Attack of the Undead Mall Rats

You have the run of the mall -- and its merchandise -- as you battle zombies in the campy and fun "Dead Rising." (Capcom/ign.com)

Fans of "Shaun of the Dead" will find this tongue-in-cheek horror game -- set in a massive mall overrun by zombies -- a blast to play.

Capcom, known for its creepy "Resident Evil" games, has opted for a campier approach with "Dead Rising." Players assume the role of photojournalist Frank West, who has dropped onto the roof of a Mall of America-type shopping center. West has 72 hours to take as many pictures as he can and uncover the mystery behind the undead epidemic that has caused the Army to quarantine the area. The real, um, meat of this interactive experience is killing zombies in the mall, which has its own amusement park and Western-themed food court.

With all the stores open, it's up to the player to choose whether to use chain saws, bowling balls, Tasers, frying pans or guns. Just about every type of weapon imaginable is at your disposal, and the game limits the time you can use any one item to encourage creativity in your many encounters with the undead denizens. Although the game is pretty linear, and the clock is always ticking, you're free to use anything in the mall to complete your missions, which include rescuing other survivors.

It's like starring in a B-movie, but one that looks pretty good thanks to next-generation graphics. Hundreds of zombies can come at you at once, and these undead creatures sport decent artificial intelligence. There's as much strategy as gun-toting involved in the missions, and the game even offers rewards for taking the time to read books to learn Japanese or how to ride a skateboard.

Though I wasn't a fan of the frequent load times, the freedom West has inside the mall makes this a fun experience. As an added incentive for completing the game, you can go back and play again and again without that 72-hour clock ticking. It would have been nice to have multiplayer options for offline or online gaming, but this zombie romp delivers the blood, guts and humor that fans of the genre crave.

-- John Gaudiosi

Dead Rising Mature; Xbox 360 ($60) Capcom