In the near two decades since Dead Rising helped define the early years of the Xbox 360, there's never been anything else quite like it — not even Capcom's three follow-ups. All deviated from the structure set by Frank West in some way, whether it was removing the critical time mechanic or placing less emphasis on a singular open world setting. They felt more like standard action-adventure affairs, leaving the first game to stand alone. With no real imitators in the 18 years since, Dead Rising has remained unique, making it the perfect candidate for a top-of-the-line PS5 re-release. It does not feel dated, nor out of place in 2024. For current fans and curious newcomers, then, the Deluxe Remaster is the definitive way to experience what always was the series at its best.

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Last week, Capcom invited us to its UK headquarters to play three hours (in real life, not in-game) of the new version, with the session covering Frank's arrival at Willamette Parkview Mall through until the start of the third case. What's immediately evident is how even the term "Deluxe Remaster" is selling the package short: this is a one-to-one remake with a welcome graphical overhaul and an utterly absurd list of gameplay and quality-of-life improvements. It's still recognisable as Dead Rising, but it actually feels, plays, and looks how you always thought it did — albeit through nostalgia-tinted glasses.

Bringing the classic into the modern era by way of the RE Engine, what stands out the most before your thumbs touch the sticks is the visual update. While it's not in the same league as one of Capcom's recent Resident Evil remakes, the Deluxe Remaster still shines — especially in the lighting department. The first PS4 remaster always looked very flat no matter what time of the day it was. In the PS5's Deluxe Remaster, you will catch the sun's rays as it disappears over the horizon when evening turns to night. The bright stores and scenery of Paradise Plaza really pop, while venturing across Leisure Park into Wonderland Plaza lets the neon theming of the Space Rider attract admiration. The visual renovation is transformative for the overall design and direction of the title, but the best compliment we can give the total package is it's arguably the most uninteresting update of the lot.

You see, the controls of the Xbox 360 original and its PS4 remaster from 2016 prove somewhat archaic all these years later. It's playable, though the lack of movement when aiming guns and some dated button mapping would frustrate if you were to return. All these teething problems have been fixed in the Deluxe Remaster, with a more fluid movement system for Frank overall alongside default button inputs that better reflect the games of today. Flicking through melee weapons and healing items has been mapped to the D-Pad while guns are handled like they're out of Call of Duty: aim with L2 and shoot with R2. You still have the option of using the original control scheme, but it has been rendered moot by a modern approach that places inputs where you assume they would be.

During downtime in between the cases of the main story, Frank could pursue optional scoops (essentially side quests) that allowed him to rescue survivors by escorting them back to the Security Room. Those treks back to safety were notorious for awful partner AI that regularly resulted in you losing said survivors to the undead horde populating the map.

Capcom has mostly addressed the annoyance by improving the AI and pathing of survivors, and then gone a step above by refreshing the feature entirely with new bonuses and things to consider. Now, each individual person will display a list of their favourite in-game items if you check your watch. If you give them these specific weapons or healing items, their affinity for Frank is increased. They'll find more items for you, defend other survivors if you're rolling in a pack, and generally be of more help on the trip back to the Security Room. Furthermore, their preferred weapon increases their attack power while a preferred health item heals them.

These tweaks and changes make survivors significantly better at holding their own. You'll still have to babysit them to a degree — for example, they need to be right next to you when loading between areas — but generally, you won't need to worry about them quite as much, constantly turning back to check they're not caught up in a zombie attack. Just like the walkie-talkie obsessive Otis, the survivors have been given the full voice-acting treatment in the Deluxe Remaster, so they'll make passing comments and quips as you help them back to safety. That's in addition to their original lines being brought to life through new voice talent.

More new features include the ability to advance time and auto-saving, with the former available at every manual save point from the original version. You can manually advance time by speeding up your watch, or there's an automatic "Fast Advance" option. As for auto-saving, you have a single slot and it's overwritten every time you enter a new area in the mall. Essentially, whenever there was a load screen in the Xbox 360 version (which remain in the Deluxe Remaster), the game will make an auto-save. You can still use up to 20 manual save slots in bathrooms and the Security Room, but now the auto-save function gives you something to fall back on if you forget about a toilet break.

Next, the main UI, map screen, and pause menu have all received a facelift. Most critically, there's now a durability meter for every weapon in your inventory, letting you much better track how close it is to breaking. No longer do you have to rely on it blinking in the UI as it nears ruin. Then, the map isn't anywhere near as ugly; its blue gaudiness has been replaced with white tones and icons that instantly communicate the sort of items you'll find in each shop. The pause screen in general will also be a much more useful tool than it was in the original, as it now tracks challenges, rewards, and collectibles. You used to be able to turn on a directional arrow to direct you to objectives from the pause menu, but now a compass is placed permanently in the UI to help track cases and scoops.

Without even seeing a full third of the campaign, the list of updates and improvements the Deluxe Remaster brings is incredible. It makes for a vastly better playing, looking, and feeling game, but what makes it work most is it's still that same game from 2006. This is a one-to-one remake, so you can return to your old haunts or secret spots and they'll still welcome you with open arms. The submachine gun is still hidden above the Warehouse door. The katana can still be taken off the ledge protruding from Colombian Roastmasters. The lawnmower is still conveniently placed next to the zombies blocking the Food Court entrance in Leisure Park. Capcom hasn't meddled with what makes Dead Rising tick; it's still that same game with modern visuals and controls, plus improvements to make it play better than ever before.

This is what makes the Deluxe Remaster such a perfect prospect for the returning faithful and intrigued novices. Those who know the game inside out can appreciate the work Capcom has done to make the experience look, play, and feel better while beginners can work through a narrative that meets today's standards. This is a preview; we haven't rolled any credits because we don't have the game downloaded to our home PS5 console yet. We cannot officially score the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster for another month and change, but there's no real need to wait to declare it an excellent re-release. Capcom has shown immense respect as it overhauls the visuals and connective tissue of Dead Rising rather than ripping structural roots up. Dead Rising was already a great game in 2006, and now 18 years later, the PS5's Deluxe Remaster works to make it a triumph once more.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster launches for PS5 on 19th September 2024. Will you be purchasing this upgraded version of the zombie classic? Let us know in the comments below.