Dead Rising

Dead Rising
Developer(s)	Capcom Production Studio 1
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Designer(s)	Yoshinori Kawano (director) Keiji Inafune (producer)
Engine	MT Framework
Released	JP September 28, 2006 NA August 8, 2006 EU September 8, 2006[1]
Genre	Action adventure, Survival horror, Sandbox
Mode(s)	Single player
Ratings	ESRB: Mature 17+ (M) CERO: Ages 18 and up only (Z) PEGI: 18+ BBFC: 18 (for frequent bloody violence) OFLC: MA15+
Platform(s)	Xbox 360

Dead Rising is an action adventure video game exclusively for the Xbox 360 and was produced by Keiji Inafune and developed by Capcom. It was released in North America on August 8 2006, and in Japan on September 28, 2006.^[2][3] A playable demo was released on the Xbox Live Marketplace for download on the Xbox 360 on August 4 2006.^[4][5] The game follows the events of a photojournalist over a three-day span while he is trapped in a mall infested with zombies, covering the story.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 Encounters with surviving human characters 1.2 Leveling system and weapons 1.3 Modes and save system 2 Plot and storyline 2.1 Overtime mode 2.2 Alternate endings 3 Characters 3.1 Frank West 3.2 Supporting characters 3.3 Survivors 3.4 Psychopaths 4 Development 4.1 Character Design 4.2 Product Placement 5 Reception 5.1 Frank West's reception 5.2 Reaction in Germany 6 Technical issues 7 Soundtrack 8 Downloadable content 9 References 10 External links

Gameplay

The main objective of the game is to remain alive inside the zombie-infested mall for at least three days, after which help will arrive. In-game time runs twelve times faster than real-time, meaning one day in-game is exactly two hours in real time. Therefore, the game is automatically ended after six hours of gameplay, when the time runs out. The player can choose whether or not to pursue any of the game's objectives. The player controls the main character, Frank West. As a photojournalist, Frank has an interest in uncovering the truth behind the zombie epidemic through unlocking a series of "case files" that build upon the previous ones and reveal the central plot as the game clock progresses. Unlocking case files is accomplished primarily by completing tasks and being in the right place at the right time in order to view a cutscene that explains more of the story. Frank also carries a camera and can earn "Prestige Points" (PP) from photographing different situations. Pictures are evaluated and assigned a genre, either erotica, horror, outtakes, drama, or brutality. The setting is Willamette Parkview Mall, modeled after a stereotypical American mall, with multiple floors and several themed sections. The mall includes a roller coaster, supermarket, a movie theater, a park, and an underground tunnel system. There are six main sections to the mall, each with a variety of shops. There are over 80 stores in the game, each filled with usable objects.

Encounters with surviving human characters

"Scoops" serve as side quests for the game. These are assigned to the player by answering walkie-talkie calls from the janitor watching the security cameras. Scoops will usually direct the player to a location in the mall to investigate a person who has not yet turned into a zombie. These people are either "survivors" or "psychopaths." Survivors are human characters who, like Frank, are trying to survive the zombie outbreak but need assistance to do so. There are 54 survivors that can be located via scoops or investigation of the mall's areas. Upon rescue, they will join the player's party and can be taken to the safety of the security room. The survivors mainly take shelter inside stores, but some have been split up or are being held hostage by a psychopath. Psychopaths are human characters that have been driven insane due to events of the zombie outbreak or have used the havoc as a cover to accomplish their own evil ends. They serve as the game's boss battles. Frank carries a notebook with him and records details about all human characters encountered, noting their status as either "Located", "Safe", "Dead", "Lost", or "Undead". Over the course of Dead Rising, some will request or give the player items, while others will revolt against the player and attempt mutiny. Most of these missions are completely optional.

Leveling system and weapons

Dead Rising incorporates a leveling system that allows Frank to learn new offensive attacks, increase his health meter, throw weapons further, increased damage, carry more items, or improve his speed. Many attacks that Frank can learn are professional wrestling moves (e.g. facecrusher, suplex, knee drop). One new skill, ability, or improved stat is awarded randomly at each increase in level. To level Frank up he has to earn PP, which is done by helping survivors, taking pictures, and killing zombies, among other things. A notable aspect to Dead Rising is that should the player start a new game, all experience progression made in previous games can be carried over to the new game. Dead Rising is notable for the hundreds of weapons that the player can find in the mall and use against the zombies. There are over 250 items that can be used as weapons, including chainsaws, baseball bats, axes, katanas, sledgehammers, mall furniture, potted plants, frying pans, guitars, toy swords, and even water guns. ^[6][3] Weapons will break down or run out of ammo with use, often to be thrown away, but certain weapons will gain new properties. For example, a push broom can break in two, leaving the wooden staff to be used as a spear; or a mannequin, which breaks into five usable parts, such as the arms, legs, or torso. Others can be changed by the environment, such as the frying pan, which can be heated on a stove to both increase damage and gain access to a special move. The player can also lift larger items like benches or cash registers that can be used to smash foes or be thrown at them. These items are not considered part of the player's inventory, as the player cannot store the item and it will be dropped if the player selects a different weapon from his/her inventory. Strategy elements are also present in the game. Certain books from the mall's bookstores when held in the player's inventory will increase the durability of a weapon or the effectiveness of a health item. Certain foods can be cooked in various appliances found in the mall to increase their effectiveness, and players may also combine two food or food-related items in any number of blenders found throughout the mall to produce one of seven different ability-boosting "Juices". Electronic Gaming Monthly reported that there can be up to 800 zombies on the screen at once.^[7] During the day the zombies are more sluggish, but at night they become more active, gain red glowing eyes and increase in numbers.^[8][9]

Modes and save system

The gameplay, aside from the time-specific cases, is open-ended and offers few constraints on the player's progress. The storyline may simply be ignored, leaving the player free to just spend the entire three days in the mall sampling food, trying on clothes or killing zombies if they so desire; some of the game's 50 Achievements reward this method of play. Also, the player may choose to ignore the plot completely and gain more PP to level up and use in a later game. Dead Rising features three modes of play:

• 72 Hour Mode: Frank has three days to solve the mystery of the zombie outbreak. This is the main mode of play.
• Overtime Mode: An extra day that wraps up the events of 72 Hour mode. Unlocked by getting the best resolution, the 'A' ending in 72 hour mode.
• Infinity Mode: A sandbox mode where Frank must last as long as he can. The biggest difference is that Frank can now die of hunger, with the health bar dropping once every 100 seconds to represent this. Food is now limited and the transceiver, some watch functions and most importantly the save system, are disabled. Everyone, including survivors, are now enemies (which drop character-related supplies upon their deaths) and they all fight each other for the food they hold in order to survive. The game continues until Frank's inevitable demise and is unlocked by finishing Overtime Mode.

Dead Rising has an unusual save system: only one game-in-progress can be saved per memory device per profile. With this single-save system, it is possible to save a game far away from a critical objective with little time remaining, making it impossible to reach the next objective in time, and thus, impossible to complete the plot. In these cases, Dead Rising allows players to save their current level and status, and restart the game from the beginning as a more powerful player. The system is a deliberate game mechanic, borrowed from one of Capcom's RPGs Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter; the two games share some development team members.^[10] Gamers have expressed frustration as they will sometimes get killed immediately after fighting a psychopath, ultimately having to restart from the last saved point and facing the psychopath again. Many have also mentioned that if they had multiple game slots it would make certain tasks/achievements easier to achieve. Though the unusual saves are largely unpopular with gamers and likely caused Dead Rising to be scored lower on game ratings, Keiji Inafune said, in an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, that the saves were intentionally designed so that players would feel that there were some consequences for their actions and would be forced to make quick, tactical decisions.

Plot and storyline

The plot summary in this article or section is too long compared to the rest of the article. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot.

Note: as Frank, the player has the opportunity to complete or fail certain cases or scoops that will result in the player receiving one of six different endings. The following storyline details Ending A, the "true ending", accomplished by completing all "key" cases during the course of gameplay, and omits non-vital plot points and any optional events the player is not required to participate in. The game focuses on the exploits of Frank West, a photojournalist who is intent on breaking the story on why the fictional town of Willamette, Colorado has been sealed off by the National Guard. Frank is taken to Willamette by helicopter, as the roads leading to the town have been blockaded and the town itself quarantined. Flying overhead, Frank notices what appears to be a brutal riot with several murders. Frank sees a helipad and tells his pilot, Ed Deluca, to drop him off, after being chased by National Guard Helicopters. Frank jumps onto the mall's roof, but not before telling the pilot to return in exactly 72 hours. Frank meets up with Carlito Keyes, a Hispanic man who acts mysteriously. In reply to Frank's question about the events in town, Carlito replies that Frank should see it for himself, all the while chuckling to himself. Upon entering the mall, Frank finds zombies storming in through the front entrance. A Homeland Security officer named Brad urges everyone to retreat to the security room. Frank, Brad and a few other main characters are the only ones who make it to the room. When Frank enters, the janitor, Otis Washington, welds the door shut. Brad then leaves the security room via the air ducts. Jessie, also of Homeland Security recognizes an old man she identifies as Dr. Barnaby in one of Frank's photos, but neither Brad's DHS partner, Jessie, nor Brad are willing to share what they know. After receiving a transceiver and map from Otis in order to be kept informed of the mall's events, Frank returns to the mall through the air ducts. He encounters survivors who need his assistance to make it safely to the security room, as well as other people driven to madness by the zombie infestation, known as Psychopaths. As the story unfolds, Frank and Brad have a series of violent encounters with Carlito, while Frank continues to come across a beautiful Mexican woman named Isabela. Frank and Brad are eventually able to locate Dr. Barnaby and bring him back to the security room, but it is still unknown why Homeland Security is particularly interested in Barnaby in the first place. After Frank is able to pacify a violent Isabela and bring her back to the security room, she reveals she is the sister of Carlito and that he is behind the zombie infestation. She explains that Dr. Barnaby was the head of a research laboratory in the fictional Central American city of Santa Cabeza, the hometown of Carlito and Isabela. The research facility was attempting to find methods of mass-producing cattle, but instead, Barnaby and his team discovered an insect wasp/bee called a "queen" that would turn the cattle into zombies with a single sting. After one of the "queens" escaped and infected the townspeople of Santa Cabeza, the US government sent a Special Forces team in to wipe out the entire city. The massacre was covered up under the pretenses that it was a raid on drug-trade operations. Outraged over the slaughter of his people and home, Carlito planned and executed the release of numerous "queens" in Willamette in revenge. Once the importance of Dr. Barnaby is revealed, he suddenly turns into a zombie and attacks Jessie, but is shot in the head by Brad before he can harm Frank. The zombie outbreak in Willamette is only the tip of the iceberg, however, as Isabela later explains Carlito has much bigger plans. Hidden beneath the mall are 5 bombs that when detonated will release queen larva into the atmosphere, making it possible for a worldwide zombie outbreak. Frank is able to disarm the bombs in time to stop the explosion, but Brad is forced into a mob of zombies while trying to chase down Carlito, leaving him infected and mortally wounded. Frank finds Brad, but after realizing there is nothing to be done he leaves Brad where he is, agreeing to not tell Jesse of his fate. With Carlito's master plan stopped, Frank and the remaining survivors turn their attention towards escaping to safety. Isabela reveals that Carlito has a hideout in the mall containing a laptop full of information as well as a jamming device, currently active and preventing Jessie from calling for outside help. Isabela leads Frank to the hideout, but is unable to access any information or deactivate the jamming device as the laptop is password protected. Jessie tracks Carlito to an underground meat processing plant via the security cameras and Frank rescues him from an insane butcher, but is nonetheless unable to get the password from Carlito before he dies from his wounds. However, Carlito's dying request to give Isabela his locket turns out to be a hidden message to his sister, allowing her to figure out his password and deactivate the jamming device. Jessie places a call for help, only to be told that another cleanup mission has been authorized instead; Special Forces soldiers arrive in the mall shortly thereafter, killing anything that moves. Frank makes his way back to the security room, only to find it empty save for two dead soldiers killed by Jessie, now zombified from Barnaby's earlier attack. A note reveals that Otis has commandeered a Special Forces helicopter and flown himself and the other survivors to safety. After avoiding capture by the Special Forces soldiers until they complete their cleanup mission, Frank makes his way back to Carlito's hideout and asks Isabela to come with him to the Helipad; she refuses. Frank makes his way back to the helicopter pad to meet Ed. Unfortunately, a zombie finds its way onto the helicopter and attacks Ed, causing him to crash the helicopter into the middle of the mall's park. The game seemingly ends as Frank slumps to his knees, doing nothing to avoid the small group of zombies approaching him on the helipad.

Overtime mode

Overtime mode is unlocked by completing all key cases in the game and achieving the "true ending", and picks up where the normal game ends. Still on the helipad, Frank is narrowly saved by Isabela, who shoots a zombie just as it is about to bite him. Frank passes out; he comes to in Carlito's hideout, where Isabela tells him that he has been infected, giving Frank just 24 hours before he becomes a zombie. However, Isabela believes she may be able to manufacture a cure from various items found in the mall, prompting Frank to scavenge for them. With the items Frank finds Isabela is unable to manufacture a cure, but instead comes up with a symptomatic treatment which temporarily suppresses the zombification caused by the infection. Turning towards efforts to escape, Frank discovers a tunnel underneath the park, uncovered by Ed's helicopter crash. The tunnel is packed with zombies, but with some more items gathered by Frank, Isabela is able to create a pheromone which repels them. Frank overpowers two Special Forces soldiers guarding the end of the tunnel, and commandeers their vehicle to escape. After being chased by a tank and eventually disabling it with a back-mounted machine gun, Frank and Isabela's vehicle is also disabled and over turned. The tank opens and out steps Brock, leader of the current cleanup mission and the original cleanup leader in Santa Cabeza. When Brock is distracted by an unexpected approaching hoard of zombies, Frank leaps atop the tank and engages Brock in hand-to-hand combat. Eventually Frank knocks Brock into the mass of zombies surrounding the tank and the overturned vehicle atop which Isabela sits. The game ends as Frank drops to his knees and screams into the sky. A text epilogue reveals that Frank was able to get out of Willamette with credible information about the story, forcing the U.S. Government to accept at least partial credibility for the Santa Cabeza incident. Carlito's additional plan - discussed in an earlier cut-scene, involving fifty orphans who Frank and Isabela believe were infected with the zombie virus, the virus' spread slowed such that they would act as biological "time bombs" - was never fulfilled. The text makes note that, while the Willamette incident was widely reported, the American public eventually let it fade from their minds.

Alternate endings

Depending on which cases are completed, as well as certain other key actions or events the player may or may not participate in, any of five additional endings can be seen upon completion of 72 Hour Mode. Like Ending A (the "true ending") these are all assigned letters to indicate their rank.

• Ending B: Ed arrives and picks up Frank, taking any survivors Frank has rescued with them. Epilogue text states that while Frank's efforts produced headline-grabbing articles, the cause of the outbreak remained a mystery; in the days following several other, unexplained zombie outbreaks occurred all across America.
• Ending C: Ed scouts the helipad through binoculars from a nearby building. He is unable to spot Frank and remarks to himself about the probability of Frank's demise, shortly before a zombie surprises him and (presumably) kills him off-screen. Epilogue text indicates that ultimately the initial quarantine order was effective at containing the outbreak, preventing anybody from revealing the truth of the events in Willamette.
• Ending D: Frank awakens on a Special Forces chopper, having been captured in the mall during the cleanup operation. He attempts to escape but is unable to, and remains on the helicopter, guarded at gunpoint, as it leaves. Epilogue text suggests the government cover-up was successful in both containing the outbreak and preventing anybody from revealing the truth of the events in Willamette.
• Ending E: Ed arrives at the helipad, but instead of Frank he is met by a number of survivors rescued by "that photographer guy" and seeking a means of escape; Ed obliges and takes them with him. Epilogue text reveals that the survivors all credited Frank for singlehandedly ensuring their survival and escape, though his ultimate fate remains unknown.
• Ending F: Frank is unable to disarm all of the bombs Carlito has placed underneath the mall in time. The ensuing detonation destroys the entire mall. Epilogue text reveals that, just as Carlito had planned, the explosion sent Queen larvae into the stratosphere, eventually causing the whole of the United States to fall victim to the zombie outbreak.

Though not an official ending in itself, fans often use the term "Ending Z" to refer to the game over sequence seen during Overtime Mode if Frank fails to help Isabela create the symptomatic treatment in time. The "Z" presumably relates to the zombification which Frank undergoes due to not receiving treatment for his infection.

Characters

Frank West

The protagonist of Dead Rising, the player controls Frank in the game. He is an "overly zealous" freelance photographer/photojournalist who came to Willamette for the "scoop of a lifetime", thinking it was just a riot. Throughout the game, Frank seeks the truth behind the zombie outbreak by investigating recent events and questioning characters trapped in the mall. With the player's help, Frank also tries to rescue many human characters trapped within various sections of the mall.

Appearances

• Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Frank makes a cameo appearance as a playable character in the PC version.^[11][12]

Supporting characters

Throughout Dead Rising, Frank West meets characters who are essential to revealing the truth behind the zombie outbreak as well as helping or impeding his chances of surviving the ordeal.

• Isabela Keyes: The younger sister of Carlito. Very little is known about her, but she worked at Dr. Barnaby's laboratories in Santa Cabeza as a medical technician. She starts off as an enemy, but after Carlito attacks her, she realizes the mayhem Carlito is causing and becomes an ally. In the "true ending," she helps temporarily subdue Frank's infection, and escapes with him out of Willamette.
• Carlito Keyes: The older brother of Isabela. The mysterious Carlito tries to kill Frank at every turn. He is the cause of the zombie outbreak at Willamette, wanting revenge for the slaughter of his hometown, Santa Cabeza. Most of the game is spent trying to uncover the motivation and story behind Carlito and his connection to the zombies.
• Brad Garrison: A DHS agent who reluctantly fights alongside Frank throughout the story. He assumes the responsibility of re-stocking the Security Room with healing items and trying to locate Dr. Barnaby early in the game. At first, he is uneasy to be around a member of the press, and even goes so far as to stereotype Frank as a crooked paparazzi. However, he soon grows to trust Frank. At the end of the "Bomb Collector" case, he is forced into the zombie-infested maintenance tunnels by Carlito and is attacked. Frank returns to look for Brad, but Brad, close to zombification and disemboweled, realizes that there is nothing that Frank can do, except leave him and not tell Jessie.
• Jessica "Jessie" McCarney: Brad's rookie partner. She is charged with watching the monitors for information on the person/people responsible for the outbreak. Like Brad, she is distrustful of Frank, and patronizes him for being a civilian. However, she grows to trust Frank after he manages to retrieve the medicine from the food mart manager. Jessie would later be bitten by an infected Dr. Barnaby and becomes a zombie by the final hours of the game. She kills two Special Forces soldiers in her zombie form, and is found by Frank wandering the security room.
• Otis Washington: A mall janitor. Otis tries in vain to stop Frank from chasing Brad back into the mall, and winds up handing over a map and spare transceiver. He periodically sends the player information and scoops over Frank's transceiver. If Frank is unable to reach the stairs of the Entrance Plaza when the zombies are first let in, and instead is knocked out, it is Otis that drags him from the chaos. When the Special Forces arrive, Otis sneaks out and attempts to steal a helicopter, and is able to do so and he flies himself and the suvivors that Frank rescued, to safety. Notably, Otis's voice is never heard during the game.
• Dr. Russell Barnaby: A genetic researcher, whose work led to the events chronicled throughout Dead Rising. He became infected and attacked Jessie. Brad shot him after he attempted to attack Frank.

Survivors

The citizens of Willamette who were not initially killed by the zombie outbreak are referred to as "survivors." There are about 54 survivors (counting Frank himself) scattered across the mall, and their fate is dependent on Frank. Otis gives Frank a transmitter and a map of the mall, contacting him about events happening in the mall. Otis acts as the source of information for finding survivors. However, Otis will not notice all of the survivors and thus, some must be stumbled upon. Many survivors can be escorted safely to the security room, while others may be injured or too scared, requiring Frank to carry them to the exit point, rendering him unable to use his weapons. Successful rescues will earn PP for Frank.

Psychopaths

In addition to battling thousands of zombies, Frank West must also deal with psychopaths, humans who have gone mad due to the invasion (or otherwise corrupt, evil or immoral humans who serve as the game's bosses). Examples include a clown who became insane after seeing his audience eaten, a manager of a food mart obsessed with keeping it clean and free of vandalism, a cop who beats women that are prettier than her, a deranged butcher, a Vietnam War veteran who suffers war flashbacks after seeing his granddaughter eaten by zombies,a scared punk kid, three escaped convicts in an army style jeep, and a cult leader.

Development

The main influences for the game were zombie movies from the 1960s and 1970s, especially those of George Romero. Keiji Inafune wanted to show a more comical view of zombies rather than the serious view portrayed in the Resident Evil series. The zombies are meant to represent the greed and hunger of mankind. The main reason for choosing Frank West's character design was to have an average looking character, rather than the beautiful and youthful main characters featured in Japanese games. ^[13]

Character Design

Keiji Inafune, designer of Mega Man and Dead Rising, wanted Frank West to be different than the usual Japanese main character. Instead of having a young and beautiful main character like most other games, he wanted an everyman that looked average rather than beautiful or ugly. ^[14]

Frank default attire includes a black jacket with a white button-up shirt, green khaki pants, and brown loafers. Frank's appearance can be altered throughout the game by visiting the various stores of the mall. These range from changing into business suits and dresses to donning different glasses and masks. Many of Dead Rising's costumes are references to other Capcom games such as Frank's unlockable Arthur's boxers from Ghosts 'n Goblins.

One type of clothing that the player can unlock, Frank is dressed exactly in the same suit as Megaman X. It is a little added bonus as the fact the director of the game is the same person who made Megaman. The player can even unlock Megaman's signature Arm Cannon, otherwise known as the 'Mega Buster'.^[15]

Product Placement

All of the cameras in Dead Rising, appear to be Nikon's (The back of the camera appears to be like that of the D70) fitted with standard zoom lenses.

Reception

Dead Rising has earned generally positive reviews. The game received ratings of 8.1/10 from 1UP.com,^[16] 8.7/10 from TeamXbox,^[17] 8.3/10 from IGN.com,^[18] 8.4 from GameSpot,^[19] 4.5/5 from GameSpy^[20] and 9.25/10 from Game Informer.^[21] IGN stated the game needed "a better save system, more intelligent NPCs, a more forgiving story progression, and tighter controls," but still called Dead Rising "one of the more unique and entertaining titles on the Xbox 360." GameSpot said, "It's zombie action for people who want zombie action, and it's simply a great piece of entertainment." The reviews shared a general consensus. All the reviewers commended the game's "sandbox" style mall to explore and the sheer amount of ways to kill the thousands of zombies. Most reviewers also agreed the save system, as well as the survivors' AI detracted from the game's enjoyment. Prior to its release, Dead Rising topped the video game sellers chart of Amazon.com. Capcom is currently giving away surveys asking fans if they would like to see a sequel.^[22] On August 29, 2006, Capcom announced the game had sold more than 500,000 copies in the two weeks since its US launch date of August 8. A point of contention among many fans was the operation of the game's transceiver, specifically how persistent it is when ringing, and how vulnerable Frank is while answering any calls on it. While using the transceiver Frank is unable to jump, attack, or pick up or use any item. Furthermore, if the call is somehow interrupted (such as being attacked), the call will end abruptly, only for the transceiver to ring a few seconds later. If Frank answers, Otis will scold the player for being rude, then start the previous call over from the very beginning. ^[23][24] Numerous gamer-oriented webcomics and blogs attacked the use of the transceiver within Dead Rising.^[25][26][27] Dead Rising has won several awards. IGN awarded the title "Most Innovative Design for Xbox 360"^[28] in its Best of 2006. GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2006 awarded the game honors for "Best Action Adventure Game",^[29] "Best Sound Effects",^[30] and "Best Use of Xbox 360 Achievement Points".^[31] Additionally, the game won "Action Game of the Year" at the 2006 Spike TV Video Game Awards. It ranked #2 in gaming magazine Gamesmaster's Top 50 of 2006. It also won "Best Original Game" of 2006 on X-Play. According to Capcom, Dead Rising had shipped one million copies worldwide by the end of 2006^[32] and will become a franchise, with multiple sequels in the preproduction stages.^[33]

Frank West's reception

IGN's Charles Onyett reviewed Dead Rising and, in reference to Frank, stated "If the profession of photojournalism ever needed a poster boy, Dead Rising's Frank West is it." ^[34]. Alexander Sliwinski, of In Newsweekly, commented in an article entitled 'Dead Rising not the Occasion' that "Frank West makes a great hero, although sometimes he does have horribly cheesy Capcom survival-horror dialogue, but that's too be expected." ^[35] A small blurb said by Frank has become part of popular culture in the gaming community, "I've covered wars ya know". Frank says the statement to Jessie after she is hesitant about allowing a "civilian" to becoming involved, but she gives him her handgun after he assures her that he has experience with one by saying, "I've covered wars ya know", though He admits later that he's never actually fired a gun "at a person".^[36] Mega64, a series of video game inspired comedy skits, did a prank in which one of the cast members dressed as Frank West and went to a public mall.^[37]

Reaction in Germany

Due to its graphic violence and thus obvious fulfilment of at least one of German BPjM's indexing criteria, the Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle, Germany's equivalent to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, has refused to rate the game. Microsoft does not allow unrated games to be published for the Xbox 360 in Germany, effectively halting the production of a German version of the game. Right from the start, the game has been indexed by the BPjM as a document that glorifies violence, but has been available as an import to players of legal age.^[38] Following a decision of Hamburg's county court in June 2007, the game has been prohibited in late August 2007. Therefore, selling this game in Germany is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment or monetary penalty according to §131 of the German criminal code. It was confiscated by the police from all stores in Germany.^[39] Owning and playing the game is still legal for private use.

Technical issues

Dead Rising has drawn complaints from gamers that have standard definition sets and smaller high definition sets for having difficulty reading the on-screen text. This is due to Capcom's decision to develop exclusively for HD gamers, as the game had been touted as one of the first truly "next generation" titles available for the Xbox 360. On August 10 2006, a Capcom representative posted the following on Xbox.com:

“

Dear Everyone, I have heard your concerns and passed them to every source within Capcom possible. I feel your pain as I, myself, have a large SDTV and am having trouble reading the mission objectives, item names, etc. Unfortunately it does take time to resolve any issue and we would want to fix the issue appropriately as any changes to any game can create additional problems from the result of change; that's just how game programming works and that's why games go through extensive game testing programs and approvals.[40]

”

A week later, Capcom released a statement saying they would not be fixing the problem and suggested some DIY solutions:

“

Unfortunately Dead Rising was optimized for High Definition TV's. Due to this, the font in the game might be difficult to read on standard definition TV's. If you are having a hard time reading the text, please try the following: 1.) Adjust the settings on your TV or monitor. 2.) Try using component cables instead of standard composite. 3.) Setting the TV to widescreen ratio (even though you may not have a widescreen TV) may help in some cases.[41]

”

Using a computer monitor is also a solution to the problem, as the Xbox 360 supports a number of common monitor resolutions high enough to render the text readable.^[42] While the small text within Dead Rising cannot be fixed, Capcom responded quickly to avoid similar criticism on the same issue for their next major Xbox 360 game, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition. When the demo was released in late 2006, it also had significant amounts of small text, and responding to these complaints, Capcom adjusted the game prior to release to detect the use of a standard TV and increased the font size as needed.^[43]

Soundtrack

Main article: Dead Rising Original Soundtrack

On March 30 2007, a soundtrack album was released as a 2,000-copy limited edition. It came with a T-shirt, showcasing Frank, Isabela, and an outline of the mall.

Downloadable content

• Soon after Dead Rising was released in the United States, Capcom released 9 downloadable "keys" to Xbox Live Marketplace that would unlock different lockers in the Security Room, providing the player with 9 new outfit options. ^[44] On May 31 2007, 3 more keys were made available over Xbox Live.
• On March 4 2007, a rumor stemming from Electronic Gaming Monthly claimed that the platinum version of Dead Rising would contain a new cooperative mode, and that it would also be available to current owners via the Xbox Live Marketplace for a fee.^[45] However, Christian Svennson of Capcom has confirmed that this is a hoax.^[46]

References

External links

Official sites

• Dead Rising official site (American)
• Dead Rising official site (European)
• Dead Rising official site (Japanese)

Other resources and information

• Dead Rising Reviews at Metacritic
• Dead Rising at the Internet Movie Database