Summary
The zombie genre has changed a great deal over the years; between movies, TV series, and video games, there have been many takes on the undead that have helped to keep the genre extremely relevant since the start of the 21st century. Though different IPs have garnered successful franchises out of the zombie concept, few have achieved as many games as theDead Risingseries.
Setting players in limited open worlds, such as inside malls, which happen to be completely infested with zombies, theDead Risinggames have created a special niche in the zombie genre that is filled with fun, unusual weapons, and mass murder sprees. Where the franchise will go remains somewhat uncertain, but for now, it is great fun to revisit almost any of the games from the timeline of theDead Risingseries.
Updated July 01, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Finally, Dead Rising has returned, albeit in the form of a remaster.Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is now available on consoles and PC, granting fans and new players an opportunity to play through a modernized version of the 2006 classic. Where does it rank among thebest Dead Rising games? Is it worth playing if somebody is intimately familiar with the original?
Sometimes a game gets a release on another platform with few changes, and other times it becomes such a significant reworking that it needs a totally different name. Such was the case with the Nintendo Wii version of the firstDead Risinggame, which became a totally different beast than the vanilla version.
This, unfortunately, wasn’t a change for the better. Though there was an easier save system, there were a lot of cut corners and difficulties with adapting the game to the Wii controls. This led to players feeling like the game’s many capabilities that felt ahead of their time were drawn back in to compromise, making for a good, but not great, game.
The most recent entry in theDead Risingfranchise is also the reason that there hasn’t been another entry in several years.Dead Rising 4attempted in some ways to bring the franchise back to its roots, deciding to place itself in Willamette again, and bringing back Frank West, setting itselfa little ahead of its time in 2022. These moves were considered unnecessary by many fans, and as such, there was a lot of divisiveness in reviews ofDead Rising 4over the general story direction.
Other problems were cited, althoughDead Rising 4did have a distinctive style that changed up the controls of the franchise from previous entries. With a lot more fighting against humans and the military throughout the story, there were actually a number of beloved aspects of previous entries left out of this one, including saving survivors throughout the game and the time limit. These aspects were key to the previousDead Risinggames, and that, along with a huge lack of difficulty, angered many fans of the franchise, leading to theplannedDead Rising 5being canceled.
A Short But Sweet Co-Op DLC That Unites Chuck And Frank
Dead Rising 2: Case Westwas a DLC to the second game that allowed players to experience something of a “true ending” feature, albeit having to pay for more than just the original game to gain this feature. It featured Chuck Greene working alongside Frank West to clear his name, a collaboration between the two being the real selling point of the DLC.
The main issue withDead Rising 2: Case Westwas the lack of overall playtime, and it is generally forgotten about by many fans. However, having cooperative play as an option and reintroducing some lost elements from the first game helped make this one an enjoyable enough experience, particularly for fans of the franchise.
The second entry in theDead Risingseries was the one that provided several extra smaller games in the form of DLCs, which added a lot to the franchise in general.Case Zerowas one of these; it acted as a demo forDead Rising 2and was intended as a prequel, bridging the gap between the first and second entries in the franchise.
The setting forCase Zerowas a small town outside of Las Vegas. Players were still controlling Chuck Greene, and he was still protecting his daughter Katey. Much of the gameplay was similar toDead Rising 2, although there were some elements that changed; for instance, players were restricted in how much they could level up.Case Zerowas a fun prelude and bridged the gap between the first two games.
Off The Recordwas a bizarre DLC and experimental idea that allowed players to replay the events ofDead Rising 2from the perspective of Frank West. Putting the OG character into a completely different game made for a curious idea, and it ended up being a highly enjoyable experience.
It was non-canon to the events of theDead Risinguniverse, and there was a new area included in the game as well as multiple changes to the story that were highly entertaining at times. Players were also allowed to engage in a sandbox mode which contained an endless amount of fun within Fortune City, prompting many more hours of added play-time compared to what players have come to expect from a piece of DLC.
In gameplay terms, there were a number of great points about the third main entry in theDead Risingfranchise. Produced asa launch title for the Xbox One, this entry was able to go further in many ways than previous entries, including a vicious number of zombies on-screen at once, for instance, and pushing the boundaries of weapon customization beyond whereDead Rising 2had dared to go.
However, narratively,Dead Rising 3was a huge letdown for many fans of the franchise. Nick was never even close to having any of the charm that Frank West or Chuck Greene did, and it showed. There were few memorable things about the story or characters included in this entry, and the franchise quickly tried to steer back to Frank West in the next entry, with even worse results.
Dead Rising 2puts players in the shoes of Chuck Greene, switching boldly away from Frank West, and it pays off. Chuck has to engage in similar activities to Frank West, keeping much of the gameplay that players loved from the first game while adding more to it as well,reminiscent in many ways ofDead Island 2. This was an incredible experience, with a lot of stake still in the gameplay as players desperately tried to finish everything they could in the time frame.
Even though it does not strike quite the same unique tone as its predecessor,Dead Rising 2is arguably the best entry point into the franchise, at least when it comes to the older games. The sequel keeps most of the same elements asDead Rising, just improved or made easier, the latter of which could be seen as a downgrade depending on the person. That said, the game’s handling of Survivors and reduced restrictions make for an overall less frustrating experience.
The original classic game remains thebestDead Risinggamethat has been seen to this day,having aged very wellsince it was originally released. Frank West arrived as a photojournalist in Willamette Mall and quickly realized that something was terribly wrong. Filled with zombies, the mall became a dangerous open world, and Frank became a savior in charge of getting as many people out as possible and to safety.
Now, infamously,Dead Risingincludes a time limit that tends to be polarizing with players, and this mechanic was dropped relatively quickly by the franchise moving forward. In its defense, this element aids in crafting by far the most tense campaign, one that leans into survival horror rather than hack and slash mayhem. Even then, the latter is still a big part of the experience. Frank has to solve cases along with complete rescue missions, and the scavenging style with all the unique weapons available was all part of what made the originalDead Risingincredible.
In truth,Dead Rising Deluxe Remasteris tied with the original game, so consider this a joint first place. If somebody has played through the 2006 version and is not excited by the prospect of a replay, they probably should not pick up the remaster. Fundamentally, it is not that different of an experience.
After lying dormant for way too long,Dead Risingfinally made its comeback in September 2024, albeit via a remaster rather than a new project. As the title suggests,Dead Rising Deluxe Remastergives the 2006 version a respectful makeover, and the changes go beyond just a graphical upgrade. That said, the visuals are quite impressive, being somewhat on the same level as the 2010sResident Evilremakes. More importantly, Capcom implemented some quality-of-life adjustments to the gameplay, improving things like gunplay and Survivor interaction. Willamette Parkview Mall is still as fantastic of a sandbox as it was in 2006.
Nowadays,Dead Rising Deluxe Remasteris the best way to experience this seminal zombie romp, and it is a fairly easy recommendation for any die-hard fans craving another run as Frank. That said, even with the changes, the core gameplay loop is still largely the same. This iteration is not a complete reimagining like theResident Evil 2remake, so it might be worth tempering expectations.
