Dead Rising was a very interesting game when it came out. It utilized the power of the Xbox 360‘s limits by putting hundreds of zombies on one screen, and offered tons of “unique” usable items. It also had a wacky side that was very refreshing. However that was then, and this is now. With Dead Rising 2 being made by a different developer does this sequel have what it takes to match the excellence of the first, or is this another Crackdown 2?
Chuck Greene, a former motocross racer, is doing his best as a single parent to take care of his infected daughter. He does this by doing crazy things to get Zombrex (the treatment for the zombie infection) for her. This time he starts off by taking part on a show called “Terror is Reality.” A show in which contestants must kill as many zombies as possible. After winning, the location is bombed, and zombies break in. It is soon after this that Chuck is framed for the bombing, and he must prove his innocence, all while trying to find Zombrex for his daughter.
The game itself plays out a lot like the old one. Main events in the games story take place between specified times each day. Failure to do them will effectively lock you out of the rest of the story, and the truth cannot be discovered. In between missions there are still survivors to save, and psychopaths to take out. Doing these side missions help gain you points to level up. Like the last game you MUST level up drastically if you hope to beat the game without too many headaches. Failing to do so will make the game extraordinarily hard when you have to fight non-zombie enemies, and bosses. The easiest way to get around this is to use the game’s co-op feature. This allows you and a friend to take on the game together, and allows you to revive one another. This alone makes the game much easier.
Personally my favorite part of the last game was all the weapons, and having fun dressing like an idiot. Well, if you too enjoyed this you will love this game much more than the last. Capcom really went all out this time adding a many more weapons, and a good assortment of clothes to wear. With the games new weapon combining mechanic added in you can easily add over 30 more weapons into the mix. These combo weapons also give additional points, and in some cases make them 10 times as powerful as the two that spawned it.
Dead Rising 2 also sports a multiplayer element based off the aforementioned television show "Terror is Reality." It is essentially the same thing as it is in the show, having up to four players trying to survive while also killing as many zombies as possible. The mode rewards players with money that they can bring back into the main game. However it is not fully worth your time, and is really just an easy/more fun way to earn money for the story mode.
Overall the game follows the “if it’s not broken don’t fix it” formula. A lot has not changed, but what has slightly makes the game better than its predecessor. However the game is just as frustrating as the last game. You will easily restart the story a few times just to make sure you’re high enough in level to beat the game. Also a auto save feature would be great. I’m not asking for the whole game, but at least give me the option to restart from the beginning of the boss fight. If you liked the first game you will love this game. If you are new to the series you will probably have a hard time with the steep difficulty curve, but once you make it over the hump you’ll find an excellent sandbox game (with zombies).
