Games

From TV hit The Walking Dead to Brad Pitt's blockbuster smash World War Z, modern culture has been treating zombies way too seriously lately. So it’s brilliantly refreshing to see Dead Rising 3 gleefully treating them as nothing more than fodder for the most outrageous range of weapons ever found in a game.

There’s a story of sorts underlying the zombie-slaughtering hilarity, involving finding other survivors and escaping from the ‘infected’ city of Los Perditos before it’s firebombed. But the game never loses sight of its raison d'etre: providing gamers with a large sandbox stuffed with tens of thousands of zombies for mowing down with vehicles or any physical object you can find, no matter how absurd. All while wearing a barmy array of outfits. Including a gimp suit.

While DR3’s visuals lack the texture polish of other Xbox One titles, its innovative SmartGlass app features and delivery of a city carpeted with fully-animated, surprisingly varied-looking zombies ensure it’s definitely a next-gen experience.

There are frustrations. It’s initially overwhelming, there’s only one save slot (though purists will likely applaud this) and some may argue it’s a one-trick pony. But for us this trick is so infectiously delivered that DR3 is arguably the best – certainly the most fun – next-gen game so far.

Dead Rising 3, Microsoft Studios/Capcom, Xbox One, £50 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 4.5/5