Frank West riding a wave of zombies in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Capcom
“Weeeell, he ain’t my boy, but the brother is heavy!”

The words, as odd as they are, are thoroughly ingrained in the minds of those who played Dead Rising way back when it originally debuted in 2006. A bizarre game for the time, Dead Rising was one of multiple projects helmed by Capcom designed with Western audiences in mind. It was arguably the most successful product from such an initiative, given the near-total nonexistence of other projects from that era in the modern day.

Dead Rising was a lot of things, really. It was an effective blend of arcade sensibilities and cheesy B-movie horror. It was a melding of Japanese perspectives on American cultural staples. It was ludicrously difficult to fully complete, with its infamous Infinity mode demanding 14 hours of continuous gameplay (without stopping) to fully complete. God help you if your failure-prone Xbox 360 crashed or overheated, too. It would establish a miniature franchise at Capcom, spawning three separate sequels from 2010 to 2016 until the sudden closure of Capcom Vancouver, leading to the series entering a temporary hibernation.

Until now, that is.

Lo and behold, a mere few months after it was originally announced in July, Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster has hit digital storefronts. It was a decision that was as perplexing as it was sudden. Why now, and why this game in particular? Dead Rising was already remastered in its original form and widely available for years by this point. What does this “Deluxe” remaster do that’s so different from before?

Well, there’s quite a bit to cover. Let’s talk about it.

Frank West Is Back (Kind Of)

Frank and Brad hiding from Carlito in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Capcom

For many, Dead Rising needs no introduction. You don the role of Frank West, freelance journalist extraordinaire. In an effort to dig deeper into a sudden influx of violence breaking out in the middle of Colorado, Frank inadvertently finds himself trapped within the confines of Willamette Parkview Mall — along with tens of thousands of shambling zombies. With only three days until the military is set to arrive, Frank is left to his own devices to navigate a zombie apocalypse, save helpless survivors, battle malevolent psychopaths, and pull the curtain back on what—or who—truly caused this violent outbreak. Though he lacks traditional military training, he wields both his camera and whatever improvised weaponry he can find throughout the mall to survive.

When we say three days, we mean three days. Dead Rising‘s biggest claim to fame was its utilization of time. The clock is always ticking, meaning it’s on you to be in the right place at the right time to see everything the game has to offer. Your ability to get the true ending is directly tied to your willingness to balance all the mall’s activities against the ticking clock. You won’t necessarily lose if you mismanage your time, but the ending you get will be wholly determined by it.

What’s notable about Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster is what it says on the tin; it is, in fact, an incredibly thorough remaster of Dead Rising. Cutscenes, story beats, and even most animations remain mostly unchanged from the original game. They’re just given a brand-new coat of paint with the ever-impressive RE Engine, with the game’s characters and grotesque zombies looking more detailed and monstrous than ever. It’s impressive stuff. While some characters took a bit more time to adjust to their new appearance, others felt completely natural.

The same can be said for the mall, whose graphical improvements are too numerous to count. Improved lighting and shadows, more static props, more grotesque blood and gore effects, and other small touches here and there really make Willamette pop. The lighting may be a bit too dark at night, but it’s really only an issue in certain areas.

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The same can’t be said for the voice performances. The absence of the original cast—especially the beloved TJ Rotolo as Frank West—is absolutely felt. While Frank’s new voice actor, Jas Patrick, brings a level of subtlety to the character that’s appreciated, other recastings are noticeably weaker than their original counterparts. Brad Garrison (William C. Stephens) and Jessica McCarney (Xanthe Huynh) are arguably the biggest examples of this, as a handful of their lines veer a bit too close into stilted awkwardness compared to the original game. Granted, this kind of off-kilter direction also had a big appeal in the original game, so your overall opinion on this may vary.

One notable thing that took over discourse surrounding Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster was some unexpected alterations in its presentation and script. We won’t get into the how or why this happened, but it’s worth bringing up.

One notable boss (which we won’t spoil for you here) saw a significant redesign that reduced some associations with negative stereotypes, which is fine. The character himself is practically unchanged otherwise. Another boss, whose personality was initially tied to the Vietnam War, had all references to the war and communism as a whole removed. Minor script alterations are also present in a handful of other scenes, though they’re not nearly as prominent.

Luckily, the original licensed soundtrack is completely intact. Just like with the game’s other strange design directions, the incorporation of licensed rock tracks really made Dead Rising stick out in the hearts and minds of those who played it. This is especially due to how obscure some of these tracks are in the grand scheme of things. Hostile Groove’s “Fly Routine” is a heavy track about an impromptu rap battle turning into something greater, originally playing during an intense brawl at a grocery store, of all things. Lifeseeker’s “Gone Guru” is a track that’s as memorable as it is bizarre, with its intimidating first notes leading into a story that’s inexplicably about “going guru”—you know, selling your positions, moving into a Chevy van (it’s the master plan), and so on.

A Noticeable Dip in Difficulty

Alex MacIntyre attacking Frank in Paradise Plaza in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Capcom

Part of what made that song so effective was the connection your brain formed with its context. Gone Guru only ever played in the presence of the Convicts, a group of psychopaths in a military jeep who roam the giant park in the middle of the mall. You can’t really avoid them, at least in the early game. They’re a definitive obstacle you’ll eventually have to deal with. They’re incredibly dangerous, lightning fast, can attack at range and up close, and are a complete pain. They’ll more than likely kill you before you even understand how to best deal with them. Worse yet, they’re the only set of psychopaths that continually respawn throughout the game, meaning that Gone Guru will be forcibly etched into your ear canals as your flight-or-fight response kicks in.

Color me surprised when I realized Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster was surprisingly easy to play. Mind you, this is coming from someone who had only played a Dead Rising game seriously for the first time a month or two prior to this.

Dead Rising originally featured an interesting progression system. Frank West starts incredibly weak, slow, and ineffective. Chances are you’ll die. A lot. Even if you don’t, the inefficiency in how you do things means you’ll likely miss out on survivors, additional missions, or even the main missions. It made just about everything incredibly dangerous as well: zombie hordes demanded alternate escape routes, your weapons are only all that useful for clearing out a few enemies at a time, and psychopaths as a whole are seen as this terrifying, monolithic event that you must adequately prepare for. Beyond the Convicts, psychopaths like Cletus, Kent, and Cliff are infamous for their punishing difficulty, be it from the stipulations surrounding their battles or their actual move sets.

How does one get stronger, then? It’s simple: prestige points, or “PP.”

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You get PP for doing just about anything in Dead Rising. Killing zombies, using special attacks, finding survivors, successfully rescuing survivors, defeating psychopaths, and even just taking pictures with your camera all contribute to your overall PP. Collect enough PP, and you level up, gaining additional stats like better strength or health or a brand-new special attack in addition to a full heal. At any point, you’re also free to restart the entire game back from the very beginning with your current PP level, allowing you to better optimize your playthrough with your accumulated skills and abilities.

Frank being a freelance journalist is more than just set dressing, too. Photos are often the easiest way to quickly gain a tremendous amount of PP; some are even required to proceed in certain side missions and survivor rescues. The better the photo, the more PP you earn. You can also have photos assigned to specific categories:

  • Horror – Self-explanatory, as it’ll often be directly related to zombies or horrifying moments.
  • Brutality – Not to be confused with horror, as brutality focuses exclusively on violence and/or bloodshed.
  • Outtake – Plenty of laughs can be found in such a horrifying situation, even if it makes for an unsettling contrast.
  • Drama – Just about anything involving dramatic events, be they between survivors or psychopaths.

Notably, the Erotica category found in the original game is absent from Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. Its omission is fairly self-explanatory. However, there is an issue: leveling is much faster here than in the original game.

I almost made it to the maximum PP level in a single playthrough. That’s. . . bizarre, frankly. A big portion of what made Dead Rising 2 so engaging, for instance, was the game demanding that you learn every little nook and cranny of the map, every single weapon that best fits their respective situations, and where to maximize your overall PP gains. Starting over from the beginning allowed you to really hone in on what you learned and master your surroundings. In Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, that kind of gameplay is still here, but it’s not as essential as previously. This also comes into play when you find out that you can fast-forward time now; instead of waiting around for key events, you can speed up the flow of time in certain areas as you please.

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Thankfully, the game’s quality-of-life enhancements are a net positive overall. Multiple save slots, an autosave, an improved map and objective tracking system, less obnoxious achievements, fully voiced dialogue for all characters, some revamped controls, and improved survivor AI all make for a much smoother playing experience compared to the original. The latter was one of Dead Rising‘s most infamous troubles, as the many hapless survivors you’d have to rescue seemed more content with being ripped apart by the undead than being rescued.

It’s refreshing to see that, despite some eccentricities here and there, they’re a lot more competent this time around. You can even skip through the original game’s infamous radio calls without any penalties, something that was as obnoxious as it was infuriating in the original game. Likewise, you can now actually do things during the radio calls instead of having to clumsily wait for Frank to pocket his radio.

Also added to Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster are its additional enhancements to survivors. Beyond just improving their overall functionality, you’re now able to build and lose “affinity” with the many people in your posse. Giving them items they like will increase their affinity, meaning they’ll deal more damage, be more effective in fighting overall, and even buff their movement speed. Survivors will even point out useful items in the environment, going so far as to mark them on your map for future convenience.

They’re Coming to Get You, Frank

A zombie with missing skin attacking the camera in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Capcom

Combat in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is just as amazing as it was before. Many in the fandom contend that the series peaked with its first two games, and suffice to say, the engaging combat found in Dead Rising has been thoroughly replicated for this remaster. There are even some new surprises to look forward to.

If you’re unfamiliar, Dead Rising‘s other biggest claim to fame was its melding of the monotonous and the monstrous. In practical terms, its emphasis on turning something as simple as a shopping mall into a violent playground full of zombies has yet to be matched by its contemporaries. Anything that isn’t nailed down is a weapon. Frying pans, power tools, cardboard boxes, toy swords, soccer balls, and more are all readily accessible compared to knives, guns, and other actual weapons. If you’re going to make the best use of your time, you have to figure out not only what kills things but where to find them, how many to hold at once, and when to grab more. The same goes for food: orange juice and wine are a bit better for your health than small chips and pieces of fruit, and when you combine certain items in a blender, you’ll be able to concoct smoothies that give you special boosts. Enhanced speed? Better damage resistance? It’s all possible — you just need to figure out when and where to make them.

Actually fighting things is comparatively simple. You get a light attack, a heavy attack, and the ability to throw just about everything in your inventory. Heavier weapons will be dropped if you switch to something else or get attacked. Guns can be aimed for better accuracy. Meanwhile, other items like aluminum baseball bats and hockey sticks generate projectiles that can knock down some, or even entire groups, of zombies. It’s how you assemble your arsenal, Frank’s special skills, healing items, and your overall positioning that’ll form the crux of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster‘s combat. It’s engaging, and I can’t say I’ve seen anything like it outside of Dead Rising as a franchise.

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It’s worth noting that some balance changes are present here. A certain human enemy you’ll encounter towards the end of the game—trust us, you’ll know them when you see them—has the capacity to stunlock you with their high-powered assault rifles. In the most extreme of cases, getting hit once or twice can slowly lead to you being effectively shot to death. Likewise, zombies have seen some notable buffs and debuffs—their overall awareness of Frank and accompanying survivors has been diminished a bit, but their ability to grab Frank and start biting at his neck has been amplified substantially. Zombies with guns even fire in Frank’s general direction now.

Psychopaths saw a significant upgrade, too: you can no longer burst them down. As you damage them more and more in succession, each sequential attack will deal less and less damage, forcing you to back away for a bit to get the most out of your attacks. This means simply shooting them to death from a distance isn’t really a solution anymore, at least not as quick a solution.

Should You Buy Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster?

Frank West escorting a group of survivors away from the theater in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Capcom

However, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster doesn’t offer much to longtime Dead Rising veterans outside of its technical improvements and quality-of-life changes. New content extends to a single new weapon, a brand-new skill magazine, a wardrobe to freely change between collected clothing items, and a plethora of DLC costumes. Outside of that? There’s not a lot to really look forward to. At the very least, if you didn’t want to effectively kill your home console by trying Infinity mode, you could try it here, as the requirements have been made far less strict to beat it.

The biggest thing to consider when deciding whether or not Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is worth getting is your prior experience with the game’s “deluxe remastering.” From my own perspective, I had only played the original version at a very young age, unable to appreciate what it was trying to do in lieu of just mindlessly killing zombies with every tool I could find. I may as well have never touched it.

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I talked with someone else who had played the original game to near-total completion and had taken a huge liking to the game’s presentation, its unique mechanics, its difficulty, and just about everything in it. To him, there wasn’t really a reason to even consider Deluxe Remaster as a purchase. Besides, the original remaster of Dead Rising is already available on all current platforms as well, for about 1/5th of the price.

In short, if you’ve never played Dead Rising before, the Deluxe Remaster is a perfect way to ease yourself into the series before tackling its more difficult challenges. The quality-of-life changes alone make it much more approachable for those who don’t really mesh with the original game’s eccentricities, and its beautiful utilization of the RE Engine is just a nice cherry on top. For longtime Dead Rising fans, your mileage may vary. If you don’t mind dropping a hefty lump sum for what amounts to a remixed version of the original game, you’re bound to find much of what made Dead Rising so good to begin with, along with some fun conveniences.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is currently available on Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. A physical release will be available for Xbox and PlayStation starting November 8th.

Star Rating: 4.5

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1 COMMENT

  1. I’m waiting on the physical copy in November but this has me beyond stoked. One of my favorite games of all time. My one concern is the change in voice actors… I miss the original Frank voice.

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