Don’t letDead Rising Deluxe Remaster’sname fool you; this is essentially a full-on remake of Capcom’s classic zombie game. While the narrative and core gameplay loop are the same,Dead Risinghas seen a complete visual overhaul, as well as a few gameplay tweaks to make it more enjoyable to play. It’s the same great game you remember, but it now just feels like something that could be released in 2024 rather than 2006. After going hands-on withDead Rising Deluxe Remaster, it’s clear that this game is less like the remake treatment Capcom gaveResident Evil 4last year and more like the one EA gaveDead Space. It’s an extremely faithful modern upgrade for a horror classic that still holds up today.
For those unfamiliar withDead Rising, it follows a photojournalist named Frank West, who sneaks into the town of Willamette, which the U.S. government has cordoned off. It turns out that most of the residents of this small town have turned into zombies, and Frank intentionally strands himself at the zombie-infested Parkview Mall for 72 hours. During that time, he uncovers the truth of this zombie outbreak and works with government agents stuck in the mall with him. Despite its grave subject matter,Dead Risingis also a very funny game with a bumbling protagonist.
It’s a comedic commentary on American consumerism, government overreach, and the scumminess of tabloid journalism. Still, there is heart at the core of this adventure, as you see Frank start to actually care about people over time and understand how this small-town zombie apocalypse truly broke the minds of many of Willamette’s residents.Dead Risingalso thrives because of all the emergent moments this premise enables.
The events ofDead Risingtake place over 72 hours, and a clock is constantly ticking down in the background of the game. Time passes each time players enter a new area, and for the best ending, players have to complete all the main cases within that time frame.
Add in dynamic systems gameplay systems that see Frank rescuing survivors in the mall and finding objects that he can improvise to be weapons, and no two playthroughs ofDead Risingfeel the same. That’s one of the main reasonsDead Risingremains so endearing to many fans 18 years later, and it’s somethingDead Rising Deluxe Remasterretains in full. If you enjoyed the emergent nature of Capcom’sDragon’s Dogma 2earlier this year, then you’ll adoreDead Rising Deluxe Remasterif you haven’t played the original.
As a remake — orDeluxe Remaster, as Capcom puts it — ofDead Rising, it’s also very good. The core ofDead Risingis exactly how you remember it, with a ticking clock and all the emergent gameplay systems I’ve mentioned. But it’s the small tweaksDead Rising Deluxe Remasterbrings that matter the most. Frank’s new look takes some getting used to, but there are tons of costumes to make him wear if you don’t like it. Otherwise, the visual overhaul is fantastic and affirms Willamette Mall as one of the all-time great video game settings. Even after just playing the first day and a half ofDead Rising Deluxe Remaster, I already felt familiar with many of its nooks and crannies.
There are also some helpful gameplay tweaks. The game will now autosave, and you’re able to move while shooting. Although some of the most hardcore fans might scoff at the fact that these make the game a bit easier, I also think they makeDead Risingmore fun to play. It’s helpful not to lose a day of progress due to forgetting to save and to be able to shoot the heads off a couple of zombies without having to completely stop them in their tracks.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remasterisn’t as thorough of a reimagining asResident Evil 4’sremake was, but I don’t thinkDead Risingneeded that. Capcom just needed a way to get a whole new generation of players to appreciate this classic zombie game. And if you enjoyed the originalDead Rising, my time playingDead Rising Deluxe Remasterindicates that it’ll give you the perfect excuse to revisit this excellent game, just like theDead Spaceremake did for that series’ fans in January 2023.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remasterwill be released on September 19 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. A physical version of the game for consoles will follow on November 8.
