Alex Arcia (Kurt)

A Huge Insult to Die-Hard Fans of Dead Rising I was initially thrilled to hear that one of my favorite zombie games, Dead Rising, was getting a Deluxe Remaster. As someone who has completed the original game 100% and earned all its achievements, I’ve always loved its unique charm despite its flaws—like the tedious Survivor AI. The original Dead Rising stood out for its memorable characters, gripping story, voice acting, and technical impressiveness, even if it wasn’t perfect. However, this remake is a huge disappointment. It feels soulless and fails to capture the essence of what made the original great. Instead of improving upon the original’s shortcomings, the remake waters down key elements and caters to a new audience at the expense of loyal fans. For instance, the gameplay feels overly simplified. Zombies are far less aggressive, and survivors rarely get attacked, making the experience feel “cartoony” rather than intense. Even boss fights, like the one with Carlito, are undermined by unnecessary hand-holding (e.g., Brad yelling out painfully obvious instructions). These changes strip away the challenge and immersion that made the original so engaging. The changes to Cliff’s character are particularly disappointing. In the original, his PTSD-driven dialogue added depth and made him stand out as one of the most memorable psychopaths. The remake replaces this with generic lines, turning him into just another basic boss fight. The UI is another downgrade—it’s bland and uninspired. Small details, like spamming Frank’s voice lines without delay, further indicate a lack of care in this remaster. Even the gore, which was a defining aspect of the original, has been reduced to something cartoonish and far less impactful. In short, this remake seems to prioritize a quick profit over respecting the original’s legacy. If you’re new to the series, you might enjoy it as a basic zombie game. But for fans like me, it’s a lazy rehash that misses everything that made the original special. If you want the true Dead Rising experience, stick with the original—it still holds up remarkably well, even 18 years later. -Note (CHATGPT, helped me re-do my review to make it more clear, and forward, since the last one i did was too disorganized.)