Dead Rising

[Nartwak]

Dead Rising is a one player video game for the Xbox 360 produced by Keiji Inafune and under development by Capcom. It will go on sale in the United States on August 8, 2006.

 

The player character, Frank West, is an "overly zealous freelance photojournalist" who is trapped in a mall filled with flesh-eating zombies. The player must rescue other survivors and get out of the mall alive with the best scoop possible. Frank West wishes to win a Pulitzer Prize for his story. During the game the player must choose between taking pictures, or simply killing the zombies which brings a twist to the gameplay. The game's shopping mall environment is very similar to George Romero's classic zombie movie Dawn of the Dead.

An early image of Dead Rising

Enlarge

An early image of Dead Rising

 

If the player takes pictures, he may win a Pulitzer, but it may make surviving more difficult. The player can also help the people who are attacked by zombies, or let them get eaten, taking pictures of their demise. Depending on the actions a player takes the ending will vary. "Designed to be totally open-ended, Dead Rising allows you to investigate whatever you want, kill whoever you want and finish the game by completing whatever objectives you saw fit."

 

The main character can use hundreds of everyday items as weapons to kill zombies. Trailers show the player using a snowblower (Which is often mistaken as a lawnmower), baseball bats, swords, CDs, 2x4's, showerheads, chairs, plates, bowling balls, knives, tennis rackets, chainsaws, hockey sticks, plastic light sabers, safety cones, pies, plasma screen TVs, potted plants, fully deployed beach umbrellas, a battle axe from an antique store and the more conventional shotguns and pistols. There are over 250 items that a player can use to attack zombies with. Electronic Gaming Monthly explained there are up to 800 zombies on the screen at once. During the day the zombies are more sluggish, but at night they become more active and deadly. The trailer also showed what seemed to be a mega buster, a reference to Capcom's Megaman series.

 

Despite the presence of zombies, the game is not officially tied to Capcom's Resident Evil series. Inafune explained that the game is more humorous in tone compared to the Resident Evil series. This is reflected by the main character himself, who is not a "cool" hero working for a special task force, but an average citizen with an ordinary job.

 

 

Trailer ~ 30 Mb

Trailer 2 ~ 80 Mb

 

July 20th Prevew Article - IGN

 

July 20, 2006 - Since first shown at E3 2005, Capcom's Dead Rising has generated a significant amount of excitement among those who played. After all, who doesn't enjoy running over 50 zombies with a lawnmower? Nobody. Except communists. Unfortunately for everyone who got to play the game, the build has always been on a timer. For instance, at E3 2006, the game timed out after 15 minutes. Recently Capcom had sent out a 50-minute build. This too cut the action off before players could properly embroil themselves in the grisly business of zombie-slaying. The most recent build sent out, however, is a 95-percent complete version of the game. No more timer limits. No more inability to save. No more of the game resetting nanoseconds before a thunderous swing of a baseball bat was unleashed on an undead face. We were able to play the actual game, uncover numerous story points, earn a number of attack skills, and get a better sense of how the gameplay flowed with this near-final build. So far, things are looking good.

 

Taking control of photojournalist Frank West, players must survive for 72 hours in a mall utterly infested with shambling undead bodies. The clock starts running as soon as Frank arrives, so there's little time to waste. Naturally, the 72 game hours expire much faster than our hours. Roughly, an in-game hour takes about five minutes to expire while not in a cut-scene, of which there are many. After spending a number of real-time hours with the game, it's clear there'll be less free time available to kill at random than we originally thought. This is largely due to the game's design, which forces players to complete all the story missions. Called "Cases," these are split into eight sections with a final one called The Facts. Each series of the Cases starts at specific time, requiring players to be in a certain spot at a certain time. If we missed a time, the game would end, forcing us to reload from our last save point.

 

For those seeking as much free time as possible in order to maximize as much zombie destruction as possible, it seems a good idea to complete Cases as quickly as possible. Though by no means do Cases have to be completed as soon as they're received, it's best to complete them first. The time remaining before the next case begins can then be used for snapping photos, detonating propane tanks, or hacking bodies to pieces with a roaring chainsaw. As players run around, they'll constantly be getting calls from Otis, a janitor who hides in the security office. Via walkie-talkie he'll convey information on where various unlucky mall shoppers are trapped. Should free time be available, it's a good idea to embark on the side quests for big PP rewards, Dead Rising's equivalent of experience points.

 

Otis calls a lot during the game. If the communication device starts ringing, answering it quickly is the best course, as Otis will not stop calling until you've listened to him. Responding to the walkie-talkie's shrill alert tone unfortunately disables attack or jump functions. A relatively safe environment is recommended before Frank picks up, lest players enjoy the scene of zombies sundering his outfit with their teeth. Pressing left on the D-Pad brings up a view of Frank's arm and watch. This not only allows players to manage their time effectively, but to activate side quests, or Scoops as they're called. Once active, a silver arrow at the top of the screen will point the way toward the next destination. Most side quests require players to rescue a trapped shopper and return them to the security room. Though it may not sound all that exciting, completing Scoop missions is the best way to level up.

 

It was only after Case 4 that we realized how valuable it was. While wandering around the mall we discovered a strange group of cult members near the mall's movie theatre. They seemed to be perfectly human, but were wearing some rather strange clothing. Dressed in bright yellow hooded robes, the cult members were even more visually striking for the green goblin-like masks they wore. Instead of shambling aimlessly about and flailing stupidly when we walked by, these members were entirely focused on our destruction. When we accidentally stumbled upon a congregation we found them on the verge of sacrificing a pretty woman. Being a photojournalist, a profession widely revered as the last bastion of Medieval chivalry, we were compelled to rush to her defense.

 

Most of the freakish group was lost in praying, moaning or chanting monotonously. Though several had broken off to slowly advance on us, we decided this was the perfect photo opportunity. We'd just inserted a fresh set of batteries into our camera from a nearby electronics store and started snapping away as quickly as we could. It turned out to be a great idea, as we were pulling in 800 - 1200 PP per snap. There doesn't appear to be any sort of PP penalty for capturing the same image repeatedly, so we snapped and dodged for as long as the batteries lasted. In the process we leveled up.

 

Leveling boosts health, inventory space, attack power, throwing power, and bestows new zombie mashing techniques. These boons aren't granted all at the same time. Generally it seemed two or three of those qualities were bolstered with each level ascension. Should players wish to buff themselves in between levels, the bookstores around the mall are an excellent diversion. By holding a book in an inventory slot, Frank is blessed with abilities like extra skill with certain weapons, allowing them to go longer without breaking. For the batch of HD videos we took, we were equipped with a book that alerted us to when opportunities for photos were most ripe. We'll go into further detail in a feature tomorrow, but the book is what accounts for the floating icons above the zombies' heads.

 

Getting back to the cult soldiers, we had to engage them in battle after taking our fill of snapshots. Their main attack was a clumsy knife charge, easily sidestepped. Slapping their skulls with a bat a few times, which would have easily ended a zombie's unlife, didn't quite finish them off. After a few hits, cultists would jolt upright as if pleading to the great goblin-faced guardian above, then charge for a bear-hug attack. At least it initially seemed like a bear-hug attack. Imagine our surprise when the lemon-robed goblin exploded, sending us sprawling backwards. We actually said, "whoa," though only in the most disinterested, detached manner possible. After all, we here in the videogame industry are the most jaded in the universe. Eliciting any kind of verbal reaction is tantamount to telekinetically moving New York City to Tunisia.

 

Excessive hyperbole aside, we found the wooden benches scattered around the mall to be the most effective weapon. Though they could only be swung once with a significant delay time after, they killed the cultists in one hit. Each cultist kill racked up 500 PP, so it was definitely worthwhile to keep hammering away. Once they were all cleared out we managed to rescue the NPC in distress. Upon joining our group, we received 20,000 PP. Using the game's NPC command system, which lets players tell NPCs to head to specific places or to just generally follow along, we managed to guide the woman to the security room's safety. Here we were given 40,000 PP, and leveled up again. This number significantly dwarfed the PP awards for killing zombies and taking pictures.

 

Managing to get the NPC through significant zombie traffic was more of an issue than anything else. For some reason the woman thought it'd be a good idea to start fighting zombies herself. A bad idea, since she didn't have a bat, buzz saw, or a hockey stick like Frank. We were able to hand over some orange juice when her health got low, ensuring she'd make it across the crowded mall plaza. Other than that we were just running around slamming the Y button to get her to follow. Eventually she did, but she seemed to get confused a number of times.

 

With all our level ups we'd acquired a few new moves, most of them evasion oriented. So far we've unlocked a drop kick, a special kick for when zombies engage a grapple, a dive and roll move, and the ability to climb up on a zombie's shoulders to walk across crowds. Using these moves were able to get to whatever stores we wanted, regardless of undead overcrowding. This allowed us to perfect our battle gear. After numerous embarrassing clothing choices like a lacy negligee and undersized children's clothing, we finally found the correct choice. As even the dirtiest of homeless people could tell you, the most fashionable attire in the world is a Tony Montana-style white suit with Servebot toy head cover. This pinnacle of battle fashion is prominently displayed in the videos and screens below.

 

During the rest of our excruciatingly stylish travels we encountered a number of boss fights. A clown wielding dual chainsaws was one. There were two fights against a gun wielding opponent, the first with a pistol; the second a sniper rifle. The most memorable by far was a fight in a supermarket against a peculiarly insane shopkeeper with a penchant for unwarranted screaming. With his shopping cart a hodgepodge of spiny weaponry, he'd charge us at high speeds. When we evaded, he'd bust out a shotgun in frustration and launch a few rounds our way. Thankfully there were plenty of powerups among the aisles, most notably in the refrigerated section. Milk really does a body good.

 

A few final tidbits concern a screen-clearing weapon and red-eyed zombies. Some zombies drop tiny queen bees when killed. Frank can bottle them up and then smash them on the ground, butchering whatever undead happen to be in the vicinity. When day turns to night, the zombies' eyes turned to glowing ruby embers. We don't know why, though Capcom says it gives them extra speed and strength. Having battled through a number of them, we didn't notice much of a difference. But it definitely looked cool.

 

New screens and HD videos below. Click on them. Observe our amazing fashion sense. Marvel at a raucous umbrella adventure. Witness the greatest snapshot ever taken. Check back tomorrow for a deeper look at the photography system.

Edited August 2, 2006 by Nartwak

[kirottu]

It makes wonder if one the weapons to be used could be that awesome cleavage. "Breast strangle hold attack" or something.

[Musopticon?]

Clown zombies, cleavage, awesomeness.

[Morgoth]

The b00bi... I mean, the faces are incredibly detailed. Is that in-game stuff, or just pre-rendered footage?

[Bokishi]

Neat

[Darth Drabek]

This game does look like it will rule. I'll have to visit my buddy with a 360 a few times once it comes out.

[Llyranor]

All that looks in-game. I've seen a few gameplay clips, and it does look kinda fun. Putting buckets over the zombies' heads should be amusing.

[Darque]

This will be the first game I get next year when I get a 360

[Dark_Raven]

I thought the hex box sucked in your opinion?

[Bokishi]

Not with games like this

[Dark_Raven]

Interesting.

[Nartwak]

I've read that the clown I've shown isn't a zombie. He's just a psycho.

[Bokishi]

Interesting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You should get an Xbox, I won't laugh at you I promise.

[Krookie]

Interesting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You should get an Xbox, I won't laugh at you I promise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hell, I would. "

[Bokishi]

And I'll punch Krookie if he laughs at you too, Gabs.

[Nartwak]

The b00bi... I mean, the faces are incredibly detailed. Is that in-game stuff, or just pre-rendered footage?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The smaller of the two trailers I've linked shows quite a lot of gameplay footage. I recommend everyone download it.

Edited August 2, 2006 by Nartwak

[Krookie]

And I'll punch Krookie if he laughs at you too, Gabs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'll laugh over the phone then.

[Nartwak]

Edited August 2, 2006 by Nartwak

[Bokishi]

No comment.

[Llyranor]

What's to comment about? That's what Nartwark is going to do to Krookie if he laughs at the nubile Gabs.

[Dark_Raven]

^_^

[Nartwak]

Trailer 3 ~ 118 MB

[GhostofAnakin]

I got distracted by the giant breasts.

[jaguars4ever]

Clowns? Zombies? Boobies? If it has ninjas, pirates and cyborgs this would be like the perfect game ever.

[Krookie]

I'm happy to see that hockey sticks are an available weapon. I've always wanted to his someone with one of those.