Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 79 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 81 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 78% | 73 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 74 | 6 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 91% | 85 | 14 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 41 reviews sampled · 24 total reviews in window · weighted 23.9 up / 2.3 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (74)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 75
“There are very few games that showcase this kind of creativity combined with a protagonist with a believable reason behind their cause.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dead Rising 2 doesn't stray from the core principle of the original. Murdering zombies in creative ways is immensely entertaining.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Dead Rising was an enjoyable experience, full of the undead, a bit of cheese, and a likeable yet somewhat flat protagonist in Frank West. DR 2 ups the ante to provide similar thrills, but overall feels like a much more fuller game.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“By far, however, the greatest addition to the formula is the co-op multiplayer. Grab a friend online, and the two of you can slice, chop and smash your way through the hordes together, with plenty of missions to complete. The action is very entertaining with a second person keeping you company and you'll spend hours simply exploring and clearing out entire areas of zombies together.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The thing about the Dead Rising series is that it's pretty unique. Killing hordes of zombies with a huge variety of improvised weaponry isn't a genre present anywhere else. It's a great game to just mess around in, picking up random clothing, smashing zombie heads in and fighting away psychopaths.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“A great sequel to a very unique and entertaining series.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Like Resident Evil 5 and Lost Planet 2, this Dead Rising is no mere comfort food. It's skillfully made-to-order for people who are hip to zombie mythology, who don't think of Doom or Daikatana when they hear the name "Romero". ”
read full review ↗ - 72
“After the first chapter, the story really starts to suck you in, but the gameplay is too repetitive for being entertaining a long time.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Dead Rising 2 is as straightforward a sequel to Dead Rising as you can get. There are no drastic changes to the formula, for all the good and bad that implies.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“We admit we miss the first Dead Rising's goofier schtick and the initial wow factor of its innovative challenge. But the latter hasn't been toned down for this sequel, and the game remains - even with its flaws - a shuffler lover's undead dream.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A balanced game, at once idiosyncratic, infuriating, funny and ultimately compelling. In both its story and its systems, it holds life and undeath in delicate tension; and as a result, all the loud-mouth college humour and violence fail to mask its tender heart.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The Dead Rising formula proves to be as addictive as ever, and a new cooperative mode and weapon crafting system are great additions to the franchise.”
read full review ↗
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot…and 62 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Dead Rising 2 save migration tool now liveMay 20, 2015significant · resets scoring window