Dead Rising 4 – (2016)
When I heard that Dead Rising 4 was going to bring back Frank West and the original town from the first game, I was excited. But sadly, this winter-themed sequel is mostly a flop, and it comes down to the fact that it doesn’t really feel like a Dead Rising game anymore.
What made the older entries great wasn’t just all the zombies. It was the way the worlds felt believable but weird, the photography mechanic, and the challenge of balancing a ticking clock with exploration. Dead Rising 4 strips away the clock, makes it easier to carry around weapons, and turns the wacky knob past 10 and breaks it off. This leads to an experience that feels disconnected from the best games in the series, even though I was happy that Frank could still take photos of giant zombie hordes using his phone.
