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Dead Rising Review by Rich Hojnacki CIS 487 Fall 06. Developed and published by Capcom Action game with elements from several genres Survival horror Free-form “Grand Theft Auto” Classic ‘campy’ zombie flicks RPG-lite Single player Developed for Xbox 360 platform
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Dead Rising Review by Rich Hojnacki CIS 487 Fall 06
Developed and published by Capcom • Action game with elements from several genres • Survival horror • Free-form “Grand Theft Auto” • Classic ‘campy’ zombie flicks • RPG-lite • Single player • Developed for Xbox 360 platform • Requires means for a saved game • Requires display capable of 1280 x 720 • Price - $59.99
Main character is Frank West, freelance photojournalist • Small Colorado town by the name of Willamette is quarantined by the National Guard without any explanation • Frank West hires an independent helicopter pilot to scope out the town • Willamette appears to be under a riot • Frank West is dropped off on a helipad at the Parkview Mall and tells the pilot to pick him up again in exactly 72 hours • Main storyline goal is to uncover the nature of the zombie outbreak and then escape
Player must survive their 3 days in Parkview mall (1 real time hour = 1 day in-game). • Player must complete ‘case files’ to receive pieces of information about the zombie outbreak • A case file must be completed on time, or it disappears and the storyline is broken (‘bad’ ending) • Case files occur at certain spots in the mall (not random) • Player must be at the predetermined spot, before the time limit runs out • Case file usually involves a boss battle (psychopaths which are not zombies) followed by a cut-scene with some info about the outbreak
Frank’s stats are determined by his level • Max health level • Size of inventory • Ability to perform martial arts moves • Prestige Points act as the XP • Killing a certain number of zombies (100, 500, 1000, etc) • Leading survivors from various parts of the mall to a safe room • Frank didn’t forget his camera! • Earn massive prestige points for capturing interesting photos (survivor getting eaten)
Wide array of weapons • Pipes • Boards • Sledgehammers • Lawnmowers • Chainsaws • CDs • Chairs • Firearms • Cars and trucks • Bowling balls • Frank regains health by consuming food (food items can be mixed to produce various effects, example: zombie bait) • Frank can wear outfits found in mall stores (yes, you can dress him up in women’s clothing) • Free form gameplay; can go anywhere in the mall • Funky mall muzak to slaughter zombies by
Strengths • Vast number of zombies (and methods to kill them) • “open ended” • Semi-interesting storyline • Weaknesses • Virtually impossible to play in standard definition (480) due to unreadable text • Forcing players to perform case files under a strict time limit is unforgivable • Closest genre is Action • Many more enemies than typical action game, more combat • Mostly free form, which is vastly different than most action games
Dead Rising is more enjoyable than the average action game for people that love horror • Typically less intense and terrifying than a good survival horror game • Audience is definitely 17 and older due to gore and violence • One design mistake; total incompatibility with standard definition displays • Improvement in several areas would be nice • More ‘side quests’ • Don’t force player with strict time limits • Worth the $60