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Dead Rising
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Dead Rising
Deadrising boxart
North American box art.
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s) Capcom
Designer(s) Director
Yoshinori Kawano
Producer

Keiji Inafune
Writer(s) Makoto Ikehara
Composer(s) Hideki Okugawa
Marika Suzuki
Engine MT Framework with Havok Physics
Platform(s) Xbox 360
Release date(s) NA August 8, 2006
EU September 8, 2006[1]
JP September 28, 2006
Genre(s) Survival Horror, action adventure, sandbox
Mode(s) Single player
Rating(s) BBFC: 18[2]
CERO: Z
ESRB: M
OFLC: MA15+
PEGI: 18+
Media DVD
Input methods Gamepad
Shortcut:
Dr

Dead Rising (デッドライジング Deddo Raijingu) is an action-adventure, survival horror video game, developed by Capcom and produced by Keiji Inafune. Originally developed as an exclusive title for the Xbox 360 video game console, a Wii console remake was released in February 2009 titled Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop.[3] Dead Rising was released on August 8, 2006 in North America and in Japan on September 28, 2006.[4][5] The game was a commercial success. It has been introduced into the Xbox 360 " Platinum Hits " lineup, and a cell phone version has recently been released. A sequel, entitled Dead Rising 2, was developed by Blue Castle Games alongside many of the previous developers of Dead Rising and released in September 2010.

Dead Rising's story centers on Frank West, a photojournalist who, in September 2006, ends up trapped in a shopping mall in the fictional town of Willamette, Colorado, that is infested with zombies.[6] Frank must defend himself from zombie attacks, rescue survivors, contend with crazed psychopaths, and stay alive while still attempting to uncover the truth behind the incident. The player controls Frank as he explores the Willamette Parkview Mall, using any available object as a weapon. The player can complete several main and optional missions to earn Prestige Points (PP) and gain special abilities. The game is designed as a sandbox game and features several endings, depending on the decisions the player makes along the way, including a very difficult system where the game will uninstall itself if you do not make it far enough before the time limit is reached.

Development[]

The game was mainly inspired by zombie films from the 1960s and 1970s, especially those of George A. Romero. Despite its similarities to Dawn of the Dead, Capcom has assured that the game is in no way related to it. On the cover it states that that the game is in no way related to or authorized by George A. Romero. Keiji Inafune wanted to show a more comical view of zombies rather than the serious view portrayed in the Resident Evil series.

A playable demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace for download on the Xbox 360 on August 4, 2006.[7][8]

On March 30, 2007, a Dead Rising Original Soundtrack featuring music written by Hideki Okugawa and Marika Suzuki, was released in a 2,000-copy limited edition. It was packaged with a T-shirt that showcased Frank, Isabela, and an outline of the mall.

Character design[]

Keiji Inafune, designer of Mega Man and Dead Rising, wanted the main character Frank West to be different from the usual Japanese main character. Instead of having a young and beautiful protagonist, he wanted an everyman that looked average rather than beautiful or ugly.[9]

Frank's default attire includes a brown jacket with a white button-up shirt, green khaki pants, and brown loafers. Frank's appearance can be altered throughout the game by visiting the various stores of the mall. These range from changing into business suits and dresses to donning different glasses and even children's masks. Many of Dead Rising's costumes are references to other Capcom games such as Frank's unlockable Arthur's boxers from Ghosts 'n Goblins, Mega Man X–style armor, and a Servbot head.

Gameplay[]

The main objective of the game is to remain alive inside the zombie-infested mall for at least three days, after which help will arrive via chartered helicopter. Time in the game passes twelve times faster than real-time (i.e. one day in-game is two hours in real time); therefore, the game automatically concludes after six hours of gameplay when time runs out. In addition to this primary objective, the player is free to choose whether or not to pursue any of the game's secondary objectives such as rescuing survivors or defeating psychopaths. As Frank West, the player attempts to uncover the truth behind the zombie epidemic by completing "case files" that reveal the central game plot as they are completed. Completing case files by accomplishing specific tasks or by being "in the right place at the right time" to reveal cutscenes.

Dead Rising does not prevent players from ignoring all missions, since missions are not the sole focus of the game. Once players have passed a certain point at the beginning of the game, they have complete free rein and can do whatever they please—save or kill other survivors; wander aimlessly through the mall, sampling food and trying on clothes; or simply kill zombies—just so long as, by the end of the game, they have reached the helipad in order to be able to catch the exit helicopter. Several of the game's 50 Achievements even reward this method of play.

The setting of Dead Rising, the fictional Willamette Parkview Mall, is modeled after a stereotypical American mall with multiple floors and several themed sections. The mall includes a roller coaster, supermarket, movie theater, park, and an underground maintenance tunnel system (all filled with zombies). There are six main sections to the mall, each with a variety of shops, each filled with objects which can be used as weapons or to improve Frank's health.

Electronic Gaming Monthly reported that there can be up to 800 zombies on the screen at once.[10] During the day the zombies are sluggish and weak, but at night they become more active, gain a significant increase in toughness, sport glowing red eyes and increase in numbers.[11] This was also used in the Mall stage of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars the zombies in the back get glowing red eyes when the stage gets dark. however if the players performs well, you will notice the zombies start to taking pictures of the fight.

Encounters with surviving human characters[]

Scoops serve as optional side quests for the game. They are different from Cases, which are the main storyline quests, and are linear (meaning that if the player fails to complete a certain Case in time, they will be unable to complete all subsequent cases). Scoops are non-linear, though most to all are timed, and completely optional. They are assigned to the player by answering transceiver calls from Otis the Janitor, who is watching the mall via security cameras. Scoops will usually direct the player to a location in the mall to investigate another survivor of the zombie attack. These people are either Innocent Victims, whom Frank can escort to the security room for points, or Psychopaths, who are insane and must be killed. Eventually, all survivors, innocent and psychotic, will disappear from the game, presumably because they were overpowered by zombies (this does not include people that the player has saved, or characters essential to the storyline).

Survivors[]

There are 49 survivors that can be located throughout the mall. There is no penalty for ignoring their pleas for help, or killing them. Saving them earns the player prestige points, and if they are killed, either by the player, zombies, or a psychopath, a picture of their corpse may be taken for additional points.

Psychopaths[]

Most of the psychopaths are either hiding out in the mall after committing some villainous deed, or were driven insane by the horrors of the zombie outbreak. They include:

  1. a paranoid neo-Confederate gun shop manager (Cletus Samson),
  2. a Vietnam War veteran experiencing a war flashback as the result of zombies killing his granddaughter (Cliff Hudson),
  3. a pyromaniac (Paul Carson),
  4. a sadistic police woman (Jo Slade),
  5. a murderous cult whose leader sacrifices "nonbelievers" (Sean Keanan),
  6. a grocery store manager gone mad (Steven Chapman),
  7. a mischievous young photographer (Kent Swanson),
  8. a huge butcher (Larry Chiang),
  9. a father and his two sons using sniper rifles (Roger Hall, Jack and Thomas),
  10. and an insane chainsaw-juggling clown (Adam MacIntyre).

Some are found by chance, others by Otis notifying Frank of some type of disturbance. After a certain part in the game, escaped convicts in a military jeep patrol the park, making passage through it more dangerous. Out of all of the psychopaths only one (or two if you spare him) will show remorse for what they did.

Experience system[]

Dead Rising incorporates an experience system that allows Frank to improve his offensive and defensive capabilities as the game progresses. By taking photographs of different situations in gameplay the player can earn "Prestige Points", a form of experience points that allows the player to increase Frank's combat abilities. Those include upgrades to attack power, running speed, throw distance, health, and how many items Frank can carry at one time in his inventory. New moves are also unlocked but they only boost Franks effectiveness with hand to hand combat. Frank only earns one upgrade to one of these six categories per level. Photos are automatically evaluated and assigned a genre: either, horror, outtakes, erotica, or drama (although some photos are assigned no genre). The main source these experience points are gained is by helping survivors, killing zombies, or other minor actions within the game, such as riding the mall's roller coaster. Certain milestones may also be rewarded, such as "1000 zombies killed" or "Perfect Photo". Many attacks that Frank can learn are based on those used in professional wrestling.

Should the player start a new game, all experience progression the player has already made can be carried over to the new game. In that way, the player may choose to ignore the plot completely and gain more Prestige Points to level up and use in a later game.

Weapons[]

Dead Rising is notable for the hundreds of weapons that the player can find in the mall and use against the zombies. There are over 250 items that can be used as weapons, ranging from powerful to near-useless.[12] Weapons will break down or run out of ammunition with use and be discarded, though certain weapons can be reused after breaking down. For example, a push broom can break in two, leaving the wooden staff to be used as a spear, or mannequins break into their component parts (arms, legs, and torso). Others can be changed by the environment, such as the frying pan, which can be heated on a stove to both increase damage and gain access to a special move. The player can also lift larger items like benches or cash registers that can be used to smash foes or be thrown at them. These items are not considered part of the player's inventory, as the player cannot store the item and it will be dropped if the player selects a different weapon from his/her inventory.

Many of the more useless weapons in the game exist purely for humorous effect, such as a Toy Mega buster, from Capcom's Megaman X, that shoots tennis balls, or a glowing plastic Light Sword that the player can acquire in the mall's toy store in paradise plaza. Upon completing certain hidden objectives, lethal versions of these weapons become available for the player's use. Other comical weapons such as traffic cones and servbot novelty masks can be placed on zombie's heads and watch as they stumble, move about blinded. While such items are on their heads, the zombies are also unable to attack the player.

Some strategic elements are present in the game. Certain books from the mall's bookstores will increase the durability of a weapon or the effectiveness of a health item in the player's inventory. Certain foods can be cooked by various appliances found in the mall to increase their effectiveness, and players may also combine two food or food-related items in blenders found throughout the mall to produce one of seven different "Juices", which provide temporary effects like invulnerability and boosts in speed.

The best weapons to use are guns, katanas, long swords, sledgehammers, cleavers, knives, and outdoor weapons like hedge cutters and chainsaws. Foods that heal fairly well would be orange juice, wine, meat (uncooked and cooked), coffee creamer, mixed drinks, milk, and yogurt.

Game modes and save system[]

Dead Rising features three modes of play:

  • 72 Hour Mode: Frank has three days to solve the mystery of the zombie outbreak. This is the main mode of play.
  • Overtime Mode: This mode starts on 3rd day at 12:00PM after the helicopter crash and Isabela saves Frank from the small group of zombies approaching him. This is an extra day that wraps up the events of 72 Hour mode that reveals the true ending to Dead Rising. This is only available once the player achieves the "A" ending in 72 Hour Mode. (If this mode is started right after the completion of 72 Hour Mode, the player will start with all the items they had in their inventory upon completion of 72 Hour Mode, but will also start with nothing if this mode is started from the main menu.)
  • ∞ (Infinity) Mode: A sandbox mode where Frank must last as long as he can. Frank can now die of hunger, with the health bar depleting by one every 100 seconds to represent this. Food is now limited and no longer exists in unlimited or replenishing supply anywhere within the mall. The transceiver, some watch functions, and the save system are disabled. Everyone, including survivors, are now enemies and will drop character-related items and food when killed. The game continues until Frank's inevitable demise. Infinity mode is only available after successfully completing Overtime Mode.

Dead Rising has an unusual save system: only one game-in-progress can be saved per memory device per Xbox 360 profile. Whenever the player is killed Dead Rising allows players to either load from their last save or to save their current level and abilities, then restart the game with their level and abilities applied from the beginning. (This option is offered due to one of the factors that when the player is in the early stages of leveling Frank, some of the challenges and bosses may be proven too difficult to complete till a higher level is reached, the difficulty of this depends on the player's own skill level.) This system is a deliberate game mechanic, borrowed from the Capcom RPG Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter; the two games share some development team members. The save system was implemented to give players a sense of responsibility for their actions when making various decisions throughout the game.[13]

Plot[]

Introduction[]

Dead rising date of willamette incident

Date when Dead Rising occurs, from one of the first trailers for Dead Rising 2.[14]

The game focuses on the exploits of Frank West, a photojournalist investigating why the fictional town of Willamette, Colorado has been sealed off by the Colorado Army National Guard. Frank is dropped on top of the city's mall by helicopter; he tells the pilot, Ed DeLuca, to return in 72 hours. Upon entering the mall, Frank finds a group of survivors barricading the front entrance to the mall. The zombies are eventually let in by a panicked old woman named Lindsay Harris looking for her dog, a toy poodle named Madonna. A United States Department of Homeland Security officer named Brad urges everyone to retreat to the security room. Frank is the only one to reach the room with Brad and upon entering, the janitor, Otis Washington, welds the door shut. If the player fails to make it to the stairs Frank falls unconscious and is rescued by Otis and brought to the security room. Part of the same cut scene plays upon exiting the room. Brad then leaves the security room via the air ducts. Jessie, also of Homeland Security, recognizes an old man she identifies as Dr. Barnaby in one of Frank's photos, but neither Brad nor Jessie are willing to share what they know. After receiving a transceiver and map from Otis in order to be kept informed of the mall's events, Frank returns to the mall through the air ducts. He encounters survivors who need his assistance to the security room, as well as other people driven to madness by the zombie infestation, known as Psychopaths.


As the story unfolds, Frank runs into Jessie who suffered from a sprained ankle when she falls backwards trying to avoid Frank almost hitting her with a fire extinguisher after he mistakes Jessie as a zombie sneaking up from behind. She then tells Frank she was on her way to help Brad who is being gunned down by a mysterious man named Carlito. To make up for his accident he asks Jessie for her gun and proposes to go in her place to help Brad, she eventually agrees. Upon defeating him Carlito retreats through the air vents. Brad then thanks Frank for assisting him, Frank then asked him what he knows about the whole incident but Brad refused to tell him anything, but upon Frank bribing Brad with the picture of Dr. Barnaby, Brad then reveals that he and Jessie are United States Department of Homeland Security agents and that they were looking for Dr. Barnaby. Frank then reveals that he took the photo at the Entrance Plaza. Brad and Frank then travel back to the Entrance Plaza to find Barnaby who locked himself inside a store and tells Brad he will not leave until he guarantees safe passage out of the mall. They then go back to the security room where later on the monitors they see Carlito tying Dr. Barnaby above a crowd of zombies. Upon his defeat Carlito then turns and shoots Brad hitting him in the leg but Brad shoots back hitting Carlito in the chest, Carlito then escaped by jumping off the 2nd floor balcony, Frank then rescues Barnaby and they return to the security room. Later in the security room Jessie questions Dr. Barnaby while Frank goes out to get medicine for Brad's gunshot wound. At the pharmacy he runs into a psychotic store manager named Steven who is holding a girl hostage in his modified shopping cart. (The girl who Frank encountered earlier at the Entrance Plaza) Upon defeating the psychopath the woman runs away before Frank could talk to her. He returns to the security room with the medicine and starts watching the security monitors. When seeing the woman again he goes after her, but upon finding her she hops on her motorcycle and begins to attack Frank. Upon defeating her she explains that the man shooting at them was her brother and tells Frank that she would bring Carlito with her once his wounds have healed and the three would meet in an unfinished store in the Northern Plaza at midnight. Upon waiting at the rendezvous point Isabela comes bursting inside being attacked by zombies, after killing the zombie that had Isabela pinned she tells Frank that Carlito refused to come and shot Isabela in the shoulder. Frank then carries her back to the security room, where she fell unconscious from her gunshot wound.

Upon awakening, Isabela reveals that Barnaby was the head of an American research laboratory in the fictional Central American city of Santa Cabeza, the hometown of Carlito and Isabela. When Frank questions him, he confesses that the research facility was attempting to find methods of mass-producing cattle, but instead, Barnaby and his team genetically engineered a wasplike insect that would turn living organisms into zombies by stinging to inject a number of eggs, which quickly hatch into parasitic larvae, into the victim's bloodstream; "zombification" occurs when one such larva fully develops within the brainstem, killing the host and taking control of its body. After one of the Queen insects escaped and infected the town of Santa Cabeza, the US government sent a special forces team in to wipe out the entire city. The massacre was covered up under the pretenses that it was a raid on drug trade operations. Enraged over the slaughter of his people and home, Carlito released these insects in Willamette to obtain revenge and blackmailed Dr. Barnaby into coming to the mall. After Barnaby reveals the true nature of the infection he becomes a zombie himself and attacks Jessie, but is shot in the head by Brad before he can harm Frank.

The zombie outbreak in Willamette is only the tip of the iceberg; as Isabela later explains, Carlito has much bigger plans. Hidden beneath the mall are five bombs that when detonated will propel immature queen larvae into the stratosphere, making a worldwide zombie pandemic a possibility. While Frank is trying to grab the bombs he is attacked by Carlito. Upon Carlito's defeat another cut scene plays where his van crashes and Carlito flees from the scene with Brad in hot pursuit. Frank then rounds up the remaining bombs, puts them in a shopping cart and runs them out of the maintenance tunnels. Meanwhile Brad and Carlito have their last showdown in a room located next door to the maintenance tunnels, which ends with Carlito getting shot in the chest again by Brad and Carlito knifing Brad in the shoulder. While stunned Brad is knocked outside into the maintenance tunnels and is faced with a large zombie Horde approaching him. Upon completing the mission if the player returns to the maintenance tunnels and goes to a certain area, a secret cut scene will play, Frank talks to Brad one last time who became infected by bites to his stomach by the zombies, Brad becomes zombified after the cut scene finishes. Frank and the remaining survivors turn their attention towards escaping to safety. Isabela reveals that Carlito has a hideout in the mall containing a laptop full of information, as well as a jamming device preventing Jessie from calling for outside help. Frank then escorts Isabela back to the Northern Plaza where Carlito's hideout is located, where she begins to try and crack the password to Carlito's laptop. Frank then receives a call from Jessie on his transceiver to return to the security room so she can show him something. Upon making his way back, Jessie shows recorded footage of Carlito being dragged into the meat processing plant by an unknown person. Upon arriving to the meat processing plant Frank finds Carlito being hung on a meat hook by Larry, the mall's butcher that gone insane. Mistaking Frank as a potential customer he prepares to turn Carlito into ground meat for Frank, Frank then tries to persuade Larry, saying he had other ideas in mind and just wanted Carlito, which failed and Frank had to fight and kill Larry. Upon getting Carlito down from the meat hook, Frank tried to get Carlito to tell him the password. Carlito never told Frank the password but he did say that his plan was not over and he gave Frank his locket and told him to give it to Isabela, Carlito died shortly after from his wounds. Upon making it back to Carlito's hideout, Isabela was still unable to crack the password. Frank then breaks the news to Isabela of her brother's passing, and upon Carlito's request gives her his locket. The locket then helped her think of the correct password, which was Pachamama. (Which you heard Carlito say a few times throughout the game.) She then gains access to the computer and shuts down the jamming array.

Jessie places a call for help, only to be told that another cleanup mission has been authorized instead; special forces soldiers arrive in the mall shortly thereafter. Shortly after, two special forces officers arrive to the security room before the operation began and one of them offers to spare Jessie's life if she signs a written agreement to keep quiet about the zombie outbreak, at that moment Jessie is now zombified from Dr. Barnaby's earlier bite and attacks the officer. The second officer walks in after hearing noises to find zombie Jessie consuming the corpse of the other officer. Frank makes his way back to the security room, to find it is empty except for the now two dead officers and zombie Jessie wandering around the security room. A note reveals that Otis has commandeered a helicopter and flown himself and the remaining survivors to safety. After avoiding capture by the special forces soldiers, Frank makes his way back to Carlito's hideout and remained there till the special forces did their job and wiped out the mall of zombies. By 10:00 AM, two hours before the helicopters arrival, the mall is wiped clean of all zombies and a cut scene plays showing the Special Forces making their grand exit, Frank then asks Isabela to come with him to the helipad; she tells Frank to forget about her and save himself. Frank then makes his way through the now completely empty mall and made his way back to the helipad to meet Ed. The helicopter arrives on time, but as Ed prepares to land a stowaway zombie aboard the helicopter attacks him, causing Ed to lose control of the helicopter and crash into the clock tower in Leisure Park at the center of the mall. The game seemingly ends as Frank slumps to his knees in defeat, doing nothing to avoid the small group of zombies approaching him.

Overtime mode[]

Still on the helipad, Frank is saved by Isabela, who shoots a zombie just as it is about to bite him. Frank passes out; he comes to in Carlito's hideout, where Isabela tells him that he may be infected, giving Frank just 24 hours before he becomes a zombie. However, Isabela believes she may be able to manufacture a cure from various items found in the mall, prompting Frank to scavenge for them. With the items Frank finds Isabela is unable to manufacture a cure, but instead comes up with a symptomatic treatment which will temporarily prevent Frank from becoming a zombie. While accessing Carlito's laptop they discover documents pointing to a theory that he has placed 50 similarly treated, larvae-infected children with foster parents across the country, which Frank calls "The Ticking Time Bomb" plan.

Once all the items have been collected Isabela sends Frank to the Clock Tower in Leisure Park to retrieve another generator, when Frank reaches the tower he discovered a hole in the Clock tower made by the helicopter crash that revealed a tunnel. The tunnel is packed with zombies, but with some of the items leftover, Isabela is able to create a pheromone which repels them. Frank overpowers two Special Forces soldiers guarding the end of the tunnel and commandeers their vehicle to escape. They are intercepted by a tank which overturns their vehicle, but Frank disables the tank in process. The special forces leader, Brock, emerges from the tank and points its cannon at Frank and he then reveals that he was behind the original cleanup operation in Santa Cabeza. The tanks cannon then stops focusing on Frank and turns toward an incoming Horde of zombies, while Brock was distracted Frank jumps atop the tank, engages Brock in hand-to-hand combat and eventually knocks him into a mob of zombies on the ground below. With Isabela still trapped on top of the overturned vehicle, Frank turns and screams into the sky.

The epilogue states that Frank managed to escape Willamette and reported on the incident, forcing the government to admit partial responsibility for the livestock research program. Isabela's fate is unclear, but she could have possibly survived due to the fact that a drug named Zombex is later created which only Isabela knew how to make at the time. Zombex is a drug Chuck Greene, the main character in Dead Rising 2 quests for and tries to obtain. The information about Carlito's Ticking Time Bomb plan was never proven.(By the game Dead Rising 2 released August 31, 2010, could prove this plan to be real and that it caused the infection to spread across the United States.) The game ends on the quote: "And yet he complained that his belly was not full." (This is a slight misquotation from the English nursery rhyme Robin the Bobbin, a poem about a glutton who eats people.)

Characters[]

File:Frank West.jpg

Frank West

  • Frank West (voiced by T.J. Rotolo): The protagonist of Dead Rising, Frank is an overly zealous freelance photographer and photojournalist, who once covered a war. He originally came to Willamette for the "scoop of a lifetime", thinking that the incident was a simple riot. Throughout the game Frank attempts to uncover the truth behind the zombie outbreak by investigating recent events and questioning the people he encounters. Normally an "Average Joe", Frank is forced to take on the role of hero and rescue the many people trapped within various sections of the mall.
  • Isabela Keyes (voiced by Kim Mai Guest): The younger sister of Carlito. Very little is known about her, but she worked at Dr. Barnaby's laboratories in Santa Cabeza as a medical technician. She initially works against Frank and the others, but later chooses to aid them in stopping her brother.
  • Carlito Keyes (voiced by Alex Fernandez): The older brother of Isabela. Carlito tries to kill Frank and Brad at every turn, and is behind the outbreak in Willamette. Most of the game is spent trying to uncover the motivation of and story behind Carlito and his connection to the zombies.
  • Brad Garrison (voiced by T. J. Storm): A United States Department of Homeland Security agent who reluctantly fights alongside Frank throughout the story. He assumes the responsibility of trying to locate Dr. Barnaby early in the game. At first he is uneasy to be around a member of the press and even goes so far as to stereotype Frank as a crooked paparazzi. However, he soon grows to trust Frank. It is while Frank is disposing of Carlito's bombs that Brad and Carlito have their final showdown, and Brad is thrust alone into the maintenance tunnel among thousands of zombies. Upon searching for Brad immediately after disposing of the bombs, Frank finds him mortally wounded and watches him transform into a zombie.
  • Jessica McCarney (voiced by Laura Napoli): Brad's rookie partner. She is charged with watching the monitors for information on the people responsible for the outbreak. Like Brad, she is distrustful of Frank, and patronizes him for being a civilian. However, she grows to trust Frank. She is bitten by Dr. Barnaby and becomes unknowingly infected.
  • Otis Washington: An elderly mall janitor. Otis tries in vain to stop Frank from chasing Brad back into the mall, and winds up handing over a map and spare transceiver. He periodically puts players in peril by calling players with information and scoops over Frank's transceiver, and calls back offended if you cut him off which puts players at further risk. If Frank is unable to reach the stairs of the Entrance Plaza when the zombies are first let in, and instead is knocked out, it is Otis that drags him from the chaos. After the special forces arrive, a note left by Otis can be found in the security room. It reveals that he managed to escape, along with all of the survivors Frank had saved, by hijacking a military helicopter. Unlike all the other main characters, he has no voice actor.
  • Dr. Russell Barnaby (voiced by Phil Proctor): A ruthless genetic researcher whose work leads to the events in the game.
  • Ed DeLuca (voiced by Dave Wittenberg): The helicopter pilot who delivered Frank to Willamette, scheduled to return in three days to retrieve Frank.

Survivors[]

The citizens of Willamette who were not initially killed or rendered undead by the zombie outbreak are referred to as "survivors." Many survivors can be escorted safely to the security room, and will often provide Frank with competent cover if given firearms or other weapons; others may be injured, cowardly, traumatized, hostages, or even drunk, requiring Frank to lead them directly to the exit point and possibly rendering him unable to use his weapons. Otis will periodically update Frank with information on certain survivors and their locations, though some survivors must be found without assistance. Certain missions or "unannounced" survivors are time-sensitive: if Frank takes too long to begin a scoop their health will decrease, and in some cases of large rescues from certain psychopaths they may die off one by one. The player may also choose to leave the survivors to die, or kill them himself. Successful rescues will earn PP for Frank, with the rescue of certain survivors new missions which are either mutiny or personal requests asked by the survivors. Mutiny missions takes place when a previously rescued survivor begins trying to persuade the other survivors that are in the same room to come with them and leave the security room to reach a goal or destination, if Frank fails to avert the mutiny, all survivors that were in that room in the security area will leave the security room and most likely to face a grim fate. If Frank averts the mutiny, the survivors are spared and Frank is awarded some PP points. What actions you must do to avert a mutiny varies from survivor to survivor. The second type of mission is "personal request" missions. A previously rescued survivor may ask Frank for a favor that can vary from bringing them certain items such as weapons or performing certain actions, the player is not penalized if they choose to ignore doing personal request missions but completing them does give PP points.

Psychopaths[]

In addition to battling thousands of zombies, Frank West must also deal with psychopaths: humans who have either gone mad due to the zombie outbreak or are otherwise corrupt or evil, and who serve as the game's bosses. In addition to granting access to certain areas, routes, or further advancing the plot, many psychopaths leave behind unique weapons which remain available at their specific location throughout the rest of the game. About half of the psychopaths the player can fight are optional encounters and can be avoided with no penalty. However, there are also some that must be encountered and defeated in order for the games story plot to progress.


Soundtrack[]

Main article: Dead Rising Original Soundtrack

Dead Rising Original Soundtrack was released in Japan on March 30, 2007 as a limited edition, bundled with a T-shirt. A non-limited edition of the same soundtrack was released on June 20, 2007

Reception[]

Reviews and awards
Publication Score Award
IGN 8.3/10 [12] Most Innovative Design for Xbox 360
OXM 8.5/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly 7.5/10
GameSpy 4.5/5 [15]
Game Informer 9.25/10 [16]
GameSpot 8.4/10 [17] Best Action Adventure Game of 2006
Best Sound Effects
Best Use of Xbox 360 Achievement Points
Edge (magazine) 8/10
X-Play 4/5 Best Original Game of 2006
1UP.com B+ [13]
TeamXbox 8.7/10 [18]
Compilations of multiple reviews
Game Rankings 85% (based on 90 reviews)
Metacritic 85% (based on 76 reviews)

Dead Rising has earned generally positive reviews. All the reviewers commended the game's "sandbox" style mall to explore and the sheer amount of ways to kill the thousands of zombies. Most reviewers also agreed the save system, as well as the survivors' AI detracted from the game's enjoyment.

IGN stated the game needed "a better save system, more intelligent NPCs, a more forgiving story progression, and tighter controls," but still called Dead Rising "one of the more unique and entertaining titles on the Xbox 360."[12] GameSpot said, "It's zombie action for people who want zombie action, and it's simply a great piece of entertainment."[17]

A point of contention was the operation of the game's transceiver, specifically how persistent it is when ringing, and how vulnerable Frank is while answering any calls on it. While using the transceiver Frank is unable to jump, attack, switch weapons, or pick up or use any item. Furthermore, if the call is somehow interrupted (such as being attacked), the call will end abruptly, only for the transceiver to ring a few seconds later. If Frank answers, Otis will scold the player for being rude, then start the previous call over from the very beginning.[19][20] Numerous gamer-oriented webcomics and blogs attacked the use of the transceiver within Dead Rising.[21][22][23] The Australian video game talk show Good Game's two reviewers gave the game a 6/10 and 7/10.[24]

Dead Rising has won several awards. IGN awarded the title "Most Innovative Design for Xbox 360" in its Best of 2006.[25] GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2006 awarded the game honors for "Best Action Adventure Game",[26] "Best Sound Effects",[27] and "Best Use of Xbox 360 Achievement Points".[28] Additionally, the game won "Action Game of the Year" at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards. It ranked #2 in gaming magazine Gamesmaster's Top 50 of 2006. It also won "Best Original Game" of 2006 on X-Play.

According to Capcom, Dead Rising had shipped 500,000 copies in the first month after its release, and one million copies worldwide by the end of 2006.[29]

Reaction in Germany[]

Due to its graphic violence and thus obvious fulfilment of at least one of German BPjM's indexing criteria, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, Germany's board responsible for rating entertainment software, has refused to rate the game. Microsoft does not allow unrated games to be published for the Xbox 360 in Germany, effectively halting the production of a German version of the game. Right from the start, the game has been indexed by the BPjM as a document that glorifies violence, but has been available as an import to players of legal age.[30] Following a decision of Hamburg's county court in June 2007, the game has been prohibited in late August 2007. Therefore, selling this game in Germany is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or monetary penalty according to §131 of the German criminal code. It was confiscated by the police from all stores in Germany.[31] Owning and playing the game is still legal for private use.

Legal issues[]

The MKR Group, who holds the copyright to both the 1978 Dawn of the Dead film and its 2004 remake, sent letters on February 6, 2008 to Capcom, Microsoft, and Best Buy, claiming that Dead Rising infringes on the copyrights and trademarks of these films. In a complaint filed February 12, 2008 to seek an injunction that would pre-emptively counter an anticipated complaint from MKR, Capcom asserted that "humans battling zombies in a shopping mall" is a "wholly unprotectible idea" under today's copyright laws; Capcom further pointed to the warning "label" on the box cover as a preemptive measure that was intended to separate the game from the films and avoid any customer confusion.[32][33][34] The MKR Group subsequently filed a lawsuit in February 2008 after failing to reach an agreement with Capcom over the dispute.[35]

The lawsuit was dismissed in October 2008, with United States Magistrate Judge Richard G. Seeborg stating that MKR failed to demonstrate the similarity of any protected element of Dawn of the Dead to that of Dead Rising, with many of the elements MKR claimed were similar being part of the "wholly unprotectable concept of humans battling zombies in a mall during a zombie outbreak".[36]

Text-size issues[]

Dead Rising has drawn complaints from gamers that have standard definition sets and smaller high definition sets for having difficulty reading the on-screen text. This is due to Capcom's decision to develop exclusively for high-definition televisions, as the game had been touted as one of the first truly "next generation" titles available for the Xbox 360. On August 10, 2006, a Capcom representative posted the following on Xbox.com:

Dear Everyone, I have heard your concerns and passed them to every source within Capcom possible. I feel your pain as I, myself, have a large SDTV and am having trouble reading the mission objectives, item names, etc.

Unfortunately it does take time to resolve any issue and we would want to fix the issue appropriately as any changes to any game can create additional problems from the result of change; that's just how game programming works and that's why games go through extensive game testing programs and approvals.[37]

A week later, Capcom released a statement saying they would not be fixing the problem and suggested some DIY solutions:

Unfortunately Dead Rising was optimized for High Definition TV's. Due to this, the font in the game might be difficult to read on standard definition TV's. If you are having a hard time reading the text, please try the following: 1). Adjust the settings on your TV or monitor. 2). Try using component cables instead of standard composite. 3). Setting the TV to widescreen ratio (even though you may not have a widescreen TV) may help in some cases.[38]

Using a computer monitor is also a solution to the problem, as the Xbox 360 supports a number of common monitor resolutions high enough to render the text readable.[39]

While the small text within Dead Rising cannot be fixed, Capcom responded quickly to avoid similar criticism on the same issue for their next major Xbox 360 game, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. When the demo was released in late 2006, it also had significant amounts of small text, and responding to these complaints, Capcom adjusted the game prior to release to detect the use of a standard TV and increased the font size as needed.[40]

Limited Edition[]

A Limited Edition was available on release within the UK which featured steel case packaging and a store guide map of Willamette Shopping Mall.

Future development[]

Downloadable content[]

Many costumes are made available to the player once completing certain tasks, such as a Special Forces uniform, wrestling boots, even Jason Voorhees' hockey mask and Mega Man's armor. Soon after Dead Rising was released in the United States, Capcom released nine downloadable "keys" to Xbox Live Marketplace that would unlock different lockers in the Security Room, providing the player with nine new outfit options.[41] On May 31, 2007, three more keys were made available over Xbox Live.

Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop[]

Main article: Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

A port of Dead Rising for the Wii, named Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, was released in February 2009.[3] This version of the game came about after the positive reception of the Wii version of Resident Evil 4. The game is built on the RE 4 Wii engine, and includes additional features from that game including an over-the-shoulder camera approach and motion controls utilizing the Wii Remote.[3] However it lacks some of the features of the Xbox 360 version, such as the large number of zombies on screen at any time or the photo system.[42][43][44]

Mobile phone version[]

In 2008, Capcom released a version of the game for mobile phones. The game stays true to the sandbox design and plot of the Xbox 360 version, despite being pared down for the smaller screen and platform.

The mobile version of Dead Rising was generally well received by reviewers, earning a B+ from 1UP.com[45] and a 7.3/10 from IGN.[46]

Sequel[]

Main article: Dead Rising 2

A sequel to Dead Rising for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Personal computer, is currently under development by Blue Castle Games,[47] confirming earlier rumors[48] and a viral video[49] of the game's existence. The game is stated to take place several years after the events of Dead Rising with the outbreak taking over much of America. The game will be set in a former gambling paradise known as "Fortune City". The trailer which was released was first leaked and then later released officially.[47]

Other appearances[]

Frank West appeared as a playable character in the fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. His main special moves revolve around using zombies and the various makeshift weapons from the game, whilst his hyper combos involve wearing the Mega Man X costume and using a Servbot helmet on his opponent.[50] Also, Frank West is a playable character in Capcom's Lost Planet: Colonies. He is able to be selected as a character in the online multiplayer after achieving level 100. He appears in the game with only his blue boxer shorts.[51] He seems to appear in the sequel of Lost Planet, along with Albert Wesker from Capcom's Resident Evil series and two characters from Gears of War.[52] In Valve Corporation's add-on content, "The Passing", in Left 4 Dead 2, a message from Frank directed to Otis appears among other messages left by anonymous others on the wall of a safehouse.This could mean Deadrising is related to Left 4 Dead but seems unlikely due to the other cameos. [53]

It is rumored that West will appear in the upcoming release Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds due to the fact that there is a silhouette strongly resembling him. However, no official word from Capcom has been released if he is in the game or not.

Capcom has stated in a recent interview with Destructoid they wish to put Frank West in as many Capcom games as possible.

Frank West has been placed 3rd in ScrewAttack's Top 20 list for the "Manliest Men in Video Games"

Images[]

References[]

  1. "Dead Rising Banned in Germany?". 1up.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.
  2. "BBFC Dead Rising rating" (2006-11-17). Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  3. a b c Linde, Aaron; Faylor, Chris (2008-07-21). "Dead Rising Wii Screenshots Have Few Zombies, Details and Release Info Arrive (Updated)". Shacknews. Retrieved on 2008-07-21.
  4. "Release Dates". www.capcom.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.
  5. "Game Profile: Dead Rising". xbox360.ign.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.
  6. File:Dead rising september 2006.PNG
  7. "Dead Rising Demo Lurches onto Marketplace". Xbox Live Marketplace. Retrieved on 2006-08-04.
  8. Major Nelson (2006-08-04). "Demo: Dead Rising". www.majornelson.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-23.
  9. Villoria, Gerald (2006-02-21). "Keiji Inafune Interview". Gamespy. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  10. Boyer, Crispin (July 1 2006). "Dead Rising". Electronic Gaming Monthly. http://bailey83221.livejournal.com/87562.html. 
  11. Pereira, Chris (2006-05-28). "Dead Rising Preview for Xbox 360". www.VGcore.com. VGcore. Retrieved on 2006-06-17.
  12. a b c Onyett, Charles (2006-02-17). "Dead Rising Hands On: You've got 72 hours to murder the dead". IGN.com. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  13. a b Mielke, James (2006-04-08). "1UP reviews Dead Rising". 1up.com. 1UP. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  14. Dead Rising 2 - Official Trailer, YouTube, (April 29, 2009)
  15. Tuttle, Will (2006-08-08). "GameSpy reviews Dead Rising". GameSpy. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.
  16. Mason, Lisa; Reiner, Andrew (September 2006). "Dead Rising: Review". Game Informer (GameStop). http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/exeres/1D43F129-390F-4B06-90F3-30534991DA3E.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-08. 
  17. a b Navarro, Alex (2006-08-08). "GameSpot reviews Dead Rising". GameSpot. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.
  18. Ahearn, Nate (2006-08-06). "TeamXbox reviews Dead Rising". TeamXbox. Retrieved on 2006-12-01.
  19. Ahearn, Nate "NateDog" (2006-08-06). "Dead Rising Review (Xbox 360)". Team Xbox. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  20. Martins, Andrew "Warlock". "Dead Rising — Xbox 360 Review". XGP. Retrieved on 2007-04-03.
  21. Ramsoomair, Scott. "You've got Red on you". VG Cats. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  22. Buckley, Tim (2006-08-12). "Steve's Day at the Mall Pt. 4". Ctrl+Alt+Del. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  23. Parsons, Zack "Geist Editor" (2006-08-11). "Otis Rising". Something Awful. Retrieved on 2008-01-09.
  24. "Good Game stories - Dead Rising and Caesar IV". Australian Broadcasting Corporation (2006-10-10).
  25. "IGN.com presents The Best of 2006: Xbox 360 - Most Innovative Design". IGN.com. Retrieved on 2008-01-11.
  26. "GameSpot's Best Action Adventure Games of 2006". GameSpot (2006-12-20). Retrieved on 2006-12-21.
  27. GameSpot.com – Best of 2006
  28. GameSpot.com – Best of 2006
  29. Gantayat, Anoop (2007-01-10). "A Million Dead Have Risen: Dead Rising reaches Platnum Status". ING.com. ING Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  30. dreisechzig.net » Dead Rising is not banned (yet)
  31. Dead Rising - Beschlagnahmung offiziell bestätigt auf Xbox360Welt.com - Das inoffizielle Xbox 360 Magazin
  32. Gardner, Eriq (2008-02-13). "Zombies Attack!!: Is a Japanese Video Game Too Similar To 'Dawn of the Dead'?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
  33. Miller, Ross (2008-02-14). "Dead Rising, Dawn of the Dead similarities spark legal filings". joystiq.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-14.
  34. Aaron Linde and Chris Faylor (2008-02-14). "Capcom Sues to End Dead Rising Trademark Dispute". Shacknews. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
  35. "Producer, game firm in rights battle over zombies". Reuters (2008-02-26). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
  36. Sinclair, Brendan (2008-11-19). "Dead Rising wins copyright case". Gamespot. Retrieved on 2008-11-19.
  37. Gauger, Eliza (2006-08-11). "Capcom Responds to Tinytext Dead Rising Whining". Kotaku.com. Gawker Media. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  38. Kuo, Li C. (2006-08-17). "Capcom Tips For Dead Rising on SDTV". gamespy.com. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  39. "Xbox 360: Video Cable Comparisons". gamespot.com. CNET Networks, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  40. Sinclair, Brendan (2006-12-28). "Capcom addressing Lost Planet text issue". gamespot.com. CNET Networks, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-01-08.
  41. Berardini, César A. (2006-08-09). "Capcom releases first content download for Dead Rising". Teamxbox.com. IGN Entertainment. Retrieved on 2008-01-07.
  42. "Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop". Nintendo Power. September 2008. 
  43. Faylor, Chris (2008-07-15). "Dead Rising Heading to Wii". Shacknews. Retrieved on 2008-07-16.
  44. Gifford, Kevin (2008-07-17). "What's New in Wii Dead Rising". 1UP.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-17.
  45. "Dead Rising (Wireless)". 1up.com. Retrieved on 2008-06-12.
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  48. Minkley, Johnny (November 7, 2008). "Blue Castle making Dead Rising 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved on 2008-12-02.
  49. "Could This Be Dead Rising 2?".
  50. Kotaku: Frank West vs Tatsunoko vs Capcom
  51. Frank West Boxer Shorts
  52. Xbox360Achievements.org: Frank West spotted in Lost Planet 2
  53. Glasser, AJ (2010-04-22). "Frank West makes a cameo in L4D2 The Passing". GamePro. Retrieved on 2010-04-22.

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