Dead Rising: Reloaded

"We were very excited to see where the series had gone, but even we could see that it needed a refresh, a reset, a reboot. That's why we are very proud to present Dead Rising: Reloaded. It's going to provide that extra kick that the game needed, while arousing a sense of nostalgia in the hardcore fans and a sense of innovation among the gaming community as a whole. It's going to blow your f#&king minds" - Joe Nickolls: Studio Director, Capcom Game Studio Vancouver

Dead Rising: Reloaded is a reboot of the cult classic franchise, that innovates like never before while giving the classic fans some serious fan service. There are new psychopaths, old ones remastered, the return of combo weapons and vehicles, the return of Frank West and so much more. The game will be time delayed across multiple consoles. August 8th, 2023 on XBOX ONE, 90 Days later on Windows 10, 10 days after Windows 10 it will be on Steam, and then a whole year after XBOX ONE, it will come to PlayStation 4. Rated R 18+.

Frank West:

Frank West returns as the primary protagonist and playable character of Dead Rising: Reloaded. T.J Rotolo returns as his voice actor, and his personality from the first game is back, if not just a little bit deeper than before, to make the story and the character himself more immersive.

Frank West is 32 years old, and is sporting his original haircut from the first game, where he has more hair than his more recent incarnations. However, he does retain his outfit from Dead Rising 4, now slightly altered. His Dead Rising 4 jacket and jeans return untouched, but he now sports a pair of aviators, black canvas skate shoes, black fingerless gloves, and a bright blue and yellow Ijiek branded backpack (which serves as the Survival Guide, returning from Dead Rising 3). He also has a Walkie-Talkie Holder on the bottom of his right leg, and just above that is the Blowtorch that Nick would use to craft Combo Vehicles in Dead Rising 3.

Frank's personality is almost ripped from the first game, which accompanies his original voice actor coming back very nicely as well. He is a little bit darker, and a little bit more aggressive though (but only ever so slightly).

The HUD

I do not like how they have discarded the classic Heads-Up Display in Dead Rising 4. Going forward, this cannot continue. In the top left, you have your health blocks, going right, no down ones, just like Dead Rising 3 did, with your Prestige Point bar below it, and then your kill counter. In the bottom left, you have your mini-map, which is just like the Dead Rising 3 one. However, you will notice, that a watch is draped over the top right corner of the mini-map, with the display facing the screen. This will actively tell you the time, so you can accurately judge every action and choice you make. The inventory system from Dead Rising 4 continues, where it's split into four different boxes (Melee, Ranged, Thrown & Food), which are all their own inventory wheels. You press RB (on XBOX ONE) to shuffle through your weapons (you can select which weapon from your inventory will be your default weapon, which you can select by just quickly shuffling using RB), or you can hold RB on the category you want to pull up its weapon wheel just like Dead Rising 3.

The Story:

To start off our story talk, let's divide the story into our segments. -Case 0.1 -Case 1.1 to Case 1.4 -Case 2.1 to Case 2.3 -Case 3.1 -Case 4.1 to Case 4.2 -Case 5.1 to Case 5.3 -Case 6.1 -Case 7.1 to Case 7.3 -The Facts Then, upon completing the facts, and getting Ending A+ or Ending A-, you will be launched into Overtime. Overtime itself is divided into three sections. -Overtime Act I  -Overtime Act II   -Overtime Act III One of the new things I've always wanted in Dead Rising during the main storyline is the ability to make choices. This is what I've added. Towards the end of the story, Frank will have to make choices, choices between morale and fame, whether to save everyone and be the hero or become famous. This will result in you obtaining a slightly different ending than normal, getting either the + or - variation (this only applies to Endings A, B and S)

Frank West is an up and coming photojournalist, making a name for himself after bringing home award-winning photography from a middle eastern warzone. An anonymous tip leads him to believe something big is happening at Topaz Bay, Florida and the local resort. All communication is blocked off, city entry and exits are all closed, and there is a constant stream of military surveillance. But that doesn't stop our nosy hero on his quest for the scoop of a lifetime.

He is dropped off via helicopter on the Inafune Resort Mega Mall's helipad, as the military chase his driver off. This is where he meets Carlito Keyes, who proclaims himself to be the man who sent the tip, and welcomes Frank to hell, very much like the original game. Case 0 involves Frank learning the basics of the game, as a horde of zombies break into the mall due to an elderly woman trying to save her precious sweetie doggie, Madonna. Frank must race to the stairs to get to the security room, but it'll take a little work.

During Case 0 and Frank's adventure to the stairs, he'll be told by Rebecca Chang (the co-op character and secondary protagonist) to get creative. You'll get your first weapon blueprint, the Spiked Bat, and you'll be taught some basic skills.

The story basically mashes all of the previous games together, as Frank and Rebecca must uncover the story of the Topaz Bay outbreak, and evacuate all remaining survivors before the military come in for the clean-up operation. Brad, Jessie and Otis are back, in their original roles as well. Chuck Greene serves as Raymond Sullivan.

It is revealed that Carlito caused the outbreak as a response for the cruel government cover-up of the Central American town of Santa Cabeyza. However, the pharmaceutical company, Phenotrans raids the city and fights the military clean-up squads, as they attempt to extract queens, realizing the potential profit and bio-weapons they can produce with them. This leads to your fight with Chuck Greene, who has secretly been working with them the whole time, and was sent into Topaz Bay to oversee the operation. Chuck is wearing a Sullivan themed outfit, with the Inafune Resort Ranger branding, and has his Dead Rising 3 body shape and face.

Towards the end of the story, Frank must make choices, which will affect his ending. In Overtime, Frank fights Carlito, and you must choose whether you save Jessie or Brad.

There'll be more to come on the story very soon...

The Location:

Frank West will traverse and explore the city of Topaz City and its nearby Inafune Resort in Florida to uncover the scoop of a lifetime. This is largest world ever in a Dead Rising game, as the total size equals both 4 or 3 (they're about the same), plus 2 and 1's size. The city of Topaz Bay itself is the size of Los Perdidos, but then the resort is the size of Fortune City and the Inafune Resort Mega Mall is the size of the mall from the first game.

Inafune Resort is divided up into three areas. -Inafune Resort Mega Mall -Inafune Resort Beach-Line -Inafune Resort Main Area Topaz Bay however is divided into four areas. -Sunset Hills -Chinatown -North Almuda -South Almuda

The Main Menu of Dead Rising: Reloaded

When you arrive on Dead Rising's main menu, it will display a menu very similar to the original as far as the background goes, with hundreds of shambling zombies piling through the gates to enter Inafune Resort, similar to how they did with Willamette Mall in the first game, Fortune City Arena in 2 and Uranus Zone in Off the Record. However, the actual options are much more Dead Rising 3-esque.

The options go down the screen, just like the DR3 menu, on the left of the screen. Going in descending order, these are the main menu options.

-7 Day Mode -Sandbox Mode -Online -Downloadable Content -Options -Help

The Game Modes of Dead Rising: Reloaded

7 Day Mode: I always liked the unique feel that Dead Rising used to have with the timer, and how you only had a limited time to do things, and it made the game feel more real. That what kind of disgruntled me about 3, and now with 4, that the timer has been ruined. I also know that people like the additional freedom and flexibility 3 offers. We'll compromise... across 7 days. The classic timer from DR1 and 2 is back (x12 speed), but now with the same amount of missions, instead of being spread across 3 to 5 days, it is now done across 7, giving you more room to breath, and time to relax and mess around. The missions have gone back to being scoops, and they are divided into two categories. Cases (main missions), and Side Scoops (side missions). 1 Player Local, 1-2 Players Online

Sandbox Mode: Just like Sandbox Mode from Off the Record. Complete challenges, find collectibles, or mess around with a friend/friends. A new survival option when starting up a new sandbox save allows you to play Infinity Mode. All of your levels and collectibles carry over between Sandbox and 7 Day Mode. 1 Player Local, 1-2 Players Online

Online Competitive Multiplayer: Scavenge the map for weapons, food, vehicles and armour, kill the enemy team, and complete the objective. Entering the Online option on the menu, will give you the option of trying to join a game of 7 Day Mode or Sandbox Mode, or starting up Online Competitive Multiplayer. You'll plays as one of the two teams (U.S Rangers or Survivors), in a battle for domination, across four modes and four on-disc maps. 0 Players Local, 2-8 Players Online -Capture the Queens -Search & Destroy -Team Evacuation -Free-For-All Evacuation

Combo Weapons:

-Thunderbuss (Blunderbuss + Blast Frequency Gun) -Solar Cannon (Toy Gun + Solar Panel) -The Violator (Hockey Stick + Saw Blade) -Buzzcut (Nightstick + Saw Blade) -Record Slayer (Record Player + Grenade) -Whipsaw (Mini Chainsaw + Steel Chain) -Q.A.R (Assault Rifle + Queen Bee) -Skullcrusher (Sledgehammer + Brick) -Giant Chainsaw (Chainsaw + Meat Cleaver) -Dubstep Gun (Audio System + Lead Pipe) -Chemical Launcher (Grenade Launcher + Chemicals) -Blaster Gloves (Boxing Gloves + Railgun) -Sabretooth Sword (Broadsword + Saw Blade) -9-Bang (Flash Grenade + Grenade) -Unihorn (Unicorn Mask + Broadsword) -Cauteriser (Shotgun + Railgun) -Junk Gun (Lead Pipe + Robot Bear) -Three Balls (Lust Cannon + Chemicals) -Electric Whip (Battery + Steel Chain) -Acid-Bow (Chemicals + Crossbow) -Electro-Bow (Battery + Crossbow) -Wayfarer (Parasol + Gasoline Canister) -Liquefier (Sniper Rifle + Chemicals) -Circuit Gun (Battery + LMG) -Silenced SMG (Submachine Gun + Lead Pipe) -Flail (Spiked Mace + Steel Chain) -Sledge Saw (Sledgehammer + Cement Saw) -Dragon Punch (Boxing Gloves + Motorcycle Engine) -Spiked Bat (Baseball Bat + Box of Nails) -Grim Reaper (Scythe + Katana) -Knife Gloves (Boxing Gloves + Bowie Knife) -Tactical Handgun (Handgun + Flashlight) -Laser Sword (Gems + Flashlight) -Power Guitar (Electric Guitar + Amplifier) -Super B.F.G (Blast Frequency Gun + Amplifier) -Lightning Gun (Blast Frequency Gun + Electric Prod) -Blambow (Crossbow + Roman Candle) -Roaring Thunder (Goblin Mask + Battery) -Mecha Dragon (Dragon Mask + Parasol) -Freedom Bear (Robot Bear + LMG) -Molotov (Newspaper + Whiskey) -Car Bomb (RC Car + Grenade) -Big Bomb (RPG + Propane Tank) -The Defiler (Sledgehammer + Fire Axe) -Weed Tendonizer (Grass Trimmer + Chef Knife) -Electric Chair (Wheelchair + Battery) -Weapon Cart (Shopping Cart + Pitchfork) -Boomstick (Shotgun + Pitchfork) -Zombie Raker (Katana + Leaf Rake) -Hail Mary (Grenade + Football) -Split-Shot (Assault Rifle + Lead Pipe) -I.E.D (Propane Tank + Box of Nails) -Super Massager (Massager + Leaf Blower) -Jazz Hands (Handgun + MMA Gloves) -Super Slicer (Servbot Mask + Lawnmower) -Tenderizers (MMA Gloves + Box of Nails) -Pummel Blast (Sledgehammer + Grenade) -Flaming Sword (Broadsword + Motor Oil) -Electric Axe (Battle-axe + Battery) -Ice Sword (Broadsword + Liquid Nitrogen) -Flamethrower (Water Gun + Gasoline Canister) -Snowball Cannon (Water Gun + Fire Extinguisher) -Freezer Bomb (Dynamite + Fire Extinguisher) -Pegasus (Stick Pony + Rocket Fireworks) -Auger (Motorcycle Engine + Pitchfork) -Paddlesaw (Paddle + Chainsaw) -Shocker (Medical Tray + Defibrillator) -The Beast (Auto Shotgun + Chainsaw) -Splitter (Motorcycle Engine + Shovel) -Glaciator (Turbine + Fire Extinguisher) -Shockblaster (Assault Rifle + Defibrillator) That's 71 Standard Combo Weapons. Now we have the Super Combo Weapons.

Super Combo Weapons:

-Thunder Saw (Sledge Saw + Thunderbuss) -Elemental Sword (Flaming Sword + Ice Sword) -Q.A.R Mk. II (Q.A.R + Nectar) -Ultimate Bow (Acid-Bow + Electro-Bow) -Ultimate Gloves (Blaster Gloves + Dragon Punch) -Solar Flare (Solar Cannon + Circuit Gun) -Laser Gun (Lightning Gun + Laser Sword) -Fire Reaper (Grim Reaper + Motor Oil) -Death Mask Reaper (Grim Reaper + Death Mask) -Ultimate Grim Reaper (Fire Reaper + Death Mask Reaper) -Mecha Dragon Blade (Mecha Dragon + Katana) -Fire Mecha Dragon (Mecha Dragon + Firecrackers) -Ultimate Mecha Dragon (Mecha Dragon Blade + Fire Mecha Dragon) -Boom Bear (Freedom Bear + Dynamite) -Cuddly Bear (Freedom Bear + Portable Stereo) -Decoy Bear (Freedom Bear + Wheelchair) -Provoked Bear (Cuddly Bear + Boom Bear) -Pushy Bear (Cuddly Bear + Wheelchair) -Volatile Bear (Boom Bear + Pushy Bear) -Grisly Bear (Volatile Bear + Decoy Bear) -Bigger Bomb (Big Bomb + Grenade) -Huge Bomb (Bigger Bomb + Grenade) -Enormous Bomb (Huge Bomb + Microwave) -Massive Bomb (Enormous Bomb + Laptop) -Super Bomb (Massive Bomb + I.E.D)  -Blazing Bat (Spiked Bat + Gasoline Canister) -Zombie Slugger (Spiked Bat + Barbed Wire) -Super Bat (Zombie Slugger + Blazing Bat) -The Annihilator (The Defiler + Skullcrusher) -Infernal Contraption (Vacuum Cleaner + Molotov) -Fork-Shot (Boomstick + Split-Shot)

That's 31 Super Combo Weapons, which equals a total of 102 on-disc combo weapons, edging out Dead Rising 3 by one.

Combo Vehicles:

Combo Vehicles are back and swinging, with multiple new combo vehicles and some fan favourite ones making a comeback. -Icebreaker (Ice-Cream Van + Bulldozer) -Rollerhawg (Motorcycle + Steamroller) -Slicecycle (Sports Bike + Chainsaw) -Go Mower (Go Cart + Lawnmower) -Shockdozer (Ambulance + Bulldozer) -Warmonger (Dune Buggy + LMG) -Beach Cruiser (Dune Buggy + Muscle Car) -Speedmobile (Sports Car + Sports Car) -Junk Truck (Van + SUV) -Junk Car (Sedan + Muscle Car) -Junk Bike (Motorcycle + Sedan) -Party Slapper (Party Van + Street Sweeper) -Mobile Locker (Van + Van) -Armoured Truck (SUV + Pick-Up Truck) -Mini Bike (Motorcycle + Sports Bike) -Homemade Tank (Steamroller + Bulldozer) -Forkwork (Fireworks Van + Forklift) 17 Total Combo Vehicles to run amuck with.

Combo Armours:

To replace the exo suits (which have been removed for obvious reasons), brought in is the ability to obtain and combine various armours. Armours have their own inventory in the Survival Guide, you can carry three at a time, but can only wear one. They do just like weapons and vehicles, eventually break. Armours give you extra health blocks (signified by being blue), and might even give you a special ability. -Plate Armour (Samurai Armour + Plates) -Spiked Armour (Samurai Armour + Chef Knife) -Flaming Armour (Samurai Armour + Motor Oil) -Garbage Armour (Kevlar Vest + Garbage Bag) -Advanced Armour (Kevlar Vest + Medical Tray) -Light Armour (Kevlar Vest + Lead Pipe) -Rocket Armour (Techno Armour + Rocket Fireworks) -Super Armour (Techno Armour + Motorcycle Engine) -Ultimate Armour (Super Armour + Rocket Armour) -Lust Armour (Knight Armour + Massager) That's 10 glorious combo armours to craft. (My spelling may seem weird, but in Australia, as far as I know, that is how it is spelt.)

NOTE FOR LATER EDITING: The Megaman Outfit of this game is actually Axl.