Dead Rising 2 Beta

Dead Rising

Dead Rising 2

Dead Rising 2
Cases and Missions • Characters • Weapons • Stores • Endings

See also: Dead Rising 2 Artbook and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record Concept Art

Dead Rising 2 had gone through multiple development stages before reaching its current, final version. There were many changes to characters, environments, and weapons. This article covers early beta versions of Dead Rising 2 and differences from the final game.

First beta

In February of 2009, six screenshots were released alongside the announcement of Capcom's development of Dead Rising 2. In these images, Chuck appears noticeably different, as he wears brown loafers instead of his final version's black racing boots, and his facial model is entirely different. His jeans are lighter in color, and the overall environment is less colorful and saturated.

In the first screenshot, Chuck rides a dirtbike into a zombie crowd in front of "Donacci", possibly an early version of Cucina Donnacci.

A second screenshot shows Chuck battling Zombies with a Novelty Cell Phone in front of an early version of Modern Businessman. Chuck's jacket exhibits Apex Clothing, or Dynamic Clothing, an industry term for animation or physics-based garment movement. In the case of Dead Rising 2, the developers opted for the animation option due to the high rendering cost of physics. However, this feature was eventually cut from Chuck's jacket.

Another screenshot showcased an increased number of on-screen zombies, with Chuck wielding a Baseball Bat.

A fourth screenshot shows Chuck on top of a pair of Slot Machines, with zombie crowds shuffling below. Chuck holds a light blue Bass Guitar that was never included in the final version.

A fifth screenshot shows Chuck attacking a zombie with a Roulette Wheel.

The final screenshot features the Dead Rising 2 logo. This would be the last peek of Dead Rising 2 until September 2009.

Second beta (Tokyo Game Show 2009)

A reworked version of Dead Rising 2, complete with a new character design and environment, was unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show 2009 in September. Chuck's facial design in this version resembles his final one.

The trailer shows thousands of zombies onscreen outside on the Silver Strip and Platinum Strip, with a variety of differences from the final version:

• There is no canopy over the Silver Strip.
• The Americana Casino was positioned just down the street from the Yucatan Casino on the south side, with American flags that were later removed from the final version.

• There are two large buildings at either end of the strip, one being the final Yucatan Casino and the other a tall tower with green lights.
• Fortune Park is not visible, and a sign over the street reads: "Fortune City is waiting for you."

• A "Casino Verona" is seen across from the Americana Casino, but it was excluded from the final version.

• A shop called "Pawned" is located next to the Americana Casino.

• Zombies are shown wearing glasses.

• An "Aduna" casino construction site is labeled as "coming soon," which was later moved to the south of the Yucatan Casino with the name removed.

Artwork of the pre-beta environment was also released, providing a glimpse of the locale's scope and scale.

Additionally, another screenshot was released, showcasing the Paddlesaw, which eventually became the most-advertised combo weapon, appearing on the game's box art and in numerous screenshots and trailers.

Tokyo Game Show 2009 playable demo

Participants at the Tokyo Game Show convention had the opportunity to play an early version of the Dead Rising 2 demo, set in an early version of the Americana Casino. Players who successfully killed 300 zombies in 10 minutes were rewarded with a bonus round, allowing them to drive the Wheel Chair Tank (later named the Blitzkrieg) for one minute and 24 seconds.

• The Royal Flush Plaza and Fortune City Arena entrances are blocked off with a metal door.

• The Indoor Garbage Can was referred to simply as a "Garbage Can".
• All three chairs, the Highback Oak Chair, Cushioned Tall Chair, and Yellow Tall Chair were simply called "Tall Chair".
• The Broadsword was simply called a "Sword".
• There is a zombie with a number 88 football jersey, which does not appear in the final version of the game.

• There is a poster advertising "King Slots" that does not appear in the final version.

• The only combo weapons were the Paddlesaw and the Blitzkrieg, and no Maintenance Rooms were accessible.
• Zombie bodies did not disappear, or they vanished much later than in the final version.

• The Wild West Poker Draw minigame is missing; in its place is a large slot machine.

• The Platinum Strip was referred to as the "South Strip".

• Alcoholic drinks had a Martini glass-shaped icon (). This icon was replaced with the standard food icon in the final version of the game.

Trivia

• Chuck's battle grunts and sounds are largely different. This is due to his facial change, where the voice in the demo resembled sound that might come out of early Chuck's voice.
• The pawnshop sign on the city artwork reads: "Poor Selection, High Prices, Terrible Quality."
• In the video trailer, an "El Corteo Hotel" next to the Atlantica Hotel can be seen, which was cut during development.
• The game is much less saturated with color, giving it a more "realistic" feel compared to the final version.
  • Due to the reduced saturation, blood appears orange.

Gallery

Tokyo Game Show 2009 demo

Tokyo Game Show 2009 demo

Tokyo Game Show 2009 demo

Tokyo Game Show 2009 demo

Tokyo Game Show 2009 demo