What is the key ingredient for a good Dead Rising game?

I've covered wars you know.

I feel like I can't even really answer this poll, because there are at least four of five things on there that I consider to be intrinsic parts of the Dead Rising formula thus far and maybe even a few others that you didn't mention. I guess on the most basic level, the large numbers of zombies are the most base-level defining feature.

My cop-out answer is that it's the combination of unique gameplay specifics like the time limit etc that really make it a series of games that you have to approach in a unique way.

• Crowd surfing on zombies.
• Orange juice

I wish you could pick more than one. There are several things that made that game great for me. You can't pin just one quality that set Dead Rising apart! also *insert obligatory save game issue being the unique quality joke here* (although I never had an issue with the saving in that game. It made the game feel more permanent and made getting shit done feel urgent)

I'd say that the humour and creative choice of weaponry are the core features required to make a Dead Rising game just that. Obviously, as other people have mentioned, it still wouldn't be -quite- complete without a few of the other features listed above.

I would say "that wacky humor," but most of that is just subtle enough in the right way to make it work. However, if they set out to make a LAUGH OUT LOUD EXPERIENCE with a new DR, it would be fuckin terrible.

The opposite of the first game.

I was going to say lack of good sense.

All of these things + not to mention Japanese charm/magic. Dead Rising 1 was a masterpiece as far as I'm concerned, the perfect zombie game. Everything down to the achievements was meticulously crafted as part of the experience. It was a singular vision, pure and unconcerned with how you're supposed to make games. It was a game that grew on you, and after you had the taste, you see that there's no other way this game should be made.

For me, a large number of those things are important. But, I feel like it's the harshness, particularly when it comes to the time limits, that sets Dead Rising apart from other zombie-type games. And most games in general!

I could see them removing any single element from the other things you listed, but I feel like without the time limit (or some new harsh, stressful requirement hanging over your head to take its place), it would just be a big dumb zombie sandbox with no underlying uniqueness. No real spark.

Also, shopping carts.

Zombies and the insane humorous stuff.
The timer doesn't really matter, once you got good at the games that thing was not even a problem.

Hell, people have even just started from level 1 and beat Dead Rising 1 and 2 with the best ending(or whatever people call endings these days).

Hordes of zombies and the goofy, campy, humorous ways to lay waste to them. The save system and timer can go jump off a cliff for all I care. I've always hated timers in games. I like to play a game at my own pace. I don't want to be rushed through it where I constantly feel like I shouldn't explore the area or experiment with weapons.

Ya know? I liked the second game ALOT more than the first. It was better in just about every possible way. It's crazy to me that people like Frank West more than Chuck Greene. Also why is the "I've covered wars ya know!" line funny? It's not.

And i hate the timelimit. Easily the worst part of those games. It's like they went "Hey we made this big "open world" area game with tons to do and its super fun to mess around and fight zombies, but we're putting harsh time limits on you for a really dumb reason"

I'm just going to say, the hordes and hordes of zombies. Any other game there would be only like 5 or 10, Dead Rising always had dozens, if not 100+

Not making the game at all

I think the Timelimit thing was more a "Hey, we have this super open world with a lot of stuff to do, though we also put this timelimit here just so you won't run around and have fun for too long before you realize that there's actually not that much stuff to do other than kill zombies"

Frank West.

boob physics

weapons and humor.