Dead Rising 2: Case Zero – MMOMFG Review

Dead Rising 2: Case Zero

Slated as the bridge between Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2, Case Zero landed on Xbox Live earlier this week as system-exclusive content. With a limited playtime, linear progression system with calculated missions, as well as the introduction of our new protagonist, Chuck Greene, Case Zero goes by quickly, but sets gamers up well for the sequel’s late September release.

When initially announced, Case Zero was touted to link the story from Dead Rising to the upcoming apocalyptic romp through Vegas-style Fortune City. I’m here to highlight the benefits of the 400 MS point gamo (mixture of a game and a demo), as Capcom aim to whet your appetite but leave you hungry for more.

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What’s Good

Brains, Brains and more BRAINS – Capcom continues to deliver spookily high numbers of zombies, as our jaunt in Case Zero with our new hero plays hosts to as many weapons as there are zombies. Sweet Jesus, you can’t sneeze without bumping into a zombie in CZ. You won’t catch me complaining though. My favorite part of the original Dead Rising was the high number of zombie fatalities that you could rack up, and this short journey won’t leave you wishing for more bloodshed. The ability to combine weapons and items to make them more powerful than ever before is WICKED. Obviously, not all weapon combos are available during Case Zero, but it is a great introduction to the combination system and gets you amped up to learn more in Dead Rising 2. You aren’t going to run out of things to kill during the time-restrained adventure, as every nook and cranny is jam-packed with the undead hosting hard-ons for brains.

Dammit Jim, I’m a mechanic, not a photographer! – The days of photography during moments of near death are a thing of the past. Thank Cripes! I can’t tell you how much I hated having to waste my time trying to take photos. This time around, we’re controlling Chuck Greene, a part-time motocross cyclist and part-time mechanic. The beauty of being a mechanic is that you don’t have to provide reasoning for your actions. Smash a zombie or 500; by the end you won’t have that journalistic integrity to be held to. Mechanics don’t have a code to live and die by, other than jacking up repair costs to your average Joe. Chuck Greene is all about the greenbacks, smashing ATMs, slot machines and anything else to build up the funds to afford motorcycle parts, weapons and everything in between in Case Zero. In addition to combining and repairing things, Chuck has the know-how to rebuild a motorcycle as an escape root for he and his daughter, as she has come down with the zombie kijuju-curse. Personally, I find a quick headshot a better solution than trying to save her, but I also don’t have any kids IRL. Short story even shorter, Chucky-boy is going to do whatever it takes to get what he needs, and that should lead to a much more action packed title than the first. Things are looking up!

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What’s Bad

A story built for a demo – Even though 400 MS points (five bucks) is cheap, you still want what you pay for. If you think you’re going to get the bridge between Dead Risings, you aren’t. There is no real description of who our hero Chuck is, nor are there those missing details about what happens to Frank West. Damn damn damn! I really expected for there to be more story to this short playthrough than action, but it just isn’t the case. Frank West is no where to be explained and very little emotions are drawn during Case Zero that make me care for Chuck or his daughter yet. This doesn’t ruin the entire experience, as the action is as good as ever, and the fast-paced missions keep you glued to the screen despite the limited playtime. Why Capcom would choose to limit your ability to play a game you’ve bought by setting time limits and level caps is beyond me, but that is the case this time around. Not a positive in this regard. Since we’re not stuck in a mall waiting for military evac, but we’re waiting on military evac in a garage instead, we’re supposed to accept our restraints. How about we just kill as many zombies as we want and then turn off the system when we’ve got our fill? Don’t tell us when we’re done. That really reminds me of demos similar to Just Cause 2 or Crackdown 2. Limiting playtime is never fun, especially when the money has already been spent…

No emotion from this guy – I guess with the lack of humanity surrounding our main character, it would be easy to let up off the emotional pedal at times. However, I felt no true connection with Greene or his daughter. Even with the side-missions of saving the townsfolk, I could give less of a crap about them and more about dilly-dallying with the zombies. I hope Dead Rising 2 picks a side in terms of story, or action, because the discrepancy between kills to tears is extremely top heavy. If the decision to skip story for action is made, at least give a little wink and nod letting the player know the game isn’t planning to take itself seriously. All I want to know is if we’ll learn the missing elements to the story we’re missing or if that was all a bunch of horse-hockey.

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Worth Remembering:

Weapon combos, bloody zombie destruction and a new hero! We’re not getting a truly epic story here, but we’ve got enough action crammed into a $5 package that you’re going to want to play through it multiple times. I know I did.

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Worth Forgetting:

That you’re not going to learn what happened between Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2. You’re also going to want to put that baby (your interest in Frank West) to bed, as it is all about Chuck Greene nowadays. Perhaps Dead Rising 2 will deliver the story we want, as well as the unlimited gameplay that Case Zero does not, but that won’t be the case with this pint-sized package.

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The end of days approaches with the further spreading reach of the Z-people, but our hero has it out for them, as well as for Zombrex, so zip up your motorcycle jacket and get ready to ride! And by ride, I mean smash zombies in the heads, taints and everywhere else in this micro-mission compilation. For the relatively small price tag, you won’t be complaining about the cost as much as you may just be left asking, “shouldn’t this just be the demo for Dead Rising 2?”

Still, Capcom manages to open your wallet, give you a product and still have you wanting more without being too intrusive. I’ve already played through a few times and it only made me want to play Dead Rising 2 more. Bulky demo, or brilliant marketing scheme? I think we all know the answer to that question. Just go download it already and leave me to the zombie crotch-shotting I was doing before I began writing this. Okay?

*MMOMFG purchased a copy on the Xbox Live for review purposes

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