The original Dead Rising game helped define the beginning of the Xbox 360 console in 2006. It was a huge success upon release, gaining a large fan base and helping spawn three sequels to keep the series alive.
Now, 18 years later, Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered brings the classic back to modern consoles and welcomes a new generation to photographer/journalist Frank West. The remaster includes a complete graphics makeover, quality of life improvements, and modern controls that show true love for this classic game.
reanimation, remastering
You play as Frank West, a photographer and journalist investigating a case in the town of Willamette, Colorado. Tour the town from a helicopter, take photos, and then land on a helipad above a shopping center that has taken over the entire town with zombies.
The clock starts ticking and West has only 72 hours until the rescue helicopter arrives. Meanwhile, he must unite a group of survivors to fight off the zombies and piece together the mystery of how the outbreak started for the story.
We’ve seen a lot of zombie games come out since 2006, and there were a lot of zombie games even before that release. What makes this game stand out is the countdown timer that reminds players that they need to solve the cause of the outbreak while keeping as many still-human people alive in the shopping center as possible.
Main story missions are delivered at specific times of the day, and if you miss them, you won’t be able to piece everything together and solve the mystery. In addition to the first group of survivors you meet when you arrive at the mall, other survivors will also appear at different times that you need to arrive. Otherwise, they won’t be able to arrive either.
Shop ’til you drop
Luckily, there’s plenty of reason to play this game more than once thanks to the New Game+ mode. This mode allows you to catch all incidents and save all characters to experience all storylines in multiple playthroughs. For big fans of the single player experience, this is a great addition that will encourage you to experience everything this game has to offer.
I realized that I was free to go back in and out, each time with a different purpose. You can also easily go back and change objectives on your next run, so you don’t have to stress about missing anything. Graphically, the game was groundbreaking in its original release, but the emphasis on updated character models and environments makes the game relatable in modern gaming environments. That’s great.
Capcom has put a lot of emphasis on lighting effects and ray tracing, and this is evident when you escort survivors through malls and outdoor areas as the sun sets and the lights come on. It’s a shame they couldn’t remove the loading screen when moving between different areas of the mall. Sure, the loading screens are minimal, especially when compared to the original game, but they still get you out of the game and make the experience more pleasant. It’s far more inconsistent than what you’d expect on a modern console.
It’s not just the graphics that have been updated, the audio has also been given more personality. NPCs now have voice performances, replacing on-screen text from the original release. In the 2006 original, Frank West was voiced by Terrence J. Rotolo, but in this remastered version, West is voiced by actor Jas Patrick. Patrick still gives a great performance, but fans of the original may find this a little off-putting since Rotolo’s performance is so iconic.
modern turmoil
The updated controls definitely improve on some of the original game’s frustrating features. You no longer need to save manually, as there is an autosave feature that ensures you don’t lose your progress between missions.
Previously, manual save points were only available in the original game, and one wrong move could cost you hours of progress, which was one of my biggest frustrations with the original release. Other improvements to the controller include the ability to aim weapons while moving your character, and the ability to skip forward in time.
Another big part of the original game was escorting survivors to a point of safety and returning them to safety. There was a problem with the code for these characters, where they would often ignore what you were trying to tell them to do and just walk away on their own or run straight into a horde of zombies and ruin the mission.
This remake seems to have fixed that problem and made completing the mission much less frustrating. You can now also assign weapons to them to protect yourself. You can also give them food and drink to cure illnesses or accidental encounters. When doing this, they will follow Frank closely, intervene if he is attacked, and also help protect other survivors in the group.
final thoughts
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is the perfect game to breathe new life into for modern platforms. Capcom has also done a great job of perfectly updating the graphics, audio, and controls to make you feel at home in the 2024 gaming environment.
The original Dead Rising was always a great game with interesting game mechanics, with a countdown to solve the mystery of the outbreak’s origins while trying to save as many survivors as possible. And this one still feels just as exciting and compelling as its predecessor. Original release. While the change in Frank’s voice actor may hurt the game, it’s still a great remaster.
4 1/2 stars (out of 5 stars)
Highlights: Revised graphics. Updated controls. The time mechanic from the original game returns
Cons: The voice actor changes aren’t as appealing as they were in the original game. Loading screens take away from the experience
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Available: Currently
Review was conducted on PlayStation 5 using a code provided by the publisher.
