Note: Some gameplay clips in this article feature costumes available with the digital edition of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster.
Visual show via RE Engine
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Real-time lighting and shadows: Whether you’re running through a colorful food court or trying to stay peaceful in a moonlit outdoor space between mall entrances, the Remaster’s reborn visuals don’t sacrifice the stylized personality of the original game. The mood set by these vigorous effects ensures that you’re taking part in a fun mix of the scary and the lively.
More detailed character models: As you get closer to Frank, you can see the significant improvements that Capcom has made to the stars of the game, with even the stitching and stitching of his iconic leather jacket becoming perceptible. And if you’re unlucky enough to get caught by an enemy, you’ll sometimes see anything from a momentary bleed in the face to crimson bullet holes.
Non-player characters have also been given more detail. For example, annoying rival photographer Kent has been given a bouncy head of hair, and fans of Madonna’s poodle will be delighted to see that he looks more like, well, a poodle.
Even zombies feature a wider variety of body models and shapes, which not only makes taking pictures of them even more fun, but certain moves, like Frank’s head-stomping Zombie Ride, become even funnier.
Modern and classic control options
Get to know Frank faster: Being surrounded by hordes of the undead is terrifying enough, so if you’re not familiar with Frank’s original controls, don’t worry. You no longer have to choose between moving and shooting, which makes shooting feel much smoother. And for moments where weapon proficiency is crucial – which is the case in most of the game’s boss fights – you’ll find much more accessible and vigorous combat, aided by the auto-aim option and the Heads-Up Display reticle.
Defensive moves are easier to perform: A recent dodge and roll button lets you avoid blows effortlessly, and if Frank finds himself pinned down by a zombie, you can press the side-view face button instead of frantically whipping the left stick to escape.
Of course, if you want to keep the tension of the original, you can always revert to the classic control layout.
Better save functionality
More save points: Now you don’t have to worry about reaching specific locations, like bathrooms or beds in the security room, to save your game. Every time you enter or exit a recent area (usually marked by a very brief load time), the game automatically saves, alleviating the previous fear of having to restart from the beginning due to an unexpected border crossing. Personally, this meant I took more risks navigating Willamette Mall, knowing that my mistakes wouldn’t be punished as severely compared to my exploration in the original.
Improved survivor intelligence
Improved NPC Intelligence: In the original Dead Rising, it was too uncomplicated for your fellow survivors to turn into zombie bread when they got caught in the environment or didn’t follow you quickly enough, something Capcom is addressing in the Remaster. While you still need to be aware of your surroundings, NPCs have improved pathfinding intelligence around obstacles, and some areas have been tweaked to allow them to better navigate trickier locations.
Ability to be undead: The improved AI isn’t narrow to survivors. Run into any of the armed zombie cops and they’ll shoot at you. Although, thankfully, they’re not the best shots – to be fair, If aiming with undead eyeballs.
A better life through the lens
Get the perfect photo: In all the chaos of zombie-slaying, it’s uncomplicated to forget that Frank is only in this situation because he wants to take some world-changing photos. Taking great photos just got easier with the addition of an autofocus button and the ability to tilt the camera.
More Prestige Points (PP): If the improved graphics weren’t enough of a reason to take more photos, better photos now grant higher skill boosts, making upgrading Frank easier and faster, and allowing players to survive a little longer in the wilds of the Mall.
Updated user interface and quality of life features
Tactile status screens and HUD options: If navigating the improved mall is a pleasure, the same can be said for the improved user interface and menus. The status screen itself is impressive, with Frank framed in the visor, breathing, blinking, and wearing whatever you have him wearing at the moment.
With a range of HUD tweaks available, you can also make the game look as cinematic as you want. A particularly useful addition is the damage bar under each weapon, which indicates when your equipped beater is going down. So this time, if you get caught brief in the middle of a fight, it’s all your own fault.
Audio Updates
All non-player characters (NPCs) have voice acting: While the ability to change the ambient music in the mall at any time is a great mood-setter, the real sonic game-changer comes from the extensive amount of spoken dialogue in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. The voice acting is ever-present, creating more intuitive and faster interactions and making it easier to locate certain survivors.
Otis isn’t that needy: VO also changes your relationship with your favorite mall janitor, Otis. In the original game, answering his recurrent calls for information and recent missions prevented Frank from doing almost anything at that point, including defending himself. If you were attacked, the call would end, and Otis would later call back to scold you for interrupting him… before reconnecting with his previous call.
But now, thanks to Otis having a voice, Frank can receive and listen to his friend’s calls without interruption or worry – and even if you “accidentally” cut Otis off by going into an area that needs charging, he’s still surprisingly peaceful about it. Phew. And as a nice bonus, if you activate the Controller Speaker option, you can hear his calls through the DualSense controller.
You won’t have to wait long to enjoy all of these improvements that make Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster the most unforgettable trip to the mall you’ll ever experience when it launches on PS5 on September 19. Enjoy 72 hours of…