Dead Rising 2's flaws persist in Off the Record, but you'll still find a good amount of zombie slaying throughout.
Dead Rising 2: Off The Record brings veteran zombie slayer/reporter Frank West back into the fray. After the events of the original Dead Rising, West becomes a successful celebrity living the good life. Soon, though, his celebrity status begins to wane, forcing West to re-invest his time and energy in the fine art of zombie population control, this time in the casino mall world of Fortune City, Nevada. West dives into the ring (literally) run by showman TK. After his fight, West is hurled back into a suspicious conflict between TK and the protest group CURE. It's up to West and the leader of CURE (who claims her group to be framed) to discover the truth behind the zombie outbreak. Frank West remains an interesting lead character in the Dead Rising series, especially considering his controversial absence from Dead Rising 2. Fortunately, he's back in Off the Record and still has the charisma and journalistic integrity that made him such a cleverly designed protagonist. The secondary support characters don't have the same powerful personality that West has, but it's great to see plenty of bizarre psychopaths to tear a new one for. West will even see some other familiar faces from the original Dead Rising 2. Though the story doesn't revolutionize what Dead Rising is about, just seeing Frank West in the field again is a welcome return.
Dead Rising has always been about beating the hell out of zombies in diverse, but accessible ways, and that hasn't changed. The Fortune City landscape is riddled with different objects to use, ranging from typical blunt objects to the more environmental weapons. Many items use unique control schemes depending on the type of item. Footballs are best for projectile combat, while the 2x4 or lead pipe work best for bludgeoning. The collection of items does show Dead Rising 2: Off the Record's incredible amount of versatility in dispatching the undead; it's downright tough to find an item that doesn't offer some satisfaction when used against the looming horde. The ability to combine weapons from the original Dead Rising 2 returns, which lets Frank mix and match different objects for improved zombie -slaying results. Spiked bats and explosive projectiles are common, though taking the time to find the necessary parts for combined weapons can feel like a bit too much work for too little payoff. Though there are plenty of fun ways to take out zombies, sticking with the blunt objects and occasional firearms will get the job done, usually in a much more efficient way. The combat in Dead Rising 2: Off the Record does nearly nothing new for Dead Rising 2, but still retains the fun of zombie hunting that the series has long since brought to gamers.
Dead Rising's sense of tension has been attributed to its time limit, which was a love-it-or-hate-it idea. Managing your time in traversing through the world was tough to contend with, especially when the game forced you to travel long distances to escort other survivors to the safe house. It's still very challenging and the time management element will likely require extra playthroughs. Frank West's reliance on the Zombrex drug increases the tension even more. Off the Record requires the player to be a step or two ahead of things and it can get frustrating in that regard. Though bigger challenges require serious planning, the lesser challenges like escorting survivors or defeating weird psychopaths are a bit less restrictive and let the player select which missions to follow. Some story missions are sandwiched between long periods of downtime which practically force you to complete extraneous missions, but fortunately, the game doesn't put too much emphasis on that.
But with Frank West back in the spotlight, what is new in Off the Record? If you've been starved for photojournalism, you'll find the return of the camera element to be a big deal. Taking skillful shots offers more PP experience and it's fun seeing some intense moments captured for posterity. Aside from photography, Off the Record introduces the Sandbox Mode, a way to earn cash and complete challenges without being hindered by the strict time limitations. The game is also discounted to $40 US. Though these subtle inclusions are welcome, they really don't introduce enough new content to be worth must-have status, especially if you've already purchased Dead Rising 2. If you've played through the Dead Rising series since the original, Dead Rising 2 probably was a bit too familiar, and Off the Record will likely be even more so.
The original Dead Rising was an Xbox 360 showcase piece, one that flaunted its ability to show hundreds of zombies on screen at once. Dead Rising 2 was a solid refinement of the original's presentation. Dead Rising 2: Off the Record follows Dead Rising 2's template, for better or for worse. The high number of enemies on-screen at once remains impressive, though the small amount of frame rate hitches feel even more unwelcome now than they did in the early days of the Xbox 360. The mechanical-looking cutscenes don't show much difference than earlier Dead Rising games, but it's the collision detection that really shows the age of the Dead Rising setup. Especially during the psychopath battles, the enemies can get hooked on environmental objects, making it difficult to know when it's a good opportunity to attack. These kinds of situations even appear in the zombie hordes. Though the extremely high amount of enemies on-screen is still a shockingly intense sight, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record never shows a substantial jump from its predecessors. Audio-wise, there's not much. The moans of zombies and the goofy characters' ridiculous dialogue are the only things that stand out, though the psychopaths' dialogue are especially creative, like a mad mailman's devotion to his job or a children's toy mascot's infatuation with his female counterpart. Though the technical issues are discouraging and the amount of new graphical elements is low, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record still has character, humor, and a whole lot of zombies.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is Dead Rising 2 with Frank West; it doesn't try to be anything else. That being said, it's great to see Frank West back in the spotlight. Aside from the return of the photography element and the introduction of the Sandbox Mode, it's just comforting to see the hero back doing what he does best: killing zombies. All of the pros and cons of Dead Rising 2 carry over to Off the Record. The graphics are showing their rougher edges now more than ever, the escort missions can be repetitive, and the time limitations can definitely get frustrating. Still, the satisfaction of mowing down zombies has a persistent charm and remarkably pierces through the fog of tedium. If you've played Dead Rising 2, there isn't much in Off the Record that is worth paying an extra 40 bucks for. It's a solid continuation of the famed series, but if you're looking for a more refined sequel that fixes the problems of its predecessor while adding inventive new content, you might want to hang up your camera for now and pass on Off the Record.