Summary

• Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a revamped version of the original game with improved graphics, controls, and mechanics.
• The game will be released on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC, apparently being billed as a true current-gen experience.
• Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster retains the game's core mechanics and light tone, offering a fun sandbox experience with quality-of-life improvements.

18 years after its initial release and eight years after its HD remaster, Dead Rising will get another new version: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. This is the first release for Capcom’s campier zombie series since 2016, when Dead Rising 4 fell far short of the company’s estimated sales numbers. Now, Dead Rising is crawling back out of the grave for another trip to the Willamette Parkview Mall. However, unlike the zombies in the game, it looks better than it ever has.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster has completely overhauled the game’s graphics, reconstructing the original game within Capcom’s RE Engine. This is the same game engine the game has used for RPG Dragon's Dogma 2. Apart from aesthetic changes, Capcom is also promising mechanical updates to certain aspects of the game that were somewhat frustrating in previous releases. Capcom hasn’t announced any plans to overhaul any of the other Dead Rising games yet, so it will likely be up to this game to perform if the franchise is to stay undead.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Release Date & Pre-Order Bonuses

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Will Be Released In Two Stages

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will initially be a digital-only release. Players can get their hands on the game when Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster releases on September 19, 2024. Players who want to hold out for a physical copy of the game will have to wait until November, though an exact date has yet to be specified for its physical release. Capcom may be waiting to see what sales look like in September to get an idea of the type of numbers the company should expect to sell in a physical release, to avoid a disappointment like Dead Rising 4.

Players who pre-order Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will receive some bonus content for the game. First, they will get three in-game costumes for Frank: Frank’s 2006 costume, Chuck Greene from Dead Rising 2, and the Willamette Parkview Mall Bee’s mascot costume. Players will also receive some additional background music tracks for the game to accompany these costumes. Players who spring for the digital deluxe edition will receive four additional costume packs themed after other Capcom games like Resident Evil and Street Fighter. The standard edition costs $49.99 and the digital deluxe is $59.99.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Platforms

A Next-Gen Update

In the announcement trailer for the game, the opening text stresses that one of the major goals of the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster was to introduce the game to new players on the latest platforms. With that goal in mind, this is the first Dead Rising game that will be exclusively released for the current generation of consoles. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will be available for the Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and on PC, with players already able to pre-purchase the game through Steam, the PlayStation Store, and the Microsoft Store.

This is a departure from Capcom’s Resident Evil remakes, which have been released on both the current and previous generations of systems. It’s hard to say why Capcom would have chosen to only release Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster for current systems, but it may want to sell the game as an exclusively next-gen experience. Since the 2016 version of the game is available on PS4 and Xbox One, keeping this latest remaster exclusive to next-gen systems will help it seem more like a completely fresh experience, even if it is still largely the same game.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’s New Content

Changes From The Original Game

In an interview with IGN, three of the people behind Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster - director Ryosuke Murai, art director Satoshi Takamatsu, and producer Kei Morimoto - gave some insight into the biggest changes made to the game. Aside from the change in graphics, the game has also updated its controls and mechanics. One thing that the developers focused on was making Frank easier to control, including updates to his movement, like allowing him to move while aiming a weapon. A similar update was made in the Resident Evil remakes, and it allowed for more fluid combat.

There have been a few other quality-of-life updates made to the game, including a new Auto-Save feature. This will cut down on the frustration of players getting sucked into the game and then suddenly losing large chunks of time when they are overwhelmed by zombies. The AI for companions has also been reworked, so it won’t be so frustrating for players to save the mall’s survivors as they hurl themselves at death with reckless abandon or get stuck on walls.

Capcom has also used revamping the game’s graphics as an excuse to build a better Willamette Parkview Mall. The newest version of the mall has a lot more character than was possible in previous versions. While locations still look familiar, they have a lot more detail and style to them. There is also a new day-night cycle that influences how areas look during different parts of the day, making the mall much more interesting from a visual standpoint.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Gameplay Details

Retains The Game’s Core Mechanics

Although some updates have been made to improve the game’s mechanics, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is not trying to be a completely new game. The previews for the game have made it clear that this is the same Dead Rising fans fell in love with back in 2006, just with a nicer coat of paint and some quality-of-life improvements. Producer Kei Morimoto made it clear that the team wanted to preserve the original feel of the game, which meant keeping the cartoony logic it operates on, instead of trying to create a more grounded remake.

For players unfamiliar with the series, Dead Rising is set in a large shopping mall during a zombie outbreak. Players control reporter Frank West, who is sent in to investigate what’s happening. Players will use a variety of improvised weapons from the mall’s many shops to carve a path through the hordes of zombies, save mall shoppers, and try to solve the mystery of the outbreak. Along the way, they will also face off with the game’s bosses, living people whom the game refers to as psychopaths.

Part of Dead Rising’s appeal is its light tone and the creative ways players can find to kill zombies. Players should not go into this game expecting a deep storytelling experience like The Last of Us. Instead, Dead Rising Deluxe Remake will provide players with a fun sandbox to play around in. There is enough of a narrative to keep players invested, but truthfully, the game is much better suited for shutting one’s brain off and plowing zombies down with a shopping cart.

Source: IGN