My 14-year-old mind was blown the first time I ever played Dead Rising. I had never seen anything quite like it before that point. 18 years after Frank West initially touched down at Willamette Mall, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is looking to bring that same energy to a new generation.
A Fresh Coat Of Paint Isn’t All That’s New in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (DRDR)
Although it’s been nearly two decades since I first stepped foot inside the Willamette Parkside Mall, it still feels as if it were just yesterday when I first met Frank West. An investigative journalist who’s covered wars (you know), this loveable oaf has always been a fan favorite. There are a few things fans will immediately notice, however; Frank’s new overall look, as well as his new voice.
Frank West is an iconic character for anyone who grew up with an Xbox 360, especially with the series selling more than 16 million units worldwide. It’s going to take some time to warm up to the replacement voice actor, but I was rather impressed with this new direction after my preview was complete. He fits the new model extremely well, sounding more like a stern New Yorker, complementing his new style and look rather well.
That being said, hardcore Dead-heads who pre-order the game can also explore this remaster as the earliest version of Frank West, thanks to the included Classic outfit, but his voice actor will remain the same. It’s a nice bonus, but I feel as if this should be included for free with any purchase.
DRDR is brought to life with the magic of the RE Engine and is a joy to play and experience once again. Seeing Willamette Parkside Mall after all of these years and replays nearly brought a tear to my eye, especially after taking a break from the main story to explore a bit.
Sections of the mall are still separated by loading screens, staying faithful to the original in this regard, but every storefront is packed with exceptional detail and makes everything pop more than ever before.
Alongside the fresh coat of paint, a variety of Quality of Life upgrades have also been deployed. After switching between Dead Rising HD and Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, the jump became far more apparent to me. The Dodge Roll has been moved from a double-tap of the left stick to a face button on the controller, getting rid of one of the biggest problems of the original game.
Weapons now have a meter that would let me know when they were on the verge of breaking, rather than relying on a blinking photo in the top right of the screen. Moving while aiming makes using guns less of a chore this time around, even if Frank still does pause his movements to fire.
The inclusion of the Clothing Locker from later installments is also a blessing in and of itself. Being able to swap between your favorite outfits on the fly by visiting the Safehouse feels perfect. I don’t need to worry about trudging through a horde of zombies if I lose my favorite Servebot head anymore and swap between any found item that I encounter.
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Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster feels like Dead Rising; it still oozes charm and wittiness, and that was one of my biggest worries. Dead Rising has always had a particular je ne sais quoi about it — being both hilarious and horrifying at the same time isn’t always the easiest thing to accomplish. Those hoping to explore a childhood favorite will find that everything they loved about the original game is still here, just in a much more attractive overall package.
Some Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (DRDR) Changes May Frighten Fans
Some new features, on the other hand, could be slightly upsetting to long-time fans. While I applaud the ability to auto-save and fast-forward time to keep the action moving, others may scoff at these types of changes. While fast-forwarding can technically be ignored, the auto-save feature was enabled during this preview build with no option to turn it off. While it was great not to have to backtrack nearly as much when Frank met his untimely doom, the pressure of trying to escape a horde while not saving for nearly an hour was missed.
There were also a few other small changes I noticed during my time playing. After examining the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Directors Report on YouTube, I noticed many comments mentioning that zombie heads don’t explode from sledgehammers and other weapons. I can confirm that this feature is still in DRDR and may have been censored for monetization purposes, or they may have been playing on an older build. Another feature, known as the Erotica Subclass of photos, has been fully removed from the game, however.
During my preview time, I would swap between this new remaster and the 2016 remaster to compare and see if my memory was failing me, but there were a few other key things I would love to see added before the final build is released.
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The animation of Frank laying down on the couch to smash a quick nap while saving is nowhere to be found, and I feel like that was a charming little addition to the original game. It also feels like zombies are much more “grabby” this time around, for lack of a better description. I found myself engaged in tangles with zombies far more often in Deluxe Remaster than I did in the 2016 HD remaster, but this could just be due to me getting my sea legs back and getting used to the new engine.
I would also love to see an option to toggle on the hitstopping animation, as this has been fully removed from Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. For those unfamiliar, when Frank hit an enemy, the action would stop for a few frames to give the impression of a super heavy hit. It was a stylistic choice back in the day, but I would love to see the option to turn it off or on here.
On a general gameplay scale, it feels like it should. Zombies are still a joy to demolish in this version of the game; Psychopath boss battles are tense and terrifying, and it feels properly great to control. It’s also optimized very well on PC, offering a variety of graphical tweaks to ensure that it will run great on a variety of systems.
While my preview time was limited, I’m looking forward to September 19 with bated breath. It was a joy to revisit one of my favorite games from another era, and this remaster looks to deliver an authentic reimagining of one of the greatest 360 library titles.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will be available September 19, 2024, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, & PC.
Published: Aug 13, 2024 11:00 am