PREVIEW – Ah, Frank you just could not let it go could ya? After three games, and a special edition of Dead Rising 2 we thought the franchise and Frank’s story would be left alone. That is until Capcom Vancouver decided to pull a Dawn of The Dead Remake on us and revealed Dead Rising 4 aka. let us just remake the first game since that was the best one. Well okay, that is not what is happening, but the idea does smell a bit Zack Synderish in the beginning.

Frank West is back, after sixteen years he returns to Willamette to uncover yet again another conspiracy… but first, he has to go and slaughter millions of zombies. The story is that Frank goes and covers the story about the Willamette Megaplex Memorial Mall during Black Friday when suddenly zombies once again take over the mall!

Frank has to uncover the perpetrators, and save the day, or his skin at least. The location is once again Willamette, but instead of just letting the main setting be a mall again, the city is now also a playable location. According to the developers, 65% of the game will take place in the Mall and 35% will be spent outside in the town itself. It will be great to see a Christmas themed location full of zombies ( even if it is November but hey the game can mock consumerism again).

Ice swords, and crazy militants

Speaking of mocking, the game is more crazier than ever which for some fans is good, and some are now calling it the new Saints Row. Based on the previews I can say that there is some truth on both camps. The developers are toning down the craziness when it comes to the Psychopaths (main bosses of the Dead Rising franchise).

While it was fun for some to see a chef go crazy, many were tired of the lack of realism compared to the first game. So this time developers listened to the feedback and decided to give the fans both of best worlds. Psychopaths are still hard as balls enemies, but they are grounded in reality, people who cannot cope with the strain that the zombie outbreak has caused.

In the preview build, we had to find a military patrol, and at the end of it we faced off against a flamethrower-wielding soldier. It felt like a mini-boss more than a full-fledged boss, but it was nice to encounter something normal, instead of the usual, clown makeup wearing dual chainsaw fat guy. It sounds crazy (HA!), but it is a breath of fresh air, and we might get a bit more drama rather than zany one-liners from out of place villains.

What makes up for the lack of unbelievable psychopaths is the weapons. Once again Dead Rising proves that you can blow up or slice a zombie with anything. It can be an Ice Sword, a crossbow with fireworks attached to it, or even using two foam fists to become Blanka from Street Fighter.

There are also vehicles again, that allow us to mow down zombies with ease, and it seems we might be getting some super weapons this time around. Not only do we get to be Blanka, but we can also wear a prototype exo-suit that can be upgraded, and destroys zombies with just a slap.

It feels off, while it may be due to the previews to show off the flashier elements, we do hope that most of the weapons shown are rare and hard to get. Otherwise, the zombie horde will pose no threat to old Frank.

Don’t go in alone, or you’ll run out of time

Capcom Vancouver also decided to add four-player co-op to the game. This should allow everyone and their friends to experience the campaign from end to finish. Although that campaign might not be the best in Dead Rising 4. Another signature mechanic from the franchise is getting tweaked, but luckily not outright removed.

There will be no overall timer that counts down to a general failure state – unlike in Dead Rising 1 and 2 where the player did not have time to experience everything, and might have even missed a boss or two. Capcom decided to remove this overall tension from the game, and the player will be able to enjoy the game at its own pace.

On one hand, this is great for casual players, but for series veterans, this will feel a bit of a disappointment.

Showdown in the fall

The graphics are looking sharp as ever (unfortunately, the PlayStation 4 version will probably get a year delay again), and the sound effects/ music is top notch. Still, the game has a lot going for it, especially with the four-player co-op, though we shall see how the story will end up

Dead Rising 4 might be a great return to form, but with some mechanics tweaked. That tweak could be a bit too much for some veterans.

-Dante-

Publisher: Microsoft Studios

Developer: Capcom Vancouver

Genre: Action Adventure, Beat’em Up

Relase date: December 6, 2016