It was surprising how much area I traversed, because stopping in any one location felt well-crafted and individualized. The area feels sprawling for one that is so littered with objects to pick up and combine into zombie-smashing weaponry. The campaign spends only a short time inside the mall proper, and quickly whisks you to the larger Willamette area. To that end, Dead Rising 4 is a giant sandbox made up of smaller, more carefully constructed sandboxes. And like the original, it works best when it's functioning as a pulp-inspired toy.
It's another starring role for Frank West, another visit to the sleepy town of Willamette, and even another shopping mall. After two departures, one even more cartoonish and the other oddly straight-faced, Dead Rising 4 gets back to its roots.
The zombie series began as a blatant homage to Dawn of the Dead, and that afforded it a certain camp value that made mowing down countless undead feel right at home.
Dead Rising has always been a better playground than storyteller.
