A great addition to the Wii library... (Spoilers)
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Pros:
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-Smarter AI: they actually do what you tell them to...
-Linear Path: while this can also be a Con, you get to see just about all the story each playthrough (depending on your performance of course).
-Gun Selection: Just like Resident Evil 4, there are a large selection of guns. I personally use the Red9, Riot Gun, Semi-Auto Rifle, and the Killer 7.
-Cletus: While I find it strange that a once psychopath becomes sane and starts selling you guns, it's a nice addition. Cletus acts a lot like the merchant.
-Tougher Zombies: The zombies are a good challenge in my opinion. While they may not take away a lot of health, the running at you and slapping you gets pretty annoying, especially with a harder creature on your tail. Another good thing about this is that even though there aren't as many zombies on screen, it seems like a lot due to their difficulty.
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Cons
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-NOT the xbox360: Yes I'd like to get this out of the way right off the bat. No, of course there aren't AS many zombies, and no, the graphics aren't as good, but for the Wii, I think Capcom did a pretty good job.
-Shortage of items: There aren't as many items to interact with in this game, which takes away from the "fight with what you can find at the moment" and adds to the "ugh, lets go get the katana again". One good exception is the store in Al Fresca with like, 12 weapons.
-Psychopaths: No, I'm not necessarily mad about the fact that they took out some psychopaths, I really don't like how they put them in as regular zombies. The parrots, dogs, and even Jo, I can deal with easily, but Kent and Cliff are just annoying.
-AI: Two things I have a problem with here. One, you cannot enter the mall without accepting a rescue mission, unless you're doing a story mission. Two, you cannot hurt AIs or give them weapons.
-Tougher Zombies: It's a great challenge, and even fun until around the second day. Then it just becomes ridiculous. When zombies hit you in this game, you stumble a little, which slows you down if you're trying to escape something. By the second day, you have zombies running (some faster than you) and falling on you. YOU don't fall down, just stumble, but it gets really annoying after the fifth consecutive zombie stops you in your tracks.
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Alright, now the key components of the game: =====
Sound: 7.5/10
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The sound is........ okay. The guns are the same from Resident Evil 4. The zombie sound effects are quite nice. The music is pretty good, except the environmental background music seems a little empty at some points, a great example being the Sniper Family battle.
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Gameplay: 9.5/10
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Here is where the game is great in my opinion. The game makes great use of the RE4: Wii aiming. Also, there was a "scare" a while before release that this game wasn't going to have all the melee special moves. However, that is not the case. This game has a lot of the moves, it just depends where you attack a zombie. For example, lets say a zombie is stunned. If you go in front, you can hit "A" to disembowel it, if you go to the side, you can use the "hammer throw", and if you go to the back you can use a suplex. It's a lot like the RE4 melee special system.
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Storyline: 9/10
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Being a zombie fan, I love this storyline. Even if it was just "trapped in a mall, find what you can, bring back supplies, and survive", I'd be good. As a matter of fact I would like it more. The Dead Rising storyline is a little ridiculous in some areas in my opinion, but for the most part, it's very interesting.
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Graphics: 8.5/10
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For the Wii, the graphics in this game are actually pretty good. While still not up to the caliber of RE4, this game is still pleasant to look at. The zombie textures are actually kind of strange. From far away, they look blurry, but close up their features are sharper. A major downside in this category is actually a bit of laziness on Capcom's part. The climbing animations are sloppy, as well as some of the quick time events, like during the Convict fight.
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CONCLUSION:
All in all, this is..... a good game. Obviously, you will probably have a lower opinion if you've played the original. If you haven't, then I highly recommend you get this. If you have, rent it first, if you like it, then buy it.