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 absolutely love Dead Rising, despite its faults. The time limit really pained me because, like you, I desperately wanted to save all the survivors (which is still possible with VERY careful planning) and get the proper ending. The fact that their AI is borderline suicidal didn't help either.
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!
I am totally with you in the respect to timers. I hate being on a time limit. The thing about Dead Rising is that you have to realize the RPG element. The first play through just do what you want. The second one try to finish up the plot. Didnt succeed? Level up in number 3 and get some acheivements while you are there. Then beat the whole kit and kaboodle. Then try to save everyone. You have to do multiple run throughs, so don't try to take it all in on one. It won't work. And its short enough with enough variety where it isnt a chore.
Also what Taterchimp said about the leveling and repeat playthroughs (which is awesome when you're a maxed out genocidal zombie killing machine).
I dont know if this counts as spoilers or not...but if you get the zombie genocide acheivement then you get the best weapon in the game. Hint: something to do with mah avatar.
I'm a lot like you, I like to beat games with 100% the first time through, very OCD! This game bothered me at first but when I realized that having a perfect first run was impossible, I eased up a bit and enjoyed the game a lot more.
Im on the same boat as you. I owned this game but hated the fact that I couldnt do everything at once. That was a year ago, now Im older (and wiser), I want to re-buy that game. Now I realize that this kind of game is meant to be played through more than once. That is funny cause that mentality is very Japanese for a game made for the west.
Taterchimp hit it dead on: the Dead Rising team wants you to play it in a very specific way. I like comparing it to Super Mario Bros.: if you die, you start over at the beginning of the game. Same in Dead Rising: you could load that last save point, but they're so few and far between, it's probably better to start over. But where in SMB you now have better skills as a player, making the second run more skilled, you have actual concrete skill improvements in Dead Rising, making the playthrough more doable. Furthermore, you know more about where the survivors are, allowing you to get more of them.
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.
This game sounds like a nightmare for me. Unlike you I actually have REAL OCD! It affects me as a gamer, where I feel like I have to do everything perfectly on the first run.
I had reservations about requesting Dead Rising through Goozex, mainly because of the time limit thing, but Taterchimp has alleviated my fears.
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.
Char: Subsequent playthoughs are arguably better than your first time because after getting the story finished you can go about cracking heads, rescuing survivors and all the rest of it. When you complete it (or do a restart) you retain your level, health and skills for the new game.
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).
Awesome, thanks for clearing that up for me. I love just about anything dealing with zombies (reading Marvel Zombies while working at the moment), so I'm sure I will shit my pants with this game.
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.