11. Dead Rising (X360)
This is the game that made me bite the bullet and "jump in". The original Xbox had the most uncompelling library of any viable system I'd ever seen, so the 360 wasn't something I was even considering until I saw this bad boy. A zombie-filled sandbox game? By Capcom, no less? Sign me up! I was properly hyped, and my expectations were through the roof. I'm happy to say that Dead Rising not only met them, but shattered them all. I mean, I'd never even thought the game might let me level up by taking erotic photos of zombies, but thank god Capcom did!
The premise of the game is that you're trapped in a shopping mall a la Dawn of the Dead, and with hundreds if not thousands of absurd ways to dispatch the aforementioned zombies, the gameplay is just so ridiculously fun. It's matched by a cheesy as hell storyline starring Frank West. Frank possesses a sort of pugnacious everyman charm (he's covered wars) and is pretty hunky in a Jersey-Shore-if-it-weren't-populated-by-orange-people kind of way. Basically, he's the greatest protagonist ever, and it's up to him to unravel some nonsensical conspiracy involved the U.S. government and South American terrorists. Along the way, he'll rescue survivors, try to avoid being devoured by the hordes of the undead, and maybe squeeze in a little crossdressing. It's really up to you, and since events happen according to the time of day and it's impossible to do everything in any one playthrough, you're encouraged to experiment and explore.
No game is perfect, and truly, Dead Rising is no exception. It's plagued by a horribly clunky save system and Otis, the worst character ever, ever. This cocksucker will ring you up on your cellphone nonfuckingstop, and when you're interrupted by a zombie trying to nom on you, he'll call you back to tell you how rude you are for hanging up on him! The nerve of this fuck is really something to behold. Even so, I love this game more than words can say. It's got such a terrific sense of humor. Much like with Earth Defense Force, it feels like you're playing through a B-movie. Dead Rising is a terrific counterpoint to Capcom's other zombie franchise, and I vastly prefer its candy-colored zombie apocalypse to Resident Evil's darker depiction. Bring on Dead Rising 3, 4, and 5!
