REVIEW - Dead Rising 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

How does one approach zombies from a Catholic perspective?  Do they have the inherent dignity of the human person?  Pope John Paul II failed to mention this in Redemptor Hominis, nor does a quick scan of the Catechism reveal any mention of our undead friends.  One may even question whether they are deserving of the same respect that we give animals, for at least animals are among the living.  Therefore is it possible to show that typically Franciscan love of animals towards the living dead?

Surprisingly, although theological minds such as St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas failed to take into consideration our moral obligations to those staggering across fields and crying out for brains, Dead Rising 2 (Capcom) decides to confront the issue head on...well, for a bit at least.

Love Thy Zombie?

Pandemonium is a constant state of mind in DR2

The game opens in a world in which zombies are now a facet of everyday life.  After the outbreak of zombies in the previous game, zombies have been largely contained (except for the occasional outbreak), those bitten by zombies can be treated by a daily dose of medication called "Zombrex", and there is even a gameshow by the name of "Terror is Reality" in which contestants zip around a stage on motorbikes attempting to run over as many of the undead as they can.  Consequently, this raises significant ethical issues and has lead to the formation of "Citizens for Undead Rights and Equality" (CURE) - a zombie rights group determined to stop what they see as the unethical treatment of our undead friends.  This plot device is abandoned relatively quickly for the usual "kill as many zombies as you possibly can" storyline, which is a shame as one can imagine that such ethical questions would be discussed if the dead did come back to life.  CURE is an interesting take on a well worn subject, and it is unfortunate that Capcom chose to abandon it so quickly

The plot as a whole focuses on typically grizzled all-American action hero Chuck Greene - a contestant on "Terror is Reality" who, having lost his wife to the undead in an outbreak in New Vegas, gets caught up in a fresh zombie outbreak in fictional Fortune City, along with his young daughter Katey.  They hole up in an emergency bunker situated within Fortune City, along with other survivors that include CURE member Stacey Forsythe, and an over-zealous security guard known only as Sullivan.  One of the more interesting aspects of the plot and gameplay involves Chuck's daughter who, instead of being the usual kidnap fodder that family members often play in games, has been infected by a zombie and requires a daily dose of "Zombrex" in order to prevent her from turning.  "Zombrex" is in short supply, which requires the player to be on the continual lookout for the drug, leading to many a frantic journey as the clock ticks down to Katey's daily dose.

So Much To Do, So Little Time...


The gameplay can best be summed up as a time limited game in an open world.  There are various story missions that need completing, various survivors that need rescuing, items that need collecting and all sorts of wacky additional side missions that add a whole new layer to the plot.  As it is almost impossible to complete all the missions in one sitting, the player is left with the decision of which missions to miss.  The game is never "over" unless Chuck dies, so the player is free to skip the main story quest completely, and the game will progress accordingly, with an ending to match.  Also, if one chooses to restart or replay the game, Chuck's levelled up stats will remain, making the game a lot easier to blunder through on the second or third time round.  So, if there is a side mission that was just too tough on your first play through, beef yourself up and try again in game 2.  It is a unique way of adding replayability, and quite a successful one.  The replayability is not just about collecting 100% achievements or just repeating the game, a second play can be an entirely different experience, and for this Dead Rising 2 is real value for money.

"Bash X to make the horrible people go away!!!"

Having read the above, the reader may be tempted to pose the question,"What about the Zombies??"  After all, this is what we are here for, right?  If it wasn't for the zombies, DR2 would just be "Lets Go To The Mall 2".  What makes Dead Rising so much fun is that all the rescue missions, all the collecting missions, all the Zombrex missions etc take place in an enormous mall packed full of the undead.  The zombies individually are not particularly harmful.  They are slow and unwieldy, and you can easily dodge and kill them, or simply push through them.  However, Dead Rising 2 compensates for that by bringing in the sheer amount of zombies it throws at the player.  This is no Resident Evil, where one might be facing off against four or five zombies at a time - Dead Rising 2 puts literally hundreds of the moaning dead on a screen at any one time, and it is very easy to get overwhelmed in the melee if you allow yourself to get crowded out by them.

Let's Go To The Mall!

Luckily you do not go into the melee unarmed.  The standout characteristic of Dead Rising has remained in Dead Rising 2 - that is, the ability to use anything in the mall as a weapon.  Want to go for the traditional crowbar?  That's fine!  Want to run into a sports store and clock various zombies with everything from dumbbells to golf clubs?  Go ahead!  Why not then nip into the next door toy store, distract the zombies with a buzzing toy helicopter, and then throw marbles on the floor so the zombies stumble into one another?  Yet the game doesn't stop there - combination of weapons are by far and away one of the most fun parts about this game, both for practicality and for general madness.  So, combining the sledge hammer and the fire axe will result in a weapon that will turn enemies into mincemeat with one easy swing for those who want efficiency, while those after a bit more humor in their game may turn to mixing the battery and the wheelchair for the electric wheelchair, or the can of spray paint (from the skateboarding store) and the traffic cone in order to make a device that creates a noise so loud that zombies heads explode when in its vicinity.

Someone is about the get hurt...probably a zombie...

As you may have grasped already, this is a game where there is lots with which to explore and experiment.  There are plenty of side minigames and missions, as well as lots of different stores and areas to explore that are by no means mandatory.  It is a game that at once encourages you to explore while also slapping an enormous time limit on the game that limits that exploratios, and it is for this reason that one will need a few plays to discover and see everything.

This is not too difficult to do however, as the game does not feature a great deal of grind and repetitiveness.  Apart from an early abundance of search and rescue missions, the missions remain fresh and interesting.  In addition to zombies, players will have to fight off various people who have not dealt with the outbreak particularly well, from the man who worships the zombies to the sheriff trying to hang as many looters as possible.  These "boss" missions are the hardest in the game, and often require a special trick in order to defeat them.  Due to their relative speed and ability to take enormous chunks of damage out of Chuck in no time at all, it can also be in these areas where the slightly clunky controls begin to show themselves - leading to some rather frustrating moments.  Add in some slow loading screens when replaying a scene, and boss fights can become tedious and frustrating very quickly.

Bite for a Bite, Tooth for a Tooth


One of the game's strong points is the excellent story.  Dead Rising 2 puts its tongue firmly in its cheek, and digs out every single zombie movie cliche available, but it is a joke that the gamer is in on, and the game's decision not to take itself too seriously means that we can have a plot that is fun and enjoyable, along with some very likeable characters.

Chuck's daughter Katey provides a nice human element.

It is also the main plot that is the most commendable aspect from a Catholic perspective.  While it would be tempting for the makers to focus on a game that is nothing more than "Yeh, zombies, kill 'em!", there is actually a real human aspect to Dead Rising 2.  The main thrust of the plot is getting as many people rescued as possible, by bringing them back to the safe house, by finding out who was responsible for the outbreak (it's a Capcom game, expect conspiracy theories aplenty) and by holding out until the rescue team arrives.  Add in the very loving relationship between Chuck and his daughter, as well as a whole range of very interesting characters who you will genuinely want to survive, and the game is surprisingly pro-life and even pro-family!  The aim of the game is not to kill zombies, but to save people, and it is for this reason that some of the more grotesque parts of Dead Rising 2 can be tempered.

In true zombie fashion Dead Rising 2 is indeed a gory and bloody game.  Although limited somewhat by the cartoon and functional graphics, as well as the comedic element in which most of it is done, Dead Rising 2 will still quite happily fill your screen with zombie blood and exploding heads on a number of occasions.  Take for instance the guitar/amp weapon combo - when one forms this weapon and plays the guitar, nearby zombie's heads will explode almost instantaneously.  As a Catholic game reviewer it is difficult to know how to approach such gore.  Apart from one or two instances, the gore and blood is always from the zombies and is always comic book hyperbolic gore that has barely any resemblance to reality.  It is certainly problematic for any Catholic, yet it is light years away from the realistic gore of a Call of Duty or a Saw, and it is for this reason Dead Rising 2's gore is not morally offensive.

Conclusion


From a technical perspective, Dead Rising 2 is a thoroughly recommendable game.  Knocking out most of the kinks from the first game, Dead Rising 2 builds upon a unique gameplay mechanic and makes a game that is one of the most fun games I have played all year.  Although only graphically competent, this allows more to be shown on screen, resulting in one of the most intense zombie games of all time.  Throw in some very likeable characters, tons of replay value, great customization and sandbox options and the ability to "rock" a zombie to death, and Dead Rising 2 is a game that is not only unique but also a delight to play.  Although it is let down by clunky controls, long loading screens, insubstantial music and an extremely strong similarity to the first game, Dead Rising 2 is still one of the best console titles out there at the moment.

From a Catholic perspective, Dead Rising 2's main problem is zombie gore - something in which the game delights.  The sometimes gruesome suicides of some of the bosses is also something that Catholic gamers should be aware of, and makes the game suitable for limited adult audiences only.  However, the extreme cartoon violence is tempered by a pro-family storyline that emphasizes self-sacrifice and love for one's fellow man (if not fellow zombie) that results in a surprisingly pro-Catholic zombie story!  Catholic gamers should also be aware of strong sexual innuendo, a few crass and crude terms and frequent alcohol use.

The Technical Rating for this title is 9/10


The Catholic rating is L -- Limited Adult Audiences.  Contains problematic content that many adults would find troubling.

REVIEW - Mass Effect 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Western RPG's have a lot of negative press surrounding them in the gaming community.  Often derided as the shallower, shorter and weaker cousins of the Japanese RPG, and with a less loyal fanbase, a Western RPG in hope of success has a lot of obstacles in its way.  The first major title to break down those barriers was Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic on the Xbox.  Mass Effect 2 is the latest title to decimate the myth of Western RPG's being poor, and it does it with style.

First things first - you do not have to have played the first Mass Effect in order to be able to enjoy Mass Effect 2.  Granted, you will get a fuller experience of what is going on with various character histories if you have played the original, but the game does not assume that the player has played the first title, and will therefore fill in the gaps for any newbies.

The Lord is my Shepard

You play Commander Shepard (yep, that's how its spelt!) - a character who has no first name, gender, or particular look, until you assign him/her one.  A neat little feature is that, if you have played the original Mass Effect, you can import your old character into the new game from a memory drive, and continue with the same character.  The game will act off the various decisions you made in the previous game, which is a really excellent touch and shows that this is a genuine part of a trilogy and not just some cash-in sequel.  If you choose not to do this, then the game will ask you various questions with which to shape your character in standard RPG form.  Yet most of your character will develop later in the game, specifically through the normal route of the options the player chooses in various conversations, but also how the player responds to various situations.

If you choose to become evil, your facial features suffer...a lot!

The game's "moral compass" is split into two sets of behaviour - "Renegade" (i.e bad/evil) and "Paragon" (i.e good/peaceful), and the game will generally make it clear which one is which, allowing the player to mix up their morality however they like.  So, if someone is in your way, do you negotiate with them, or go in all guns blazing?  It's entirely up to you, and the game offers plenty of decisions to make.

However, there is not always the clear good option vs bad option choice system here - not all decisions are clear cut.  The gist of the plot (without giving away any spoilers) is that Commander Shepard (i.e you) is brought back to life after dying horribly, and now must unite with sketchy human supremacist group "Cerberus" who, despite their significant moral flaws, may be the only group capable of stopping the rise of the anti-life "Collectors" and the consequential subsequent destruction of the human race.  Shepard and Cerberus need to build up a team, and go into the homeland of the Collectors to destroy them and save humanity.  Although your aims are good, the means by which it is carried out are not always pure, leading to some superb plot developments and moral dilemmas.

The plot is very compelling, and has a whole host of different endings that are dependent on how you play the game and what decisions you make, which adds to the replayability of the title.  The moral choices that one makes are rarely black and white, with the developers choosing to go instead for various shades of gray.  It is usual to pick an option that will result in both Renegade and Paragon points, but with one more than the other.  This implies that one might not pick the "good" option, but has instead chosen the "better" option, or the "worse" option.

Gameplay works well and feels intuitive.

Does Mario Go To Mass Effect 2?

Games like this that offer open ended moral choices are difficult to judge from a Catholic perspective.   Mass Effect 2 allows you to be the savior of the universe, or the absolute personification of everything that is wrong with humanity, or somewhere in between.  How you choose will dictate what sort of game you play, and therefore in one sense, Mass Effect 2 is morally neutral.  Yet, I found that the game made it both easier and more rewarding, to choose the good options rather than the bad.  Characters are generally likeable, which means you will be tempted to be nice to them rather than shoot them, and the whole story seems designed in a way that invites you to be the savior of mankind as opposed to its enemy.

The first game generated a lot of controversy for the way in which it handled sex.  Mass Effect 2 is not plagued by the same controversy, and the sexual aspect of the game is toned down to the extent that it is almost non-existent.  It is possible to engage in intercourse with one of your fellow characters, but to do this requires the player to have said and done all the things that makes your partner more attracted to you.  It is something the most players will not have to deal with, and requires a conscious effort (and probably an internet walkthrough) to unlock such options.  Once unlocked, the subsequent cut scenes are not suitable for children, but contain little to no nudity and therefore does not exclude this game for Catholic adults.

Levelling up is easy, and very clear, even for beginners.

The characters are one of the best things about this excellent game.  The cast of Mass Effect 2 are not remotely stereotypical, most have very interesting back stories and are very likeable in their own ways.  You will genuinely care about these characters and want to get to know all of them better; something that is catered for with a host of character specific side missions.  All characters can be levelled up, not just Shepard.  This means that the player has to think carefully about who to take on a mission, taking into consideration not just the character's abilities, but also their levels.  A lot of work has gone into creating a whole world for the player to be immersed in, and for the hardcore there is an enormous encyclopaedia of all the races, technologies and characters which would take hours to read - although it won't appeal to most gamers, the fact that it is there shows how much effort has gone into this title.

The Illusive Voices

This process of immersion is helped by some tremendous voice acting.  The immense Martin Sheen voices The Illusive Man - the main NPC around whom the question "Is he good or bad?" continually hangs.  Alongside Sheen sits famous actors such as Star Trek TNG's Michael Dorn (Worf), The Matrix's Carrie Ann Moss (Trinity) as well as a whole host of big names that will have you pausing the game and checking Wikipedia to see if that voice is who you think it is.  Yet even those who names will not be familiar still do an exceptional job.  The voice acting of single line of dialogue in the game is top notch and makes the characters truly come alive.  Throw in a tightly written, exciting plot and this is an RPG you will be coming back to time and time again just to experience the different ways that the game can pan out, and it will have you drooling in anticipation for the completion of the trilogy with Mass Effect 3.

The game is stunning, especially on the PS3.

Graphically, Mass Effect 2 is without doubt one of the prettiest games of this console generation so far.  Although a lot of the combat is standard cover shooter fare, the enormous worlds in which they are set make them feel completely different.  Additionally, even the most random side mission on a planet in the middle of nowhere will have its own unique design, giving a sense of enormity to the world.  This graphical niceties extend everywhere, including to your ship - a ship so beautiful that I spent a long time happily exploring it.

Although Mass Effect 2 is pretty much perfect, I felt that there were a handful of missed opportunities dotted around this vast game.  For instance, while one of the most exciting things in the early part of the game was running of and doing various side missions for the members of my crew (so, picking up posher types of food for my hilarious chef), I was disappointed to find that these were not followed up later in the game.  Don't get me wrong, there are a good number of side missions in addition to the many main plot missions, but there are various things that the game introduces, and then seems to have decided to not follow up.  Also, while there are enough varied missions to prevent the gamer from getting bored, most missions are of a similar style - mostly involving a lot of cover to cover combat.  If you don't like shooting and cover to cover combat, then this game is not for you, no matter how much you may love the RPG elements of a game.

Conclusion


I give these criticisms mainly out of an attempt to give balance to this review.  The fact of the matter is that Mass Effect 2 is one of the best games ever made, and this comes from someone generally sceptical to WRPGs.  Its story is immensely compelling, the presentation is perfection, and the the gameplay is fun (if occasionally a little repetitive) and will have you wanting to come back and play this game time and time again in order to discover the many different ways this amazing title can be played, and to see how it connects with the other two instalments of the series.

From a Catholic perspective, Mass Effect 2 is not without its problems.  Although it has tamed down the sexual aspects from the previous game, the "copulation option" is still there.  Although there is no nudity, it is not for the faint of heart, nor for anyone who is not an adult.  The game deserves to be commended for offering the player a number of non-violent options, as well as the ability to play as a (mostly) good guy, but don't let the non-violence approach fool you - this game has the player killing a lot of people, no matter what options you choose.  This is a game that emphasises the "action" in an action RPG.  Although not particularly gory, there is blood present at a number of moments, as well as occasional distressing cut scenes of death.

The technical rating for this title is 10/10

The Catholic rating for this title is A-III -- adults.