Connect with us

News

Playing ‘Dead Rising 4’ Is A New Xmas Tradition

Published

on

Capcom’s Dead Rising is back with another entry of zombie-slaughtering, over-the-top adventure that only this franchise can offer. It has been a decade since we were introduced to the world of Dead Rising and its protagonist, Frank West. The first game paid homage to George Romero’s, “Dawn Of The Dead.” It took place in a mall, while a zombie outbreak ravaged a small town. West went in as an investigative journalist and uncovered the secrets behind the outbreak. It has been ten years and we are back in the town of Willamette, Colorado as West. The pieces are all in place but does Dead Rising still offer the same experience it did back then?

West and a budding journalist named Vick are investigating a mysterious facility in order to uncover what is happening out in the boonies. When they discover that the facility is intentionally infecting people with an advanced genome, their paths are split. West is still the arrogant and selfish dude that we remember, while Vick wants to uncover the truth for the greater good.

So, while Vick goes solo searching for truth, West is in big trouble for breaking into the facility and is blamed for the deaths that occurred. West goes into hiding as a wedding photography teacher under the name “Hank East.” He is eventually tracked down and convinced to head back to Willamette in order to find Vick and selfishly get the scoop on the story before she can. So you are sent back into to snow-covered Willamette to uncover what happened on Black Friday that caused the outbreak to happen again.

The map for Willamette is huge. A huge chunk of it is the mall, but with each case you finish, the map unlocks a new area to explore. For example, for the first case you are confined to the mall. Once you enter case 2 it opens up Willamettes Old Town. Each of these areas are huge and contain a lot of ground to discover. Collectibles are scattered throughout. Newspapers, podcasts, cell phones all give you a secondary investigation into ancillary bits of story. Blueprints for new weapons and vehicles are also spread throughout the map. Some are harder to get to than others. For me, it is entirely worth the trouble. I mean, if you want to find a crossbow that shoots swordfish, you are going to have to put the work in.

Dead

There is a lot more time to explore too. The dreaded clock from the first three Dead Rising games is gone. So, you aren’t rushing to catch a ride, having to cure your daughter with Zombrex or trying to get ahead of a military missile strike. I enjoyed the freedom but at the same time, the clock put the challenge into the first three games. I can appreciate the change though, so the loss of the clock is not a deal breaker.

The option to head straight to your marked destination is there for you. And if you want to explore the entire area and find all your collectible goodies that option is there for you to. I preferred collecting everything before going after the primary missions. I kinda loved the fact that I didn’t have to hurry along.

Along with searching areas for collectibles, you also run into points of interest that have small side objectives like destroying the enemies satellites, saving survivors from zombies, and fighting small boss fights against ‘maniacs.’ Here comes a real bummer about this game… ‘Maniacs’ take the place of the fan favorite ‘Psychopaths.’

“When I was suddenly a Leprechaun

wielding a chainsaw, I realized

how much I loved this game. 

For those that don’t remember, psycho paths were those awesome boss fights that featured people who had lost their minds. These were usually random run ins that would not leave you prepared for battle. Some of the highlights featured a father and son held up in a sporting good store and a chainsaw wielding clown who spent his time around the malls roller coaster.  These maniac battles don’t have the same personality that the psychopaths offered. They are also far easier. I want to know why Capcom decided to cut those battles from this entry. But it is missed.

Speaking of Capcom, this game is full of easter eggs. Comic book shops you discover have walls lined with costumes, tee shirts and posters paying homage to Capcom classics. ‘Street Fighter,’ ‘Mega Man,’ and pretty much anything else you can remember from Capcom are all present. This includes, Blanka masks and Mega Man Zero full costumes. All this while the ‘Street Fighter’ soundtrack is blaring through the stores speakers.

There are a ton of new combo weapons to craft. Crafting is done on the fly like it was in ‘Dead Rising 4,’ The Ice Sword is still one of my favorites, it freezes zombies and gives you time to bash them to tiny shards. Baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire, Blanka masks armed with a car battery and a whole lot more are available. The sillier the better.

Exo-Suits are another new item you can find scattered throughout. These suits make Frank into a tank. He is able to punch a zombie into goulash while wearing the suit. You can also use items in order to make your exo-suit even more deadly. For example, if you interact with military hardware you strap a mini-gun and rocket launcher to your back and unleash hell. If you can interact with a vacuum it turns that into deadly suction that is capable of pulling zombies towards you and then unleashing a blast of air that turns them to viscera. These exo-suits run out of juice pretty quick though. In the short time you are able to use them, it is best to unleash as much hell on packs of zombies as possible to rack up combo hit points. These suits are a lot of fun, even if they don’t last as long as you wish they could.

“Screw dreaming of a white christmas,

this one is the type of christmas

horror fans have been dreaming of.

Customizable costumes and clothes are back. These can turn Frank into anything from a bull to a pirate. Each clothing store you explore offers the possibility of widening your fashionista senses. When I was suddenly a Leprechaun wielding a chainsaw, I realized how much I loved this game.

While games like ‘Dark Souls’ go for the permadeath and punishing difficulty route, Dead Rising 4 goes for a very simple approach. The gameplay is overly simplified. In fact, I rarely died during the full campaign. There is no way to turn up the difficulty either. In any other game that might be a big issue, especially if you love a good challenge. In this case, the random outfits and insane combo weapon selections more than make up for it. Dead Rising isn’t trying to punish you, it is rewarding you with over the top weaponry and costumes. Making 500 zombies into mush using a acid spitting Santa Clause lawn decoration is way more satisfying that dying 49 times trying to cross a bridge. It gives us variety and we can all appreciate variety right?

‘Dead Rising 4’ is a game that is purely fun. The insane combo weapons and costumes are the bread and butter of this series and the fourth entry finds the perfect equation of both elements. The psychopaths and clock might be missing, but there are plenty of zombie-killing, joyful things you can focus on to not cry about it too much. The game begs the question “does killing thousands of zombies over and over again ever become repetitively boring?” and the answer is a resounding “hell no.” It is a freaking game about zombies set during a snowy christmas. Screw dreaming of a white christmas, this one is the type of Christmas horror fans have been dreaming of.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

Published

on

Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

News

‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

Published

on

Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

News

How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

Published

on

Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

'Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire' Popcorn Bucket

Continue Reading

Embed Gif with Clickable Title