict - 80% or just go buy it already! It may be overwhelming and frustrating at times but you'll find yourself picking this title up more and more to just rent it