Title: Dead Rising
Genre: Survival-horror
Platform: Xbox 360
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: September, 28th 2006
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A peacefully American country town, a beautiful mall, a photo reporter trying to get his first scoop: these are the peculiar ingredients of Dead Rising.
Excuse me? Are you saying there is another one!?! Oh, sure... those bloody zombies!
A nasty "awakening"
Capcom is certainly a well-experienced software house in whatever concerns zombies, and Resident Evil, one of the most famous videogame series (and now also a discrete movie), proves it. Hence, there is no surprise in announcing a zombie-game as the first next-gen Capcom project.
However, in this occasion, the famous Japanese software house has really gone far. I've never seen so many zombies surrounding me, neither in all "Resident Evils" together: at least, astonishing!
Moreover, you'll better forget the usual, gruesome sets where those dreadful creatures live (ok, zombies cannot live 'cause they are died... little bit confusing, isn't it?). In fact, Capcom has chosen a new "location" for those friends of ours: a huge American mall, a stylistic choice that creates an ambiguous atmosphere with a mix of terror and comedy. Choice that has deep impacts on game-play level, making it, fortunately, incredibly various.
No need to say that to make all become real and playable, Xbox 360 hardware has been absolutely necessary, helping creating detail-rich sets, excellent cut-scenes and... hundreds and hundreds of zombies!
Scoop instinct...
Frank West, this is the name of the intrepid photo reporter we will play with in Dead Rising, is a friendly and brave character, resolute in getting the scoop of the century thanks to his photo camera.
On board of a helicopter, you'll arrive to Willamette and, after having realised how critic the situation is (the town is completely infested by zombies), you'll land on the roof of a building that you'll call home for the next 72 hours: the Willamette Mall.
Your main goal will be to survive the next 3 days inside the building, a typical American mall (thus, very similar to a little town made of shops) changed into a sort of "house of deads". However, acting the part of a journalist, you'll also have to carry on your scoop searching for the truth beyond all this zombie stuff and this will bring Frank into numerous events and interesting encounters.
Better a manikin or a shotgun? Uhm... no, Katana rules!
Willamette Mall is really full of whatever kind of stuff we need. In fact, trying to survive, "Dead Rising" offers us the possibility to use almost every object present in the mall: starting from "usual" guns, to frying pans, from swords to umbrellas, from manikins to balloons... well, as said, you can use everything!
Moreover, every object has a different "use" against Zombies: for example, a balloon can be kicked against a group of zombies and you'll see a "flipper" effect, and a katana (the famous Japanese sword) can be used to cut them into pieces: if you've tried the game demo present in the marketplace, you already know what I'm saying; really satisfying!
The work done by Capcom on animations and audio effects is really accurate as, changing the arms, no attack is similar to the other and every sound is peculiar. Of course, these characteristics enhance the game-play and the game level of entertainment, making Dead Rising one of the most amusing games I've ever played.
The need of a zombie-massacre
To kill zombies is the best option to survive and not being eaten, but Dead Rising gives us also another reason (don't sure we really need it, do we?).
Indeed, Frank West will, exactly as in RPGs, evolve thanks to his "on-field" experience. Through the killing of tons of zombies, we earn PPs (Prestige Points) and, when the PP bar is full, Frank can grow up a level. What does it imply? Increasing Frank level, we will be able to increase our inventory (thus we'll be able to carry more objects), the energy bar and our speed: moreover, we will acquire new abilities as new ways to murder legions of hungry zombies without the need of any weapon.
However, there are other ways to earn these necessary PPs. As already said, Frank is a journalist and he will always carry with him his photo camera, with which we'll be able to take pictures of our neither-really-dead (nor-really-alive) fellows and of survivors we'll meet during our free-roaming. Every picture is judged via different parameters and categorised: for example, the picture of a zombie with a pan in the face will be categorised as "comic".
Also NPCs (non-player characters, r.n.) have a fundamental role in Dead Rising. Meeting and helping them, we will earn a lot of PPs, that will become a "lot more" if we will be able to bring them (still alive) to a certain "safe place"...
Atypical game-play
Dead Rising can be classified as a free-roaming action game with some RPG elements when speaking of the possibility to level-up our character.
Furthermore, the adventure is not structured as in tens of other games: our 72 hours in Willamette Mall are divided into "Cases" (eight) and "Sub-cases". Every Case can be seen as a cornerstone of the plot, one step-nearer the solution of the mystery surrounding the mall.
Another Dead Rising key-feature is Frank West's watch, that will not only be useful to know the time left before the arriving of the helicopter, but also to check the missions to carry on. In fact, as soon as we enter the "watch screen" (pushing "left" on the d-pad), a list of available missions will appear on the up-right: missions will be highlighted in different colours, from blue to red, depending on the time left to accomplish them. Useless saying that if you'll not be able to reach a mission point directly involved in the main plot (thus, your current "Case"), your mission will fail.
Also "saves" are peculiar in Dead Rising and, for the first time in this review, maybe criticisable because of their scarcity (it will be possible to save the game only in bathrooms and sleeping on "special" green divans).
If you happen to die, and it will happen (especially when, at the beginning, Frank West is not so strong), and if you fail the mission, you'll have two chances: to load the last saved game or to re-start the game from the beginning maintaining, however, all the experience gained by Frank making the game every time easier.
The possibility to maintain the gained experience is fundamental in Dead Rising because the first time we'll play the game dying will be very simple, indeed: hence, my suggestion is to re-start the game after every death, mostly if you're in the first hours of the adventure. Believe me, "the game is worth the candle": the more you'll play Dead Rising, the more you'll enjoy it.
Technically speaking: Zombies
Technically speaking Dead Rising tries to make the most of the new Microsoft console, showing us huge sets, rich of details and, mostly, zombies!
In the old generation consoles it was literally impossible to have such a number of zombies all together on-screen, but Xbox 360 proves its next-gen hardware showing us every single implemented character without frame rate problems.
Moreover, all objects are 3D modelled with a good level of details and a discrete number of polygons: in particular, floors and water are embellished with real-time light effects.
Cut-scenes are astonishing and, thanks to them, we will be able to admire the beautiful textures used for characters' skins. Further, they are enriched with a perfect English dubbing and during the adventure we will be "delighted" by several music styles: from heavy-metal during boss-fights, to soft-music during exploration moments.
Eventually, the final touch is given by the Havok engine that is able to make every situation very convincing... at least from a physics point of view!
Final Comment
I'm positively impressed by Dead Rising: a new intellectual property developed with such a great quality exclusively for Xbox 360.
Capcom could not better start its engagement in the next generation. Dead Rising is atypical and funny, dreadful and comic (try not laughing after having put a felt headgear on a zombie's head), well, a real mix of different genres that will make you enjoy it hour after hour.
In fact, thanks to its variety, Dead Rising has a good longevity: it is, indeed, a highly re-playable game and, even after having completed the main plot for the first time, you'll feel the need to start it again searching for all the secondary missions you're not able to accomplish the first time.
Simply, try it!
Evalutation
Presentation and Package: 7
Simple menus and design, maybe too simple. However, do we really care menus when there are hundreds of zombies to kill?
Gameplay: 9
Varied, amusing and satisfying. These are the 3 adjectives ideal to describe Dead Rising gameplay!
Graphics: 8.5
Hundreds and hundreds of zombies on-screen at the same time without frame rate problems; excellent quality cut-scenes.
Sound: 9
The English dubbing was one of the better we've ever heard. Good soundtrack choice.
Longevity: 9
At the beginning, the game can be a little bit frustrating but, after a while, it becomes fluent and funny. You'll play several-hours game-sessions!
Multiplayer Factor: N.A.
Not present
Overall Evaluation: 8.5
One of the best games currently available on Xbox 360. A real "must-have".
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Many thanks to Electronic Arts for the collaboration.