Dead Rising 2: Case West: combo interrupted

“Hey! He’s playing a video game in there!”

I snap out of my haze to see a seven-year old with his face pressed against the sliding glass door of my office. I blink, wondering briefly if my eyes are registering bloodlust and if the kid, and now my son who has joined him, can see the television screen. We’ve always been careful about what we show our little guy, what we allow him to watch. I’m pretty sure exploding zombie heads isn’t on the list. I quickly realize that the two of them are at too extreme an angle to see any of the action, so I pause the game and wave them off. I’m working here. Honestly. Also, I can do without the accusatory tone, kid. So I’m playing a video game in the middle of the day? So what?

“You guys go play. That’s why we’re having a playdate. So you can play,” I say to them through the glass. “Go!”

They scatter. I lock back in. Previously on DR, I was sad. Today…today is a happy day.

After the jump, I level up

No really. I did.

Three things have made me happy this day:

1. The aforementioned playdate has freed me to play a game during the day. That never happens.
2. I found a drill and a bucket. Also rare.
3. I’ve leveled up. Ditto.

Tom’s always griefing me by asking what level I am in whatever game he knows I’m playing. “What level are you in Brutal Legend?” he’ll ask, knowing I won’t know the answer because I’ve been drumming all week. “Gold,” I’ll say. Or some random number. This time when he asked about my level in the game I was playing I could answer.

“Level 40.” I said it with casual confidence. Proud of myself.

He shook his head sadly. “You do know you start at Level 40 in Case West, right?”

WTF? Why would a game do that? I just thought I had kicked ass for the first few hours.

But now I have leveled up legitimately. Because at last I get combos. I mean, I get combos. Both in form and function. I heart my new drill bucket. It is special to me. It is so beautifully impractical. It takes time to do its work on a zombie head. It’s not like swinging a wrench. At first I felt a little guilty indulging myself in using it. That is until I dinged up to my next level so quickly. Sweet!

True, I still don’t get the point of leveling up. Beyond chasing numbers, what does it do for me? I mean beyond providing the puerile and amusing realization that XP in this game is called PP. Heh heh. PP. You save your games at the urinal and you earn PP.

You’re right. That’s dumb. That’s okay with me though, because today is a happy day.

Up next: At first he was afraid, he was petrified

(Click here for the previous Dead Rising 2: Case West game diary.)