The Xbox One is out now, so before you go and pick up your games, maybe it's best to see how some of the consoles exclusives are scoring? First, let's take a look at the latest game in Capcom's million zombie basher franchise, Dead Rising 3.
Shacknews, 6/10 - "Like any AAA sequel, Dead Rising 3 is a bigger game: the world is more expansive, the weapons hit harder, and the zombies more plentiful than ever. Unfortunately, bigger isn't always better, as Dead Rising 3 is crushed by the weight of its ambitions, making it inferior to the other games in the series...because traversing through the giant world is a requirement, expect to see a lot of quick-time events once zombies inevitably get their undead hands on you. Dealing with an occasional "X" or "B" button prompt is fine, but Dead Rising 3 also takes advantage of one of the Xbox One controller's new features: the gyroscope. Unfortunately, it's one of the game's most unwelcome new ideas, as one specific QTE will require you to shake the controller when prompted. It's aggravating to have to shake your controller so many times and that's without mentioning that the gesture won't register some of the time. It becomes much worse when the QTE pops up while driving, as you'll wind up slamming into a wall while trying to escape the zombie horde."
Joystiq, 7/10 - "There aren't too many problems that can't be solved with a blow torch and a few well-scrounged supplies. This is what I've learned from Dead Rising 3, which evolves the patchwork weapon-crafting mechanic introduced in Dead Rising 2 in some very natural and helpful ways. Now you can build custom weaponry and vehicles, often to great comical effect, anywhere you want in the game world of Los Perdidos. Dead Rising 3 doesn't greatly deviate from the series' sandbox formula, but rather chooses to dump loads of new toys and even more zombies into the play pit with you...Bugs abound in Dead Rising 3. Survivors get stuck on objects. I had multiple game crashes and even discovered a repeatable glitch on the final boss battle in Overtime mode, where skipping the pre-fight cutscene would cause both Nick and the boss to fall through the game world. I would respawn back into the battle, while the boss would disappear entirely. The only way to fix this was to reload the checkpoint and sit through the cutscene again. On top of all this, the frame rate takes a substantial hit during the more zombie-packed segments – and even during some cutscenes. And yet, despite those technical flaws, Dead Rising 3 proves that increasing the size of the sandbox and tossing more toys inside is enough to compensate for the inconsistency in execution. The persistent hiccups are hard to ignore, but they're not so great as to stall the engine for goofy creations that is the heart of the game. Dead Rising 3 is a worthy entry in the series and, for the most part, gets out of your way. It knows that all you really want to do is discover and create new playthings to dismember the undead. As a vehicle for that, it's a comfortable ride.
Polygon, 7.5/10 - "Dead Rising 3 is an impressive technical achievement for the brand-new Xbox One. A sprawling, open-world action-horror game, it soars when it allows players the freedom to explore and wreak havoc in its zombie-infested city. But Dead Rising 3 also suffers from clumsy mechanical execution and stale writing better left to the last generation...Playing Dead Rising 3 can be a schizophrenic experience — I was angry at the game whenever it required precision from me — precision that the controls just wouldn’t support. But I was thoroughly enjoying myself whenever it let me run amok and get creative with weapons and vehicles. It’s a game with great ideas and intermittently poor execution...Dead Rising 3 gets a lot of things right. It presents a massive open world filled with possibilities and features the first truly impressive use of scale in a game based on a zombie outbreak. But the game's difficulty spikes — due to its control and inventory issues — and boring, stereotype-laden writing can be difficult to swallow. There's a very good game lurking inside of Dead Rising 3 — but it feels a little unsteady on its feet."
GameInformer, 8.75/10 - "In a new generation of hardware with several multi-platform, cross-generation launch titles, many gamers are struggling to point out exactly how the new hardware unlocks new possibilities — Dead Rising 3 stands as a clear example. The winding city streets are packed sidewalk to sidewalk with more zombies than you could count, and turning the asphalt red with their blood is as fun as ever. However, the technical leap in the undead population comes with its share of distracting bugs...Capcom Vancouver’s latest entry in the Dead Rising saga is an impressive display of big, dumb fun, and a must-play for fans of the series. It’s also a great demonstration of the outstanding capabilities of next-gen hardware right out of the gate. Thinning out the undead of Los Perdidos is worth your time, but the bugs infesting the sandbox are an unwelcome scourge."
Destructoid, 9/10 - "nothing compares to actually playing it for yourself, and I'm pleased to say that the third iteration of this now famous franchise has risen (ha!) to the occasion. In fact, Dead Rising 3 is the first game I've seen that really harnesses the power of next-gen consoles. Oh, and it's also a phenomenal game as well...Although it sacrifices a tad of its loveable camp factor and neon style in favor of a few other advancements, the outcome is a much stronger, more involved Dead Rising game. For once, I actually felt overwhelmed in a zombie outbreak, which is a real example of how next-gen technology can be used to do more than simply 'make things look better.' Out of all the launch titles I've played on both new consoles, Dead Rising 3 is my personal favorite, bar none."
Kotaku, Yes - "The real world can be a frustrating place. Stuck in traffic, trapped in line at the supermarket… it always feels like there's someone in the way. Certain games—the Grand Theft Autos, the Dead Risings—show us a world where it's okay to act on our worst, most violent impulses. Our forest of problems becomes a lawn we can mow, preferably with a flame-thrower attached to the mower.1P
And so comes Dead Rising 3, a video game for people who really like killing zombies in video games. It's a game about commuting to work and obliterating every moving thing in your path. It's invigorating and muddled, innovative and yet hopelessly mired in the past. It's well-designed, except when it's horribly designed, satisfying when it's not frustrating as hell. It's a very fun, very large game that you can only play on the Xbox One, but it doesn't take all that much advantage of the console's unique features...Dead Rising 3 is at its best when at its bloodiest, gleefully powering a steamroller through a thousands-deep crowd of the undead as the experience-points rain down. But its numerous good qualities are significantly marred by annoying design and tone-deaf writing, both of which leave the game feeling muddled and out of touch. It is at once an invocation of the best of what might be and a perplexing embrace of the worst of what has been. As a game, Dead Rising 3 is significantly flawed but plenty fun. As a step toward our brave new next-gen future, it's a half-measure, testing fresh ground while leaving its rear foot planted squarely in the past."
Check out the launch trailer below.