Why do we find the undead so fascinating? From cinema to video games to even breakfast cereal, the living dead have woven their way into our culture. When it comes to video games specifically, few could argue against Capcom's success at creating titles focused on our obsession with zombies, especially considering the worldwide acclaim that has been afforded to its Biohazard/Resident Evil franchise. Truly Capcom has forgotten more about making games about killing zombies than most companies will ever know, and it is from that experience that it has leveraged its debut release for the Xbox 360, Dead Rising.

Dead Rising casts you in the role of Frank West, a seasoned photojournalist who's covered his share of wars, but he's never covered anything quite like what's going on in the seemingly lazy town of Willamette, Colorado. Following a chopper ride over the city, Frank is dropped off on top of the local mall, and given 72 hours to uncover the truth behind why the town has been quarantined - a truth that he soon finds to be the result of an apparent zombie infestation. Armed with naught but his camera, Frank must pick up anything that isn't nailed down in order to shoot, chop, bludgeon, and maul his way through the shambling crowd of living dead in order to discover just what's going on, who or what is behind the zombie menace, and make it back to roof in order to catch his ride home.

Unlike typical horror games, which prefer scare tactics and limited ammunition in order to covey their sense of urgency, Dead Rising instead makes its point with an uncountable number of zombies constantly encroaching on Frank's position, and a nearly equally uncountable set of improvised weapons with which to do them in. From hedge clippers to park benches, baseball bats to teddy bears, if it can be picked up, it can be used to slam into a zombie in order to keep it at bay.

The game also breaks from typical horror game tradition by presenting a story that is largely optional, offering up a set of cases that make up the game's core narrative. While these do not necessarily have to be completed, doing so pushes the story forward, and helps unravel the clues behind what is going on in the mall - plus it's also the only way to see the game's "best ending". Meanwhile, the game also offers an abundance of side missions, which are referred to as scoops and are nonessential for plot advancement but great for gaining experience. Of course, with all of these objectives taking place - sometimes concurrently - things can get a bit confusing. Thankfully the game offers a submenu that visually breaks down each mission currently being undertaken, and selecting each one in turn provides a helpful arrow showing the direction of the objective, as well as the time left to complete it.

As mentioned, over the course of Frank's visceral 72 hour shopping marathon, he will gain experience, or Prestige Points for completing cases and scoops, as well as for rescuing survivors, killing zombies, and of course snapping pictures of the ensuing carnage with his trusty camera. Pictures in particular are ranked according to what Frank is able to capture on film (brutality, horror, erotica,etc.), and each earn a certain number of Prestige Points. Accumulating enough points allows Frank to go up in level, earning new skills, attacks, and health along the way.

One of the more impressive facets of Dead Rising is its sheer variety, both in missions, as well as in its presentation. Taking advantage of the horsepower afforded by the Xbox 360, Dead Rising will oftentimes feature numerous zombies on the screen at one time, and thankfully there are enough different zombie types and builds to make it not seem as if the game is inhabited by a sea of clones. Cops, construction workers, and even crotch biting female zombies pervade the mall and in large gatherings. In addition, while zombies make up the bulk of the game's opposition, the mall is also home to a few crazy cultists, insane rednecks, and a grocery store manager that should be seen to believe. These confrontations make up the game's boss encounters, and offer up Dead Rising's greatest challenge.

The various characters throughout the game provide some truly impressive voice acting, a bit of a departure from what players have come to expect from the same company that gave us such timeless phrases as "the master of unlocking" and "Jill sandwich". Meanwhile the soundtrack in Dead Rising is subtle but fitting, with the appropriately inconsequential mall music providing an interesting juxtaposition to the shuffling of the zombie horde. However, the most satisfying aspect of the game's presentation no doubt belongs to its numerous sound effects, as each weapon finds its meaty target with a very satisfying crunch. Few things in video gaming are as satisfying as running over a crowd of zombies with a lawn mower, an act made even more pleasing by the masticating sound of zombies being torn apart beneath the machine's swirling blades.

While Frank's stay at the mall is a rather unique and enjoyable one, the game has its flaws, particularly with its save system. You can only save in bathrooms and in the security office, so time is often spent pouring over the game's map in order to make sure you never stray too far from one of these safe zones. To make matters worse, Dead Rising only supports a single save slot, an oversight that makes multiple saves impossible without the use of some external means. A.I., or lack thereof - especially concerning the mall's declining living population - is also a problem. Survivors will oftentimes get hung up around corners, or fall behind and get eaten for your trouble. Other times they will get a notion of invincibility, and charge headlong into a pack of zombies only to become lunch.

The game is also unforgiving, especially near the beginning; it's not uncommon to find yourself dying before realizing you've played an hour into the game but forgot to save. Thankfully the reality of death is somewhat cushioned by the fact that the game lets you keep all of your accumulated Prestige Points for the next trip through the mall. Also, while the title manages to offer a solid challenge throughout, some of the boss battles can be ridiculously difficult, requiring you to learn and adapt to a variety of attack patterns on the fly. As a side note, non-high definition television owners beware, as the font used in Dead Rising is insanely small and can be marginally unreadable.

Dead Rising is a title that offers unique gameplay set against a better than average story concerning the undead. While some flaws are in attendance, namely a questionable save system and wonky A.I., there is enough done right that inspires repeated trips to the mall. If you plan on seeing everything the game has to offer, which includes six separate endings, as well as Overtime and Infinite modes, you've got a lot of zombie killing ahead of you. It's been a long time coming but Dead Rising has been worth the wait, so grab a chainsaw and get to chopping.

Score: 85%

Aug 12, 2006 | 0 comments
Just Celani