Difference in Opinion

I decided to review and oldie but a goody that I think should be in everyone’s library, Dead Rising. It is now out on Platinum Hits, so if you are getting tired of Halo 3 (what is wrong with you?) and need something to occupy your time between now and all the great games coming out in a few weeks, Dead Rising is a great choice.

This game is not that different than your typical zombie story: Town gets infected, people find refuge in mall, zombies take over mall and cause mass hysteria. The funny thing is that I wouldn’t have it any other way. Part of the enjoyment of this game is that you get to take on the personality of someone in that situation, finding anything you can to fight the zombies off yourself. The story itself has a lot of details, conflicts and twists. Depending on how you do certain things in the game, there are also 6 different endings that can happen.

Features in the game are a twist between an RPG and Grand Theft Auto. Certain things you do in the game, people you save, and zombies you kill, and pictures you take (more on this later) will earn you experience which levels you up. Each level up will help your struggle in some way by either learning a new move, getting another bar of health, or being able to carry another item. There are a ton of things you can do to give your character, Frank, his own unique style. Hundreds of items are at your disposal to eat, throw, or beat zombie heads in with. You can walk into one of many clothing stores and put on anything from a dress to a snake skin suit. Throughout the game, you unlock items by getting certain achievements. Want to dress up like a wrestler? Easy. Want to deck yourself out in Mega Man garb? They will even give you the mega buster (toy one that shoots nerf balls, or unlockable realistic one). You can also carry a number of books or items that will affect the attributes of your character.

You play the role of Frank, a photographer, so throughout the game you can take pictures of anything you encounter along the way. Depending on how scary funny or sexy they are (I know, what about zombies is sexy?) you will earn experience toward leveling up. There are also missions where you need to take pictures of things. It adds an interesting journalistic element to the game.

Overall, I highly recommend this game. There is rumors of s sequel, although who knows if that is true at all. If you are looking for a solid title to pass the time, and if you are achievement obsessed, then you will have a lot of fun playing this game.

Final Score
Gameplay: 9 out of 10
Graphics: 8 out of 10