Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Review – Back From the Dead

The original Dead Rising released all the way back in 2006, as an Xbox 360 exclusive. While the tenth anniversary of one of Capcom’s best-selling franchises saw a re-release on multiple platforms, this time around the game has been remastered, as in built from the ground up with enhanced visuals, a steady frame rate, and some modern flourishes which today’s players expect out of their games. Is Frank West ready to make a whole new generation of fans? Find out in our Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster PS5 review.

RE Engine Looking Good

Unlike the last re-release, this remaster has been built using the RE Engine, which has a lot of the latest and greatest rendering pipeline technologies and powers many of Capcom’s other high-profile experiences such as Resident Evil and its various remakes. While not the prettiest zombie action game, the more detailed character models, better lighting, smoother frame rates, and enhanced audio does make this feel more like a game made for contemporary times. The action stays pretty smooth even when dozens of zombies are onscreen, while loading in a new area takes just a couple of seconds.

In case you missed the original game because, you know, maybe you weren’t even BORN when it released, and also missed the 10th anniversary re-release in 2016, the gist of Dead Rising is that you play as photojournalist Frank West, who has received a tip that something major is going down in Williamette, Colorado. He has hitched a helicopter ride into the city, and decides to be set down at the local mall, where a lot of violent attacks of some sort can be seen occurring. You have 72 in-game hours (7.2 hours of real time) in which to uncover the truth of what is going on, rescue as many survivors as you can, and return back to the helipad in order to get the scoop of a lifetime.

Grab Whatever You Can

Since Frank isn’t a trained soldier, one of the major aspects of Dead Rising when it released was the fact that many objects could be used as impromptu weapons. Of course, this being a fictional take on an American city, this mall also sports gun stores, and numerous cops who turned into zombies, ripe for the taking of their weapons. While the repertoire of weapons remains largely unchanged, there are a couple of new camera upgrades for Frank to collect from the camera shops peppered throughout the mall. You can add flash functionality, depth-of-field controls, and more which were not options in earlier versions of the game, and should help out in making your shots extra shareable.

One option included for fans of the original release is the Classic control scheme. This applies the same controls as the 2006 release, which means that the player cannot move while they aim. Otherwise known as “tank” controls, such a scheme is not as popular today because it leaves the player somewhat like a sitting duck whenever they aim. Still, for those who want an authentic experience when they play this remaster, the option is nice to have. Personally, I prefer the modern control scheme because it’s what I’m used to.

Original Jank Included

Another aspect of Dead Rising that remains faithful to the original is the rigid failure logic of the game’s missions. Everything is time-based. As new survivors to try and save are discovered, timers start, and when they deplete that survivor dies. The AI survivors have been programmed with is still not very smart – the best way to try and guarantee their safety is to have them hop on your back as you simply run through hordes of zombies on your way back to the security room. Sure, you can give a survivor a weapon, and while they’ll maybe kill a zombie or two, it won’t be long before you see their life bar drain away and the survivor dies. It’s a frustrating bit of legacy, but then I suppose it wouldn’t feel like Dead Rising without some jank.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is the ultimate release of this now quite-aged zombie game. If you didn’t like the game back when it originally released, then this version isn’t likely to persuade you otherwise, even if the auto-save functionality helps to avoid some pain points. Survivor AI is still hilariously inept, and it’s all too easy to screw yourself over when it comes to certain campaign progress points. But it’s the best-looking version of the game to date, and if you liked whacking zombies with random step ladders, or setting up amusing photos of them with cones on their heads, then picking up a copy of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster would be a fun time.

Score: 8/10

Pros:

• The best-looking and playing version of Dead Rising yet
• Choice of control schemes is appreciated
• Improved camera options can make for more impressive photos

Cons:

• AI for survivors is still quite bad
• Mission failure logic has aged a lot

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.

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