Dead Rising 3 review

HEAR ME ROAR
This is arguably a little disappointing for a next-generation game, even one available at launch, so it’s great to see the developers using every Xbox One feature to some degree to give players that next-generation experience. When a zombie grabs you, an on-screen prompt tells you to shake the controller; there aren’t actually any motion sensors built into the controller, it’s Kinect watching your movements. Voice commands can navigate the menus, change Nick’s outfit back to his mechanic overalls at any time and even distract zombies when you shout at the screen, drawing their attention away from your fellow survivors. We’re happy to see the developer use Kinect in subtle ways like this; now that it’s a mandatory part of the Xbox One, we expect to see more games follow suit in the future.

A second player can join your game to take on Los Perdidos in co-op mode

You’ll also need to keep a smartphone or tablet close by to get the full experience when playing Dead Rising 3; it makes liberal use of Microsoft’s Smartglass second screen app. Once Nick finds a walkie talkie early in the game, the person on the other end starts passing on side missions and safe house locations. With Smartglass loaded, these calls actually come from your phone, rather than through the TV. Some missions are exclusive to Smartglass, and can’t be taken on without it. The app also has a map of Los Perdidos, a store directory to help you find specific weapons or items, a list of currently active missions and the ability to call on your fellow survivors for backup without trekking back to a safe house. It’s surprisingly immersive and has absolutely no delay between selecting something in the app and it happening onscreen.

Although it’s a fun, albeit technically mediocre game, Dead Rising 3 doesn’t compare favourably to its predecessors when it comes to the little things. The original game’s harsh time limit might have punished first time players, as missing a random event would mean losing a fellow survivor to the zombies, but it gave a sense of urgency. In this game we never ran out of time to get to every side mission, even with a lot of dawdling in between. This, combined with the grittier, why-so-serious story that doesn’t gel with the ludicrous weapons or costumes, means Dead Rising 3 is a low point for the series. Veterans of the first two will still enjoy the new location, but we don’t expect anyone else will be replaying it once the Xbox One game line-up grows.