I've had my 360 for about a year now and just this past week finally got around to renting
Dead Rising. After about an hour of playing I took the disc from the tray, stuffed it back in its Gamefly envelope, walked down to the road and shoved it in the mailbox.
It's not that I don't like the game or the concept. What I played was fun and excitingly different from any other game I've ever played. This was until I realized that I had a limited amount of time to complete all the case files and reach the helipad. Now normally this wouldn't be too big of a problem for me. While I don't typically like games that include timers, I can usually deal with them. The problem with
Dead Rising is that in order to complete the main "quest," so the speak, you have to neglect many others aspects of the gameplay, such as rescuing all the survivors. This is where I begin to go a little crazy.
I suppose I should tell you that I play games in a very leisurely manner, at least the ones that allow for it, exploring every nook, looking for every hidden item, soaking in the art, music and atmosphere, often, perhaps, to the detriment to the intended pacing of gameplay and storyline. Games where this isn't an option, on-rails shooters for example, don't bother me because this type of gameplay is inherently prohibited in the design. It appears that I have a sort of GOCD (Gaming Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), because I'm not OCD in the slightest in real life.
This is why I can't make myself play
Dead Rising any further. It was already beginning to stress me out, and I could see that it was only going to get worse. In the back of my mind all I can think is that I'm never going to be able to do everything I want to do before the timer runs out. I don't even know if I'm overreacting, whether the time limit is generous enough to allow for full completion, or whether I must pick and choose what gets done. I think to myself, "What if I try to do everything and end up not completing the case files on time?" It's this little niggling voice that keeps me in a constant state of anxiety, unable to truly enjoy the game.
So overwhelming
So, here's the question: is there anyone else at all that feels this way about
Dead Rising or other similar games? Am I unique in this regard? If you do have a similar experience, do you give up like I do, or is there some method that helps you get over your GOCD?
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I feel that the time limit should have been optional or part of a higher difficulty, so that by default time was progressed by by completing mission objectives and maybe side quests.
Hopefully if they do make a sequel this is something that would be addressed, I like the concept but it might be better if it were optional and you could have MORE THAN ONE SAVE DAMMIT!
Getting every survivor does take planning, especially making sure you don't miss story missions, but keep at it, as it's very rewarding in the end. From what I recall, having a full survivor list doesn't even affect the ending, but it's fun to go for that achievement.
Also, do take a playthrough to go just for the Zombie Genocider achievement. The weapon you get for your future games is indispensable for dealing with bosses in a reasonable amount of time.
So are you able to do a "New Game+" kinda thing with this after you beat it, where you keep your skills and items for future playthroughs, or did I misread that?
I understand the GOCD, especially when it comes to RPGs. I get really disappointed if I miss a weapon or something cool.
I would be very surprised if you were disappointed with it.
One word of warning though, do not save if you are in any doubt as to whether you are going to fail a mission when doing the story (the game carries on but that is effectively the end of the main storyline).
My cousin was just bitching to me the other day about failing a mission and not being able to finish the story, so I'll be extra careful.