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Nowadays, it’s common for many games to receive additional expansions some time after the title has released. However, Capcom decided to do things a bit backwards with Dead Rising 2 by creating the prologue, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero. This quest allows players to be acquainted (or reacquainted) with the controls and gameplay of its predecessor, while familiarizing them with some new additions to the Dead Rising formula.

The story begins as protagonist Chuck Greene and his daughter escape from a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas. Upon arriving in the small town of Still Creek, Chuck has his truck stolen while stopping for supplies at gas station, stranding him and his daughter, Katey. Some time before, Katey had been bitten by a zombie and infected, leaving her needing an injection of Zombrex at a predetermined time each day to ward off the transformation. While searching for the crucial medication in an ambulance Chuck hears that the military will be overtaking the town before nightfall, giving him twelve in-game hours to find a means of escape, and medicine for his daughter. These two goals are the player's primary objective within Case Zero, although there are other tasks for players to complete if they wish.

Throughout the hour long quest, players will find themselves exploring the small town of Still Creek that has become overrun by zombies, and having a good weapon is crucial to survival. Within the safe house is a tool bench, where players will have their first opportunity to try out Dead Rising 2's signature weapon crafting. Initially players are only introduced to the Spiked Bat, but as they level up, players will unlock new cards detailing how to craft new combination weapons. Despite being able to make several combinations in Case Zero, the ability to combine weapons serves more to familiarize the player with the concept rather than being optimally useful as it is in the main game.

Once equipped with a weapon, players will set out on a mission to rebuild a broken motorcycle - Chuck and Katey's only hope of escape. Not including the bike itself there are five pieces that players must find: a steering wheel, handlebars, gas can, engine, and motorcycle forks. Players can either scour the town blindly trying to find the items, or pay the mechanic running a local Pawnshop for pointers. While trying to find the missing parts without hints adds a bit more satisfaction to the quest, the time limit constraint basically forces players to rely on hints, which dulls the experience.

In addition to simply collecting bike parts, players will encounter several people in need of rescue or other assistance, throughout the town. For those who will play Case Zero before jumping into the main Dead Rising 2 quest, helping these individuals is a great way to level up by earning Prestige Points (PP), since players are able to import their character from Case Zero into a new Dead Rising 2 quest, thus giving them a head start.

Those acquainted with Dead Rising will undoubtedly notice the incredible improvements made to the rescuing system, as characters are now able to fend off attacking zombies on their own rather than needing the player to constantly go and rescue them. This makes saving people not only smoother, but far more enjoyable.

Ultimately, the hour long Case Zero quest feels more like a tutorial or demo, rather than a real addition. Though it is fun to jump back into the world of Dead Rising with gameplay that has been noticeably improved, the whole experience is a bit underwhelming, especially considering the absolute lack of replay value. Players will simply be preoccupied with two fetch quests the entire time, a five second journey to acquire Zombrex, and finally a Psychopath boss battle that is laughable compared to any that players will encounter within Dead Rising 2.

However, for gamers who have been out of the Dead Rising loop for a while, Case Zero isn't a big monetary investment, and will provide some decent entertainment while it lasts.