The fighting in DR3AE transcends themes that typically define the side-scrolling fighter genre by seamlessly combining street brawling, vehicular demolition, knights, "chop-suey" martial arts, and even the emptiness of space! This is no joke, and it is not an error; these themes really are in the game. This diversity in themes is comparable to past Capcom side-scrolling fighters that would arguably define the genre in their respective eras; Captain Commando, in the 16-Bit era, Alien VS Predator for the 32-Bit era, Final Fight - Streetwise in the 128-Bit era, and SpyBorgs after that. These titles adhered to core attributes that define the genre while doing so with gameplay nuances of the era (exploration, quicktime sequences, etc.). Likewise, DR3AE is a side-scrolling fighting game at its core whether big media accepts it or not.

Eclectic themes from Captain Commando are there (varied enemies like ninjas, mutants, and cavemen on backdrops like museums, city streets, and spaceships). However, the Dead Rising series has always had the most in common with Alien VS Predator, and the third entry (in all its forms) is no different. While its player characters may echo CC, DR3AE's enemy selection shares zombies, slithering body-invaders, mutated enemies, mercenaries, evil leaders, and claw-equipped machines with AVSP. Fighting them really brought back memories as a youngster. What appears to the uneducated as just another zombie game actually features more than just zombies. It also must be noted that the game owes much of its playable character variety to the wardrobe and weapon options necessary for unique character creation (i.e. hazmat suits, pirate outfits, wannabe "nerd" stuff). You can even make and play as frontman Freddy Cricien from legendary hardcore band Madball!

Upgrades make you and your arsenal virtually indestructible. You can choose what attributes you want to level-up and when, effectively allowing for optimization for situations you'll encounter. Examples are weapon-related leveling during boss blitzes and vehicle-related leveling from travel missions. Carefully using alotted points on certain upgrades for certain battles arguably affects the difficulty, making it noticeably harder or easier. It may first appear that the only the weapon and vehicle durability enhancements are useful, but the many others are deceivingly useful in unique situations. The game owes much of its depth to this and the weapon creation system pioneered in Dead Rising 2, which reached new, destructive heights in Dead Rising 3 with enhanced weapon combinations and combination vehicles. Big media drove combination weapons into the ground, and the game was even marketed using "anything and everything as a weapon".

And this marketing was not deceptive. Like real life, if it's not nailed down, you can use it as a weapon in this game. Yes, anything; potted plants, free weights, swords, boxing gloves, and more. This was most noticeable back in the first game, and the combo weapons from are still devastatingly over-the-top (especialy the ultra-destructive Jazz Hands and Tri-Shot), but there's a strong underlying feeling of iconic weapon nostalgia from other Capcom games. Among these are the standard-issue knife and katana from Final Fight, the bladed spear from Warriors of Fate, and machine guns from Captain Commando, and, most notably, the Impact Hammer; an arm weapon strikingly similar to Rad Spencer's bionic arm from Bionic Commando! It even has the shockwave crowd control move where he hits the ground, and its Built-To-Last durability is backed by the force of a freight train. This game even has the Rocket Punch from the legendary Marvel VS Capcom 2!

But, the truth is that curb-driving and zombie target practice turns into straight hand-to-hand brawling once vehicles and firearms are lost. It's not all the time, but there are times when "anything and everything" isn't available as a weapon. When this happens, it is then that DR3AE's side-scrolling fighting game roots bleed through with every punch, kick, and throw used to survive. As mentioned earlier, there really is a returning Skill Move from the first DR that allows you to wade, to literally swim through the zombie masses! It's unlocked through DR3's more flexible system, and there are even Skill Moves triggered by combos. After every so many hits during a combo, a prompt appears with the Kill Counter to show you that a Skill Move is ready; a familiar body slam that explodes heads, a dizzying hammer throw, a visceral eye gouge that pulls heads completely apart, or the unforgettable, disembowling "gut rip" from the original DR.

What may seem like acts of senseless violence, however, are actually opportunities for buying precious time on a combo counter connected to leveling-up. Yes, DR3 even added a much-needed combo counter! As a series, DR has always had a dead zombie counter with PP (Prestige Points) used for scoring. I always felt that a combo counter was missing, though, and it always seemed like the series needed it. DR3 finally implemented this, and it's more than just a tally for combos; it drives the pace of the gameplay, making the player stretch farther and farther to break combo records. It's an inverse relationship where zombie bodies fall and the Kill Counter rises accordingly. Enemies must be slain within a short amount of time alotted between each kill, so the drive to keep finding them is essential. Of course, mowing through enemies makes them lesser in number, requiring you to search for more to keep the combo going.

This emphasis on combos was a much-needed, long-awaited staple that is present in so many of Capcom's best games. It may appear to some as an antiquated, hollow gimmick, but the combo system in DR3AE actually adds a considerable amount of play into the game. Serious players dont' just see who can beat the game the fastest, or who can get the most Prestige Points; they compete to see who can get the highest combos (which go into the thousands and span across multiple areas). If the game's records are accurate, it would appear that some players have accomplished incredibly-long, uninterrpted combos spanning across the game's vast expanse. It is at this point DR3AE at its finest, as you string together massive combos, leaving unprecedented destruction in your wake. The only game that even comes close to it is Capcom's own Alien VS Predator (it even did zombie enemies), but even then Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition takes it to a whole new level.