Video Game Reviews

'DEAD RISING'
(Capcom) for Xbox 360
Genre: Adventure; Rating: M
Grade: B
It takes a core knowledge to truly understand how to make a compelling zombie game. Capcom has gotten it right for ages, most notably with its "Resident Evil" franchise. For now, as we all await the next "Resident Evil" game on the next-gen platforms, Capcom entertains us with a marked shift by making a more campy zombie game, "Dead Rising."
In what seems to be a blatant homage to George Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" movie, you play the game as Frank West, a photojournalist (as he likes to remind everyone at all times throughout the game) who is trapped in a suburban shopping mall riddled with thousands of blood-hungry people-eaters. You have 72 hours to survive the mayhem before your helicopter rescue arrives, and during those 72 hours you must save as many survivors as possible and slay countless numbers of the undead.
Killing them isn't just expected, it's enjoyable to an almost sickening degree. What gives "Dead Rising" its style and flavor is that you can use the mall's various stores to your advantage. Feel like chucking soccer balls and vending machines at your prey? Then go at it. Low on health? Head over to the food court and cook up food to replenish yourself. Want to upgrade your gun-toting and fighting skills? Go to the bookstore and read up on it. You can just about do it all.
One thing that makes this game tough is its real-time gameplay. You can only save the game once during your 72-hour gameplay, so once you've used it you're done. There are lots of people to escort to safety, and side missions involving snapping funny or gory photos with your camera. You'll end up replaying the game several times to get it right, so don't be discouraged if you miss something or have to let the zombies kill a person or two the first couple times around.
All of this is presented in lavish colors and is nearly the polar opposite of "Resident Evil," spare the zombies. This is a top-notch game that 360 owners will salivate over and enjoy.
--Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard
'CIVILIZATION IV: WARLORDS'
(2K Games) for PC
Genre: Strategy; Rating: E
Grade: B
"Civ IV" already has been deemed one of the top PC games of the year, and probably the best strategy game, period (with some props to "Star Wars: Battlefront II").
In any event, "Civ IV" has its first expansion pack, and it is a doozy that owners of the game will not want to miss.
The real meat of the expansion pack is the new scenarios you can encounter. The best of these is playing as Genghis Khan, since the whole point is not to build civilizations but to destroy them. It's amazing it took this long for Khan to make it into a Civ game, but he's here and as ruthless as you'd expect.
There are also six new civilizations you can play as (Carthaginians, Zulus, Ottomans, Koreans, Celts and my pal David's personal favorites, the Vikings. There's nothing better than commanding a legion of angry Vikes with woolly boots and horned helmets).
In any case, those who already have "Civ IV" are wise to add this pack, and "Warlords" is more incentive for those who don't own "Civ IV" to make the purchase now.
--Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard
'WARPATH'
(Groove Games) for PC, Xbox
Genre: Shooter; Rating: T
Grade: D-
Let's try to put this nicely: It's not that "Warpath" is a terrible game -- it's not. The problem is that the first-person shooter's main component is the online multiplayer mode, and there's hardly ever anyone playing it.
The story is standard stuff -- warring factions collide in an intergalactic duel and you can choose from one of the three races to join. From there it's pick up a weapon and begin whipping tail on anything that moves. The single-player mode is rather piecemeal, since there's no story behind it. All you do is enter one area, go to the next and clear it of opponents.
The meat of the game is online and, again, there are hiccups here because no one is there to play with. Visually the game is decent and you can sense additional potential. But then no one likes going to pickup basketball games and discovering no one else showed up.
--Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard