Posted on August 31, 2010, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero ReviewIt’s a disservice to Dead Rising 2: Case Zero to write it off as just a big, paid demo, even if that’s all the appears to be at first glance. Luckily, however, Case Zero is a deeper experience than that, and is able to stand on its own – even if its legs are a bit wobbly.Case Zero, in many ways, is a big demo, and that’s its biggest weakness. It’s marketed as a way to familiarize players with the new concepts in Dead Rising 2 – specifically, an economy system and a new weapon-combining system – and rewarding players with increased stats at the start of Dead Rising 2. But really, much of it just reminds us all play Dead Rising. That’s accomplished by assigning main character Chuck tasks that he has to complete by a certain time of day in the game.

If you’ve done Dead Rising before, this is pretty much exactly a five-dollar version of it.Dead Rising 2: Case Zero (XBox360 Reviewed)Developer: Blue Castle GamesPublisher: CapcomRelease Date: August 31, 2010MSRP: $5.00When you start up Case Zero, Chuck and his daughter are just pulling into Still Creek, a town on the edge of a 50-mile-radius zombie military quarantine. Mega man x2 password. Chuck wants to get daughter Katey away from the military, because they’ll take her away if they discover she’s been infected. Chuck is able to stave off Katey’s zombification by with Zombrex, a drug that needs to be administered every 12 hours.You take over to go find Katey’s Zombrex. Still Creek has been overrun by a flood of zombies, who stand between you and the drug. We’re not complaining – there are zombies to kill. Hundreds of them.The primary campaign of Case Zero basically puts you on a hunting mission for various items. First you need Zombrex.

Then you need to repair a dirt bike so you can escape the town. After a while, survivors start to crop up on rooftops, stranded in bowling alleys, and generally just inches from zombie teeth – and they all could use your help.It very nearly is all a rehash of Dead Rising – not bad, but not new. Case Zero does encourage you to try the combining weapons mechanic to add a new layer. There are nine combinations in all, and only certain items can be taped to other items to make new stuff. But the combos available are only a little impressive. Most are pretty simple, like a Molotov cocktail or a bat with nails in it.

But a few are novel – like a construction hat with beer strapped to it that can be used to refill health on the go, or a propane tank IED, which after combining it with nails, can actually be stuck into wandering zombies and shot from a distance. In total, though, combos aren’t exciting enough to carry the whole of Case Zero.But add all that old stuff and weapons mechanics to Case Zero’s slick set of achievements, and suddenly this demo transcends its borders to take on the value of the points it costs. To get the maximum experience and all the achievements, you’ll need to play through the roughly two-hour campaign multiple times.That’s great, because Case Zero is good at making you want to play through more than once. Part of the Dead Rising fun is just mangling a horde of zombies, and to unlock one achievement – which requires killing 1,000 of them – there’s really no way to do it without dedicating about one whole playthrough just to making weapons and burying them in undead skulls. You also benefit from amping Chuck’s stats by doing lots of killing, then starting over.Another achievement, the one for building all eight new combo weapons, requires just as much dedication. Many of the items needed for combos aren’t replicated throughout the map – the construction hat for the beer helmet, for example, is found in one place, and it’s on a rooftop. Figuring out the combos and locating their components will take at least one playthrough, and maybe more.It’s all the extra side goals, not to mention just getting good enough to be able to accomplish all the tasks within the time limit, that make 400 MS points a great price for a pretty sweet little Dead Rising 2 experience.

Locksmith Achievement in Dead Rising 2: Case Zero: Unlocked all doors in Still Creek. You are the master of unlocking - worth 20 Gamerscore. As far as I know, no case zero though. It was only around a half hour or so long anyways. It was meant to be like a demo, but paid for. Like Ground zeroes was for Phantom Pain. (Except ground zeroes had more to it than case zero) Case West is not part of Off the Record, it's a sequeal to Dead Rising 2 that never got release outside of the Xbox 360.

It satisfies several itches: the need to try Dead Rising 2, the completionist’s mindset, and the lust for zombie blood. And it’s cheap.Pros:A good taste of the upcoming Dead Rising 2Achievements add variety to play – sandbox-style or by following storyLots of zombies to kill in new and creative waysEnough content to justify priceCons:Not too much different than Dead RisingIn some ways, it’s a big demoThin story 80/100Liked the demo?

Bought the full game? Check out!Need some extra info? See what we have at the Dead Rising 2!Can’t keep track of all the different Combo Weapons? Step.Dead Rising 2 is out! Check out our full review!

About Genre Action Rating Rated 'M' for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol Summary Dead Rising: Case Zero is a downloadable chapter of the Dead Rising saga designed as a playable prologue for Dead Rising 2 that bridges the story between the first and second games. Any PP, clothing, and Combo Cards gained in Case Zerowill carry over into your Dead Rising 2 game!Chuck Greene and his daughter Katey have barely escaped the Las Vegas zombie outbreak with their lives. They arrive in the lonely desert town of Still Creek looking for some rest, but unfortunately there is no rest to be had as this sleepy town has become overrun with zombies.

Chuck must kill zombies, rescue survivors and escape from the zombie nightmare that is Still Creek before time runs out.