I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: when it comes to remakes and remasters, there is no better company out there doing them than Capcom. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is just another example of this, being one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year, and it’s technically an 18-year-old game!
Back in the day, Dead Rising was one of those games that wanted to show off. It was coming out within the first year of the Xbox 360 generation and was keen to explore all the possibilities this gave them, a masterclass for the sheer number of zombies on scree, the innovative gameplay and wacky theatrics. It had it all.
With Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, Capcom has done a marvellous job bringing the game into 2024, going so far beyond the un-deluxe remaster from 2016. The graphics have had a complete overhaul, reimagining some parts of what the shopping mall can be and look like, adding so much detail to the world, and also making characters feel much more expressive in their interactions – they’re all fully voiced now as well. In a game where the characters are quite zany, it really helps convey the madness of it all. Of course, this also helps with all the blood and gore on offer, which is always nice.
They’ve also nixed some of the original problematic content that was always creepy, but can’t be played for laughs by today’s standards. One particular mission used to see you take a photo for Kent with a high Erotica rating. Well Erotica photos no longer exist, because running around snapping pictures of cleavage in a video game is just a little weird. Now, you need to take an Outtake style photo instead, which is much better, and means I can also face my family.
All the changes made to the game have been for the better. From little things such as weapon durability now being displayed under each weapon so you can see when it’s going to break, to a rejig and refinement of the controller layout, and the fact that some missions have had a lot of the monotony taken out of them. Even some of the trophies have been made a little easier to swallow – trying to kill 53,000 zombies in one run now tracks across multiple playthroughs, so if you get close and just miss out, you haven’t wasted two to three hours of your life. I like a game that respects my time.
Otherwise, business is the same as usual. You take on the role of Frank West, a photojournalist who has covered wars, you know. Frank gets a tip that something big is going down in the town of Willamette, so hires himself a chopper and pilot and goes to take a look. He ends up getting stranded in a shopping mall and proceeds to spend the next 72 hours trying to find the truth and stay alive.
You can tackle that 72 hour span in a bunch of different ways. If you want to get the story done, you’re encouraged to follow the main scoops as and when they appear, adhering to the deadline and being in the right place at the right time. The real fun comes from going off the beaten path, exploring all that Willamette has to offer, and trying to reach and help survivors who need rescuing. Sometimes they might be stuck behind barricades, forcing you to break them down and lead them to the safety of the security room.
The AI seemed ok at first, but they can still be a little wonky from time to time, getting themselves stuck or refusing to move when called. It only happened a handful of times and didn’t really affect the overall experience.
Other times, survivors might be held hostage by Psychopaths – shopping mall workers or visitors that have lost the plot a little and gone on a murderous rampage. If there’s one thing I’m glad Capcom didn’t change, it’s these bosses. They are completely over the top and I love them. An early boss, Adam the Clown, is probably my favourite. He’s the perfect example of just how deranged (and unreasonable) these bosses can be, and offing him opens up an opportunity or two, including the ability to pick up his mini chainsaws, which I held onto for the majority of the game.
It was this combat that helped me appreciate how much the controls have also been tightened up. Not that original was terrible, and you can still revert to classic controls, but having the ability to move while aiming is a big plus, and dodging, ducking, diving, and using a barrage of wrestling moves all feel pretty tight.
Nothing has changed in terms of what Frank unlocks as he levels up, making him a bad ass when you find yourself in a situation without a weapon. There’s no better feeling than running up behind a zombie and using a Release German Suplex to throw it into another bunch of zombies. It’s so much fun!
Of course you’ll mainly be scouring the shops looking for all kinds of different weapons to use, and there’s a lot of choice. From using a stack of CDs from the music store, to beating zombies over the head with mannequins, the sky’s the limit when it comes to dispatching zombies, with a very large pool of fun and wacky items to try. It’s one of the major appeals in Dead Rising.
Another way to add to this is making Frank wear a bunch of different clothing. In the very stores you explore, there’s also a massive selection of things to try on and make Frank look cool as hell or a bit silly. Whatever your preference really. Back in the security room, you can even change into anything you’ve found so far on your journey, as well as some other full blown costumes available as DLC. These come as a part of the digital deluxe version of the game and it’s not entirely clear yet whether they will be sold separately, but they are pretty cool and have some great nods to other Capcom licences. I’m currently doing a run as Nemesis from Resident Evil 3 and it’s funny watching Frank interact with people.
If you’re after an even bigger challenge, Infinity mode is also back, which puts you on a strict time limit while you fight for your life in the mall, with randomly spawning enemies and psychopaths, all while trying to fend off zombies and eat food to replenish your rapidly decreasing health. It’s a really fun and challenging mode.