Dead Rising 2 PC
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 17
  3. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. GamingExcellence
    Jan 11, 2011
    85
    The thing about the Dead Rising series is that it's pretty unique. Killing hordes of zombies with a huge variety of improvised weaponry isn't a genre present anywhere else. It's a great game to just mess around in, picking up random clothing, smashing zombie heads in and fighting away psychopaths.
  2. GameSpot
    Dec 22, 2010
    85
    Dead Rising's PC debut is an addictive open-world adventure that expertly balances its bloody combat with a goofy sense of humor.
  3. Cheat Code Central
    84
    Dead Rising 2's biggest strength lies in its variety of both story and side missions. There is never a shortage of things to do in the game, and the co-op ability makes this a trip you can take several times with friends.
  4. PC Gamer
    82
    Wantonly enjoyable and inventive zombie slaughter, held back by some unnecessary saving and leveling hassles. [Nov 2010, p.68]
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  5. Gamers.at
    81
    Dead Rising 2 is like its predecessor with a lot of new features. Fans of the first game will like the second quite a bit and can consider it a must have.
  6. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 13, 2011
    80
    Addictive action piece brings a fresh mixture of free-roaming zombie massacre with an enjoyable storyline and timed quests. Weapon variability are absolutely fantastic and make you think of how to create the most bizarre killing tool. [Issue#197]
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  7. Gamers' Temple
    Jan 11, 2011
    80
    True to the Capcom business model, this sequel doesn't fly far from the first game. It's fun to kill thousands of undead, again, but it's very inspiring this time around.
  8. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 27, 2010
    80
    The gaming equivalent of a popcorn flick. Won't win awards but it doesn't need to - simple, unpretentious fun! [Dec 2010, p.63]
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  9. IGN
    80
    Dead Rising 2 has issues. It's not the smoothest game and it can feel like the last one, however that doesn't mean a thing when the game's this much fun.
  10. Strategy Informer
    80
    The greatest addition to the formula is the co-op multiplayer. Grab a friend online, and the two of you can slice, chop and smash your way through the hordes together, with plenty of missions to complete. The action is very entertaining with a second person keeping you company and you'll spend hours simply exploring and clearing out entire areas of zombies together.
  11. GameFocus
    80
    It may not win tons of awards at the end of the year, but there's enough here to warrant a purchase, especially if you're into zombie games or simply craving an awesome action game.
  12. D+PAD Magazine
    80
    By not changing too much from the original template Blue Castle Games have ensured that Dead Rising 2 will likely elicit as divisive a response as its predecessor. Which is fine because Dead Rising 2, a bundle of contradictions with a neat line in bespoke weaponry, isn't an easy game to love at all. Take the plunge though, and you'll find one of 2010's most singular, bloody-minded, and fascinating videogames.
  13. Gaming Target
    Oct 27, 2010
    76
    Dead Rising fans - you know who you are - are going to love this game.
  14. Computer Games Online RO
    75
    In other words, Dead Rising 2 is to Left 4 Dead what Saint's Row is for Grand Theft Auto. It's got a lot of customization options, it's unpretentious, fun in a lightweight, stupid sense, while losing points in the atmosphere, storyline, complexity and production value aspects.
  15. PC Format
    Dec 25, 2010
    73
    The zombie chopping is great fun, but Capcom hasn't put enough effort into making it look and feel like a proper PC game. [Issue#245, p.104]
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  16. Gamekult
    70
    Of course, Dead Rising 2 knows how to be efficient, but we could expect a bit more from this second episode.
  17. Giant Bomb
    60
    Me, I wish the game had better inventory control and an item storage system to allow you to really explore all of your weapon options. But it's the other stuff--the still messy survivor AI and poorly built boss battles--that really mars the Dead Rising 2 experience. It's not an impossible game to love, but as with the first game, you'll have to look past a lot of blemishes to find happiness.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.3 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 106 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 40
  3. Negative: 12 out of 40
  1. Mobydoux
    2
    Just bought Dead Rising 2 on PC and I will never buy a game with Games fof Windows Live system again.
    Moreover :

    - just few setup options
    - s    ound very low even at max level
    - mouse reactivity problems with slow movements
    - lot of connection problems in coop mode

    It only takes three hours for these problems take away my desire to play. Refund requested.    … Full Review »
  2. saltychipmunk
    6
    in a simple one liner dead rising 2 was a rushed game. Now that doesnt mean it is terrible as it does have some decent fundamentals.
    on the p    lus side there are plenty of weapons to choose from with enough variety to keep things fresh for a while in both the comical and realistic catagories. The combining system is also pretty deep with the 50 odd combinations. This combined with some really cool dismemberment mechanics make for some very thrilling zombie bashing. Another good note, the survivors arent totally helpless now which is great;but as i said before this game was rushed and just about everything else could have used an extra few months work.

    To start with the games presentation is the hardest hit. Graphics wise the game is average , nothing here we havent seen before. But then there are the littlethings. Things like missing shadows and jerky and awkward animations for the games living cast. This is particularly apparent in the games cutscenes which range from passable to embarrasing. The cheesy dialogue doesnt help either.
    Even the much flaunted dismemberment and combing mechanics suffer from repetitive animations.
    for most weapons there is only one animation for each attack type ( melee, aoe melee and special move) which can get repetative fast. Another issue came in the form of the survivors. as in the first one there are survivors to save. However the game chose their life's story in the form of , get this, skipable text boxes. yes the survivors have no audable lines which leaves them with no personality at all. the effect leaves the player identifiying more with the psychos of the game ( who thankfully have colorful cut scenes dedicated to them) than the people we are supposed to save. on the topic of psychoes. all the bosses of the game suffer from pattern ai. basically each boss has a rigid pattern of actions to use against the player. some of the bosses can be beaten by simply walking outside the room or building which the encounter took place and then throwing objects at them. some times they do the further service of bugging out in these situations to the point where the player can walkup to them and spam the melee button till the green bar goes empty.

    finally the actual story is quite laughable. the characters are all pretty cookie cutter in design to the point of bad taste. the main bad guy is more annoying than threatening and a 10 year old could guess the plot twists from the very moment the characters involved present themselves. Its all been done before.

    the game doesnt even get that scary or tense which i think partially ruins the theme of the game (zombies are supposed to be scary). you can get through the game without killing even one zombie which i think undermines them as a threat.

    over all its only good for a few giggles and laughes but as a serious game, it is not even close which is a shame    … Full Review »
  3. Woofington
    9
    Easily one of the best games of this year. A solid game which boasts beauty, competence, and visceral satisfaction. Capcom has really outdone their selves with this title.

    Though not truly a completely new game on its own, this game copies much of its style directly from dead rising, the original. More of a re skin, this game is a second take on the same idea. However in this iteration it all comes out in fantastic fashion and leads to an altogether new experience.

    Return players to the series will find its controls and handling nearly identical to the first. A few things later on begin to feel clunky as the controls do tend to get bloated with the addition of several combos and unique moves; this is made worse by one obvious trait: it was developed for consoles. However it never becomes impossible and with so much time between the addition of these new feats they easily become second nature.

    The unlock system is very satisfying and. in my opinion, perfectly paced. Some of it is randomized which is neat but really the randomization is rather limited and probably for good reason. I would have wished for a more god like status at full character, being able to toss zombies with a herculean strength across the silver strip while I rain elbow-thunders from the heavens like Zeus letting only the brief pause to drink from my beer hat allow my enemies to rest. But I could see others who prefer it the way it is. However it is very nice to get multiple unlocks at a time and the combo cards really add to this a whole new form of exploration.

    The combination weapons are a novelty that at first seem "sort of neat" on the outside but very quickly transcend to "Holy sh&* yes!" There is something delightful about the superfluous use of duct tape and the cathartic nature of a pitchfork shotgun. Yes that's right, a shot-fork. Let me just explain this to you: you stick the fellow with the fork, then hold em up so you can put a few right in his stomach. The shotgun is simply taped onto the pitch-fork. I know, it's ingenious.

    Graphically the game is fantastic. It looks rather nice for itself and is definitely taking advantage of the current hardware. My system was able to run it on high with everything maxed out but I expect this is not going to be the norm. With so many zombies on screen, which is quite an impressive and sometimes breathtaking amount, it is being reported that many users are having to play on low settings. However since it is modding friendly to the pc crowd, which is a huge plus, players should hopefully be able to lower the max amount of zombies allowed. The actual mechanics of the game are simple. Kill zombies, save people; the game focuses on combat. The guns in this game have been chronically underpowered and for good reason, melee is where the game shines. Lots of weapons feel very cheap, weak and uninteresting; for example you can wield a donkey lamp. Others however have such a visceral feel, they are delightful in a way. A certain weapon, which is essentially a sledgehammer and fire axe taped together, has such a heavy weight about it that when its swung you can almost feel Chuck Greene, the oddly stoic father, strain as he swings it like a dumbbell. Also did I mention the shot-fork?

    The sounds in the game are good. The weapons sound very solid; and the voice acting is not terrible. There really isn't much else to say here. The ending music is terrible scream-o but that's my, albeit fantastic, opinion.

    If you are wondering if this game is worth 40 earth dollars you should just be thankful its not more. For quality at this level it easily meets the price. Game play is a solid two days of time but is made longer by insane re-playability and co-op mode is a gigantic plus. If you have a friend who has it you owe it to yourself to at least try it. There is something very childish about yucking it up with a buddy while you save humanity one zombie at a time.

    It has some flaws. Its easy; once you get past a certain point nothing is a challenge anymore, for me it was when I learned how to dodge. But this isn't a giant problem since the game isn't really about challenge at all. Co-op mode isn't perfect either with glitches/bugs as well as connection errors. Also the mechanic of giving your daughter Zombrex is cute, but there is no reason it has to be so neurotic and groan inducing. There is a perfectly abled women in the room who can give her the shot at the correct time, I don't need to be running my a%$ back at all hours cause I can't trust another human being. And some plot holes.

    Get this game. Stop reading right now and buy it. Go on, do it. If you are a zombie fan even a little, you owe it to yourself.    … Full Review »
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