Dead Rising 2: Off the Record

It's still riotous. If Dead Rising 2 shuffled past you last year, now's the time to grab it with two, bloodied, clamouring hands. [Dec 2011, p80]

A brilliant cut-price remix of an already standout game. [Dec 2011, p.104]

If you played through Dead Rising 2 and you're not particularly enthused about Frank, the reason to look at Off the Record is to spend a few days with a friend bouncing around the mall in Sandbox Mode. I wouldn't recommend this on any other basis, but that's pretty much enough on its own.

Off the Record is a game that offers an outrageous amount of content for newcomers to the franchise and even veterans of Dead Rising 2 will enjoy the «anxiety free» sandbox mode. On the other hand, many will complain that all this content could have been made available as a DLC for Dead Rising 2.

The series' high point so far. [Nov 2011, p.114]

DR2: Off the Record is a great opportunity to experience the great Dead Rising 2 if you've missed out the original.

This is overall the same game from last year, but with another main character. This change allows for new moves, new motivations for the main character and the addition of the camera, which changes and improves gameplay, but the content is almost the same, and it is difficult to recommend the game for those who already have the original, except for hardcore fans.

It's tough shaking the feeling that this game offers little to make it worthwhile to anyone who played the second game, but if you're itching for some more gory zombie action, then Off the Record shouldn't disappoint.

Aside from a new environment and some fresh weapons, this is mainly the same game. The developers added some cool details for fans of the original version, but those are not sufficient to buy the game a second time, even at a budget price. [Nov 2011, p.88]

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is a game that is a lot of fun. For newcomers you are sure to admire the visceral graphics and attention to detail that has been taken bringing our undead friends to life.

So I'd suggest checking this out primarily if you skipped over Dead Rising 2.

Still, at its heart this is Dead Rising 2. Most of the cutscenes contain the same dialogue, only with Frank edited in, so there's the feeling that two entirely different conversations are taking place and it comes across as lazy.

These updates aside, it's hard to ignore the spectacularly half-arsed mentality on show, despite the budget price tag. [Christmas 2011, p.111]

Off the record is hard to recommend to anyone who has already played through the original Dead Rising 2 campaign. There are however quite a few improvements and it is surely the definitive version of an already very entertaining zombie adventure. Anyone who missed last years effort has a nice opportunity to experience it now at a nice low price.

Record is very familiar, but undeniably fun. [Dec 2011, p.77]

Dead Rising 2: Off The Record likely will only appeal to a couple of audiences: serious long-time fans of the titles, and people who've never played them before but want to sample the franchise in a version with photography, immediately available sandbox mode and a discounted retail price.

Off the Record provides as much entertainment as last year's Dead Rising 2 because it's almost exactly the same game.

It's hard to know who it's for. Newcomers can get by with the original, and old hands have played most of it before. If you're a massive fan of the series - and of Frank West in particular - it's still worth picking this up, but even at twenty notes, there's little to make this an urgent purchase.

Frank West is a hilarious protagonist and the newly added checkpoints are a relief. Overall, however, there's a lack of new features to justify the price tag.

Off The Record is the way Dead Rising 2 should have been to begin with. But the lack of improvements to the aging gameplay, it is clear that this game is a quick repressing that didn't get the love it truly deserved.

Off the Record is the best game in the series because of the return of Frank West and the addition of the Sandbox Mode. However, you're basically playing Dead Rising 2 all over again, with the same story, technical imperfections and tiresome gameplay.

We still have the same mechanical problems, Frank's photography skill doesn't add much, the frame rate issues are still there, and in the end, it's just "Dead Rising 2+."

As a reinterpretation of the existing Dead Rising 2 story, Off The Record fails on every level. [Issue#211, p.82]

Off the Record isn't a terrible game. It's still has the same gameplay systems and wacky combo weapons as the original DR2, flaws and all. It just doesn't need to exist and I struggle to find any reason to recommend it.

Unfortunately, it's a case of one game too far for owners of last year's release and all of its related DLC.

Though having some undeniable qualities, Dead Rising 2: Off the Record fails to improve on its predecessor, proving just a mere more of the same. Just for fans.

The way this game depicts Frank going through nearly the same story you've seen before sort of cheapens the existence of the original Dead Rising 2.

An incremental upgrade to Dead Rising 2. It's still great fun, but just be aware this is little extra than more of the same.

Its rough edges may have been sanded down, but in the process some of its unique personality has been lost. At a time where games like Dark Souls aren't afraid to put players through the wringer, it's disappointing that a title from Capcom of all publishers should feel, much like its doughy protagonist, a little soft around the middle.