Overview
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record sees the original protagonist of Dead Rising’s Willamette incident, Frank West, a now washed-up photojournalist return to TK’s zombie-slaying arena. West is flung into a re-imagining of the Fortune City outbreak with his camera which he will need to take quality pictures to earn Prestige Points. Off the Record is another opportunity for fans of the series to embark on another zombie-slaying fest in the seemingly never-ending Dead Rising style.
Developer: Blue Castle Games, Capcom Vancouver
Publisher: Capcom
For fans of: The original in the series
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Also available on: Playstation 3, PC
If we had to give it a numerical score: 7 out of 10
Gameplay and Features
With Dead Rising 2: Off the Record you can jump straight into ‘sandbox mode’ or you can opt to play through the ‘story mode’. The latter sees the fall from grace of our protagonist and your overall goal is to revive West’s reputation and bring the original zombie slayer back into grace. Armed with his trusty camera, West needs to snap shots to gain PP. Different category of pics gain more score i.e. drama or action shots. Frank still needs his anti-zombie meds – Zombrex every 24 hours to stop him from turning as he is still infected. West needs to take the meds every 24 hours at a safe-house and so you need to keep tabs of the time.
In Sandbox mode you can completely choose how you go about your activities. You can get lost (as I did) looting casino’s for cash – smashing up slot machines for the loot. You can also get lost gaining PP by running up your zombie-killing tab or by snapping up pics all around the gaming world, to again increase your PP. There are numerous challenges scattered around and some need to be unlocked. For lovers of looting and scrimmaging through gaming worlds, Off the Record will charm you. There are endless objects to find to see how ‘bad-ass’ a weapon you can create by using your findings.
If looting, collecting, snapping up shots and slaying gets lonely, Off the Record features drop-in drop-out online co-op mode. Your team-mate will play as Chuck Greene (Dead Rising 2) and can assist you through the various tasks you choose to undertake. You do have the ability to deny incoming players and set your lobby to only allow friends in. For mindless, somewhat hilarious fun Off the Record provides hours of entertainment on the co-operative front.
The general gameplay will feel familiar to followers of the series – including the setting, where there is just more to explore and a different narrative. You need to pick up almost any object lying around and use it as a weapon, with various objects varying in potency. This is one of this series’ major attractions – you will be able to use objects from wrenches to drills, from furniture to CD’s. As you progress you can combine objects to make more powerful weapons – another major feature that has won many fans over. The game becomes imminently more fun when you get to combine objects that will have different strengths, all to help mow down the never-ending attacks from zombies.
The controls feel a bit out-dated, loose and clumsy for me. Strangely, this actually adds to the overwhelming feeling that comes with being attacked by hordes of zombies. Not always being able to dispatch the zombies as I would have liked too with more fluid controls, got me panicking and mashing the buttons, oddly adding to the tense atmosphere. West’s movements are general basic, but vary depending on what object he is using, thus some of the attacking animations look better than others. The controls are another major reason I don’t think this series is going to win masses of new followers. The creators clearly did not want to tinker with an aspect that got the series a following in the first place, but as a new comer you will probably feel the system is a little out-dated.
Visuals and Sound
The visuals did little to impress – the look is generally clean and neat, but again a bit out-dated. There is a lack of real depth and detailing while remaining crisp and clean. From the archaic-looking interface to the drab animations, it looks as if it could have been released years back. The use of colour throughout the presentation and the gaming world does suit the off-beat theme of the game. If you are looking for hi-tech immersive visuals, then this is not the one. Even the cut-scenes were just apt, not comparable to some of the big-budget titles.
I did enjoy the sound effects though – which are totally suited to the quirky nature or theme of the whole series. Nothing sounds super-realistic, but is well suited to the title. The sound – and I suppose the visuals to some extent – were probably purposely designed that way to suit the ‘sense of humour’ of the series. You cannot take the game too serious and I believe it was designed to be the laid back slaying fest that it is – and so the visuals and sounds further continue in this direction.
Conclusion
Dead Rising 2: Off The Record will probably make sense to fans of the series – the reduced price, the return of the original star of the series as well as the familiar and quirky gameplay that is a staple of the series. To top it all off, the camera brings back that interesting angle of trying to snap up those great shots, and in the middle of a mass zombie attack this aspect brings the tension that I am sure fans of the series love. So for the fans things look bright indeed.
For newcomers however, I think it will be a case of you will either get it or you won’t. If a laid back, amusing bashing of hordes of zombies title sounds like fun – then it probably will be.
See the official site for more.
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