Bone ripped from flesh and families torn apart amidst a zombie apocalypse may be the backdrop of the latest episode of “The Walking Dead,” but “Dead Rising” encourages players to have a little fun in the final days.
The story of “Dead Rising” centers on Frank West, a photojournalist who is dropped off to cover a story at Willamette Parkview Mall amidst a zombie uprising. Each story beat of the game is known as a Case, where West takes on hordes of the undead or a psychopath that has unleashed havoc within the mall.
Time isn’t on your side in “Dead Rising,” as West has only 72 hours to discover the truth behind the outbreak in Colorado and save everyone in the process. This is no easy feat, as players are given new missions to undertake constantly from the mall’s janitor, Otis, who is overseeing the mall on security cameras.
Players will have to run, shoot, slash and even drive their way through thousands of zombies to save everyone and it’s by specific design. “Dead Rising” isn’t a traditional action game, where the player can take on anything without much of a challenge.
Upon starting Dead Rising for the first time, players will notice two things: West is slow and he will die a lot. He starts with only four bars of health and his attack power is more like a light slap to the 30 zombies waiting outside the door to rip him apart.
Though this may sound disheartening, the game is designed around memorizing the layout of the mall and getting stronger for the perfect run through the game. Each time West dies, players are given the chance to load a previous save or simply keep the experience gained and start from the beginning.
Gamers will see the opening of the game a lot, but each time, they’ll be gaining more and more experience and be able to fly through the game’s opening without issue. Within minutes, they’ll go from zombie bait to a formidable foe swinging a katana found near the food court.
The story of “Dead Rising” attempts to tell the story of a horrific incident, but the game itself is over-the-top and goofy. Instead of traditional weapons, nearly everything in the mall from benches and trash cans to lawn mowers and bowling balls can be used as a potential way to fight off the horde.
Along the way, West can take out his camera to snap photos of zombies for extra experience. The more dramatic or horrific the photo, the more points gained. Certain scenes such as a heartfelt reunion between two survivors or a fellow photographer kicking a zombie in the face awards a bonus if you capture the moment in time.
Though the game was originally released exclusively on the Xbox 360 in 2006, it has now found its way onto the Playstation 4, PC and Xbox One in an updated port. I’m currently playing through the Playstation 4 version where the game now runs at a solid 60 frames per second at a higher resolution, but the game plays exactly how I remember it.
From dismembering the undead to putting on a dress and skateboarding through the mall, “Dead Rising” offers players a ton of options to pass the time. The game is available now for $20 or as part of a bundle which includes “Dead Rising,” “Dead Rising 2” and “Dead Rising 2: Off The Record” for $60.
