Dead Rising (Xbox 360) Review

Capcom.  When somebody utters the name, a number of franchises rush through their minds, such as Mega Man, Street Fighter, Dark Void, and the king of the survival horror genre, Resident Evil.  Released in 1996, the game revolutionized the survival horror genre and set the standard for future survival horror games.  Ten years later, history repeated itself through the release of Dead Rising for the Xbox 360.  At the time, the system had been released less than year ago, and to take advantage of the new hardware, Capcom released this title showcasing the power of the then next-gen console.  How?  Through teeming hordes of zombies.

Frank West is a photojournalist looking for a big break.  When word gets out that the town of Willamette, Colorado has been quarantined by the government, he hitches a ride in a chopper with the request that the pilot fly to the town, so he can see what's going on.  While investigating, they are ambushed by government choppers, and without hesitation, Frank leaps out of the copter and on to the roof of the town's local mall.  Once he finds his way toward the lobby, Frank discovers the truth.  Outside, there are zombies trying to get in, and some civilians are setting up a barricade, so the ghouls can't get in.  Unfortunately for them, an old lady notices her dog outside, oblivious to the fact that it's a zombie, and when she tries to save the pooch, the zombies flow in and begin to feast on the people.

Frank manages to escape back to the security room, but no one else makes it.  Once there, he is greeted by a pair of government agents, Jessie and Brad.  They're looking for somebody but won't say who.  Eventually, Frank learns of a man named Carlito, who is responsible for the outbreak in Willamette and is the person they are looking for.  With the help of the agents, plus Carlito's sister, Isabela, Frank West sets out to discover the reasons why the outbreak happened and do it within three days since the pilot will then return to pick him up.

Dead Rising's story is serviceable; it's not bad and it does enough to keep your interest, but that's about it.  Much of what happens here has been explored before in plenty of other zombie-related fiction.  In fact, the game's concept of fighting zombies in a mall got Capcom into legal trouble with the studio who owns the rights to Dawn of the Dead, both the original and the remake.  Fortunately, the lawsuit was dismissed since no connections to both products could be found beyond the basic premise.  Throughout the campaign, questions are set up regarding Carlito and what his grand scheme is, and because of the game's structure, the outcome of events will vary depending on the circumstances at hand.

This is Cliff.  He looks like Woody Harrelson, and will
turn you into mince meat if you're not careful.

However, when you find out what Carlito's plan is, you realize that he is the luckiest bad guy in the world.  Minor spoilers ahead, but halfway through the game, Isabela reveals Carlito's plan is to detonate bombs underneath the mall that will release parasitic larva into the air, larva that becomes a wasp capable of infecting people with the zombification gene.  The problem is that these are bombs, and if they blow up, then the wasp larva would be incinerated, so no zombies.  Then again, considering how apparently most of the town was short on Raid when Carlito released the wasps to infect the town's populace, it's best to say that logic was not a key ingredient in his plan.

Story issues aside, Dead Rising does have moderately compelling characters.  When the game begins, Frank West is a cocky, hotshot journalist who could care less about helping people out, but as things progress, he finds out that working with other individuals is the only way he is going to get closer to the truth.  Although the rest of the cast is fine, the psychopaths the player will encounter are the highlight of this experience, besides Frank West.  The psychopaths are people that have gone mad due to the outbreak and have resorted to desperate measures just to survive.  They're exaggerated and over-the-top, but not to the point that they stick out like a sore thumb and detract from the experience.  Highlights include Adam, a crazy, chainsaw-wielding clown that gives the Killer Klowns a run for their money, Cliff, a Vietnam War veteran that goes mental and takes people hostage, and Stephen, a grocery store salesman who's a little bit too obsessed with his job.

Dead Rising is an open-world game with a single goal, Frank West must figure out what's going on within three days; once he does, he must get back to the rooftop so he can get out of there.  Over the course of the three in-game days, he'll complete main and side missions, capture photos of the event, and kill a ton of zombies.  However, the opening thirty minutes are a rough start.  Frank West starts out as a weakling, he has a small health bar, limited inventory, and his top running speed is akin to a senior citizen participating in a 5K marathon; plus, the first mission pits you against a boss.  Once that learning curve is out of the way, the game opens up and the madness can ensue.

Tip: Defeating the crazed gun store owner grants
you access to the gun shop, filled with plenty
of ways to carry out your right to bear arms.

Willamette Parkview Mall is split into multiple sectors, all of which are filled to the brim with zombies and stuff to kill them with.  Frank can utilize nearly every object around the mall that isn't nailed down as an instrument of destruction.  2x4's, swords, antique battle axes, and a lawnmower are just a few of the many items the player can use; some things, like paint cans, masks, CD's, and a plastic mega-buster from Mega Man only irritate the dead, but blunt objects, bladed weapons, and firearms let Frank dish out the pain.  Killing zombies, defeating bosses, and saving people earns him experience, referred to as Prestige Points; in turn, he levels up, which will either increase his stats for things like health, inventory, and walking speed, or grant him a special move like a jump kick, dodge roll, or the ability to suplex zombies.

What makes Dead Rising interesting from other open-world games is its usage of time.  A clock appears whenever Frank enters a new area to remind players of the end goal; additionally, all missions are timed.  As players explore the mall, he or she will receive messages from Otis, the janitor, who will inform the player of new missions and other opportunities that pop up.  After a brief dialogue exchange, the mission appears.  Each mission is given an allotted amount of time to go and complete, and when time runs out, the quest is gone for good.  If this happens to a story mission, then future cases become unavailable and you won't be able to see the rest of the plot, resulting in a less-than-stellar ending.

This mechanic can seem stressful for first-time players, but it isn't.  As you get deeper and deeper into the game, you figure out what you can accomplish depending on what's available and how much time is left to complete said task.  When a mission is in blue, then there's plenty of time to go and do something else, but if it's in red, then you should probably hustle and go get it done.  However, what is most certainly a stressful experience, at least in this installment, is the act of saving people, something will unleash a torrent of rage in such instances, but more on this mechanic later.

Chainsaws always make for a good time.

Despite being over ten years old, Dead Rising is a lot of fun, and much of the enjoyment comes from dispatching zombies in as many creative ways as possible, but some aspects of the game haven't held up particularly well.  The aiming controls are clunky.  To aim a gun or throw an item, you must hold the right trigger and press X to throw/fire; also, Frank can't move when aiming, meaning he's extremely vulnerable to the zombies around him.  Yet, to aim his camera and snap Pulitzer Prize-winning pictures, you hold the left trigger and unlike aiming a gun, Frank can move in this position.

Then there's the AI, which is something beyond comprehension.  It's understandable that the intelligence for zombies would be dim-witted, but for survivors, well, you're in for a ride to hell.  Survivors fail to keep up with Frank, can get stuck on objects or other people, and will inexplicably stop in their tracks, often at the wrong point in time.  Should they get caught in the grasp of zombies, good luck rescuing them, especially when you have to consider the safety of other survivors that may be with Frank.  While such folks are walking examples of stupidity and tedium at its finest, the psychopaths fluctuate between being challenging and a cakewalk.  When a boss is defeated, he or she drops a weapon, and many of them are overpowered to the Nth degree, so much so they can make defeating future bosses a breeze, especially since the weapon will respawn when you go into a new area.

Dead Rising's other big flaw, besides terrible AI, is its save system.  The Wii version features multiple save slots, as does the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC re-release.  However, the original Xbox 360 release only has one save slot, and the only way to save data is by using restrooms or receiving an option to save once a certain amount of cases are completed.  Knowing this, it's best to save constantly, especially before the next story mission, psychopath, or survivor encounter, or else you'll be in a world of trouble.  The flip-side to this is that should you die, you are given the option to either reload from an earlier save, or start back at the beginning, but with all skills and experience Frank has learned.

After escaping Willamette, Frank joined the WWE
and was a smash hit.

At the time of its release, Dead Rising was an early example of what next-generation hardware was capable of, specifically how much activity could be onscreen.  No matter where Frank is, he is surrounded by hundreds of zombies, and the framerate holds up, despite occasional lag.  In general, the game looks fine, but there are draw distance and pop-in issues that rear their ugly head from time to time, and the animations, especially during dialogue exchanges, look poor.  Meanwhile, sound is decent.  The ambient mall music heard against the moaning wails of the undead is a delight to hear, and the boss themes are excellent; however, the same can't be said for the voice acting.  The performances fluctuate between so-bad-they're-good and just plain bad, depending on the character that's speaking, and it clashes with the serious nature of the story.

Dead Rising is a unique specimen.  While later entries would refine many of the first game's concepts, the original is still a fun, solid experience.  The mall setting is a great place for players to let loose due to the wide selection of items available for use.  The time mechanic provides a sense of urgency to what's happening, since not keeping with what's going on may result in large portions of the story being lost, the opportunity to save someone trapped within the mall, or the chance to fight a psychopath.  Yet, the act of rescuing people or confronting a lunatic tends to be more of a chore than it should be due to highly erratic AI.  Take Dawn of the Dead, specifically the sequence involving a pie-fight with zombies, turn it into a video game, and you have Dead Rising, an enjoyable and refreshing take on the zombie video game.

Final Score: 8/10

Cubed3 Exclusive Review: Caveman Warriors (PlayStation 4)

Welcome back to "Fast Times at Cubed3."  For this review, we journey back in time to the era of the dinosaurs, and the ancient humans who live in these times.  When the children of a caveman clan get abducted by aliens, the four Neanderthals set out on a quest to save them, a quest which takes them through lush jungles, dark caves, and even to World War II.  A fun yet challenging brawler, Caveman Warriors is available for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PC.  Enjoy the review.

Link: http://www.cubed3.com/review/4659/1/caveman-warriors-playstation-4.html

Call of Duty: WWII (PlayStation 4) Review

War never changes, especially World War II shooters.  From the late 90's and up into the mid-2000's, the video-game industry was inundated with first-person shooters set during the big one, World War II.  Though plenty of quality titles like Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, and Brothers in Arms were released and did well critically and financially, the market became over-saturated, and gamers yearned for something different.  Enter Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which was set in modern times.  Because of its immense success, companies began to release modern-day and near-future shooters; eventually, people complained about over-saturation.  Things came full circle with the release of 2016's Battlefield I, which was set during WWI.  The Call of Duty franchise followed suit with 2017's Call of Duty: WWII.

Call of Duty: WWII follows private Ronald "Red" Daniels, who is part of a squad in the 1st Infantry Division.  Other members of the unit include Zussman, a New Yorker with a penchant for making sarcastic remarks, Pierson, a sergeant with a chip on his shoulder, and their leader, Lieutenant Joseph Turner.  Throughout the campaign, the team partakes in a number of major fights like Operation Cobra, the Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of Remagen as part of an effort by the Allies to work their way into Germany.  However, tensions begin to rise as Pierson conflicts with Turner over his handling of the troops.  Not helping matters is when Zussman gets captured by the Germans and sent off to a concentration camp, providing the team incentive to push on through with the mission, in spite of the increasing tension.

Have you seen any World War II themed movies or shows within the past 70 years?  If so, then congrats, because Call of Duty: World War II's story, characters, and thematic elements are derivative, uninspired, and rely much on recycling material people have already seen before.  Although the cut-scenes are top-notch and feature quality voice work, they're attached to a plot that's not worth caring about.  Daniels and his squad might be at odds with one another, but you never get the true feeling the squad is vulnerable and that any one of them could have something bad happen to them.  The characters are cliches, and their personalities can easily be summarized with one-sentence descriptions.

Worse, the story feels rushed.  A map showing the progress of the troops appears every time a mission is completed, and as the story continues, you notice that it inches closer to Germany, and one assumes that the final mission would take place in the heartland of bratwurst.  Instead, the game ends right as the troops cross over, and everything is wrapped up via a rushed epilogue.  It's a shame the story is forgettable because there are brief glimpses of a compelling narrative interspersed throughout.  Halfway through the game, the squad teams up with the British Special Operations and French resistance to assist with the liberation of Paris.  In this part, you take control of one of the resistance members as she infiltrates a Nazi-occupied hotel to retrieve classified intel.  Had the story put more of a focus at showcasing the big fight from the perspectives of soldiers around the world, it would have made for a better plot, but that is not the case.

Since this is set in World War II, the science-fiction concepts found in recent entries are gone and back is a traditional Call of Duty gameplay set-up with a few twists thrown into the formula.  In a surprise move for the series, there is a traditional health bar instead of regenerating health, so you can't soak up bullets and remove those wounds by hiding behind cover for a few seconds.  The game enforces this notion in the opening mission, which is set during D-day.  You'll make your way up Omaha beach, avoiding gunfire by taking cover and firing shots at the turrets up ahead to momentarily distract enemy forces.  If you stand out in the open for too long, death will be quick.

To heal up, Daniels can retrieve health packs strewn about a stage, or request one from of his squad-mates.  Whereas allies in previous Call of Duty games did nothing more than provide supporting fire, Daniels' partners can provide aid in the form of health packs, ammo, grenades, and can highlight enemies on the battlefield.  Before you can call upon such assistance, a certain number of kills must be achieved.  Though this sounds like the gameplay is more squad-based than prior entries, that's far from it.  Daniels is still a one-man army capable of taking down Nazis with ease, and his buddies act as power-ups that are readily available to the player.

Most of the five-to-six-hour campaign is spent shooting a never-ending supply of Nazi soldiers as Daniels and his squad make their way to the next objective marker; needless to say, this can get old.  Every now and then, the game throws in a segment where you're doing something else besides killing Nazis.  As mentioned prior, you take control of a female French resistance member who goes undercover at a Nazi occupied hotel to retrieve important documents.  Whenever she is approached by an officer, you must choose the right answers, or her cover is blown.  Later, she ditches the disguise, but must use stealth to avoid detection.  Towards the end of the stage, the perspective switches back to Daniels and the group, who come into help overthrow occupation of the area.  This idea of switching perspectives is utilized again when you find yourself controlling a tank, who has to make his way over to help soldiers under fire from Germans.  A similar sequence has you take control of a fighter pilot that must escort and protect bombers from Nazi airplanes.

Though these moments are fun, they're few and far between.  Like the story, Call of Duty: WWII's gameplay is uninspired and lacking in creativity.  Players have shot Nazis in plenty of other games, Call of Duty or otherwise, and though the combat is good and the "ping" sound of an M1 Garand rifle being reloaded never gets old, it doesn't hide the fact that it's the same old shtick but with a new coat of high-definition pain on it.  Every situation Daniels and crew find themselves in feels very scripted; frequently, you'll have to hold off German forces, only for the enemy to retreat once a certain number have been eliminated.  The overly scripted nature seeps its way into the objectives as well.  For example, the previously mentioned tank sequence pits the player against enemy tanks that can only be destroyed by shooting them from the side or behind.  Should you try to shoot them in the front, the shell comically bounces off of them.

Besides the campaign, you have the tried-and-true multiplayer and zombies' modes.  Since multiplayer isn't my cup of tea, let's talk about the undead survival mode.  Gone is the light-hearted tone from Infinite Warfare's version, and in its place is something dark, sinister, and reminiscent of games like Wolfenstein.  The set-up is that a group of treasure hunters stumble upon an abandoned town that played host to a mad doctor's fiendish experiments.  The undead and other horrible beasts now roam the streets, so the gang must fight and survive while discovering the origins of this outbreak.

As is the case in previous games, you'll kill zombies and monsters to obtain points, which can be used to open up new areas or purchase guns and perks.  There's a larger emphasis on accomplishing objectives than in the previous entry; much of the town is inaccessible until you track down the power switches, turn them on, and gain access to the doctor's underground laboratory.  Once you do that, it's smooth sailing.  This mode is enjoyable but is fairly easy when compared to the prior games, and some of the tasks one will have to accomplish can be quite unclear without a guide.

Once again, the game is top-notch both visually and sound-wise.  The added power of the current generation of consoles allows for a visceral showcase of World War II, and the large amount of allied and enemy troops onscreen does a lot to add to the feeling that you're a small fish in a big pond.  Voice acting is pretty good, featuring performances from recognizable actors including Josh Duhamel, Ving Rhames, and David Tenant, to name a few.  The music, with its bombastic tone and usage of percussion and string instruments, is a strong reminder that yes, this is a World War II game.

Call of Duty: World War II isn't bad, just derivative and a bit too predictable for its own good.  The story and characters are cut from the cloth of products like Saving Private Ryan and Band of Brothers, but whereas the characters in those programs had depth and likability, these soldiers do not.  Though it's nice to see a traditional health bar in a modern shooter, this isn't enough to save the gameplay, which is just another Nazis shooting gallery with some power-ups added in the form of Daniels' squad-mates.  Some fun sections are interspersed throughout, the problem is that there aren't enough of them.  Call me crazy, but space combat and an open mission structure can go a long way to keeping things fresh in spite of an aging formula, not by just having an old-school health system.

Final Score: 5/10

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PlayStation 4) Review

Call of Duty is a long-running series of first-person shooters that's the epiphany of love it or hate it.  Although the franchise has done well financially and critically, there's a vocal group of people out there who loathe the games based on their popularity and other reasons.  Personally, I like the series and have played many of the entries, but I wouldn't consider myself a die-hard fan since there's a wealth of quality shooters out there, some are arguably better than Call of Duty.  What makes this series unique is that the developer is never the same; as of 2018, the studios in charge of making new Call of Duty games are Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games.

Because of this, each game is set during a different time period to avoid repetition.  Recent installments have been set in the near-future, and have utilized science-fiction concepts like robots to reinforce this notion.  In Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the fight has moved from Earth and into the stars, as the gameplay puts an emphasis on spaceship fights and many levels are set on different planets.  However, is this enough to make the game a compelling experience, or has the series jumped the shark for no purpose other than to show off?

In the not-too-distant future, next Sunday A.D., resources have run scarce on Earth, faced with this crippling situation, the nations of the world banded together to form the United Nations Space Alliance, UNSA for short, with the intent on colonizing and mining other planets for their resources.  Things hit a snag when a rogue faction known as the Settlement Defense Front, led by Admiral Salen Kotch, breaks off from the UNSA and takes over Mars, where they plan an attack on UNSA forces stationed across the galaxy.  Their first target is Earth.  During a military parade in Geneva, the SDF hijacks the automated defenses stationed around the city, opening fire on the spaceships flying high in the sky.

Nick Reyes, a high-ranking military officer, is there when the attack happens; with the assistance of his allies Nora Seller and a robot called Ethan, they help hold off the invading forces before Ryes and Ethan take off in a gunship to help protect UNSA's spaceships from the SDF.  Many ships are lost in the attack, but one, the USS Retribution, survives, but the captain and executive officer don't.  Since Reyes is the highest-ranking officer on the ship, he is put in charge.  He is then assigned by the UNSA to hunt down Kotch and his associates, and prevent him from carrying out any more schemes.

Infinite Warfare's tale of good-versus-evil is a by-the-numbers plot that fails to hold your attention due to the lack of proper world-building and generic villains.  Throughout the campaign, snippets of dialogue and the occasional intel log provide hints of the current state of the universe, but plot point like Kotch's reasoning for hating the UNSA are not properly explained.  Admittedly, it is amusing to think that the enemies Reyes and crew are fighting are Martians, but when their leader is as bland as a pice of unbuttered toast, then any chance of the villain being interesting is lost.  His partners-in-crime fare worse, since they're never given any dialogue and are just targets of interest you take out throughout the campaign.

In contrast to the antagonists, the protagonists fighting the red menace are likeable, interesting, most important of all, characters.  Nick Reyes is the unlikely hero; he's a soldier willing to get the job done, no matter the odds, yet he realizes that by being put in charge of a spaceship and its crew, he has to work with them if they are to succeed.  Besides Nick, other favorites include Staff Sergeant Omar and Ethan.  Ethan is a robot with both intelligence and emotions, and comes off as a robotic counterpart to Nick Reyes.  He's also funny, capable of alleviating situations with a sarcastic quip, none of which feel out of place, nor do they diminish his likability.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare's gameplay is a menagerie of old and new elements.  The game retains many series staples, like a two-weapon limit, regenerating health, and linear levels, but it also introduces a multitude of unique ideas, which, even when they don't always work, show that developer Infinity Ward tried to give the tried-and-true formula some new life.  Similar to Advanced Warfare and Black Ops III, mobility is quick and nimble, much more than in older entries, due to the ability to boost jump and run on walls.  Though fun to utilize, many of the levels don't allow the player to take advantage of these skills, and should you try to, any attempts will result in death.

Mission structure has also been reworked.  The Retribution is the hub of the campaign.  After each mission, Reyes returns to this ship; from there, he can pull up a galactic map that allows him to select the next story mission, or he can choose to complete one of the many side missions.  Many of them focus on hunting down and eliminating Kotch's men, but some may see him rescuing hostages or stealing a top-secret device that can help in the long run.  Although side missions are optional, they are extremely beneficial since many of them harbor weapons and upgrades that can't be discovered in story missions.  Plus, these scenarios put an emphasis on what is the biggest shake-up to the Call of Duty series: space combat.

Towards the end of the second mission, Reyes and Ethan get to pilot a Starfighter; in these sequences, you'll shoot down enemy fighters, lay waste to spaceships, and evade bullets and missile attacks by using quick reflexes.  These sections aren't just set-piece moments, but fleshed-out concepts, and smooth controls allow you to effortlessly switch between hover and flight.  Occasionally, there are moments where Reyes exits his ship to partake in zero-gravity shoot-outs, although these parts aren't as plentiful, they're nevertheless enjoyable, especially since you can use a grapple hook to latch onto surfaces and bad guys, the latter of which triggers an instant kill where Reyes breaks their helmet or pulls a grenade strapped on the person, which he then kicks away toward the soldier's comrades.

It's ideas like these which show the developers wanted to do something different with the gameplay many have come to expect from Call of Duty, and they succeed, mostly.  The concepts are great, but they're handicapped by the series' philosophy of shoot bad guys, move to the next objective marker, kill more bad guys, and then trigger a cut-scene/QTE/set-piece moment.  Also, the gun selection is disappointing.  Despite being set in the future, many of the firearms are just variations of modern-day guns, aside from one or two unique weapons.  Fortunately, the gadgets Reyes can use are interesting.  Besides frag grenades, there are shock grenades, which can stun soldiers and incapacitate robots, as well as a singularity grenade that makes enemies float in mid-air.  As well as various grenades, Reyes can use a hacking device to take control of enemy robots for a brief period of time, and he can wield a retractable shield that blocks bullets and can be used to bash enemies at close range.

Depending on how much of the side content one does, beating Infinite Warfare can take anywhere from six to eight hours.  Afterwards, there are multiplayer and zombies' mode.  Since I'm not huge into multiplayer, let's talk about zombies.  Keep in mind, this part only relates to the one stage that's available on the disc, and does not cover any of the available DLC levels.  In the one that's available, an aging film director lures four aspiring actors into an abandoned movie theater.   With the use of black magic, he banishes them to one of his films, Zombies in Spaceland; trapped in a theme-park filled with rampaging hordes of the undead, the four must figure out how to escape.  Fortunately, David Hasselhoff is there to provide a guiding hand.

Compared to previous takes on the mode, this version is lighthearted, campy, and self-aware.  Imagine if the film Zombieland was merged with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, and that's this level in a nutshell.  By killing zombies and other monstrosities, you earn cash, which can be spent on weapons and perks, plus you can open up new areas of the park.  Tracking down the power switches strewn about will activate rides that you can lure the ghouls into, earning a lot of cash in the process.  Additionally, there are mini-games to play that earn you tickets, which allows players to obtain special gadgets and traps to help stave off the ever-growing hordes.

There's not much to say about the graphics, other than they look great.  The scale of the levels is huge, and the fact there are no load times whatsoever when launching from a planet to outer-space is excellent.  Speaking of which, the planets sport excellent art direction and are pleasing to look at, though the areas set inside enemy spaceships lack variety and blend together with one another.  Sound is well-done.  Brian Bloom, who's better known for voicing B.J. Blaskowitz in the Wolfenstein series, gives a great performance as Nick Reyes.  While the music heard in the campaign is nothing special, the soundtrack in the zombies' mode is fun, featuring a variety of songs from artists like Blondie, Europe, and R.E.M., as well as some catchy synth compositions.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare does a lot of things right and is arguably the most unique installment in the series to date.  The flexible mission structure and outer-space combat help the campaign stand out from the ones in previous installments, even if the rest of the gameplay isn't as diverse and more of the same.  However, the story is forgettable and the Martians are, well, just people with a chip on their soldier, but the good guys fare much better, especially with the likes of Nick and Ethan.  Meanwhile, this radical version of zombies' mode is a campy and goofy romp, thanks to its 1980s setting and outlandish personality.  Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare comes close to greatness, yet instead settles for being good.

Final Score: 7/10