UPDATE: Added impressions of co-op and "Terror Is Reality" based on final retail code.
It was hard to not be impressed with the original "Dead Rising." It was one of the first games that actually felt next gen and offered up a wholly original style of play and sense of humor. It wasn't perfect, but it did manage to collect a solid number of fans, myself included. "Dead Rising 2" is the next step for the franchise, and while it doesn't depart dramatically from the original, certain improvements and features make it a more enjoyable experience than the first.
The Basics
You're Chuck Greene, former motocross star who is forced to compete in a barbaric zombie-killing game show in order to make some quick cash to support his daughter. Unfortunately, during a show in Fortune City (a Las Vegas-style metropolis), something goes horribly wrong and the zombie hordes are unleashed. The evidence seems to point to Greene being the perpetrator, so it's up to him to clear his name before the military takes the town back from undead rule.
The basic gameplay of "Dead Rising 2" remains very similar to the original, as you'll mostly be saving random survivors and completing missions. Everything's on a timer, so you're going to have to manage your schedule in order to save as many folks as you can while clearing your name in the process.
The Highs
Combo Weapons
People were upset that Chuck can no longer use a camera to take photos of zombies for bonus points, but I think Blue Castle found a better alternative with combo weapons. Chuck can combine compatible weapons to create a combo weapon. For example, he can mix a fire axe with a sledgehammer to make an even more devastating melee weapon. Some of the combo weapons get pretty zany and discovering all of them is one of the more entertaining aspects of the game. And, apart from the fun of using wacky weapons, you'll earn experience for every kill, which is something you don't get with non-combo weapons.
Zombie Vistas
The visuals in "Dead Rising 2" are a huge jump from anything we saw in the first game. Hundreds of zombies can now fill the screen with little slowdown, and the level of detail in the surrounding environment has been kicked up, as well. Every store, casino and restaurant has been given an extra level of attention to the point where you could actually see this being a real town. The developers did an impressive job making a living, breathing zombie metropolis.
Terror Is Reality
This four player minigame mode which bears a striking resemblance to "American Gladiators" is way, way better than I would've guessed. Each of the nine games have you performing ridiculous stunts with zombies, battling for points against randoms or friends. It's a mode that really didn't need to be included in "Dead Rising 2," but I'm thrilled they went the extra mile with it. As an added bonus, money earned in ranked matches can be carried over to the main game.
The Lows
Messy, Messy Co-Op
When co-op works, it works as advertised. It's you playing through the campaign with a friend, saving survivors, completing missions and earning experience and cash to bring back to your game. Unfortunately co-op has major problems. Specifically, if either member of the two-man co-op team saves or dies, the game abruptly ends. Thankfully you can still save your progress, but the guest in the game is kicked back to the main menu and is forced to rejoin the game via an invite. It really hurts the flow of co-op and should be fixed with a patch ASAP.
Boss Fights Are As Bad As Ever
Although effort was clearly made to polish and improve the "Dead Rising" model, "Dead Rising 2" still has some of the same issues as the first game did. Boss fights are particularly annoying, especially at lower levels, and often devolve into a hit and run style of play. The worst by far is the final fight of the game, which requires you battle without any of your hard-earned weapons. Once leveled up, these fights become a lot easier, but they never really add much to the gameplay, apart from an entertaining cutscene or two.
Load Screens Aplenty
It really doesn't make much sense that there are so many load screens in "Dead Rising 2." Every time you leave a casino or mall, there's another load screen of significant length. I say it doesn't make sense because there are enormous zones, like the Silver Strip, that seem to manage having twice the space of any of the other zones without needing a single load. It would've been a lot better had each of the zones been set across a single, massive map, rather than having to break up the action every few minutes. That's not to mention the fact that every cutscene requires its own load screen, both in and out of the cutscene.
The Dreaded Save System Returns
If you hated the save system from the original "Dead Rising," I've got bad news for you. It's back. On the bright side, you've got more than one save slot this time around, but even with that, you're still going to curse yourself for not saving in the bathroom at least once throughout the game. It's especially harsh when you stumble upon a boss fight by accident. There really should've been checkpoints before these surprise boss fights, which have the potential to wipe out a large chunk of your progress.
The Verdict
"Dead Rising 2" is a solid entry for the franchise, with plenty of improvements to make it friendlier to newcomers and more fun overall. It still suffers from some issues here and there, and really could've used more variety in terms of the basic gameplay, but fans of the original will no doubt enjoy themselves with the sequel.