Movement in general feels less dynamic than you’ll be used to from more modern games, and here is where the game’s history is exposed – it feels like something that, if not for technical restraints, could’ve appeared on PS2. It’s that early-gen 360 feel.
These aspects haven’t aged well, but the game is also designed around these constraints. Dead Rising makes the absolute most of what it has. In many ways I’m still surprised by how forward-thinking its design is, and for every moment where I’ve wanted to scream because a useless AI survivor refuses to push past a group of zombies when I’m on a tight time limit there’s a moment where everything falls into place just right and I feel like a zombie apocalypse god.
Of course, I’m well aware that some of the things I love about the game are things that’ll drive others mad. This is why the timer is being nixed for Dead Rising 4 and why it was nerfed in 2 and 3 – it can be frustrating, and a ‘perfect run’ of Dead Rising where you save everyone and do everything possible for the best outcome requires a great deal of knowledge of the game’s clockwork systems to achieve. I’ve never done it, but I plan to try on this port.
It’s a game you’ll love or hate, but if its unforgiving, slightly mad nature sounds like it appeals to you, there is finally now a way to experience it that doesn’t involve hooking up an old console and living through crashes, screen tearing, a deeply unstable frame rate and ridiculous load times.
It’s still not for everyone, but Dead Rising is still great. This port is also great. It’s the definitive version of a classic; I’m terribly happy this is no longer trapped on the Xbox 360.