If you haven’t seen the game play trailer, check it out here!
With each new Dead Rising game, the zombie beat em up finds new ways to get even more insane each time. Being able to craft weapons and mount guns onto vehicles in previous games was insane enough, but what happens when you throw in a super powered Exo Suit, Christmas themed weapons, and a city that’s much larger than any one before it? You get Dead Rising 4, which might have been the most fun I had playing a game throughout the entire E3 convention. Oh, and did I mention selfies?
Dead Rising 4 marks the return of Frank West, who has stepped aside as the series protagonist since the original game graced our consoles in the early days of the Xbox 360. Deciding to return to Willamette, the same city that housed the mall that served as the first game’s setting, our favorite zombie slaying reporter arrives just in time for Christmas. Unfortunately for him, another zombie outbreak plagues the city, forcing Frank back into action as he battles the undead with a ton of new weapons to play around with. The best part? Each one is just as crazy as you would expect.
Going all in with the Christmas theme, most of the new weapons featured in the free for all demo included a grenade launcher that shot exploding tree ornaments, a pair of giant light up presents that could be used as boxing gloves, and a candy cane crossbow to name a few. There’s something satisfying about beating down hundreds of zombies with giant presents, or any way to tear them apart in humiliating fashion. Speaking of which, you can’t have Frank West without needlessly taking pictures of everything in the middle of the apocalypse, which is photography makes its big return. Attempting to take scary, violent or even sexy pictures is still as strange as ever, but as recent years have taught us, you aren’t really apart of an incredible moment if you don’t take pictures of yourself there. With this in mind, Frank can now take selfies, adding a hilarious touch to an already over the top game, especially when you start changing his facial expressions with the analog sticks.
But lethal Christmas gifts, weaponized cars and electric go karts aside, Frank’s biggest weapon this time around might be the Exo Suit. By putting this on, not only does he look like a male version of Capcom’s forgotten P.N. 03, but he gains a huge boost of strength in the process. Suddenly, the world becomes his weapon, allowing him to pull parking meters out of the ground and using them as clubs, punch cars into the distance while mowing down any zombies that are unlucky enough to be in its way, and use weapons that would otherwise be too heavy to use. These games have never shied away from being absolutely silly, which is why this suit felt like a great addition to already insane game.
Keeping in mind that Willamette will be several times bigger than Dead Rising 3, and will include the ENTIRE mall from the first game as part of the game’s open world environment, all while promising more zombies on screen at once than any game before it, and is there any reason not to be excited for when Dead Rising 4 releases for the Xbox One and PC in time for the holidays? With so much carnage to look forward to, we can’t wait to find Frank West under our trees, as the series’ original zombie slayer returns to take back his town. Who’s excited!?