Dead Rising 2 - The Thread of Zombies, Time Limits and Slow Protagonists

warcrow

Lifer
Jan 12, 2004
11,078
11
81
No official thread? Ok there is one now!

I beat the game over the weekend and--though I enjoyed it more than the first--I still was happy when it was finally over. Don't get me wrong, it was a fun game overall but there were a lot of annoyances too. But despite these things I still found myself going back to the game which I think says a lot. :)

But I gotta mention, I think, the pinacle of my frustration--when I hit with the final boss. I dont know if I was ill prepared by ignorance, missed a hint from the game or if the design is off but, man, I had the toughest time with the final boss. In DR I tend to stick with melee weapons so I dont tend to carry guns around too much. When I got to the roof I had 4 spiked bats and a few food items--that didnt work out so well. The only attack I could get to work against him were my kick attacks. Also, this guy has an uppercut that does 90% damage! Anywho, I spent around 3 hours trying to kill this guy and none of those 3 hours were enjoyable. What else can you do against this guy? I understand guns can work, but what doesnt seem to viable considering the other things going on.

I dont like to walk away from games when I'm that close to the ending but I was highly considering it here. In the end I just grabbed 5 combo drinks (the one that makes you run super-fast) and drop kicked the guy about 137 times in the face. It was a totally cheesy move but I didnt care at that point. Not exactly fun.

But I think the game, overall, was ok. I loved the open world of the mall, all the wacky weapons, goofy charcters, the voice acting was above (capcoms) average and the leveling system was kinda fun too.

I hate to be that guy in a DR thread but the save system--or lack of an autosave--really bothers me. I know I know, its suppose to build tension and I understand some of you really love that aspect of it--I'm just saying, for me, it's frustrating.

Some other notes:
- The map is all around better, but there were times I wanted to throw down a custom marker.

- The combo weapons were usually too much trouble for not enough fun/PP, and actually not that much fun to use. The only one I loved was the electrical chair.

- The save/load times are too lengthy, even when installed on the X360.

- I ran into 2 bugs that forced me to restart the game (as in, lock-ups).

- Survivors are prone to friendly fire, so when they are surrounded by attacking zombies it difficult to save them with a melee weapon without hitting them. Hit them a few times and they turn on ya.

- Chuckie is too slow.

- When a call comes in I like to answer the phone while avoiding zombies (do these calls ever come in at a reasonable time? I once had a call come in during a boss fight)since the game doesnt pause, so this means I have to keep the left-stick pushed forward/left/right. Often times this mean the map/messages menu that pops up but would scroll around leaving me confused. Why not just pause the game?

- The time limits--again I understand are a DR trait and build tension--but I cant help but to want to play around in the awesome environments without having to worrying about that. I'm reminded of this every time I run by a store with lots of cool stuff in it. Still, at least it's better than DR1.

- Zombirex is the unobtainium of the video game industry.
 
Last edited:

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
126
I want to get it on PS3, but I'm torn...if there are less zombies than on PC, I won't be happy. Also, the load times on PC are bad...and on PS3...couldn't imagine.

There are a lot less zombies in the console versions according to the PC thread.

I was most disappointed to hear that missions are still timed, so I'll be skipping this one entirely.
 

Tristicus

Diamond Member
Feb 2, 2008
8,107
5
61
www.wallpapereuphoria.com
There are a lot less zombies in the console versions according to the PC thread.

I was most disappointed to hear that missions are still timed, so I'll be skipping this one entirely.

And according to PC gamers every game on PC is better than it's console counterpart even with direct proof that they are the same or otherwise.

I want a direct comparison...from the videos I've watched, it seems to be pretty similar. I just don't want the load times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyPLV6rVZSo
For instance. Seems similar.

I had the game pre-ordered..special edition. Things came up. Maybe for the better, maybe I'll shell out for it when it is cheaper.

And yeah, Chuck is slow as hell. This bothered me about the first.
 

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
Anyone interested in doing a co-op playthrough on Xbox 360? I'm mainly interested in doing the cases, but I'm open to working on other things. I'm available weeknights Eastern US and weekends, send me a PM.

Tips for the final boss of The Facts:
  • There's an excellent combo weapon (
    Knife Gloves
    ) given as an example in the manual.
  • Evasion preserves Chuck's health. I couldn't do it all the time, but I did it well enough to avoid the uppercut. He did knock me down/off a lot.
  • Guns (
    especially the Six Shooter
    ) work well to avoid melee and the uppercut, but do less damage. I shot from below using cover.
  • There is a lot of food available in the area, but it gets destroyed over time.
  • Leveling up helps boss fights a lot.

Some other notes:
- The map is all around better, but there were times I wanted to throw down a custom marker.

- The combo weapons were usually too much trouble for not enough fun/PP, and actually not that much fun to use. The only one I loved was the electrical chair.

- The save/load times are too lengthy, even when installed on the X360.

- I ran into 2 bugs that forced me to restart the game (as in, lock-ups).

- Survivors are prone to friendly fire, so when they are surrounded by attacking zombies it difficult to save them with a melee weapon without hitting them. Hit them a few times and they turn on ya.

- Chuckie is too slow.

- When a call comes in I like to answer the phone while avoiding zombies (do these calls ever come in at a reasonable time? I once had a call come in during a boss fight)since the game doesnt pause, so this means I have to keep the left-stick pushed forward/left/right. Often times this mean the map/messages menu that pops up but would scroll around leaving me confused. Why not just pause the game?

  • Custom marker: Agree, I used the Back button (quick Map) a lot to check my heading. The objective arrow doesn't account for shortcuts.
  • Combo weapons: Agree, I found one that I liked right away, found sources for its components, and used it pretty much exclusively.
  • Load times: On the long side, but I don't mind much.
  • Lock-ups: Didn't experience this myself, but there was one particularly long load screen that had me worried.
  • Rescuing survivors: Most survivors won't talk if there are live zombies around. A queen is cleanest. Tip for escorting:
    Just run into them, no attacks, to push them apart. The zombies are less grabby than in DR, so both you and the survivor are not likely to be grabbed again.
  • Chuck's speed: It starts very slow, but gets better with leveling.
  • Calls: Urgent calls are voice, which can be answered on the run. Non-urgent "scoops" are text messages and bring up the watch screen. I use the Map screen to pause and read them.
 
Last edited:

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,559
6,390
126
i can't believe they still had the stupid ass timer thing in this game with the crappy save feature...

that alone is why i stopped playing part 1 and will not be touching part 2.
 

compliKATEd

Member
Oct 2, 2010
25
0
0
was debating on this one....I LOVE zombies but never really got into GTA or that kind of game. I had RDR for a little bit and ended up selling it because I'm on Battlefield-Bad Company 2 so much and really enjoy the 1st person shooters..is this even worth the buy?
 

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
was debating on this one....I LOVE zombies but never really got into GTA or that kind of game. I had RDR for a little bit and ended up selling it because I'm on Battlefield-Bad Company 2 so much and really enjoy the 1st person shooters..is this even worth the buy?
Since you mentioned FPS, Left 4 Dead might be a better fit. If you have an Xbox 360, you might want to try Dead Rising 2: Case Zero (thread). It's a $5 teaser episode that plays exactly like DR2.
 

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
Capcom blog

Anyone planning to get any of the preorder bonus outfits? They give status buffs in addition to appearance. Gamestop has Ninja, and Best Buy has "Sports Fan". I think they'll probably be pay DLC eventually.
They are coming out sooner than I expected. Preordering from Amazon worked out in my favor.
 

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,739
454
126
Since you mentioned FPS, Left 4 Dead might be a better fit. If you have an Xbox 360, you might want to try Dead Rising 2: Case Zero (thread). It's a $5 teaser episode that plays exactly like DR2.

While it's not as close as Case Zero would be to DR2 gameplay, the first DR has a demo that he can try. If he doesn't like the way DR handles then I can't imagine he'd like the 2nd one.
 

Beev

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2006
7,775
0
0
I rented the game over the weekend. It was in my system once and won't ever be again. I never played the first Dead Rising, but I heard good things so I figured I'd check this one out. Right off the bat they tell me "only 72 hours!" and I was pissed. I do not like to be timed, at all. At all. Couple that with the main character walking slow like he lodged a rake in his ass, and the kind of dumb premise, and I was done.

The overall game just wasn't fun. I don't know if i would have liked the first game, but I know DR3, if it ends up getting made, won't even get a glance from me.
 

Illusio

Golden Member
Nov 28, 1999
1,448
0
76
I rented the game over the weekend. It was in my system once and won't ever be again. I never played the first Dead Rising, but I heard good things so I figured I'd check this one out. Right off the bat they tell me "only 72 hours!" and I was pissed. I do not like to be timed, at all. At all. Couple that with the main character walking slow like he lodged a rake in his ass, and the kind of dumb premise, and I was done.

The overall game just wasn't fun. I don't know if i would have liked the first game, but I know DR3, if it ends up getting made, won't even get a glance from me.

I doubt you would like DR1 then. It seems pretty similar. I quite playing DR1 after a few hours because I couldn't stand the save system or the timer either. I like to take my time and explore, and I hate redoing lots of things. I know they have their reasoning, but making auto saves optional then for people that like the challenge.

My issue is I don't always have 2 hours to sit and play, so if I want to jump in and play a game for 30 minutes I want to be able to do that. If I have to quite right away, it's nice to be able to hit save and come back to my spot later.
 

warcrow

Lifer
Jan 12, 2004
11,078
11
81
The overall game just wasn't fun. I don't know if i would have liked the first game, but I know DR3, if it ends up getting made, won't even get a glance from me.

Beev you would severely dislike DR1 if this is how you feel about DR2. DR2 is more forgiving and fun to play.

I tried to play through DR1 3 times over the course of 3 years and each time I couldnt do it. The last attempt I even used a survival guide and--though things made much more sense--I STILL couldnt get through it. Why do I keep trying? Because I really love the concept. Trapped in a mall full of zombies with endless amounts of weapons.

In the end, it's hampered by some pretty lame mechanics.
 

Cuda1447

Lifer
Jul 26, 2002
11,757
0
71
The game is just WAAAAY to repetitive for me. You just hit the same button over and over while dodging zombies. It gets boring after like 30 minutes, IMO.
 
Feb 10, 2000
30,029
67
91
I loved the idea of DR1 but found it too tough to be fun, largely because of the save system but also because the boss fights were just really really hard. I doubt I made it 1/4 of the way through. Based on that experience I'm not inclined to bother with DR2.
 

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
Beev you would severely dislike DR1 if this is how you feel about DR2. DR2 is more forgiving and fun to play.

I tried to play through DR1 3 times over the course of 3 years and each time I couldnt do it. The last attempt I even used a survival guide and--though things made much more sense--I STILL couldnt get through it.
I loved the idea of DR1 but found it too tough to be fun, largely because of the save system but also because the boss fights were just really really hard. I doubt I made it 1/4 of the way through. Based on that experience I'm not inclined to bother with DR2.
I agree, DR2 is much easier than DR. Did you guys try restarting from your save to preserve PP and levels? Starting at level 15 is a huge advantage.

I never got my ninja DLC from Gamestop :\.

EDIT:

Went in there to pre-order a game today and they gave me a code for it. Woot!
Good deal. It's the last one to be released, so you'll get a few weeks of use before then.
 

warcrow

Lifer
Jan 12, 2004
11,078
11
81
Did you guys try restarting from your save to preserve PP and levels? Starting at level 15 is a huge advantage.

Not really interested in playing the game again, or starting the game over--at least not for a while. I played it on the 360, but I might pick it up on Steam when it goes on sale.

Remember the holiday Steam sales are coming up soon. :)
 

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
Not really interested in playing the game again, or starting the game over--at least not for a while. I played it on the 360, but I might pick it up on Steam when it goes on sale.
That's understandable. If you still have your save file, it doesn't hurt to keep it around, just in case.
 

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
I agree, DR2 is much easier than DR. Did you guys try restarting from your save to preserve PP and levels? Starting at level 15 is a huge advantage.

The very idea of intentionally killing yourself and then restarting from the very beginning of the game goes against what games have always taught players. I could never understand why they even put that in the game - why bother with level grinding at all? It would have worked better to just have multiple difficulty levels. I mean this is zombie killing, not Baldur's Gate.

The other thing was my natural instinct upon starting the game and hearing about the time limit was to simply sit on the roof next to the helicopter pad and wait for the pickup. What do you even accomplish by running into a mall filled with zombies?
 
Last edited:

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
The very idea of intentionally killing yourself and then restarting from the very beginning of the game goes against what games have always taught players. I could never understand why they even put that in the game - why bother with level grinding at all? It would have worked better to just have multiple difficulty levels.
This restarting mechanic (New Game Plus) is less common, but it ties directly into the time limit. 6 hours of real time for each basic playthrough isn't long enough. Leveling is pretty common, although it's sometimes represented as things like "unlocking abilities".

What do you even accomplish by running into a mall filled with zombies?
Frank is a crazy photojournalist: his whole objective – exactly as represented in-game by the Cases – is getting The Facts.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
86
When do you give TK the Zombrex? I got A ending last night and I want S. I saved right at the start of the facts.
 

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
When do you give TK the Zombrex? I got A ending last night and I want S. I saved right at the start of the facts.
I had an extra one and gave it right away, so I don't know for sure. I think it needs to be given before returning the laptop and triggering The Facts. Edit: A video on YouTube has both TK is infected and THE FACTS active together, so you should be okay.
It would be worthwhile to load your earlier save(s) and check if you can do it.
 
Last edited:

Dessert Tears

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2005
1,100
0
76
Anyone playing Case West? The time constraints are really loose, and the survivors don't need escorting.
 
Last edited: