Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this video game is based on the 1978 Dawn of the Dead zombie splatter flick and is therefore not for the faint of heart. While not out of context of the story, this game is ultra-violent and gory featuring plenty of shotgun blasts, chainsaw dismemberment, and hand-to-hand combat as the player takes on legions of the undead. It's another rated-M game that is definitely for those over 17. Other possible concerns for parents include profanity (the character may utter curse words including "hell," "damn," "s--t," and "bitch"), some nude imagery on paintings and t-shirts, and the ability to carry and consume alcohol (wine) from one's own inventory.
Families can talk about the campy appeal of old horror movies and zombies. Do you think they are good source material for a video game. What makes a zombie campier than, say, mummies or vampires? If you were to remake a classic monster movie or make a favorite movie into a video game, what would it look like? Who would the heroes be? Would it be rated R or M or would there be a way to make it appropriate for a larger audience?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Marc Saltzman
Available exclusively for the Xbox 360, DEAD RISING is best described as an interactive version of George A. Romero's 1978 horror flick Dawn of the Dead, in which a flesh-eating mob of zombies attempts to break into a shopping mall to attack the people inside.
You play as the rugged Frank West, an ambitious freelance photojournalist on a hunt for the big story. He arrives in the small, fictitious town of Willamette, Colorado, and discovers that the Army has mysteriously quarantined the area. As the helicopter descends on the landing zone, the situation becomes terrifyingly clear: The town's residents have turned into the undead. West makes his way to a shopping mall, where he must survive by working with others to ward off this relentless mob and get the story before the rescue helicopter comes back for him in 72 hours.
Over the top? Indeed. Fun? If you're into zombies, you bet.
Dead Rising is an open-ended action-adventure game that lets you -- as the West character -- go virtually anywhere, and interact with the more than 80 survivors. You also can use anything found in the game environment, such as a box to climb over a tall barrier, a golf club or frying pan to whack zombies, or an air duct to travel to other areas of the mall.
Your greatest asset, however, is your digital camera so that you can take photos for the rest of the world to see -- if you can make it out alive, of course. Taking good photos, such as an up-close snapshot of a zombie's face (no easy task) or one that shows drama on a survivor's face, earns you "Prestige Points," which you can use to upgrade West's skills, including attack power, movement speed, and throwing distance. The camera's battery will eventually run out so you must find replacement batteries in the mall to keep snapping shots. At any time in the game, you can look through your photo album and keep the shots you like best.
Missions are listed as "Cases," which will lead you to the truth behind the zombie outbreak. The Cases screen will list current objectives, which ones have been completed, and pending cases. Some missions are required while others are optional.
As you might expect from such a game, fighting plays a big role in Dead Rising. You will unlock new attack moves over time to better stave off the bloodthirsty mob (which grows stronger and faster at night). The action can get quite violent and gory, earning it's M rating.
Think of Dead Rising as a guilty pleasure. The premise is campy, and the action is over the top, but Capcom has succeeded in creating a good-looking, fun, and addictive game for mature Xbox 360 owners.
Less violent action-adventure games for the Xbox 360 include Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy and Superman Returns.
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Sexual ContentSome images of nude women on various objects in the game, such as a t-shirt and paintings. |
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ViolenceRight from the get-go, this action-heavy zombie-smashing game is both bloody and gory. Players use chainsaws, shotguns, and hand-to-hand combat to dispatch the undead. |
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LanguageNo use of "f--k," but "hell," "damn," "s--t," and "bitch" flow freely. |
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CommercialismBased on the movie Dawn of the Dead. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoPlayers can drink wine in this game, and will encounter an inebriated man. |
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