Gotta save 'em all?
I'm still not sure why I went back for them. They didn't even speak English! I had to find a book on conversational Japanese just so that I could talk them into coming with me. I had precious little time to make it back to the security room, and they would only slow me down, and yet I went back, talked them into coming with me, and we made our run for it. There were so many zombies! Every time I thought we were home free, I'd look back and see one of them trying desperately to fight off a zombie. We couldn't make it 15 feet without one of them getting nearly eaten alive. Even if I was able to save them, I wasn't going to make it back in time. I would never know what really happened at the Willamette Parkview Mall.

Tick-Tock
Like the uber-popular TV show "24", in Dead Rising, the clock is always ticking. As Frank West, photojournalist extraordinaire, you've got to survive 72 hours in the zombie-infested Willamette Parkview Mall. However, survival isn't the only thing on your itinerary. Frank is sitting on what should be the story of his career. Getting to the bottom of the zombie infestation will be Frank's number one goal, but he can score even more "scoops" by finding and escorting other survivors he finds in the mall to safety. Of course, there's a catch. The truth behind the zombies unfolds at very specific times and places in the mall throughout your 72-hour zombie-fest. If Frank is going to discover the truth, he can't miss any one of these key events (called cases) or else he will no longer be able to pursue the main storyline. This is where things get complicated. The Willamette Parkview mall is a big place and it will take lots of your time to find and rescue the other survivors. You will have to decide what's more important: rescuing other survivors or pursuing the truth. Don't be surprised if you feel a pang of regret when you are forced to abandon some of the other would-be survivors to the zombie horde because you are strapped for time.

Not everyone wants Frank's help. You'll find deranged shopkeepers and crazed survivors that don't want to be rescued. In fact, they would prefer it if you weren't around to help anybody. Defeating these psychopaths gives Frank access to some especially delicious items. Take out the owner of the gun store to get access to his arsenal. Subdue the motorcycle-riding maniac to get your set of wheels. It's not necessary to defeat all of the psychopaths, but the rewards are quite juicy. Just make sure to keep an eye on your watch, because the clock never stops ticking.

Suffice to say, there's plenty to do in Dead Rising, but, unlike other games, you don't have the luxury of simply putting off the main story to complete side missions such as rescuing the helpless. Simply saving your game won't net you much help either. Dead Rising is unapologetic when it comes to save-points (or the lack thereof) and consequences. You're allowed only one save and the save points are very spread out. In fact as you make your way through the mall, you'll find yourself in situations where there isn't enough time to travel all the way to a save point, making the fear of death all the more palpable. It's very likely that at some point during your first play-through you will find yourself no longer able to complete the main story because of the choices you made. Doesn't sound like too much fun, does it? That's the beauty of it, though: Dead Rising forces you to make some hard decisions. Do you try to save the survivors of the zombie outbreak? Do you try to dispatch all of the psychopaths? It's easy to get sidetracked at the mall. Especially when your visit coincides with a nasty zombie infestation.

Frustrating, but in a good way
It's not as bad as it sounds, however. If you decide to restart your game, you'll automatically start with your leveled up character, which actually makes your second play-through even more enjoyable. You'll have a larger inventory, more life, more special moves and a much greater respect for the clock.

If you've played through the XBL Marketplace Demo, you've only seen a glimpse of what Dead Rising has to offer. With an excellent, if a bit hokey storyline (it is a zombie game after all) that doesn't take itself too seriously, Dead Rising is a definite must buy for all Xbox 360 owners out there (make that all mature 360 owners). You're certain to get a lot of mileage out of the game, even without a multiplayer mode. Getting started can be frustrating, but there are many hours of zombie-bashing fun to be had with Dead Rising. Besides, where else can you spend the afternoon taking potshots at the undead with a 9-iron?

- Teal