It’s time to load in the fresh camera batteries, grab anything not nailed down, and step back into the shoes of one of my most beloved video game characters. Thanks to the gloriously gruesome minds over at Capcom, Frank West is back in the all-new Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. It has been eighteen years since the original Dead Rising made its debut on Xbox 360 back in 2006, so for many of you, this will be very new. For fossils like me, this will be a fantastic walk down memory lane.

The once-peaceful town of Willamette, Colorado, has been quarantined by the U.S. Army. Freelance journalist Frank West smells a scoop and finds his way into the only shopping mall in town. Chaos ensues as the mall has been turned into a living hell, crawling with countless zombies. Help will arrive in 72 hours, so it’s up to Frank to find out the truth behind this incident before it’s too late. With multiple endings for you to discover, do you have what it takes to uncover the truth? 

Not having time on your side players are presented with a great sense of urgency to complete each objective. If that isn’t enough pressure for you then let’s add survivors who also need rescuing. Adding more fuel to the fire are the psychopaths who stop at nothing to ruin your day, not to mention the countless zombies ready to feast upon your body. This sense of urgency and the pleasure of wiping out the hordes of zombies that stand in your way make achieving your objectives all the more satisfying.

The main objectives are presented as case panels, completing a panel will allow you to learn more about the incident and net you valuable PP (prestige points) which help to make Frank stronger as you level up. PP can also be earned by taking pictures with Frank’s camera, rescuing survivors and mowing down hordes of zombies. Each time you level up you’ll receive one upgrade from one of 6 categories. These upgrades increase attack power, running speed, health, inventory slots, throwing distance, and even learning new skills to take into battle.

Opportunities to try and rescue other survivors are received via calls over the radio. Escorting survivors to the security room can prove to be troublesome, having them follow you or just clearing a path and directing them forward isn’t always enough to get them to safety.

Each survivor has an affinity toward certain items, by giving them their favourite goodies they are more likely to defend other survivors. They may even put their lives on the line and come to your aid should you become overwhelmed.

I had almost forgotten about the crap-load of various challenges within the game. Completing challenges for killing zombies, taking down psychopaths, and escorting survivors will earn valuable unlockables. Unlock new outfit customisations to change Frank’s look. These can be equipped either in the security room or at any of the many clothing stores throughout the mall. In addition to the unlockable cosmetics, you can also unlock powerful perks and weapons that you can take into battle on your next playthrough.

Speaking of customisations, included in the deluxe edition of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster are five DLC bundles featuring outfits and BGM from some of the most beloved Capcom franchises. Here is what you get from each bundle which can also be purchased separately. 

Capcom Fighters Pack: Costumes for Ken (Street Fighter Alpha), Sodom (Street Fighter Alpha 3), Blodia (Cyberbots: Fullmetal Madness), and Rikuo (Darkstalkers series). BGM tracks: “Ken Stage”, “Tower of Shogun”, “Machine Arena”, and “Rikuo Stage”. 

Mega Man Pack: Costumes for Lan Hikari and Mega Man (Mega Man Battle Network), and Tron Bonne (Mega Man Legends). BGM tracks: “Hometown”, “Running Through The Cyberworld”, and “Flutter vs. Gesellschaft”.

Willamette Parkview Mall Pack: Costumes for Sherriff, War Photographer, Clown, and Creepy Rabbit. BGM tracks: “Beyond Heaven”, “Reflection in the Window”, “Splatter Party”, and “Two Eerie Towers”. 

Resident Evil Heroes Pack: Costumes for Chris Redfield (Resident Evil HD Remaster), Ashley Graham (Resident Evil 4), and my favourite hero in the franchise Leon S. Kennedy (Resident Evil 2). BGM tracks: “Save Theme (Resident Evil 1 Remake)”, “Saudade”, and “Save Theme – Mellow Nightscape Mix”. 

Resident Evil Villains Pack: Costumes for Licker (Resident Evil 2), Chainsaw Villager (Resident Evil 4), and Nemesis (Resident Evil 3). BGM tracks: “Looming Dread”, “The Drive – Remake version”, and “Metamorphosis”. 

While I admit to enjoying the crap out of dressing up as my favourite Capcom characters of old, I would have loved to have seen more recent crossovers introduced. Now that we’ve covered all the cosmetics and story progression, let’s talk gameplay and everything that being rebuilt using RE Engine has made possible.

Picking up anything not nailed down and using it as a weapon to commit unadulterated mass zombicide is a joyous and frequent activity. Honestly, I could spend countless hours here simply slaughtering the undead masses. One of my favourite things to do was to arm myself with a chainsaw and run head-first into densely populated zombie areas, carving my way through the masses and watching the glorious blood-spraying, limb-ripping carnage that ensued. 

Rushes of Capcom fighter nostalgia come flooding back every time I use the Spinning Double-Clothesline, whether this reminds you of the Russian juggernaut Zangief from Street Fighter or Haggar from Final Fight, the nostalgia is real. Combat has improved dramatically over the original, largely due to the rock-solid 60fps and more refined movement mechanics. 

The original version of Dead Rising wowed us all with the massive amounts of zombies that fit on screen. Consider me wowed all over again, not only do the masses of zombies feel more densely populated but they also look considerably more terrifying.

Zombies are still quite dumb and the majority still stumble around. However, this time around I found myself getting pinned to the ground more often as a group attacked. The best action against this threat is “off with their heads”.

The survivor NPCs are much easier to connect with thanks to the upgraded visuals provided, with much better facial expressions and reworked vocals. I still find myself loving to hate their stupidity though as they try to attack zombies and find themselves trapped. I struggled to get back to them before they were torn to shreds. 

I’ve mentioned a few visual upgrades with much better character expression, allowing you to feel more connected with each character. This is most notable within cutscenes during those up-close moments. The mall itself has received a lot of love with reworked visuals. Massive improvements to the readability of signage and items meant far less time consulting the map to figure out where I was. The game feels so much more alive now, except for the multitudes of zombies. From end to end, you can expect nothing but visceral bliss when mowing down the hordes.

Whether you are vibing out to the stellar BGM soundtrack playing over the Mall speakers or committing mass zombicide you’re in for a fantastic audio sonic experience. Reworked vocal performances deliver a much more believable dialogue. Weapon sounds never fail to hit the spot, especially when a gunshot rings out and echoes around the mall. Put all of this incredible audio together with the realistic visceral blood effects when ripping apart zombie flesh and you’ve got yourself one hell of a night in.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered is a masterclass in reviving a most beloved franchise. Whether you are a returning player or fresh to the franchise, this is the most definitive way to experience everything Willamette Shopping Mall has in store. Connect and feel each character’s plight like never before. Capcom, you have outdone yourselves. I will think of you fondly as I laugh maniacally while shredding zombie masses for many months. Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered is available right now on PS5. What are you waiting for? These zombies aren’t going to shred themselves.

Written by: Gary Nielsen