Review: Dead Rising 2: Case West

If the end of Dead Rising 2 left you with nothing but more questions and a burning desire to see what’s in store for our hero Chuck Greene, Capcom has come to your rescue with a new Case. Dead Rising 2: Case West sees the return of the main character from Dead Rising, Frank West, and while players are not able to use him (outside of co-op), it’s still heart-warming to see an old face in the new Dead Rising skin. To many fans of the series, Frank West is Dead Rising. This reporter turned zombie-slayer made an impression on the gaming world with his debut, and Capcom did their best to cement that impression by promoting him, even plugging him into some of their “vs.” fighting games. Cast West, then, is a fan-service of sorts that brings back a beloved character and also impels Greene’s story of Dead Rising 2 even further.

Players still take the role of Chuck, father to a zombie and stuntman extraordinare of the second Dead Rising game, but this time Frank West shows up to uncover the shadowy details of Phenotrans, the organization responsible for all this zombie business. Greene has been fingered by the media as the man responsible, and teams up with West in order to clear his name. The story will be confusing to anyone who hasn’t played through the two Dead Rising games, particularly the second, and in fact Case West begins right after the events of Dead Rising 2. The DLC, however, is standalone, and even those who haven’t bought any other Dead Rising games can play it, unless you happen to own a PS3. Apparently, PS3 owners aren’t eligible for additional content.

The short adventure takes place entirely within the industrial complex of the Phenotrans corporation, which is one big warehouse-like building with zombies crawling all over it. The setting is bland, and after the dusty, southwest charm of Case Zero and the flashing lights of Vegas, to wander around inside a dull warehouse is quite a step backwards. They certainly had something in mind plot-wise, so I can understand the decision, but knowing the reason doesn’t necessarily make it work. The formula is much what anyone who has played any Dead Rising should come to expect. There are three main cases to solve, new combo cards to collect and combine, hapless humans to save, and lots and lots of zombies to kill. If these mechanics have lost their charm, you may want to look elsewhere for your zombie slaying needs.

One helpful aspect of Case West, and something that anyone who hadn’t played through the whole Dead Rising 2 campaign might appreciate, is the fact that the game starts players out at a high level, with a full contingent of combo cards ready to go (combo cards being the blueprints for making wacky weapons). This means that Chuck is fully equipped to deal with most anything that comes his way and also gives players a chance to make and test out some of the lovely combo weapons from the actual game. The new weapons are interesting as, though many prove to be absolutely useless, and I for the most part found having two or three firearms on me at all times to be required.

There is one unfortunate matter about Greene maintaining his high level, and that is the presence of armed guards throughout the complex, sporting semi-automatic weapons, who respawn every time a zone is reloaded. This is easily the most frustrating aspect of the entire Case. Yes, it provides Chuck with a ready source of weaponry every time he needs it, but having to kill the idiots, sometimes half a dozen to a zone, becomes a chore, particularly when they have an across-the-screen accuracy similar to a Call of Duty hacker. Chuck’s durable, no doubt, and after a few levels gained he’s nearly impossible to take down with a mere hail of gunfire, but it’s still frustrating having to kill these guys so often. This respawning could be considered a continual problem with the Dead Rising series in general, so I won’t get into it much.

The story itself opens up some interesting aspects about the Dead Rising-verse, but without any knowledge of events prior to the Case, players are going to be quite lost. Reading some kind of primer or playing through Dead Rising 2 is your best bet before even attempting this. For those familiar, a few familiar faces will pop up, and some more answers regarding this zombie infestation will be uncovered. There isn’t anything mind-blowing to be learned, but it’s a decent slice of the tale.

Unfortunately, most of what makes the Dead Rising games fun is somewhat absent or too recycled to make this particular installment as enjoyable as Case Zero was. Seeing Frank is cool, but there are too many “buddy-cop” moments between Greene and West that feel forced and unnatural, and don’t even work on a satirical level (at one point they give each other a high five). The cases are mostly shallow, and the entire story could have been summed up in the last ten minutes of the adventure. Most of the cut scenes take place in the same room, a room players are forced back to time and time again. The saving grace of all this is that the time restraints and item requirements are much simpler than in Case Zero. I was able to play through Case West just once, and while I didn’t nab all achievements or rescue every survivor, I was able to complete the story without many issues, unlike the frustration that was Case Zero.

In the end, this DLC is fan service. It brings back a beloved character and adds to the story, but is essentially more of the same. For many, that’s enough. Dead Rising 2 has received mixed reviews, but of those reviews, some are giving it some of the highest marks of 2010. To the ones who loved the game, Case West will appeal to them. I enjoyed playing through it, though it didn’t instill in me a desire to play through it again. For those who have always been frustrated by the time constraints, respawning enemies, and tough psycho fights, this is a pass. For anyone hungry for more West and Greene, ten bucks is hardly an unfair investment.

Dead Rising 2: Case West
Xbox Live Arcade
	Publisher: Capcom Developer: Blue Castle Games Genre: Action Release Date: December 27, 2025 MSRP: $9.99 ESRB Rating: M for Mature