Hello everyone! Today I am here to talk about a franchise that is near and dear to my heart. A franchise that has given me as much grief as it has joy. A franchise that is reminiscent of classic zombie movies... look if you couldn't tell by the title I'm talking about Dead Rising 2. I'm here to talk about the shortcomings of this wonderful game as well as the things that have been greatly improved.
I bought the original Dead Rising a couple years ago and when I first picked it up and played it... I absolutely hated it. All I wanted was a game with a simple plot and a simple goal: kill as many zombies as possible. Afterwards I put it down for months. I considered it a waste of money and shelved it. I was stuck on the part where you have to defeat Isabella on the motorcycle, and decided that it was way too difficult. I didn't realize that you had to save lives to gain PP, I didn't understand that you could pick up that ringing phone, hell I pretty much didn't understand any of the gaming mechanics. One day I picked it back up and I discovered how to play it and absolutely loved it after that.
Once I got past the steep learning curve and once I understood what was going on, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I loved the game so much that I finished it multiple times to get the multiple endings as well as the *drumroll*
Megaman Powersuit Armor with the Megabuster
After being pleased with finally finishing the game I once again shelved it and since then I've been waiting for another taste of zombie killing combined with people rescuing. Today was the day that I finally got my hands on Dead Rising 2.
The basic premise is that you're motocross extraordinaire Chuck Greene. Your one mission in life is to make sure that your daughter Katey, who has been infected, stays alive for just a bit longer. You keep her alive by finding and giving her a drug called Zombrex which staves off the infection for another 24 hours. You do this by competing in a reality show called "Terror is Reality". After a quick match of an admittedly tedious game, all hell breaks lose on the streets of Fortune City. It's up to you, and a group of survivors, to survive for 3 days (not real time), rescue as many people as possible, and wait for the army to come. All the while trying to clear Chuck Greene's name for causing this zombified disaster (as well as discovering who did it) and defeating a number of psychopaths. The game is very similar to the first in this regard.
Let me be the first to say that so far, the game is no where near as hard as the first one, which is a little disconcerting, but it's easier for all the right reasons. The A.I. is significantly improved over the first one. I no longer dread those long walks to and from the safe house because not only are the escorts responsive, but they also keep up with you. I've yet to encounter any hand-holding (which I hated in the first one) and the path to and from the safe house isn't any where near as treacherous. The fighting system is simplistic and rewarding and the combination system that is presented is a great addition to an already fun game. I'm happy to say that the psychopaths are just as crazy and hard to defeat as the first one. Seriously the only way to defeat them is to find the hunting shop (2nd floor of Palisades mall) and grab a couple shotguns.
The series is just as silly as ever, allowing you to wield a variety of weapons, from broad swords to lawn darts, guitars to novelty perfume bottles, and kayak paddles to baseball bats. Boxes, cash registers, soccer balls, footballs, hunks of meat, hand guns, sniper rifles, brooms, rakes, buckets, cones, wheelchairs, garbage cans, 2x4's, firecrackers, spray paint, crowbars, tomahawks, benches... I'm sorry where was I? Uh... you can also wear a bunch of outfits throughout the many stores in the many malls across the Fortune City strip. Cowboy outfits, police uniforms, child's clothes, dresses... okay, I'm not starting that again. Let's just say a shitload. You can also ride motorcycles, cars, and even skateboards.
Something that I'm glad they got rid of is the picture taking. I always thought that it was incredibly pointless to do so and escort missions that actually REQUIRED you to take pictures were irritating. You're no longer a photographer, you're a motocross superstar.
What I probably love most about this series is that your actions drive the game forward. Don't want to give Katey Zombrex, save any escorts, or advance the plot? Go right ahead, the game isn't going to punish you for it, but it will teach that your actions have consequences. Now I know people are complaining because this game actually offers a challenge unlike Left 4 Dead (which I do love).
But allow me to say that this game wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if it didn't have goals or objectives. I don't think people understand that Capcom didn't create a flawed game. They created the time limit, objectives, story missions, escorts, and save system BECAUSE you have to strategize where you're going next and what you're going to do when you get there. By the way, the newly improved save feature, which has 3 save slots instead of one, allows you to explore without ever really being penalized, so long as you save before you go off to an objective.
In short, if you loved the first one then your going to love this one. And if you hated the first one... I suggest giving it another try. Who knows maybe a second attempt through the first game will change your opinion of the franchise. Maybe you'll even be convinced enough to play the second one. To conclude this lenghty review, I absolutely am having a blast playing this second installment and cannot wait to see how it all ends.
Final Score: 8/10
Happy killing.
I bought the original Dead Rising a couple years ago and when I first picked it up and played it... I absolutely hated it. All I wanted was a game with a simple plot and a simple goal: kill as many zombies as possible. Afterwards I put it down for months. I considered it a waste of money and shelved it. I was stuck on the part where you have to defeat Isabella on the motorcycle, and decided that it was way too difficult. I didn't realize that you had to save lives to gain PP, I didn't understand that you could pick up that ringing phone, hell I pretty much didn't understand any of the gaming mechanics. One day I picked it back up and I discovered how to play it and absolutely loved it after that.
Once I got past the steep learning curve and once I understood what was going on, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I loved the game so much that I finished it multiple times to get the multiple endings as well as the *drumroll*
Megaman Powersuit Armor with the Megabuster
After being pleased with finally finishing the game I once again shelved it and since then I've been waiting for another taste of zombie killing combined with people rescuing. Today was the day that I finally got my hands on Dead Rising 2.
The basic premise is that you're motocross extraordinaire Chuck Greene. Your one mission in life is to make sure that your daughter Katey, who has been infected, stays alive for just a bit longer. You keep her alive by finding and giving her a drug called Zombrex which staves off the infection for another 24 hours. You do this by competing in a reality show called "Terror is Reality". After a quick match of an admittedly tedious game, all hell breaks lose on the streets of Fortune City. It's up to you, and a group of survivors, to survive for 3 days (not real time), rescue as many people as possible, and wait for the army to come. All the while trying to clear Chuck Greene's name for causing this zombified disaster (as well as discovering who did it) and defeating a number of psychopaths. The game is very similar to the first in this regard.
Let me be the first to say that so far, the game is no where near as hard as the first one, which is a little disconcerting, but it's easier for all the right reasons. The A.I. is significantly improved over the first one. I no longer dread those long walks to and from the safe house because not only are the escorts responsive, but they also keep up with you. I've yet to encounter any hand-holding (which I hated in the first one) and the path to and from the safe house isn't any where near as treacherous. The fighting system is simplistic and rewarding and the combination system that is presented is a great addition to an already fun game. I'm happy to say that the psychopaths are just as crazy and hard to defeat as the first one. Seriously the only way to defeat them is to find the hunting shop (2nd floor of Palisades mall) and grab a couple shotguns.
The series is just as silly as ever, allowing you to wield a variety of weapons, from broad swords to lawn darts, guitars to novelty perfume bottles, and kayak paddles to baseball bats. Boxes, cash registers, soccer balls, footballs, hunks of meat, hand guns, sniper rifles, brooms, rakes, buckets, cones, wheelchairs, garbage cans, 2x4's, firecrackers, spray paint, crowbars, tomahawks, benches... I'm sorry where was I? Uh... you can also wear a bunch of outfits throughout the many stores in the many malls across the Fortune City strip. Cowboy outfits, police uniforms, child's clothes, dresses... okay, I'm not starting that again. Let's just say a shitload. You can also ride motorcycles, cars, and even skateboards.
Something that I'm glad they got rid of is the picture taking. I always thought that it was incredibly pointless to do so and escort missions that actually REQUIRED you to take pictures were irritating. You're no longer a photographer, you're a motocross superstar.
What I probably love most about this series is that your actions drive the game forward. Don't want to give Katey Zombrex, save any escorts, or advance the plot? Go right ahead, the game isn't going to punish you for it, but it will teach that your actions have consequences. Now I know people are complaining because this game actually offers a challenge unlike Left 4 Dead (which I do love).
But allow me to say that this game wouldn't be anywhere near as fun if it didn't have goals or objectives. I don't think people understand that Capcom didn't create a flawed game. They created the time limit, objectives, story missions, escorts, and save system BECAUSE you have to strategize where you're going next and what you're going to do when you get there. By the way, the newly improved save feature, which has 3 save slots instead of one, allows you to explore without ever really being penalized, so long as you save before you go off to an objective.
In short, if you loved the first one then your going to love this one. And if you hated the first one... I suggest giving it another try. Who knows maybe a second attempt through the first game will change your opinion of the franchise. Maybe you'll even be convinced enough to play the second one. To conclude this lenghty review, I absolutely am having a blast playing this second installment and cannot wait to see how it all ends.
Final Score: 8/10
Happy killing.
