Dead Rising 2: Off The Record Review (360)

Hail to the King…Frank is back baby….Groovy!

Remember the first Dead Rising? The buzz you had when you realised you were playing Dawn of The Dead in video game format. The mad weapons, the photography it just seemed so fresh. Well when the second dead rising came out, something just didn’t feel right. Yeah, it was all well and good playing as new protagonist, Chuck and his story to try and save his little girl, but there wasn’t enough to get excited about. It was still fun and the ability to mix weapons to make mega weapons was sweet, but it just didn’t float my boat like it’s predecessor. No doubt you guys out there have just finished Dead Island, loved it and wanted more zombies to kill in entertaining ways. Of course you did. But why should you bother with this next instalment of the dead Rising franchise. Well it looks like the dudes at Capcom have decided to take all the feedback received from the first two games…and come up with the greatest version of Dead Rising to date. Yes indeedie, first up is the price. Ok so some people may say- surely this should have just been a £15 download- just an update to DR2. Well, those people have not played this version, and seen how much awesomeness has been packed onto the lovely xbox 360 disc. For all we get here, £29.99 (Approx) is a steal kiddies.

this is more like a zombie Grand Theft Auto

First off Frankie is back…oh yeah baby! Frank west, original zombie slayer & photo journalist from the Willamatte incident back in the original Dead Rising has returned. With a new storyline- 4 years after the original game, Frank got rich & famous, then crashed and burned…like a true hero. He sees Fortune City as a way to get “Back in the game”. So Frank and his trusty Polaroid return with loads of new missions & side quests specific to old Frankie boy. We also get a totally new area to explore, and slay zombies in . The rather wittily titled Uranus Zone, which is Fortune Cities own theme park. It’s not a massive area if I’m honest, but it sure is loads of fun. We also have loads of new combo weapons to collect cards for and to construct in the maintenance rooms. New psycho’s and vehicles have also been crammed in here too. What do you mean that’s not enough. Dan you peeps are hard to please. Right, well since Frank is back, so is the photography feature, where you gain extra pp for taking great pictures of various survivors & zombies in different poses. The pp gained for shots helps you to level up and gain bonuses like extra slots for weapons/ food and extra health bars also. Also Capcom Vancouver have added check points for all those who found the original two games a bit harsh, as well as increased the loading times. Not bad huh, but knowing you lot…you need still more for your cash. I have been saving the best till last. We have a new mode, and it’s a game winner, trust me. How about a no time limit Sandbox mode. You heard me right. Finally we have the opportunity to just get out there and slay zombies without worrying about time constraints and missions and quests. Just kill zombies with large pink dildos , foam hands, wheelchairs with knives strapped to them. Wearing any costumes you like. Pure freedom to maim. If you are feeling a wee bit lonely whilst you slay. Xbox live will let you slay co-operatively. Stand back to back in matching rabbit suits with an online buddy whilst you mow down hordes of shuffling zombies. This is what us zombie loving video games fans have been waiting for. There you have it people. Dead Rising 2: Off The Record is the equivalent of a directors cut, but with so much more, it’s worth buying this game, even if you have DR2. It really is that good. A totally different experience from Dead Island I’ll grant you, but that was more like a zombie role playing game, this is more like a zombie Grand Theft Auto. Come on, if the chance to kill zombies with no time limits in a theme park with loads of insane weapons combos, does not make you feel slightly excited, then you must be a zombie already. This game aint perfect, but in this day and age I’ll take FUN over perfection any day. Anyway, weird is the new normal, didn’t you know. Now please excuse me, I’ll just have another hour on sandbox mode before bed…It’s only 3am and I have just strapped a strimmer to the end of a brush handle and i`m dying to try it out.