Dead Rising 3 isn’t the best looking game to arrive on the Xbox One
at launch, but it sure is the most fun to play. And while it doesn’t
have the cutting edge graphics of Forza 5 or Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead
Rising 3 rings in the new generation by putting forth a game that equal
to its launch peers, just wouldn’t be possible on the old hardware.
Dead Rising 3 is a survival “horror” game, much like its
predecessors. It couples the tension of the shuffling undead with the
comedic relief that the series is known for. It’s a game about crafting
weapons to mow down hordes of the undead. It’s about displaying
hundreds of zombies on screen at one time, to an amazing effect.
Utilizing the power of the Xbox One, Capcom Vancouver delivers zombies
by the boatload, the likes of which we’ve never seen before from a game
like this, and something that truly gives you an appreciation for the
next-gen.
Though as a Dead Rising game, it’s undergone some changes to the
traditional formula. Dead Rising 3 is not nearly as constrictive as
previous games in the series. It’s got all the fun with none of the
rules. Capcom’s developers step aside and just let you wreak havok in
this open world, with a wide ranging array of weapons to scavenge,
craft, and deploy with swift justice.
Taking on the role of earnest mechanic Nick Ramos, you’ll find
yourself in the fictional Southern Californian coastal city called Los
Perdidos. A zombie outbreak has the military looking to quarantine the
city, and you’ve got a only a few days to evacuate the area. Twists and
turns aside, the objective in Dead Rising 3 is pretty simple. Clear a
path to your sanctuary, and that path will be littered with thousands
and thousands of zombies, as well as survivors looking for your help.
The open world is a decent size, but it’s not the open world that’s
impressive in Dead Rising 3 — It’s what’s in it. Los Perdidos is packed
to the brim with the walking dead. There are far more zombies packed
into the streets and buildings of the city than we’ve seen in previous
games.
So many, that a trip down the wrong alley or a weapon breaking
at an inopportune moment can lead to instant death. The size of these
mobs are probably the most impressive thing about Dead Rising 3. It’s
certainly not the best looking game on the Xbox One, but just how much
they manage to pack on the screen is an eye-opener when it comes to what
the new console is capable of. And it plays well. Mashing through
zombie hordes doesn’t fall prey to system sluggishness, it’s impressive
and hopefully a good indicator of the types of things we’ll be seeing
more of this generation.
It’s hard not to like the gameplay in Dead Rising 3. There’s a ton
of variety when it comes to how you choose to do battle with the zombie
hordes. There are countless weapons to pick up. Melee weapons like
swords, axes, and knives. There are guns and grenades, molotav
cocktails, and other launchables. But true to Dead Rising, you can pick
up anything to give you some breathing room. A woman’s handbag, a
planter, a gumball machine, it’s all fair game, but it won’t be very
effective. You can craft weapons too. Blueprint schematics will allow
you to craft some pretty imaginative machinery. Where Dead Rising 2
made you craft at designated tables in the game, Dead Rising 3 lets you
craft on the fly. Like I said, it’s far less constrictive. This blue
print discovery system is a constant throughout the entire game, it
makes exploring worthwhile, as that hard to reach shop just might have
something worthwhile in it.
Dead Rising 3 lets you play the way you want. It also lets you
create your character to cater to that play style through the game’s
leveling system. Killing zombies and completing side missions will net
you PP. This PP goes towards leveling your character, and when you
level up, you get points to spend. You’ll customize Nick in a number of
different areas, that have major impacts on the game. Add points to
your melee attacks, and your weapons will last longer and do more
damage. Add points to your life, and you’ll be able to fight longer
against bigger hordes. There are a number of different areas to add
skill points to, it really depends on your personal preferences and play
style.
The Dead Rising series has always been campy, and Dead Rising 3 is no
different. The story isn’t necessarily going to grab hold of you, but
some of the characters found in the main storyline and psychopath side
missions are truly funny. These Psychopath bosses are just regular
people who’ve lost their mental capacity in the zombie outbreak. They
fit into the mold loosely of what Dead Rising has offered in this
capacity in the past, but aren’t quite as over the top as previous
efforts. They make more sense in the overall scope of the storyline,
but remove some of the absurdity from the equation. When compared to
Dead Rising 2, this game has less tension in the overall scope of the
storyline. Each mission feels less important, as you were fighting for
someone other than yourself in the previous game. But it all boils down
to the same dumb brand of fun anyway. However, it’s worth noting that
the save system in the regular mode of Dead Rising 3 is more liberal.
This new check pointing system takes the tension down a few levels.
Where some of the fun found in Dead Rising 2 was to barely make it to a
save room, Dead Rising 3′s regular mode takes this almost completely
out of the equation.
Dead Rising 3′s campaign can be tackled with friends, or anyone for
that matter, via Xbox Live. The game features cooperative play that
allows both players to roam freely across Los Perdidos. This means that
there’s no more zone requirements between co-op partners. You can go
anywhere and do anything in co-op mode. You’ll need to finish a brief
tutorial-like section to open up the co-op mode, and it can be somewhat
confusing when trying to get a friend into your game. It highlights
some of the issues that we’ve seen with the new Xbox Live party system
when trying to play together. The story plays out exactly the same
though. Your co-op partner will assume the role of Dick, in the telling
of Nick and Dick’s Zombie Killing Adventure. It’s a more enjoyable
experience with a friend or talkative co-op partner. There are laughs
to be had, and two swords are better than one.
There’s a lot to keep you busy in Dead Rising 3, and it’s a game that
definitely offers some replay value when factoring in the online
aspects. In any given play through, you just might not see all there is
to see. Despite the world being not overly huge, there are a lot of
areas to explore. Shops to rummage through for equipment, houses to
scavenge for parts and blueprints, there are areas of the game that you
just get funneled away from due to the swarming hordes. Utilizing the
Xbox One’s Smart Glass features, and you’ll see even more content opened
up to explore. Missions and additional content will be pushed to your
tablet or phone if using the dedicated companion app, it actually works
pretty well on the iPad version that we tested. All the side content,
missions, and loot to find is in the name of killing more zombies or
making you better at doing it. Mileage will vary, but if you like the
core gameplay of the game, it’ll be hard not to go hunting after all of
the game’s secrets. Checkpoint to checkpoint, Dead Rising 3 is kind of
short, but there’s plenty to keep you occupied on the side.
