Game Review: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (Xbox Series X)

The Dead Rising series is a bit of a favourite here at GBHBL. We’ve reviewed many of the games so far as well as crossovers such as comics & movies. You can read the full list below:

Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
Dead Rising 3 (Xbox One)
Dead Rising (Mobile)
Dead Rising 3 – Season Pass (Xbox One)
Dead Rising: Triple Pack (Xbox One)
Dead Rising 4 + DLC (Xbox One)

Dead Rising: Watchtower (2015)
Dead Rising: Endgame (2016)

Comic – Dead Rising: Road to Fortune

Released in 2006, Dead Rising was a revelation at the time. I had dreamed of a zombie horror game like it, and Capcom delivered. Albeit with some notable flaws that would continue to plague the series as it went on. As much as I’ve loved everything that came after, when I get nostalgic over the series, it’s always the original that I think of. The first-time stepping foot inside the Willamette mall, seeing the mass of undead staggering towards me, using a flatscreen TV to knock out a murderous cult member… Dead Rising was my perfect zombie game.

So enamoured have I been by the game, and the series overall, that the Dead Rising Triple Pack was snapped up greedily in 2016, and this remaster has been received lovingly. I will always enjoy stepping back into the shoes of Frank West and exploring the overrun mall, even if there’s a small sense of disappointment around this release.

I’ll explain about that in a bit, but for now, let’s recap Dead Rising’s story. Where players take on the role of Frank West, a photojournalist (he’s covered wars, don’t you know?) who has heard that something serious is going on in the town of Willamette and the military are involved. Seeing the possibility of a big scoop, he hires a helicopter pilot to fly him over the town so he can take some pictures.

This is the opening section of the game, and it sees players taking pictures of the unfolding carnage below. Willamette is in the throes of a major zombie outbreak, and the military don’t want anyone knowing about it. Seeing an opportunity for the biggest story of his career, Frank gets the pilot to drop him off at the nearby mall’s roof and sets about trying to get to the bottom of the outbreak.

The aim of the game is to survive, you have 3 days until the pilot will return so that is 3 days to find out what is happening, rescue survivors, deal with psychopaths & have some fun. The mall is your sandbox, and there’s a lot going on here.

That was Dead Rising in 2006 and this is Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster in 2024. Remember, this is a remastering, not a remake, so changes to the story are non-existent and changes to gamplay are mostly subtle.

Which might make this a pointless entry in some people’s eyes, except the graphical enhancements (using Capcom’s RE Engine) are exceptionally notable and the changes to gameplay do make the experience better. Putting it simply, this is the definitive version of Dead Rising. Until the next one.

Here’s hoping that Capcom use this game as a launchpad to bring the series back fully and not just as an excuse to remaster the rest of the series. As enjoyable as Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is, it is not a new game and it retains many of the problems that original had.

One of which continues to be survivors and how much hassle they can be to save. The AI was braindead in original game. Almost incapable of doing anything without constant guidance and regularly stopping while surrounded by zombies. Should one get grabbed they will struggle with them losing health slowly until you save them. Often, they would just start shoving zombies to the floor all while taking damage from others. It was the most frustrating part of the original game and a serious issue because it was such a big part of the game.

Unfortunately, it’s still an issue with Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, but not quite as big an issue. The AI isn’t braindead anymore, it’s just a bit stupid now. Survivors are capable of looking after themselves better, especially, if you give them a weapon, and will listen to Frank’s instructions over trying to see how many zombies they can take out in hand-to-hand combat (spoilers – it’s none). Not only is escorting easier, but it’s more fun now and whereas in the original trying to lead a group larger than 3 was hazardous to your health, here you’re in much better control.

That being said, all the problems still exist. Some will randomly decide to stop and start shoving zombies over. Some will take a less direct route that leads them right through a horde. Some become a danger to other survivors should you give them a weapon. Worst of all though? If they’re grabbed by a zombie, they will struggle and lose health until you come and save them. Exactly like the original.

Once you get the hang of it and how to handle the nuances of rescuing survivors, it does become easier to handle overall though. Personally, it continues to be one of my favourite aspects of the game (and series) but it would have been nice to see the odd new one thrown in or some of the regulars adapted. Alas, who they are, how they are saved, and when they appear in the mall is taken directly from the original.

A story that gets wackier and weirder as it goes on, leading to overtime mode, and the section of the game that drops off as the military get involved and the final quests become tiresome fetch quests.

Before that though? Enjoy the run of a mall with all the trappings of Americana. Levelling up Frank and unlocking skills, finding unique items and weapons, dressing up in different outfits, and trying to get the best picture possible. You’re a photojournalist, after all. Capcom have tried to put more emphasis on photography this time round and adapted gameplay to encourage more photos to be taken. Mainly through higher ‘PP’ which serves as the experience points Frank earns to level up and unlock more.

You’ll want to level up quickly too as the mall doesn’t just have zombies as the threat. Those psychopaths are still running around and, in most cases, they are as challenging as ever. A few seem to have been scaled back (Adam the Clown is definitely easier) but dealing with them is fun and exciting. Of course, should the challenge be too much and you succumb to the sweet relief of death, you can quickly restart with regular autosaves (the standard saving at bathrooms still exists) or start from the very beginning of the game while keeping your level and skills intact.

Why would anyone do the latter? It’s because you simply won’t be capable of completing early missions in the game when Frank’s PP level is low. So multiple runs are inevitable, especially as the game’s timer system is still present.

The aspect that made Dead Rising special, creating tension and excitement, but also forcing players to do nothing but explore the mall, waiting for their next mission. In possibly the biggest change to gameplay overall, players can now speed up the timer at any of the bathrooms. This aspect speeds up gamplay significantly and also carries over into ‘infinity mode’, which original players will remember with equal levels of fondness and dread.

Whereas the original game’s mode had an achievement that would take 14-hours real-time to complete without a break and with a genuine threat of failure at hour 13, this version can be done in under 2 hours. For some, a relief, but others, a disappointment.

So, what else? The RE Engine has vastly improved the visuals of Dead Rising. We now have much more realistic lighting, better facial animations, expressions, and significantly more detail throughout the mall. Most of the time, this looks amazing, and OG players will be delighted to see the mall they know so well, transformed.

The controls have been tweaked (the original controls can be turned back on in options), players can move while aiming and shooting now, item durability is visible thanks to a small bar under the specific item, dialogue can be skipped quickly (including Otis’ calls), and more. As I already said, most of the tweaks are minor, but significant. Hence why I can confidently say that this is the quintessential Dead Rising experience. To the point where I look at its flaws and see them as part of its charm. It’s Dead Rising, it’s a weird one, but it’s a memorable one.