What Is The Difference Between Dead Rising 2 And Off The Record?

Dead Rising 2 is more than just one game. It has multiple bits of additional content, including a prequel and a sequel DLC. Off The Record, however, is neither of those things. In fact, it’s hard to categorize it, as it’s sort of remake, but neither the gameplay nor the visuals have really been remade.

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As such, for those who haven’t played both Dead Rising 2 and Off The Record, it can be hard to decipher the differences between them. After all, there are more things that separate the two games than just the main characters. Here are all the important ones.

Story Differences

The story is the main difference between Dead Rising 2 and Off The Record. In the original Dead Rising 2, Chuck Greene is the protagonist. He spends the game trying to keep his young daughter alive while uncovering how the zombie outbreak came to be.

Off The Record features Frank West in the main role, and he has a slightly different story. He doesn't have a daughter to protect, but he attempts to uncover the truth about the zombie outbreak as an investigative reporter.

So, the general setup of the two storylines is a bit different. How they play out is distinct, too, as only some of the characters behave the same way in both games. Plus, Frank and Chuck are dissimilar people, so their interactions with others are different.

That said, the actual main narratives are similar and follow a lot of the same beats. In fact, the Off The Record tale is really just an alternate version of the Dead Rising 2 story.

Gameplay Differences

Naturally, the core gameplay in the two games is mainly the same. However, there are a few differences. The main one is the inclusion of a camera in Off The Record. This allows journalist Frank West to take pictures, like in the original game.

Speaking of the original Dead Rising, Frank is able to use some of the skills from that game in Off The Record, as well as some new skills. Chuck has a different set of abilities in Dead Rising 2.

Chuck also has different weapons or, more accurately, fewer weapons. Off The Record contains a bunch that weren't in the original DR2, as well as the already existing ones. OTR also includes a few more combo weapons.

Along with these things, there are plenty of small differences in the combat and weapons. Off The Record also has additional content, such as an amusement park called the Uranus Zone and a sandbox mode.

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