Dead Rising 2 - Blue Castle / Capcom - Xbox 360

[UnSub]

Within about 5 minutes of starting DR2, you can beat a zombie to death with a dildo. If that appeals, then DR 2 is your game.

DR2 is DR, but with a lot more polish and general gameplay improvements. Survivors no longer seem to love zombie group hugs and will follow you quite capably in most cases. Given them some sort of weapon (usually) won't backfire on you and will increase their survivability. Psychopath fights tend not to feel so cheap any more, with psychos less likely to hit you when you can't fight back. There are more zombies than ever on screen, all waiting to be dispatched in numerous ways. Finally, mission objectives can be a little bit tight against the ticking clock, but they aren't as ridiculously tight as was seen in DR.

One big improvement to DR2 is the weapon combo system, where you combine two items to form some sort of awesome zombie-killing monstrosity. Here's a video of all of them. They can break fairly quickly, but this balances out how effective they are.

There is also coop multiplayer of both missions and zombie-killing sports games, but I haven't experienced that.

If I'm going to pick at things, the narrative is a bit stupid (not that high art should be expected in zombie properties) and that I'm tired of how the camera leers at Rebecca Chang. When she's saying something, it makes sense to show her face, not pan down to her boobs. Some psycho battles are cheap (and hard if you are "too low level" to take them out quickly). It also follows DR's path of requiring you to hit every case mission if you want to see the 'best' ending and also allows you to import your character through multiple games with all their bonuses. Also, the save system relies on you visiting a toliet, which means if you die without going potty in a while, you will have a lot of ground to recover.

DR2 is fun for at least one full run-through and the ticking clock on the mission list manages to keep you playing just one mission more over and over again.

Opinion: Buy it.

[Hawkbit]

Counterpoint:  I don't like limited move or timed games.  I also don't like playing through games multiple times.  This game was one of the few that I've actually returned to Gamestop within 48hrs. 

I was hoping for a scenario where I had to survive a zombie invasion for 72hrs until extraction, instead I got World of Warcraft meets Crazy Taxi with a bunch of shit in the way of wherever I tried to go.

[Rasix]

Heh, you didn't need to restart to beat this one at all.  It was rather reasonably balanced.  Also, the time management aspects/saving were a lot improved. But it IS Dead Rising 2.  It's a sequel to the first with minor improvements here and there, which make for a better overall experience.

My major gripes would be no infinity mode and that psychopath battles are still a giant pile of dick.  And the "special" zombie that appears later is pretty aggravating.  I think you can just ignore the plot and kill to your heart's desire, but there's no real mode to facilitate this to my liking.

I thought it was well worth the purchase at console prices for what I got out of it.  It was only $40 on PC at launch and should be cheaper now.  But.. Capcom PC port, so I have no idea how good it is.

edit:  One thing to take to heart when playing this game.  Survivors will die.  You can't save everyone.  Some bad guys will go unpunished.  You just can't fit it all in; it is a fight for survival, and time isn't on your side.  So, let some whiny bitches die and enjoy it.

[Velorath]

edit:  One thing to take to heart when playing this game.  Survivors will die.  You can't save everyone.  Some bad guys will go unpunished.  You just can't fit it all in; it is a fight for survival, and time isn't on your side.  So, let some whiny bitches die and enjoy it.

If you follow a decent walkthrough, I think you can make it through without missing many, if any, survivors or psychos.  Takes some of the fun out of it, but if you're the OCD type that can't pass anything up, it is possible.

[UnSub]

Haven't tried it, but it also helps a lot if you've maxed out your speed (and I watched a video where someone used a skateboard to make things quicker as well). I'm aiming to get all of the non-mulitplayer achievements then shelve the game.

[Azazel]

Does it do the same thing the first one did where you get xp, level up, then when you die and restart your character continues from your last, most upgraded version, though at the start of the game again? That being a core part of the design (and the dickhead guy you meet, and the shitty times event nature) of the forst game are reasons I never even got through the first boss fight. Or the second one. The dickheads in the jeep or the guy who runs around in the rafters of the food court.

It'd be a damn good game if it were made by talented western developers instead of Capcom with their fucked-up Japanese design sensibilities.

[Rasix]

That's an option.  You can either load your last save or choose to start over with all of the levels you've gotten.

This is the same as the first.  You thought you had to? lolz

[Azazel]

It's not like there was any point in restarting without your xp and items, was there? Especially since the game was designed for you to build on your character each playthrough.. 

[UnSub]

To date I haven't come across anyone as annoying as that jeep in the first one, but

1) I got the motorbike psycho trapped in a wall which saved a lot of aggravation and
2) the cook would have been much easier if I'd had the dive roll ability.

Psychos in DR2 are better balanced than in DR, but can still be quite annoying.

[Rasix]

It's not like there was any point in restarting without your xp and items, was there? Especially since the game was designed for you to build on your character each playthrough..  

I'm not sure what argument you're trying to make here.  

It's not hard to beat the game without restarting, especially in DR2. Only area where the save system wasn't very helpful was the last battle.  3 loading screens from the fight.   

[Azazel]

It's not like there was any point in restarting without your xp and items, was there? Especially since the game was designed for you to build on your character each playthrough..  

I'm not sure what argument you're trying to make here.  

It's not hard to beat the game without restarting, especially in DR2. Only area where the save system wasn't very helpful was the last battle.  3 loading screens from the fight.   

You not making much sense a couple posts ago, mostly.

This is the same as the first.  You thought you had to? lolz

Regardless, it sounds much improved, especially if the game is actually finishable without massive grind tolerances.

[Rasix]

It is improved.

The AI of the survivors is loads better.  You don't even have to give them weapons most of the time.  They rarely get caught by zombies and don't lose health very easily.  They follow you well enough that it's mostly easy to get around with them and it's easier to save while having them in tow. 

Their events are spread out so it's easier to save a majority of the people.  A run where you save everyone is pretty plausible although there's one event/psychopath that's a bit difficult to figure out (read a FAQ, I didn't get the trick).

Combo weapon system can be fun and it can make psychopath battles easier.  Boxing gloves + knives (both easy to get) make for a killer weapon.

There are lots of bathrooms, at least one per casino area.  There's a shortcut you'll get later on that makes getting around cake.  And if you're having trouble with pscyhopath battles, there's one drink combination that makes it trivial (painkiller).

There's still a lot of dumb Capcom crap hanging around it that seems mostly like developer stubbornness.  But they did make this one a lot easier to play.  It still is very much a sequel though, both in play style and in overall feel/flow (although you get a lot more time between major plot areas and they're spread out in a way that's less of a hassle).  If you despised the first, there's a good chance you won't like this one at all either.

[Azazel]

I liked the first one, despite it's flaws. Having said that, before I lost interest entirely, I'd just turn it on occasionally to play it as a freeform zombie slaughter simulator, since I didn't enjoy all the time limit stuff, the psychopaths and the intelligence of the people you rescue.

Has anyone tried it in co-op? That sounds interesting as well.

[rk47]

I like the PC port. Mouse controls are good. Keyboard well done. And I like a self-imposed no save challenge once in a while.

[UnSub]

There is an online coop mode where you kill zombies for cash, or a game coop mode where you can play the game together.

There's some exploit in the game coop mode where you can stack enough merchant discount magazines that they start paying money to you for everything you buy, which kind of solves any cash issues you might have.

[UnSub]

I take back the "psychos aren't too cheap anymore" bit - the final two psychos are cheap, cheap bastards. Who were both beaten with the equally cheap running drop kick.