Dead Rising 2 is the survival horror video game from Capcom featuring tons of zombies. It reflects the survival concept nicely but is quite far away from the levels of horror that have come to be expected from such video games. The title is slated for a September end release for the PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows PC, and we got the chance to get a little preview of just what kind of action the game packs. But we were a bit more eager to get a glimpse of the fruitful partnership between the gaming giant and Playboy magazine.
The game tells the story of Chuck Greene, former Motocross champion who is on a quest for Zombrex, the only known drug in the fight against the living dead. As he sets out to do something which could demand ultimate sacrifice, hoards of zombies put a dampener in his plans. He must obtain enough of the precious Zombrex if he wants to keep his daughter alive long enough for rescue to come.
Time is of the essence though, as the clock is your worst enemy in a city plagued by the undead. Not only must Chuck continually procure Zombrex for his daughter and fight off swarms of creatures, he must also embark on a series of tunnel vision missions to dig up the truth in a shady circumstance and clear his name. Framed as a terrorist who deliberately unleashed the virus on Fortune City, players can experience really what it means to fight for the only thing that you love while battling that sinking feeling as the undead army closes in.
Dead Rising 2 is not just a mindless hack and slash zombie game though. It incorporates several other interesting aspects, the most intuitive of which is the ability to combine weapons and tools to devastating, and sometimes hilarious, consequence. A couple of chainsaws can be tied to either end of a paddle to make a deadly fighting stick, knives can be attached to boxing gloves for a little sharper hands-on experience, grenades can be taped to a football for an absolutely explosive touchdown, and much more.
Gameplay is taken further than just slicing and bashing up zombies, and Greene can choose to help out the remaining survivors or leave them to fend for themselves against the advancing horde. Gameplay in Dead Rising 2 can get bland at times, but the flat-out cool weapon combinations keep the action fun and motivating. The graphics in the preview version of Dead Rising 2 were clean, clear, and crisp, environments were vast, and game sounds were captivating. No real spine-chilling scary parts though like in Capcom’s Resident Evil 5, but an all-round good game this.
All in all, Dead Rising 2 is sure to provide hours and hours of satisfying undead slaying. And who knows, there might even be a few shocking twists to be uncovered. So whether you love a little bit of continuous mindless action or are enthralled by a gripping storyline, be sure to pick up Capcom’s Dead Rising 2 when it hits store shelves near you this September.