You begin the game as Frank West, a devoted journalist who has supposedly been through the basic trials and tribulations of a good field reporter. Brought to the roof of the mall in a helicopter, your mission starts out as a picture hunt. You score player points for every breathtaking picture you can turn your lens at. Points are given for capturing gore, drama, and even sex.
As soon as you finally make your way into the consumer area of the mall, you realize that Frank is definitely going to be in for more than your average run and shoot field journalist gig. Zombies immediately make their way into the mall and you must use everything in the mall - yes, everything - to save your life. From your touchdown, you have 72 hours to return to the roof to be picked up, or else you will be left for dead.
Along the way, Frank is given certain side missions which he may chose to either complete or neglect. That's the beauty of this game, your only primary objective is to stay alive. Keep in mind, though, completing objectives opens more of the story and gives you more information on the characters you interact with.
You'll grab everything from potted plants to chainsaws as you struggle to open more and more areas of the mall as the clock counts down to your evacuation. Along the way, Frank has the ability to level up and enhance the game by offering more weapon slots and health bars. You can even read books to better your skills.
