Dead Rising 2: Vegas or bust?

Source: A recently posted YouTube video appears to be a teaser trailer for the still-unannounced Dead Rising 2, and suggests that the game will be set in a Las Vegas-style, entertainment-obsessed city. What we heard: Dead Rising 2 has been rumored almost since the Xbox 360 exclusive originally launched, given that Capcom was running surveys at the time inquiring about interest in a sequel. Since that time, a Dead Rising follow-up has been hinted at, tied to a developer, and publicly acknowledged, but not actually announced. If this latest teaser trailer is any indication, Capcom may be about ready to break its silence on Dead Rising 2. Clocking in at exactly a minute in length, the trailer does exactly what a teaser trailer should do. It establishes its Dead Rising ties straight away with news coverage of "the Willamette incident," and shows exterior shots of the Willamette mall where the original game took place. The teaser then sets up the premise for a sequel. In the background, a voice that could be that of original Dead Rising protagonist Frank West says, "It's happening again," before a coldly detached public announcement informs that "This area has been quarantined due to the occurrence of a zombie outbreak." Then comes news of a drug (the unfortunately titled "Zombrex") that an announcer claims has been "almost" completely effective in halting the progress of the zombie disease. The din of news-feed reports reaches a climax, and then is replaced by a salesman's voice pitching a Las Vegas-like entertainment capital where visitors can leave their cares behind. Footage of luxurious casino interiors is intercut with clips of the same locations overrun by the undead, with the slightest glimpse of possible gameplay. For a moment, the trailer shows a player in an American Gladiators-style man-sized sphere bowling over the undead. Another shot depicts a man--possibly West--in a full-body Mega Man outfit, albeit without the helmet. In the original Dead Rising, players were able to pick up various Mega Man role-playing items from the mall's toy store and movie theater. They could also unlock a "real" Mega Buster arm cannon by completing the game's Zombie Genocide achievement. So is Dead Rising 2 going to be set in Las Vegas or a fictitious counterpart to everybody's favorite city of sin? It does make a certain amount of sense. Like the film that inspired Dead Rising--George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead--the game satirized American culture, specifically its rampant consumerism and consumption, through the lens of a middle American shopping mall. If the satirical target for Dead Rising 2 is to be American excess, the hedonistic hotbed that is Las Vegas seems a natural encore. The gameplay dynamic of the original Dead Rising (trapped inside a mall overrun by zombies and insane survivors for three days) could also be preserved somewhat by placing gamers in a closed-off resort encompassing all of the various Vegas-style vices, from casinos to stage shows to sports books to cathouses. Even the timing of this trailer leak lines up well. Capcom has the Wii version of the original game, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, slated for release later this month. Announcing the sequel as the Wii edition hits stores could help interest in each of those products flow over to the other. The official story: Capcom did not return requests for comment as of press time. Bogus or not bogus?: Looks pretty not bogus. [UPDATE] Early Monday morning, Capcom confirmed Dead Rising 2 is in development for the PS3, 360, and PC at Canadian developer Blue Castle Games.The game will be set in a Las Vegas-like gambling mecca called "Fortune City," and will feature a whole new range of in-game object to smash undead opponents. Oh, and that trailer? 100 percent authentic.

Dead Rising 2: Vegas or bust?

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