Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360/PS3)

[marcus]

Im on case file 3 now, the game is starting to drag a little, I no longer feel the need to exploit and kill the zombies in the variety of imaginative ways at your disposal, I simply run straight past them. There isnt really the time, I lost out on several missions due to deviating slightly from the course. The place is big too, and it can be a chore when you have to go from one side to the other to drop off your survivors and get to the safe house. Im hoping some sort of shortcut opens up but Im not hopeful. Combining weapons is ok, but I dont really do it other than making the spiked bat as I dont have the time to go looking for stuff. Im hoping there is a mode which isnt time constrained, in the meantime Ill press on.

[buster_broon]

Im on case file 3 now, the game is starting to drag a little, I no longer feel the need to exploit and kill the zombies in the variety of imaginative ways at your disposal, I simply run straight past them. There isnt really the time, I lost out on several missions due to deviating slightly from the course. The place is big too, and it can be a chore when you have to go from one side to the other to drop off your survivors and get to the safe house. Im hoping some sort of shortcut opens up but Im not hopeful. Combining weapons is ok, but I dont really do it other than making the spiked bat as I dont have the time to go looking for stuff. Im hoping there is a mode which isnt time constrained, in the meantime Ill press on.

there is a couple of shortcuts which open during case missions or by saving survivors

there is one massive one which makes you go from one end of the part to another

->Open Spoiler<-

wilted flower survivor

there is a better weapon combo available very close to the entrance to the mall

->Open Spoiler<-

bowie knife from zombie or on top of the newspaper stand and boxing gloves

[Bib]

I've been enjoying this but like they first one which I also liked a lot I find it all a bit daunting. I just can't seem to get the kind of extended play time that the game requires. I'm doing a bit here and there but not really progressing much. I like the setting and the combo weapons are great fun. Might get Case Zero as well. I have the PS3 version. Is Case Zero available on both formats? Something makes me think it was a 360 exclusive.

[Dogg Thang]

Yeah I think Zero is 360 exclusive.

I had no time problems with any of the survivors that have alerts. My only issue with that is that it became apparent that there are events and survivors out there that aren't marked. And they are only around for limited time periods. The place is so vast, the only way I could see of getting them all is to do regular circuits of the entire game area and I don't think there is time for that. So I think the chances of getting them all are pretty non-existent unless you use a guide, which sucks a little.

[rmoxon]

Been playing this after picking it up for cheapish recently.

Im enjoying it alot but its basicaly the exact same game as the first one and they havent really improved anything, infact they have made the whole timed element even more limiting to the experience as you now have to make sure you give your daughter her zombrex at exacty the right time of day, I can only imagine they did this to annoy the people who complained about the structure of the first game even more this time around.

I also dont understand why they include boss fights in these games, the controls work well when youre just killing zombies but the lack of a dodge button or somthing simular really shows itself when trying to fight the psychopaths and case bosses, it feels sluggish and almost broken, the fights are also increadabley unfair which dosent help.

Id say I hope they will improve things for when they make a third game, but I know they wont, so no point really.

[kernow]

You can dodge later on, you get a roll skill on one of the level ups. You just have to make sure you're a high enough level to deal with the psychos else you are going to get owned. Mixing up cocktails and carrying magazines makes them a hell of a lot easier also.

[averybluemonkey]

I found the complete opposite myself. They've fixed the technical problems that made the first one almost unplayable on 1080i due to screen tearing. The control overhauls have made shooting far easier now that you can strafe. I found the sniper psychos on the first game absolutely ridiculous but the ones here are a sinch as a result.

The time allowed for getting survivors is far more generous now than in the first one, I've managed to get everyone back so far and barely ever had to double up groups. You can literally just bring them in one by one, which takes away from the challenge a bit. Plus the survivors are so damn efficient now you almost never have to help them out, stick a weapon in their hands and they can just take care of the zombies themselves. If anything the only fault I have for it is how ridiculously easy it is now.

And the whole Zombrex issue, it's not really a big deal delivering it once every 24 hours, the stuff's scattered all over the place too. There is a dodge button, click the stick in. You unlock it about level 15ish I think. To be honest though if you have a few health items plus the healing mag right by the safe room you can even take the bosses out using just the spiked club if you have to, the only one that took more than one attempt was that damn chef as he does require quite a few healing items to take down. The online co-op is a pretty huge addition too.

[rmoxon]

I found the complete opposite myself. They've fixed the technical problems that made the first one almost unplayable on 1080i due to screen tearing. The control overhauls have made shooting far easier now that you can strafe. I found the sniper psychos on the first game absolutely ridiculous but the ones here are a sinch as a result.

The time allowed for getting survivors is far more generous now than in the first one, I've managed to get everyone back so far and barely ever had to double up groups. You can literally just bring them in one by one, which takes away from the challenge a bit. Plus the survivors are so damn efficient now you almost never have to help them out, stick a weapon in their hands and they can just take care of the zombies themselves. If anything the only fault I have for it is how ridiculously easy it is now.

And the whole Zombrex issue, it's not really a big deal delivering it once every 24 hours, the stuff's scattered all over the place too. There is a dodge button, click the stick in. You unlock it about level 15ish I think. To be honest though if you have a few health items plus the healing mag right by the safe room you can even take the bosses out using just the spiked club if you have to, the only one that took more than one attempt was that damn chef as he does require quite a few healing items to take down. The online co-op is a pretty huge addition too.

I wasnt someone who complained that much about the timed stuff in the first one and I agree it seems even more lineant here but....

I disagree about everything else you said though.

Technicaly the game might be better but that dosent matter if the actual gameplay is still broken in places (And while I do agree shooting is better theres still no reason to actualy use guns besides a couple of ocassions as apparently a broom is more powerful than a machine gun magazine in the face).

The optional psychos may be slightly easier in this one but some of the story bosses you have to fight are alot tougher than anything in the first game.

The zombrex thing isnt too annoying but its basicaly pointless and as I said just contributes to make the game even more restricted.

You cant just wail on the psychos, they often take 3 or 4 blocks off you with a single hit and then somtimes get ontop of you and take even more engery off, and then while youre healing will somtimes run stright up to you and finish you off. You have to be more tacticalo yet the controls arent designed for being tactical so these fights are very contradictory experiences.

Overall I still like the game despite its faults but I really dont think they have improved anything gameplay wise.

[averybluemonkey]

Which bosses did you find difficult? All you have to do to heal is avoid one of their long animation attacks and heal while they carry it out. There's usually plenty of objects to run behind and that often blocks their melee attacks.

[rmoxon]

Which bosses did you find difficult? All you have to do to heal is avoid one of their long animation attacks and heal while they carry it out. There's usually plenty of objects to run behind and that often blocks their melee attacks.

I honestly have found them all ridculously tough, Ive yet to beat any optional psychos, though to be fair Ive only tried them all once and died and not bothered again becuase they just arent any fun to fight.

Most of them dont actualy have long attacks like you say they do, they all actualy have fairly random pattens actualy if you watch them and they somtimes attack twice in a row, even when I manage to dodge their attacks i will usualy get hit as I go to attack becuase they will go for me again stright away.

This is typical capcom stuff really, you only have to look at games like Lost Planet and Resident Evil 5 (or even the PS2 Monster Hunter games if you want to go back a bit further) to know they like to produce games where sluggish controls make hetic action scenes really difficult, its the reason Im not that upset about the fact that it nearly ruins the game, I pretty much expected it.

[averybluemonkey]

Here's a few examples of how easy some of them are, spoilor tagged:

->Open Spoiler<-

Slappy - he repeats the exact same pattern, skate in straight line and flame to your side, back and forth, if you are far away he fires little grenades at you. To avoid grenades just walk laterally to him, to heal just go back in his shop and stand behind the book case as he can't get you there, to hurt him just jump+kick him while skating. He will fall over, stunned and you can get in a good 3 hits with the spiked bat, 2-3 with the sledgehammer. 4 repeats of this and he's dead, he can't really block the jump kick move.

Antoine the chef - have the healing mag from safe room area + 4 healing items, take two spiked bats or sledgehammers. If you need to heal do it when he heals, to hurt him just chase him and hit him when he's healing, with those healing items you don't even need to worry about avoiding his attacks though if you want to just jump after your second hit on him while he's eating. His only random attack is to occasionally jump on you but it only takes 2 blocks off so not a big deal.

The shopping mall security guy - just hit him with something sharp, when you need to heal run around the other side of the central pillar, he won't be able to reach you in time. Probably the easiest guy to beat as there's the big piece of cover.

The guy in the toilets with the glass - two healing items should be sufficient, you can heal when he's hidden as he only really jumps at you when you move past. Just run up and down, when he leaps out keep running and his initial strike will miss you, then you can get in 2 hits before jumping away.

Guy in the pig mask with the giant chainsaw - he repeats the same sequence of charge + swipe, followed by 2 straight forward attacks where he won't turn followed by spin. Just jump out the way of the charge, then you can get 2 hits on him before he begins to turn, 3 if you don't mind taking the damage. To heal just stand next to the pews then when he charges jump over onto the aisle, he can't reach you before you're healing animation is complete so this works everytime.

Postman - easiest of the lot, just always approach him diagonally and his shotgun will barely touch you. By this point you should have the katanas which make light work of him, run awaywhen he chucks grenades at you. You don't even need healing items for this guy.

The twins were a bit tricky but just focus on one, shoot her with a gun the whole time. They're faster than you but if you cut the corners properly you can build up a gap, then jump on a counter to heal, this will avoid some of their attacks but I'de usually heal when you've got 2 attacks survival left just in case they get you the first time. The LMG puts them down really quickly.

[rmoxon]

Here's a few examples of how easy some of them are, spoilor tagged:

->Open Spoiler<-

Slappy - he repeats the exact same pattern, skate in straight line and flame to your side, back and forth, if you are far away he fires little grenades at you. To avoid grenades just walk laterally to him, to heal just go back in his shop and stand behind the book case as he can't get you there, to hurt him just jump+kick him while skating. He will fall over, stunned and you can get in a good 3 hits with the spiked bat, 2-3 with the sledgehammer. 4 repeats of this and he's dead, he can't really block the jump kick move.

Antoine the chef - have the healing mag from safe room area + 4 healing items, take two spiked bats or sledgehammers. If you need to heal do it when he heals, to hurt him just chase him and hit him when he's healing, with those healing items you don't even need to worry about avoiding his attacks though if you want to just jump after your second hit on him while he's eating. His only random attack is to occasionally jump on you but it only takes 2 blocks off so not a big deal.

The shopping mall security guy - just hit him with something sharp, when you need to heal run around the other side of the central pillar, he won't be able to reach you in time. Probably the easiest guy to beat as there's the big piece of cover.

The guy in the toilets with the glass - two healing items should be sufficient, you can heal when he's hidden as he only really jumps at you when you move past. Just run up and down, when he leaps out keep running and his initial strike will miss you, then you can get in 2 hits before jumping away.

Guy in the pig mask with the giant chainsaw - he repeats the same sequence of charge + swipe, followed by 2 straight forward attacks where he won't turn followed by spin. Just jump out the way of the charge, then you can get 2 hits on him before he begins to turn, 3 if you don't mind taking the damage. To heal just stand next to the pews then when he charges jump over onto the aisle, he can't reach you before you're healing animation is complete so this works everytime.

Postman - easiest of the lot, just always approach him diagonally and his shotgun will barely touch you. By this point you should have the katanas which make light work of him, run awaywhen he chucks grenades at you. You don't even need healing items for this guy.

The twins were a bit tricky but just focus on one, shoot her with a gun the whole time. They're faster than you but if you cut the corners properly you can build up a gap, then jump on a counter to heal, this will avoid some of their attacks but I'de usually heal when you've got 2 attacks survival left just in case they get you the first time. The LMG puts them down really quickly.

See you give all them examples but the thing is they wont always work becuase the bosses dont always do the same thing. I actualy had two goes at slappy and your method wouldnt have worked in either becuase he fired at me when i was close as well as far away, not only that but if you are moving hes actualy really smart and he dosent actualy fire at you, just around you, so what will dodge his attack one time might not the next time he does it.

None of this would mean anything if the game felt like it was designed for more dynamic boss battles but the gameplay simply isnt up to that and as Ive stated it just makes them not fun to play.

I will probabaly just wait until Im level 50 before I bother killing any optional Psychos, its what I did with the first game and it was alot less painful.

[Dogg Thang]

Yeah, they really made no effort to improve anything in my opinion. The boss criticisms were exactly the same the first time around too. As you say, they actually dug their heels in and made the timing even more restrictive by adding zombrex. As I probably said earlier in the thread, it really felt like they were shooting for average.

I gave up using firearms and ended up beating all the psychos to death.

[rmoxon]

Yeah firearms are just too week for the psychos, they are only really usefull when you have a gunfight with the standard gun weilding human enemies it seems, but ebven then its not much harder if you just run up to them and hit them.

Infact the inclusion of guns is nearly as pointless as the inclusion of badly implemented boss fights, both things feel at odds with the rest of the game.

[Dogg Thang]

Yep, I'd agree with that for both the original and the sequel. I used the Defiler most of the time because of the MASSIVE DAMAGE. Clumsy and slow and I'd end up taking a lot of hits but I realised early on that trying to be strategic about it (while possible as averybluemonkey describes) was just a frustrating and unrewarding experience. At least for me.