Dead Rising

It’s not all mindless bashing though.  There are tons of missions to complete, and the ones you do are totally up to you.  This non-linear approach results in several different possible endings, giving the game replayability.  Missions consist of rescuing people and taking photos amongst many other things, and often you have to cope with the added pressure of a ticking clock.  The action never lets up though, as a zombie will never be far away.  Even some humans are a threat, as you’ll have to watch out for escaped convicts with just as generous an array of weapons at their disposal to take you out (convicts and a haven of weapons do NOT mix well)!  Health is available throughout the mall in the form of food as you raid abandoned fast food stalls.

Another interesting feature is the use of a day/night schedule.  If you thought things were hectic during the day, just wait til night time.  Seemingly, it takes the living dead a while to really wake up and you’ll find the once leisurely guys energetically lunging at you, kind of like any mall on Xbox 360 launch night.

Dead Rising really shows off an impressive amount of characters on screen at any one time and the graphics look somewhat impressive on a whole so far.  In fact, the game as a whole looks like one really worth looking out for.  My main concerns at the moment are that it could become repetitive after a while, and that failed timed missions cannot be retried.  However, Capcom have shown what they can do with zombies and Dead Rising doesn’t look like it plans on disappointing.  With such an interactive environment, non-linear approach and seemingly quality arcade action, I for one cannot wait to try it out when it’s released this summer/autumn – although I may think twice about picking it up at a mall!

A trailer is available to download now on the Xbox Live Marketplace.