When Dead Rising originally released it was an instant hit. Instead of sticking with the traditional zombie formula, it embraced the silly/fun side of things. Players could dress up in ridiculous outfits, armed with the wackiest tools available in a mall, with a tight deadline to get the story. Now that some time has passed Capcom decided to revisit the classic with Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. Armed with a wide variety of improvements, plus the iconic experience that won players over years ago, is it a second chance at life, or is it a sad zombie that needs to be put down?
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is something of a unique approach to the zombie narrative. Players control Frank West, a journalist that is determined to get the scoop regardless of the odds. Thanks to a lead he heads to Colorado to see what is happening, only to quickly learn there is far more going on as he is forced to make a stand at a local mall.
From there the narrative itself is generic zombie fare. Basically, a parasitic wasp is turning humans into zombies, and it needs to be stopped before it spreads to the wider world. What ultimately makes it work is West himself. Not only is he charming in the one liner ’80s movie kind of way, he is legitimately good at his job. It makes for a delightful experience that is only further enhanced by the gameplay loop.
Similar to Dynasty Warriors, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is centered on offering an engaging experience. Players are given a surprisingly wide range of items they can use to handle the seemingly endless hoards of enemies. Options range from a baseball bat, TV, mannequin, cardboard box, and pretty much everything in-between.
Out of my Way
Even if the effectiveness varies, it’s the novelty of killing zombies with a massive CRT TV makes it fun. Overtime it becomes less about surviving the threat, and more killing enemies in style. To help with this a plethora of outfits are scattered across the mall. There is also a good amount of DLC, most of which embraces the campy vibe.
Despite having a solid foundation, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster often shows its age. One of the most common examples is how missions are structured. Instead of urging players to mow down everyone in their way, they’re told to transverse multiple sections of the mall. Thankfully, quick load times cut out some of the manontany.
Boss fights also feel incredibly underwhelming by today’s standards. Stiff movement, coupled with poor aiming, and weak damage take away much of the thrill. Often the hardest part was simply hitting the enemy. It also does help several of these encounters are a bit janky, and it isn’t uncommon for enemies to move in a weird way, or straight up teleport to another location.
Those unfamiliar with the original might dislike the time mechanics. Essentially, players have a finite amount of time to figure out what is going on, and save the day. In terms of the core narrative there is more than enough time where it shouldn’t matter, regardless of how many enemies die along the way.
So Silly
Where it starts to get rough are optional objectives. There are people to save, places to go, and things to kill that dictate how the adventure will go down. Said choices also impact the ending making them rather important beyond simply experiencing everything Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster has to offer.
Finally, I wanted to touch on the art style. At first glance I will admit I wasn’t a fan. Certain characters/scenes looked better, at least in the remastered sense, but Frank West himself felt like a step backwards. Even if I never came to love his redesign, I think it works in the so bad it’s good sense. It really enhances some of the costumes that look so ridiculous it’s hard not to smile.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Review Verdict
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster: What made Dead Rising a classic was the ability to grab outlandish items, and use said item to defeat seemingly endless waves of enemies. Nearly 20 years later this still holds true. In fact, given how much the world has changed since 2006 there is arguably even more novelty in things like a CD store, or even the mall setting itself. It's a shame other areas highlight Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster age, but anyone looking to reexperience the delight that comes from putting a Servbot helmet on a zombie, and then killing it with a 2×4 will certainly walk away with a smile on their face. โ Mark
Editor’s Note: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster was reviewed on PlayStation 5, tested on PC, and a copy was provided to us for review purposes.
