Too busy to devote 12+ hours a day to your gaming habit? Here's a review that's sensitive to your needs: Short and focused on just the things that a busy gamer like you really needs to know.
_1.png "Chuck's ready for anything - are you?")
Reviewed On: Xbox 360. Also available for PlayStation 3 and PC.
In a Nutshell: A strong update to the original Dead Rising, with a new hero, storyline and location (a Las Vegas doppelgänger called "Fortune City"). You play as Chuck, a motorcross superstar who is trapped in the city with an infected daughter. Fortunately for you (and the kid), a pharmaceutical company has developed Zombrex, which holds the virus at bay. The events unfold over several days, with survivors once again holed up in a blocked-off mall security area while you go out and run errands and save survivors.
While this will all sound familiar to Dead Rising vets, there are some new features to the game. You can now combine certain items to create super-cool weapons (tiki torch + water gun = muy bueno!), and the Dead Rising 2 psychopaths have been cranked up way past eleven. (Tip: If you make it far enough to get the One Hit Wonder side mission, do it - this was by far the BEST. MISSION. EVER.)
The game has a separate online multiplayer arena where you can earn cash to use in the game - and you will need cash. Lots of it. Once you get past the rather long intro video (which can be skipped once you are placed in a game), you'll be challenged to a random set of mini-games, some grosser than others, all geared toward killing zombies. Ride the Zombonie and then spew zombie-touie into grotesque clown mouths! Snipe zombies from above! And, of course, ride your motorcross bike over every zombie in the house. You can stay as long as you want - just be sure to cash out before you leave. Your earnings will appear in your single-player saved game the next time you load.
Speaking of re-loading, should you make it through the game once and go back for more, all cash, levels, health bars and weapon slots will come back with you. As fans of the first Dead Rising know, sometimes it's better to level up, quit and start again - although with three slots, it is feasible to hack your way to an ending... even if it's not the one you might want.
_2.png "Chuck plays with fire and zombies")
Learning Curve: The game will teach you what you need to know as you go. Some stuff you do have to trigger, so keep your eyes peeled for icons appearing on objects or locations. Even Dead Rising experts will have a thing or two to learn this time around, so don't dismiss messages without at least a cursory read.
The Save Game: Capcom's game designers once again require you to find a bathroom (classy!). The semi-good news: There are a lot more bathrooms in Fortune City than at the Willamette Mall. Better news: You get three save slots this time. I know, I know... but you only had one in Dead Rising, so this is progress.
Family Factor: Ha. Haha. Hahahahahahahahha... ha... ha... heh.... no.
Buy, Rent or Skip? Masochists and people who love finding new and creative ways to beat the hell out of zombies should rent it with the option to buy. At $60, it's hard to recommend just flat out buying it without at least taking a brief spin. Once it drops down in price, have at it. Those who can still feel their tendons (oh how I miss mine) or who don't enjoy high-stress, timed missions should definitely skip it. Not sure which camp you fall into? Xbox 360 owners can download Dead Rising 2: Case Zero for $5 and get a small taste of the game, albeit in a location NOT found in the actual game. More importantly, you can level Chuck up to 5 and transfer his progress to the main game. That alone is worth the money. (Plus, extra achievements!)
On a Personal Note: I absolutely loved the first Dead Rising, although I sometimes feel like I'm the only one in the world who isn't 20 with endless patience and limitless time to play. I never beat the original game with the "good" ending - in fact, I've never made it past Day 3 due to one particularly difficult mission. I kept going back for more, though, because I just enjoyed wandering the mall and finding new ways to mess with the zombies and psychos. Plus, the more I leveled up, the easier different missions became. But I really hated the single save slot and that one mission I still have yet to complete.
The fact that I managed to finish Dead Rising 2 on my first run through - and yes, I had to visit GameFAQs a few times for some sage advice - says a lot about just how much I wanted to find out what happened. I've already started going back through a second time, because - and this is painful to say - now is when it gets fun! I've leveled up, I know my way around and this time I'm going to be a better dad. (Let's just say Daddy is going to the toy store early and often this go round.) But more importantly, there are tons of shops, gambling joints and restaurants I've yet to see, and people I haven't even tried to rescue.
The developers have said these games are designed for multiple play-throughs, so I guess I'm their audience. It's up to you to determine if you feel the same way.
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Busy Gamer Audio Reviews and Features (MP3):
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