The original Dead Rising, it’s sequel and the sequel spin-off get the remake treatment…
It’s been a long time since I last played the original Dead Rising on the 360, it was a groundbreaking game at the time…I went through the demo countless times before the game was released, trying to find all new ways to kill and taunt zombies by putting cones on their heads. The final product was outstanding, even if it’s save system is old-school in its design and constant phone calls from Otis drove me and everyone else mad.
The original, as well as Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record which stars original star Frank West in the same setting as DR2 has arrived on PS4 and Xbox One. Fun fact that I never knew…the original Dead Rising never saw the light of day on PS3, so this is the first time that PlayStation fans will have gotten their hands on it…but it does seem curious to me that they’ve brought out this Triple Pack for both systems, when Dead Rising 3 is and will continue to be an Xbox One exclusive, while Dead Rising 4 due out at the end of the year is a one-year timed Xbox One and PC exclusive before maybe heading to PS4…just maybe…
Having extensively gone through the games once again, Capcom have done a good job in bringing the games to the new systems. The upscale is decent and while the odd frame rate issues pop up from time to time, it’s nothing that holds back the game from being playable. Some might complain that not enough has been changed and that the games haven’t aged all that well, but I for one think they’ve shown that after all these years…they can still be fun.
In my eyes, the original Dead Rising will always be my favourite of the 3 in the pack. I actually haven’t gotten my hands on Dead Rising 3 yet so I can’t compare that. Frank West is a bad-ass, pure and simple and nothing gets in his way. Sure, the voice-acting is cheesy as your typical B-Movie or Capcom’s other zombie series…but the characters are still memorable and the soundtrack is pretty decent too.
Dead Rising is a series that will divide gamers. The controls, the boss fights, the save system, rescuing survivors who love to not follow orders and get chomped…all of it will either drive you insane or make you all the more determined to see it through. I’m personally a fan, but can see the flaws and while it would have been nice for them to attempt to fix them for the remakes…it might have lost it’s charm in the process. Sometimes, it’s better to leave well alone to preserve the memory of the original.
The Verdict
The Dead Rising Triple Pack is great value for money, with great games that let you lash out against the undead in countless ways. Sure, it’s flawed and more could have gone into the remasters…but the overall quality has stood the test of time. For those who have yet to give the series a chance, there’s no better chance than now. For everyone else, it’s time to give it another go…