Dead Rising 2 - Xbox 360 (360), Playstation 3 (PS3) Previews


	Platform Playstation 3, Xbox 360 Genre Action Publisher Capcom Developer Blue Castle Games ETA September 29, 2010
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Dead Rising 2

I held off on writing anything about Dead Rising 2 for the simple fact that I wanted to play a build of the game. I had this sneaking suspicion that I could, in fact, just write "more Dead Rising!" but I wouldn't want to make statements like that without having some hands-on time.

So, after some time with the demo at E3 I can safely say that it's more Dead Rising, right down to the wrist watch that pops up when you "pause" the game.

The character has changed -- Frank West must be covering a war -- and the location is made up of the kind of diverse locales you'd find in a Las Vegas-like

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gambling spot. (It's called Fortune City, just so we all know this is a work of fiction.) I played around on a casino floor, cutting zombies in two (vertically!) and pulling off "execution" type moves with a combat knife, and it all felt so comfortable. At least, in terms of the way Chuck Greene moves and the controls. (The sledgehammer swings just like the original.) No picture-

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taking this time around, but I always thought that was the weakest part of the original game. Well, maybe aside from the save system...

There was really no sign of the save system in the scant fifteen minutes I played of Dead Rising 2 but reports are that it will be just as unforgiving as the original with some slight modifications. What those modifications might be are clouded but any other options, like an "easy" mode with more than a single save slot or an autosave/checkpoint feature, would be welcome. As would being able to take a call and still fight.

Combining everyday household items into zombie killing machines is another draw for Dead Rising 2. Dynamite arrows seem pedestrian to a kayak paddle with chainsaws duct taped to both ends. Items are combined at workbenches scattered throughout the game.

The story looks like it picks up soon after the incident at Willamette. The zombie infestation has been "contained" and zombie killing has been sanctioned through extreme sports. (The zombie rights group handing out leaflets at the E3 booth was a nice touch.) Obviously, something goes wrong and Chuck Greene, a participant in these games, has to find a way to keep himself and his daughter from falling victim to the zombie plague and/or being ripped to shreds by Psychopaths. That may not be a completely accurate recount of the setup, but I like the fact Chuck has a familial reason to be fighting; it brings a not-so-obvious vibe of Heavy Rain to the proceeding. It can't all be about Playboy bunnies, can it?

Well, okay. Maybe a bit...

One of the features that seems like an no-brainer in terms of having something on display for E3 would have been the drop in/out co-operative play. This would have been a cool feature to showcase, but the demo was single-player only. There's also word of a multiplayer game setup as a zombie killing game show. Again, it would have been neat to get a peak of that.

Regardless, I'm glad the wait will be a short one. Dead Rising 2 is scheduled for release August 31, 2010 in North America (September 2 in Japan; September 3 in Europe).

- Aaron Simmer

(June 22, 2010)