Dead Rising 2: Single Player Campaign review Weapons, Environment & Sound – PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC – Part 3
Weapons
The things about Dead Rising 2 in terms of weapons is that it does not take itself too seriously, which is not a bad thing at all. In fact it is quite a sight to put a mask on a zombie and watch it stumble around or spray the floor with whipped cream and watch them slip and slide.
The weapons themselves are fun to use as the a light sabre will put a smile on many a Star Wars fan’s face and the watergun-turned-flamethrower will give everyone else a nice idea to try out in real life as well
All the weapons have a light and a heavy attack which do varying amounts of damage with some even able to perform combos. The combo weapons have far better heavy attacks in terms of level of satisfaction they give to the player as the animations are much more up close and personal as well as the right amount of gory.
However when it comes down to it weapons rarely lack skill and it is a case of button mashing which, if was not for the brilliant animations, would have made mowing down zombies a monotonous task.
Environments
Expanding from a single mall that the player spent the entirety of their time in Dead Rising, the second game adds a lot more variety. Taking heavy influence from Las Vegas the a fictional Fortune City comprises of parks, malls, casinos, hotels and an arena, as well as an entire system of underground tunnels.
Each area has its own unique style as one casino is similar to Caesars while another is based on a Texas Ranch, complete with a mechanic Rodeo bull.
There are plenty of shops in the game a player can visit as well, each with something different. Sports shops will have items ranging from MMA gloves to golf sticks, Baseball bats to dumb bells, while the plethora of clothing stores will have Chuck trying on a number of different looks.
There are also plenty of restaurants with different food items on offer. Sodas, coffees, hot dogs, steaks and even whiskey and vodka all make the game almost believable. Food items are what fill up Chuck’s health bar and therefore trips to various restaurants will be something Chuck will be doing often.
Also there are various mini-games that can be found in the casinos, which earn Chuck environment bonuses as well as cash. Spin the wheel, a chamber with money flying around; bingo, poker and black jack are just some of the few distractions players can find if they need a break from killing the hordes of the undead.
The interaction with the environment are not just there as a gimmick, they actually add another layer of depth to the game and are a welcome distraction from all the gore and violence and provide a couple of light moments throughout the game.
With plenty of places in the game to explore and weapons to find the game holds plenty of secrets for players to discover for themselves.
Each area has its own unique atmosphere and the no two places look the same which gives the players a constant sense of actually being trapped inside a small city. As a sandbox game Dead Rising 2 delivers in terms of environment.
Article continued in Part 4...
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