Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is the third and final game of the Dead Rising series that got ported to current gen consoles. The odd thing about this title, however, is that it’s not a proper sequel or expansion, but rather a re-imagining of Dead Rising 2. Although Capcom never confirmed this, many fans of the series have always speculated that Off the Record was simply made for the fans of the original Dead Rising. After playing this game, you’ll most definitely understand why.
The return of Frank West
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is basically the same as the base game of Dead Rising 2, but with a different protagonist. Freelance photographer Frank West returns from the original Dead Rising and has now risen to fame, only to hit rock bottom after a scandal. He finds his way to Fortune City to compete in the tv-show ‘Terror is Reality’, a game show where contestants have to score points by killing zombies. After winning the cash prize, he stumbles upon a conspiracy which leads to a zombie outbreak. It is now up to him to find whoever is behind it and to gather as much evidence as possible for his report.
The story is almost identical to the one in Dead Rising 2, with a few exceptions. Since Chuck’s daughter, Katey is not around, it is now Frank West himself that has to take the Zombrex medicine. After the zombie outbreak in Fortune City, Frank has to find enough Zombrex in order to survive the next three days, until the army arrives. Make sure he takes his medicine on time, or the consequences could be disastrous. The story isn’t that much better than in Dead Rising 2, and even that one was rather shallow. It comes down to finding a certain person, uncover a little more story and repeat. A weak story is not something uncommon in video games, certainly not in zombie-themed games. However, since Off the Record’s biggest change from Dead Rising 2 is the story, it’s rather baffling to see how Capcom handled it in this title.
Few additions
Other changes in this ‘re-imagination’ are the addition of a new area and 15 new combo cards. The area, called Uranus Zone, is a little science fiction-themed park with three attractions that can be used to kill zombies. It’s fun to mess around with them for a couple of minutes, but they don’t add that much to the experience. The combo cards, 15 in total, add more crazy weapon designs for you to use against a horde of brain-dead monstrosities. One of them is an alien mask that shoots lasers out of its eyes, while other shoots saw blades out of a tennis ball launcher. While they’re fun designs, 15 is a low number to justify the purchase of this title.
Another addition is the return of the photography mechanic from the first Dead Rising. With this, you now have another way to earn Prestige Points (the game’s equivalent of XP). While this mechanic was fun and effective in the first game, it is now much less interesting to use in this game. The number of zombies that can come at you in Off the Record is much higher than in the original Dead Rising. This results in a much higher risk you have to take to take a good picture, making the dangers outweigh the potential rewards.
These additions are certainly welcome, even though they’re not that impressive. But there is one other addition to this title that certainly requires your addition.
Sandbox mode
The sandbox mode removes the time mechanic of the story mode and lets you run around freely, without any punishment. You can’t play any story missions, but you can complete challenges. Completing these will reward you with money and combo cards. There are also co-op specific challenges, which requires you and a buddy (or a complete stranger on the internet) to play together and make sure that none of you dies, or else it’s game over. Some challenges turned out to be rather difficult and require you to think about your next move. If you’re looking for a way to test your skills, this is the one to use. The sandbox mode is probably the best addition that’s included in Off the Record, but it doesn’t justify the existence of this title. This could simply have been patched into Dead Rising 2.
Best port of the series
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is without a doubt the best port a title of the series has received. During my entire gameplay, I have encountered only one small drop in framerate, which happened while I was using a flamethrower against a horde of zombies. Other than that, it succeeded in maintaining its promised framerate of 60 fps. The game’s graphics show their age, but the upgrade to a 1080p resolution makes it look crisp and clean. Most bugs from Dead Rising 2 have been fixed, but Off the Record has brought some new ones with it. I haven’t encountered any of them, but some people have reported them. However, none of those bugs have been game-breaking.
Conclusion:
If you haven’t played the first two Dead Rising games, then Off the Record is the best one to start with. It includes all the good parts of Dead Rising 2 and adds to that. If you have played the others, then there’s no reason to give this one a try, outside of the sandbox mode. A recommendation for newcomers, a turn-off for fans.
