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| Critics also leave out the game's terrifying opening scene, where you barely evade a jumbo jet, watching it plow through cars as it crash lands and skids across the highway. It completely comes out of nowhere, and you're caught off-guard (unless you saw it already in the game's "attract sequence"). To make matters worse, zombies pour out of the damn thing and you have no choice but to walk through the wreckage if you want to get anywhere. Traveling up shit creek without a paddle has always been part of the Dead Rising journey through Hell, and in this game is is no different. There is a sort of comedic relief amongst the chaos, but it drowns in the hoplessness of the masses being "chipped" and decieved; an unfortunate future in the game that echos a real-life truth and prophecy many deny. | |
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This is all conveyed through tons of in-game cutscenes that use next-gen camera effects and angles. Below the surface of these grim themes are also nuanced comedic undertones. These nuanced comedic undertones are one of the things that have divided many in regards to the overall feel of the game. Some take the ability to cross-dress, the Bingo-Butt Buffet Boss, and the body-builder boss in this game as proof that it's more humorous than it is serious. To their credit, it is true that the series has always had a sort of humorous lean in some aspects, from riding tricycles to using unconventional weapons such as potted plants. Others say the opposite, citing that while these instances of comedy exist, they are not enough to render the game a joke. On the contrary, these seemingly-comedic character designs and themes are more like portrayals of American extremism and SJWs. We need not look any further than Carlito's dialogue in the first game of the series. |
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| It was essentially American extremism as viewed through the eyes of the game's Japanese producers, and DR3 extended that. In fact, if we take a closer look at DR3's plot and setting, we uncover more than just the ridiculousness of American extremism like SJWs. There are several different ways through the game which all result in corresponding endings and outcomes, but the plot essentially reveals itself about 75% of the way through. Although the most comprehensive ending reveals that a researcher was behind the whole thing, it was largely made possible by politics and absolute control of the public. As briefly touched-on earlier, this highly echoes real life America with parallells of carefully-controlled big-media brainwashing of the masses into accepting "change" that strips them of all that makes them human (religion, beliefs, and values). The end result, of course, is absolute control through big government and centralization of power. |  |
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Of course, critics also don't talk about how rich this game is in content because the haven't played it enough to know. You can play through the game several times and still not get everything there is to get. There is always something new to do each time you play through the game, and progress actually spans across the game with each character. For example, destroying something with one character shows it as destroyed when you go through the game again with another character. It's like the Zapping System in all-time Capcom great, Resident Evil 2. Sometimes, it's even to the point where you're amazed at just how much stays destroyed and/or ruined from previous plays; I've ran across vehicles I totalled weeks ago! It's impressive to see, and it brings back memories of past battles; something I haven't experienced in the brawler genre before. Audio is another strong point of the game, and another thing missing from most reviews. |
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| The music and sound effects in DR3AE are a mix of old and new. Picking up Frank West collectible statues emits an old notification sound from the first DR, while a handful of other familair sound effects come out here and there. Completely revamped are the impact sounds. Punches, kicks, slams, and stomps all connect with thundering impact that pounds hard-enough to reduce a building to rubble. The coolest effects are when you do a power moves; perfect timing of a profoundly-sinister dubstep clip drops with a dramatic camera highlight of the move. These dubstep pieces are heard all throughout the game, and whether you're a fan of the genre or not, they arguably set the tone of the game's dark, grim atmosphere. Combined with the dramatic camera angles, the essence of an post-apocalyptic Los Angeles couldn't have been captured better. Defining OST pieces like its menacing mode select screen and menu music will replay in your brain whenever you see the game. |  |
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Dead Rising 3 takes place around 10 years after Dead Rising a Dead Rising 2, picking up nicely where those two left off. Despite its reputation of apparently being a slapstick comedy zombie simulator, critics bashed Dead Rising 3 for its serious tone upon release. The direction of the game was natural, though. The series has evolved, and with that has come not only progression of the story, but broadening of the story. This is like when you see critics bash the new work of a band or group because it's "not as good as their old stuff". The series has broadened its scope since its infancy; it's not just a local zombie outbreak spurred by revenge, but a national state of emergency with nefarious politics and terrorism at the core. Billboards around Los Perdidos are a constant reminder to "Get Chipped" (and what happens if you don't), which is a subtle glimpse into an uncertain future most Americans don't even see they're supporting. Too real, perhaps? |
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Writer: BAD |
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| Clear examples of evolution can be seen in music, with stand-out bands like Throwdown, Hatebreed, and GlassJaw. Don't get me wrong; there is such thing as keeping it real. No disrespect to a band or group that "plays the same thing over and over" if that's what keeps them on track. It's also cool to see evolution and exploration, though, and that is what we started to see with Dead Rising 3 (which isn't a bad thing at all). The game, at its core, really feels like a natural evolution of the series as a whole. |  |
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