Dead Rising

The Good
When I first saw the commercials for Dead Rising, I had high expectations. But did the game actually live up to them? The answer is yes. But first, a quick summary of the plot. You play as Frank West, a photojournalist who is flown by helicopter to Willamette, Colorado to investigate why the National Guard has blocked it off. Upon landing at the city's mall, he discovers that it is infested with zombies. Frank has 72 hours to find out how and why the zombies are there. Dead Rising is a sandbox game. Because it takes place in a mall (with lots of different stores), anything and everything is a weapon (including but not limited to pistols, guitars, potted plants, knives, mannequins, human arms, gumball machines, Frisbees, bowling balls, and even novelty masks).

The Bad
While a great game, Dead Rising is not without flaws. My two main complaints are the save system and the transceiver. Only one save slot is available, which means that if you want to start a new game while still keeping your progress, you're out of luck. I absolutely hate the transceiver. It constantly rings and when I do answer it, I'm completely defenseless. I can't jump, use a weapon or anything. If the call is somehow interrupted, you are called back in a couple seconds and scolded for being rude, before they start giving you the same information from the beginning.

The Bottom Line
Overall, Dead Rising is a good game. It's not too easy, but not too hard either. Its difficulty is just right. If you're looking for a fun zombie game, then Dead Rising's for you. I'd recommend it to either a hardcore gamer or someone who's just looking for something to do.