Last December, Frank West returned to the forefront of theDead Risingseries and once again staked his claim as the main protagonist. It was no secret that thetime-based intensityof the previous games wasa thing of the past, replaced by an encouragement to try out the larger sandbox-based environment ofDead Rising 4.Here, players had the freedom to explore every nook and cranny of Willamette without feeling rushed.
As we noted inourDead Rising 4review, however, the game also came bundled with a number of shortcomings ranging from technical glitches to a loss of the game’s charisma, especially in regards to the latest title’s comparatively bland human survivors and lack of cinematics. A YouTuber named Crowbcat decided to take a more in-depth look at how Willamette has changed between the originalDead RisingandDead Rising 4, and the results are more surprising side by side: there’s plenty of magic and finishing touches from the original title that have seemingly been lost in translation.
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The most jarring differences are the amount of environmental items that can no longer be used (especially the ones which were weapons in the original title), the inability to interact with zombie bodies, and the human survivors themselves. Glitches are caught in the above video, and the player’s inability to damage those survivors - intentionally or not - is highlighted quite a few times, along with a lack of reactions.
All in all, the above video seems like a love letter for the ‘little things’ that can combine to make a satisfying experience. Whether it’s the ability to kick furniture into hordes of zombies or even having the game render bullet holes in mirrors, there’s still quite a few things the original does best, or even features that only the original does at all.
It’s strange to think that a game could lose out on technical features and details by jumping several games ahead onto the next generation of consoles, but the evidence is there. As the game has grownlarger in scale, there’s less of a focus on the little things - althoughcharismatic protagonist Frank Westdoes make the adventure much more enjoyable in the latest iteration of the franchise, which nowincludes a season passand mini-golf. Perhaps less is more.
What do you think about the direct comparison betweenDead RisingandDead Rising 4, Ranters?
Dead Rising 4is available now on Xbox One and PC.
