Fortune City Favors The Bold
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record confused a fair share of gamers when it was revealed earlier this year. For one, it shares the Dead Rising 2 name; only Chuck Greene has been replaced by the original game’s protagonist, freelance photojournalist Frank West. So Off the Record is essentially a reimagining of the second game that answers the question of what Dead Rising 2 would’ve been like had Frank gotten stuck in the Fortune City viral outbreak instead of Chuck. It’s an interesting concept, and one that hasn’t been done too many times before. So how has it paid off?
Before we can answer this, we have to see what exactly it is that Off the Record brings to the table. For one, there’s the mostly unique story, though it does share a good amount with Dead Rising 2. After fighting his way through the outbreak in Willamette, Colorado, Frank West became a celebrity of sorts, albeit temporarily. He wrote a book and had his own talk show, but when the money dried up and his status started to fade, West had to find a way to rekindle his fame. That’s when Tyrone King, a character fans of the second game should remember, invites him to participate in his Terror is Reality show. Thinking this could be a good way to find his way back into the spotlight, West accepts King’s offer.
That soon becomes a terrible idea, as the zombies break free and the terror does indeed become a reality, much as it did in Willamette. Off the Record plays almost exactly as its predecessor did, only with a few new moves, weapons to use, and, of course, Frank’s trusty camera. Don’t let its budget price fool you, nothing’s been lost here; there are still tons of zombies on-screen at once, it looks identical visually, and there are a few new weapons and combos that have been added to Frank’s arsenal.
These new additions range from the wacky—like the Clown Car, Remote Mine, Ray Gun, and Alien Probe—to the insane, including Flaming Turrets, a Cryo Pod, and Laser Eyes. On top of that, the weapons from the last game have made their way into Off the Record, so you’ll have plenty to choose from when you’re trying to decide how you’re going to mow down all those zombies that stand between you and the exit. It’s a little disappointing that only about a dozen new combo weapons were added to the game, but when you add the ones from Dead Rising 2 and Case West, it starts to look a little better.
From a technical standpoint, Off the Record is pretty much the same game. It looks and sounds no different, with the obvious exception of the new selection of environments that the Uranus Zone theme park offers. The sci-fi, almost cartoony look to everything makes Off the Record even more difficult to take seriously, though to be fair, it was never a serious sort of game to begin with. There have been a few technical improvements over the last entry, including shorter load times, more checkpoints, and improved matchmaking. This should make the game less frustrating, especially since the matchmaking in the last game was far from polished.
Even though it takes place in Fortune City, it’s a different part of the city—the aforementioned Uranus Zone theme park—so you won’t be seeing too many familiar locales. This new change of scenery also brings with it a few new psychopaths to bludgeon and a new zombie: the Scare Zombie, whose sole purpose seems to be to scare you. Sure, it’s a strange choice, but the new zombie type actually fits well with the rest of the game’s more arcadey take on the series. Unfortunately, as far as enemies go, there aren’t very many new ones to encounter. So if fighting through waves—no, oceans —of zombies is enough for you, then Off the Record isn’t likely to disappoint. But with such a bizarre new setting, this opened up some opportunities to push the game’s personality further. Those opportunities were largely missed, as the enemies here are pretty much the same things we’ve been fighting for two games now.
The camera also plays a major role in Frank’s newest adventure, with many missions revolving around the handy gadget. If you played through the first game, you’re undoubtedly familiar with how this works. You can use the camera to take pictures of the action you come across throughout your adventure, and you can also use the camera to take pictures of the stickers hidden around the environment (much like in Case West) to receive Prestige Points (PP) and combo recipes. The pictures you take reward you with PP and are based in a variety of categories, including Brutality, Horror, Drama, Erotica, and Outtake. Snapping pictures of people being eaten alive falls under the Horror category, Brutality pics tend to involve a lot of blood and gore, and Erotica is more about, well, I’m sure you can imagine.
Since a majority of Off the Record is “seen this, done that,” the only thing that really makes this worth checking out is the new sandbox mode. I’ve always despised the time limits in this series—mainly because it’s not very easy to save your game and the penalty for running out of time is so harsh—so this freedom from a timer is the thing I most wanted to experience in Off the Record. This sandbox mode finally answered some of my burning questions about the series, like “How much more fun is it to mow down hordes of zombies without the looming threat of a Mission Failed screen?” or “What would it be like to remove the one thing that manages to suck all of the fun out of an otherwise mindlessly enjoyable game?” Well, I have my answers, and they’re pretty much what I expected. Off the Record is far more enjoyable without the time limits, so if you’re like me and you’ve never been a fan of being hurried through the game, this alone might make it worth a rental at least. What makes this mode even better is that it’s available from the beginning and you can play it alone or with a friend.
Whether or not Off the Record is a good idea is a pretty difficult question to answer. If you enjoyed Dead Rising 2, then Off the Record is much of the same with a few new weapons, missions, a new environment, and the return of the camera system from the first game. The time limit-free sandbox mode is a welcome addition to the series and one I hope they carry into the inevitable Dead Rising 3. However, if the wacky story, forgettable cast of characters, and repetitive gameplay are starting to wear out their welcome, than Off the Record might not be worth it for you. It’s tough shaking the feeling that this game offers little to make it worthwhile to anyone who played the second game, but if you’re itching for some more gory zombie action, then Off the Record shouldn’t disappoint.
RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.6 Graphics
Its visuals won’t turn any heads, but with so many zombies on-screen at the same time, that’s an easy thing to forgive. 3.8 Control
If you’ve played a Dead Rising game, you already know the controls. It’s just unfortunate they didn’t tweak the clunky aiming. 3.8 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The sound effects are good, maiming zombies yields satisfying results, and the voice work is solid. 4.0 Play Value
There’s a decent amount of content, including a new sandbox mode, to make it worth the budget price. 3.8 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.
Review Rating Legend | |||
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0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid | 2.5 – 2.9 = Average | 3.5 – 3.9 = Good | 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy |
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor | 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair | 4.0 – 4.4 = Great | 5.0 = The Best |
Game Features: