Dead Rising 2 throws you into the blood-soaked sneakers of Chuck Greene, a former motocross champ navigating a zombie-infested Fortune City. While it doesn’t quite capture the scrappy charm of the original Dead Rising, it delivers a wild, messy ride that’s hard to put down. It’s a game that revels in its absurdity but occasionally trips over its own ambitions, leaving you with a solid, if uneven, experience.
The game’s core is its sandbox of zombie-slaying mayhem, and it shines brightest here. The sheer variety of weapons you can craft from electrified machetes to a wheelchair rigged with machine guns feels like a love letter to creative destruction. Wandering through casinos, shopping malls, you’re given free rein to mow down hordes of undead in gloriously over-the-top ways. The combo weapon system is a standout, encouraging experimentation and rewarding you with satisfyingly gory results. Chuck’s ability to level up and gain new skills adds a light RPG layer that makes every trip into the chaos feel a bit more empowering. The time management mechanic, a holdover from the first game, keeps the pressure on, forcing you to prioritize tasks and adding a thrilling sense of urgency to your rampages.
Visually, Dead Rising 2 nails the vibe of a garish, consumerist playground gone to hell. The environments pop with color and detail, from slot machines to abandoned food courts, and if one wouldn't know any better, they couldn't tell that this game is nearly 15 years old.
But for all its strengths, Dead Rising 2 doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor. The original had a tighter focus and a quirky, almost claustrophobic energy that made every moment feel desperate. In contrast, Dead Rising 2 feels like it’s trying to be too many things at once; action game, survival horror, open-world sandbox, and never fully commits to any genre. This identity crisis leads to some tonal whiplash; one minute you’re crafting a flamethrower, the next you’re stuck in a clunky boss fight that feels ripped from a different game. The controls can also be a bit sluggish, especially when precision is needed, which can frustrate during tighter time periods.
Another sore spot is the game’s length. Clocking in at around 8-11 hours (atleast for me) for a single playthrough, it feels shockingly short for a game with so much potential for replayability. While multiple endings and New Game+ modes add some depth, the core campaign wraps up just as you’re hitting your stride. It’s a strange misstep that leaves you wanting more in a way that doesn’t feel intentional.
Dead Rising 2 is a bloody, ridiculous romp that doesn’t quite match the original’s magic but still delivers a damn good time. Its weapon-crafting insanity and vibrant world make it a joy to dive into, even if its short length and genre indecision hold it back from greatness. For fans of zombie carnage with a side of dark humor, it’s well worth a try, but fans of Dead Rising 1 might wanna skip this, and try luck with any other game in the series, for example it's standalone expansion "Off the Record", which did a much better job in my opinion, than it's official numbered sequel.
AUTHOR INFORMATION
There isn't much story, but the humour makes up for it, not only that, but it does have it's badass moments, and interesting set of characters.
It might be just a me thing, but personally I found Dead Rising 2's graphics really beautiful despite being a nearly 15 year old game.
It's weird, but the fun weird, rather than the annoying type. While the game doesn't know whether to improve on or keep the old elements, and it seem to be a forced/identity-crisis heavy game in the franchise, it is certainly offers just as much fun as the first, altough in a completely different direction than one would expect.
PROS / CONS
- Still just as funny
- Well aged graphics
- Great sets of weapons
- It's a genre fest most of the time that doesn't really blend well
- I found it too short
