The game isn't considered canon, since most of the main cast is drastically changed to keep the game interesting. Chuck Greene appears as one of the psychopaths, his daughter Katey does not make an appearance, and Stacey and Sullivan have new allegiances, for example. The game mechanics and goals are the same as Dead Rising 2 : Frank must follow and complete cases within a certain time frame or the truth will vanish, he can escort survivors back to safety, and needs Zombrex to keep from becoming a zombie. This time, Frank needs Zombrex, and does not have to return to the Safe House to inject it. Off the Record returns photography to Dead Rising , and adds a new section of Fortune City, Uranus Zone. Additional combo weapons can be made, Frank's hand-to-hand fighting style differs from Chuck's, and Chuck Greene is the second player in co-op games.
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record also features sandbox mode, where players can roam Fortune City with no time restrictions and no need for Zombrex. Levels, skills and money gained in the sandbox mode carry over to the story mode, same as the money Chuck made in the TIR games in Dead Rising 2 saved to the story mode. There are also challenges spread throughout the map in sandbox mode.