Dead Rising 4

Dead Rising 4 is filled with over-the-top, creative zombie killing, but the story is formulaic and the open world doesn’t invite exploration.

Dead Rising 4 has the best core gameplay the series has ever seen. Its inventive and humorous ways to put down the dead are something I still haven’t tired of, and its surprisingly interesting plot is more than just a zombie-killing delivery system. Despite the technical blemishes that come with the series, its lack of co-op story mode play, and the fun-yet-unreliable multiplayer, Frank West’s return brings the series some fresh ideas, a ton of bloody mayhem, and a whole lot of cracking wise. Here’s hoping he sticks around for a while.

Fans of Dead Rising will lament everything this latest Christmas-themed sequel has lost, but it’s still a pleasant-enough time for those who want a mindless zombie-killing sandbox.