Dead Rising 3: Operation Broken Eagle Review (Xbox One)

The first of four planned add-ons for the Xbox One exclusive Dead Rising 3, Operation Broken Eagle puts you back into the heart of Los Perdidos' zombie outbreak. However, this time all the action takes place before Nick and his gang of survivors set out on their adventure. As Spec Ops Commander Adam Kane, you'll be influencing events that took place in the story proper while fending off the growing hordes, but there's little else exciting about this incredibly short Untold Story of Los Perdidos.

The biggest change from the main game to the DLC is the removal of cooperative play. None of the Untold Stories add-ons will have co-op included. To some, that might be a deal breaker, as a large part of what made Dead Rising 3 so enjoyable was the ability to slice, dice, bash and brain zombies with friends. With that in mind, the story is so brief and the side quests so few in Operation Broken Eagle, there's not a whole lot for you to do here with a buddy. It is strange that Capcom removed a key feature of Dead Rising 3 for its DLC, but there's so little do in Broken Eagle, it actually makes sense. Though that's a bit of a problem in and of itself, as there just isn't much action.

Operation Broken Eagle is only about an hour long. That's including doing all the extra running around for the few optional parts of Kane's mission. Kane's main mission is to track down the President, which on its own won't take you very long. The military forces in town provide some measure of resistance beyond the zombie masses, but even they are over-matched when faced with any vehicle, let alone a combo vehicle. Since all of your progress (including level, blueprints, etc.) all carry over to the DLC, almost everything you do is a breeze. Could you start over from scratch? Probably, but why would you give up all you've earned in the main game? You could get the same satisfaction by playing on a more challenging difficulty while keeping all your hard-earned progress. Things like finding the rest of your squad (dead or alive), and hacking into ZDC cameras don't add much to the overall effect, but completionists will find a few new chores to occupy their time.

As for weapons and blueprints, there are a few additions. Most of the weaponry is of the ranged variety, but if you're a melee fan like us, you'll appreciate the handful of options on that front like the tactical axe and dual Bowie knives. There aren't many new combo weapons to create, but you can still find all the leftover blueprints, trophies and other collectibles you missed in the core story, too. There didn't appear to be any new zombie types, though several of the end game variants do show up in Broken Eagle despite not being introduced in the main story until late in the narrative. The sole new vehicle, a tactical mini-tank, is fun to tear around in through crowded city streets, but is surprisingly weak compared to other armored transports.

While it was definitely interesting to see all the pieces fit together in regards to Dead Rising 3's story, Operation Broken Eagle just doesn't offer enough new content. The experience is over all too quick, and even though there are some extra missions, it all seems like filler rather than a necessary addition. The new weapons are appreciated, but we hope the next add-on has a bit more depth and purpose.

This review was completed using a purchased retail copy of Dead Rising 3: Operation Broken Eagle.