Capcom has been on a re-release spree lately; between Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth Collection and Marvel Vs. Capcom Fighting Collection, fans of franchises that have either seen games that never made it to Western shores or lay dormant for multiple years finally have something to chew on. Not to be left out, here's Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster – or DRDR, for short – which rehauls Frank West's first foray into zombie-killing history.
While Dead Rising as a whole has been on the backburner at Capcom for a while – Dead Rising 4 launched in December 2016 – DRDR travels back another decade to 2006, when the world was first introduced to Frank West, the Willamette Parkview Mall, and 53,594 zombies. For the most part, DRDR holds up well thanks to its modern facelift and mechanical upgrades, but a few janky bits prove this remaster could have used a bit more Zombrex*.
*(Yes, the writer is aware Zombrex wasn't introduced until Dead Rising 2. The joke stands.)
The core gameplay loop of Dead Rising – investigate the mall outbreak, save survivors, and defeat the hordes within 72 in-game hours – is still as engaging now as it was back in 2006. There's a ton of backtracking, of course, but every time I leave the safe room and descend the elevator, I spend the first few minutes mapping out routes, figuring out the quickest paths, and strategizing for whichever battle is next. Survivors popping up on my radar will cause me to pivot, but that just means more planning on the fly, and that's what makes this game so good in the first place.
As for the modernization of this original Dead Rising, there are three ways to properly evaluate the changes made in DRDR: Visuals, mechanics, and story. Right off the bat, you can see that the game looks better than any Dead Rising game to come before it. The characters have noticeable detail, particularly Frank in his silly costumes, and the zombies are downright ugly up close. What's more, the little bar letting you know your current weapon's durability is a nice addition, as it reduces any nasty surprises in the middle of a heated exchange.
These visual enhancements are most noticeable with the Psychopaths – the boss-like enemies that roam certain sections of the mall at certain times throughout the in-game 72 hours. The RE Engine does a terrific job of showcasing their hysteria through their eye and mouth movements, with some of them looking more deranged and scary than before. Grocery store manager Steven Chapman screaming "THIS IS MY STOOOOOOOOOOORE" somehow becomes even more unsettling thanks to the details added to his wide-eyed hollering.
Next is mechanics, and this is DRDR's biggest improvement. The new control scheme works so much better than before, with weapon strikes, aiming, and camera controls mapped intelligently to the controller. I love that DRDR retained the multiple save slots of Chop Till You Drop – the Wii port of Dead Rising – as that allows me to better plan for each event. Moving while aiming a gun is an improvement, even though the two to three seconds Frank stops moving while actually firing the gun holds it back slightly.
It must be said, however, that going back to the first game takes away one of the best parts of the franchise: Combo weapons. There's no combo weapons in this game, as we're limited to whatever's in the mall to take out zombies. It's still fun slashing, shooting, and blowing up the hordes, but the creativity of combining two items into one more powerful weapon has become part of the main Dead Rising experience, and its absence here is definitely noticeable.
The upgrade doesn't come without a little jank, however, and most of that can be found in the zombie hordes throughout the mall. Zombies will spawn as Frank walks around, and sometimes those zombies will spawn a foot or two off of the ground instead of standing. This leads to a cascade of zombies in the distance falling flat on their face as soon as they come into view, which seems unintended – though it's admittedly hilarious. Meanwhile, up close, zombies seem to be particularly good at grabbing Frank as he's attacking; a trait we don't recall being as prevalent in the original game, but one that's annoying nonetheless.
The most uneven part of the game, honestly, is the story, which is mostly unchanged from the original release. A lack of change isn't inherently bad, as not every remake needs to be a Resident Evil 2 level refresh, but a few elements from the past don't stand the test of the time.
Take Jo, a Psychopath boss fight found in a women's clothing store. The cutscene that plays when you get to that fight is, uh, rather suggestive of something downright terrifying, and while the act is never explicitly said, the heavy implication made me cringe a bit. Granted, that's probably as much the point now as it was then, but I can't imagine it's going to sit well with some players.
That's the major issue with the story elements in question: They're simply outdated. They fall on tropes from the mid-2000s that don't hold the same weight today, and if Capcom was re-recording lines for some characters – including Frank himself – some of the more outlandish events could have used some revision. It makes sense from a preservation standpoint, but with as much modernization as other parts of the game received, perhaps the few extreme elements might have been refocused.
If Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is any indication, the core philosophy of the game still works in 2024. Running around the mall with an array of silly weapons is still brutal fun, the time restrictions of 72 Hour Mode make each decision heavy and important, and the Willamette Parkview Mall has never looked better. However, there's some jank under the hood, a few key improvements are missing, and the story could have used a small adjustment or two for modern times. None of these problems, however, serve as mortal wounds; like the zombies, our enjoyment with DRDR keeps coming back whenever those issues turn up.
Should Dead Rising make a return, this deluxe remaster serves as a solid foundation.
Full Disclosure: A copy of this game was provided by PR for the purposes of this review.
