Zombie games don’t have to be scary. Sometimes a more light-hearted approach is what we need and Dead Rising from 2006 fills that niche perfectly. In this third-person action-adventure game you will be playing as Frank West, a journalist who finds himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. The local shopping mall becomes the battlefield where Frank fights for life and tries to help other survivors as he explores the surroundings. Learn the story and uncover the secrets behind the zombie invasion but try not to get killed in the process.

Gameplay

Dead Rising 1 focuses on fast-paced third-person action, where your main objective is to slay hordes of zombies and stay alive as you expand your ground control over the shopping mall. You’ll have to keep moving as zombies are literally everywhere, leaving little to no room for catching your breath. The game is played entirely in single-player mode but outsmarting the computer in Dead Rising is quite a rewarding experience, even though the zombies are not particularly demanding opponents.

Everything is a Weapon

In Dead Rising, the protagonist can use virtually any object as a weapon. You’ll still want to grab a proper one, such as a shotgun or a machete, to dispose of enemies as quickly as possible, but in dire situations, you can use anything in sight. This includes buckets, parasols, rocks, and benches – trying out them all in combat is part of the fun. Keep in mind item durability though – items that are not meant to be used as weapons will break much quicker, with the most fragile ones being able to last just a few hits before they’re gone.

Story – A Serious Side of Dead Rising

Although Capcom made Dead Rising a rather humorous gameplay experience, when it comes to the story it becomes much more serious and gritty. As a photojournalist Frank West, who always tries to be in the center of the most interesting events, your primary objective is to investigate the zombie outbreak in a city mall and get to the bottom of the case, but things get complicated quickly. Death is everywhere and it feels real. There’s pain, grief, and loss, and sooner or later you’ll have to deal with all of that. The game also features multiple endings – your adventure will end differently, depending on the outcome of certain events and your performance.

Key features

• A third-person action-adventure game set during the zombie apocalypse
• Open world environment that encourages exploration
• A huge choice of weapons – virtually any object can be turned into a lethal tool
• Lots of action – the surroundings are infested with zombies, forcing players to be on the move