The obvious visual appeal to Dead Rising are the hundreds of zombies roaming around on screen at once. With so much going on at any one time, you’d expect to encounter some slow down, yet Dead Rising is surprisingly devoid of it. Even better, the mall and all of the characters look fantastic. The designs aren’t ultra-realistic, but manage to keep up a B-film vibe. Things look “fake” without looking overly goofy. The load times that pop up whenever you enter a new area of the mall, however, are a bit of a downside. This usually isn’t a problem, but in the instances where you’re running from one end of the mall to the other, it becomes a little too much.

Sound effects and voice acting also help to build up a B-film atmosphere. The various sound effects that are created by the various kill methods are almost as enjoyable as the actual acts themselves. Voice acting could be better, but it fits the game well.

You are Frank West, a hardened journalist who has seen everything from riots to wars in his career. After receiving a tip that something was going down in a small town out in the middle of nowhere, he charters a helicopter to go have a look. The tip turns out to be a good one. What at first seems like a massive riot turns out to be something much more. Frank is dropped off at the only helipad in town, which happens to be on top of the shopping mall, and is told he has 72 hours before he’s picked up. Once on the ground, Frank discovers that he is smack dab in the middle of one of my personal greatest fears – the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

There’s a reason for the zombie attack, but you’re not told why from the get go. Instead, you’ll need to use your journalism skills to uncover the mystery by rescuing the other survivors scattered throughout the mall. Frank’s only back-up throughout the ordeal is Otis, a mall employee who will let you know where to find survivors, and two shady government agents who are willing to help only if you help them first.

Where Dead Rising differs is that a clock is always moving during the game and that various plot points will happen at pre-set times. Rather than having an instance happen on a trigger when Frank enters the area, the events happen when they’re supposed to on the clock. Where you are and when determines what you see and experience. This leads to plenty of undiscovered game moments as well as some unexpected surprises. Your experience through the mall will be completely different than someone else’s.

If you like the game, the different paths mean plenty of replay value, but if you’re trying to get through it just to nab some achievements, it can be a bit of a hassle. You are given a set of “main” missions that help to push the story along. However, Otis could radio in at any minute and tell you someone is hiding in another location, setting off a timer. If you can’t get to them before the timer goes off, they die. Sure this amps up the frantic nature of the game considerably, but at the same time it can become overwhelming and outright frustrating even for players who are enjoying the experience.

As a journalist, you are also charged with the task of covering the event, so you’ll have to take plenty of photos along the way. Each photo you take is rated based on what you see; the more dramatic the picture, the higher your score. Taking pictures is more of a side mission to the game, but it is pretty enjoyable.

The lack of a “proper” – or at least much more accessible – save system is what ultimately holds Dead Rising back. At the very least, it will present a problem for more casual gamers who like the ability to save wherever and whenever they want. You are only allowed to save in the security room or a bathroom, which presents a major problem. On one hand, it adds a certain amount of tension to the situation, yet it also creates unneeded frustration as well. Rescuing survivors only adds to the frustration level since a majority can’t fight and will become more of a liability.

One of the more helpful aspects of gameplay is the ability to set a particular mission as your primary one. Doing so brings up a guide arrow telling you exactly where to go. So, even though the mall is a big place, you won’t find yourself getting lost and wasting time too often.

The real fun of Dead Rising, and the reason you’ll probably keep coming back despite the nagging issues, is the sheer number of ways you can eliminate zombies. Everything in the mall can be used as a weapon, from pots and benches to dumb bells and baseball bats. Really, if you can pick it up, you can fashion it into some kind of weapon. In a sense, this gives Dead Rising a certain sense of believability (not that it is really going for that) since if you were surrounded by zombies, I’m sure you’d take a swing with whatever you can get your hands on. Besides, who doesn’t like mowing down zombies while riding a lawnmower? Of course, you still have guns and other conventional weapons, but really, who wants to use a shotgun when you can use a toy lightsaber?

Dead Rising also adds a slight RPG element. As Frank completes tasks, he’ll earn new skills and stat improvements such as added health or ability to hold more weapons. One of the big plusses to the system is that when you die, you are given the option of starting the game from the beginning with all of your earned stats and abilities, which does make the game a little easier if you don’t mind multiple replays.

Like the B-rate horror movies it draws inspiration from, Dead Rising is a game you’ll either absolutely hate, or absolutely love – there isn’t much room for middle ground. Those who love it will likely point to the pure enjoyment that comes with wiping out the undead. On the other hand, those who hate it will point to the numerous gameplay flaws.