Capcoms legion of stenches are back with their tongues firmly rooted in their rotten cheeks in Dead Rising 2. Originally spewed from the gore-dribbling maw of the publishers in-house team in the East, Capcom smartly opted to outsource this follow up to Canadian developer Blue Castle Games, a team predominantly known for its back catalogue of sports spinners.
Thankfully and under the watchful eye of zombie maestro Keiji Inafune, Dead Risings original co-designer the result is a sequel that stays true to it rotten roots, while adding a few twists and turns of its own to keep the slaughter feeling fresh. Unfurling under a geyser of gore in Fortune City, Blue Castles ode to Las Vegas, Dead Rising 2s fizzles; gallons of the sticky stuff splashes the screen and a jaw-dropping legion of slickly crafted walkers beg to be bashed.
Show-stopping additions to an already solid foundation include both four player co-op mini modes (motorcycle chainsaw duels, anyone?) and a slew of new weapon-crafting combos, including a genius teddy bear with a machine gun concoction. Risings pièce de résistance however, is its robust graphical overhaul; textures are head and shoulders above the original, environments are richer, exquisitely detailed and loaded with even more bombastic bludgeoning props than before. Swing away!