While Resident Evil has always been the more notable Capcom zombie series, Dead Rising remains a fan favorite for a reason. Debuting in 2006, the series blends over-the-top storytelling with a goofy freedom to improvise through a zombie apocalypse. Despite being one of Capcom’s biggest financial hits, there hasn’t been a new entry in the series since 2016.

Almost a decade later, the series is rising from the dead — somewhat. While it’s not a formal sequel or remake, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is an enjoyable and gory time. The enhanced elements of the remaster amplify some key elements of the original game even while it doesn’t necessarily remedy the flaws that haunted the original game in the series. Still, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is an entertaining reminder of why the game became a fan favorite.

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Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Got A Gory Graphical Upgrade

At its core, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is very much the original game with a new coat of paint and some quality-of-life improvements. The story still focuses on Frank West, a photojournalist, as he investigates a mall swarming with zombies. Visually, the Dead Rising remaster benefits from the modern RE Engine.

The result is more detail in the world, ranging from the broader mall around the player to more consistent lighting during tighter scenes. This benefits the sheer scale of the game, with the remaster filling Willamette Parkview Mall to the brim with the undead. It’s a welcome challenge, especially as players try to escort survivors back to safety.

These upgrades to the presentation are felt across different aspects of the game. Cutscenes are driven by more believable acting and character expression. The world is brighter and more distinct, even when stores are inaccessible. The hordes are larger and more imposing. It’s a genuinely unsettling moment when players find themselves surrounded, dodging bullets from undead officers still acting out their muscle memory. The game’s campy elements paper over the dated elements of the story, and add to the self-aware cheesy nature.

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A Flawed World Invites An Absurd Tone

Dead Rising always stood out for its sandbox approach to the zombie genre. There’s an overarching plot full of government conspiracies and bio-weapons, and the remaster mines the terror for some moments of quiet and horrific pathos. The game also allows you to dress as Mega Man and hit zombies with park benches. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster retains the unique spirit that enhanced the title from nearly twenty years ago, a gleefully absurd blend of cornball nonsense and gory gameplay.

That cheesy presentation may reduce any attempts at genuine emotion. However, it effectively recreates the self-serious and goofball energy of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films. The game remains at its best when it overwhelms players with undead hordes. This forces innovation within the surroundings. One of the best tweaks of the game does give players a better fallback, however.

In the original game, aiming could be cumbersome when surrounded. Movement was limited while actually aiming a gun, leaving players to scramble when pushed into a corner. Among other minor tweaks, players can now actually aim while moving. This makes gunplay significantly more intuitive, especially during the boss battles. Movement is tighter overall, allowing wily players to maneuver effortlessly through the hordes of the undead.

The thing that always separated Dead Rising was an irreverent and sincere tone. It’s a game where chaos makes anything possible, even while a ridiclious plot plays in the background. It’s all background noise to a fun and inventive riff on the zombie genre. A tighter sense of control amplifies the open-ended approach to the game Dead Rising remains as gleefully gory and entertaining as ever.

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