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How does Dead Rising 1 hold up?

Does Dead Rising hold up?

  • Yes

    Votes: 217 76.1%

  • No

    Votes: 68 23.9%
  • Total voters
    285
G Status Ray

G Status Ray

Member
Oct 31, 2017
699
Hey y'all,

thinking bout picking up the updated version of the first Dead Rising and was just curious if it holds up and is still fun today. I loved the 2nd one back in the day but it's the only one I played.
 
Richter1887

Richter1887

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
39,146
It's great. If you didn't mind 2 then you won't mind the first.

I replayed it a couple of years ago and it help up really well.
 
Jawmuncher

Jawmuncher

Crisis Dino
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
38,370
Ibis Island
The only thing that is a bit off is the controls. I can't recall if the newer port modernizes them a bit more but if not it only takes a bit to get used to.

If you liked 2 you'll definitely like 1.
 
a Master Ninja

a Master Ninja

Member
Dec 11, 2017
4,817
1 and 2 are pretty similar in structure. If you die you have the option to restart the game with your Level carrying over, which is great if you find the game challenging early on as you'll breeze through it the second time around.

As long as you can deal with not being able to do everything and save everyone your first time through, you should enjoy it. Oh, and the NPC AI is pretty dumb so that's a potential point of frustration.
 
Rygar 8Bit

Rygar 8Bit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,846
Site-15
It's fun I replay the Steam version all the time. First few runs don't even focus on the story and just level up and try and get some of the achievements if you can, they unlock things for future runs.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
49,964
Played it for a the first time... I think a couple of months ago? Although I'm embarrassed to say that I've beaten the Wii version.

Anyway, it's a good Musou.
 
PKrockin

PKrockin

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,260
a Master Ninja said:
1 and 2 are pretty similar in structure. If you die you have the option to restart the game with your Level carrying over, which is great if you find the game challenging early on as you'll breeze through it the second time around.

As long as you can deal with not being able to do everything and save everyone your first time through, you should enjoy it. Oh, and the NPC AI is pretty dumb so that's a potential point of frustration.
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At least in the original release, I found the AI a lot more responsive to setting a destination in aiming mode than to spamming C'MON C'MON FOLLOW ME FOLLOW ME so I recommend OP makes sure to use that feature.
 
Keym

Keym

The Fallen
Oct 26, 2017
9,190
It's rough and I wish it had some of the QoL features that 2 has, but if you played that one, you have to play the first one.

I hope Capcom remembers this franchise some day. Imagine a remake of DR1 in the RE engine...
 
relik

relik

Member
Oct 29, 2017
38
Best in the series and an absolute classic. Just be prepared to scream at the AI if you decide to go for the Saint achievement.
 
Tab

Tab

Member
Nov 23, 2017
1,274
Great I think, aside from follower AI frustrations. I also remember being annoyed by how the dodge roll ability is mapped, it's extremely easy to accidentally trigger it, at least in the PS4 port.
 
DrScruffleton

DrScruffleton

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,532
fantastic game, its still a blast. Although, I dont think anything will ever top Dead Rising 2 in co op for me. Both games are absolutely amazing.
 
Stopdoor

Stopdoor

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,778
Toronto
I haven't played it in ages but my first reaction is it doesn't "hold up", but it's still fun and interesting. Not sure if a remaster changed anything? But the game was incredibly jank in often annoying ways, the bosses were unfairly difficult and awkward, I find it hard to say they "held up" even if it was entertaining.
 
Grisby

Grisby

Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,531
I played both back to back two months ago. It does hold up but you're gonna miss the item combining. I'm convinced that's one of the best improvements ever added to a game after going through both again.

1 has a lovely simplicity to it though. Go for the mini chainsaw.
 
medyej

medyej

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,418
Absolutely holds up. Played it again when the remaster came out on PC and loved it. Very clean look that scales well to high res/framerate and the mystery / investigation vibe of the game is still great.
 
OneThirtyEight

OneThirtyEight

Avenger
Oct 28, 2017
5,649
It's still a 10/10 since day 1.
Still have the 360 steelbook but now days i play the PS4 version. It's so good.
 
Shan

Shan

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,953
There's a "je ne sais quoi" about Dead Rising 1 that hasn't been topped by the sequels. Something about Willamette that's just...really good.
2 is damn close though, item combination was, like Grisby said, the best addition to the serie.
 

Deleted member 11370

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,494
It's amazing. I finally got the Platinum last year and it holds up perfectly fine. DR2 may be an upgrade in terms of mechanics, but the first one has the better setting and atmosphere. And it was the first to do its thing, so props to it.

DR3 and DR4... eh....
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
49,964
werezompire said:
Never though about it like that, but that makes sense. Musou meets roguelike with a zombie apocalypse theme.
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I think that the experience of having a relatively overpowered characters tearing through huge numbers of pathetic enemies is fun for a while and visually fulfilling, but can get boring too easily to hold up a game. So Dead Rising and a lot of the better Musou games have other things for you to do but let you tear through huge amounts of enemies on the way as kind of a garnish.
 
Rygar 8Bit

Rygar 8Bit

Member
Oct 25, 2017
15,846
Site-15
Grisby said:
I played both back to back two months ago. It does hold up but you're gonna miss the item combining. I'm convinced that's one of the best improvements ever added to a game after going through both again.

1 has a lovely simplicity to it though. Go for the mini chainsaw.
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Yeah mini saws with engineering book, entertainment book and criminal biography book makes them last forever and they're the most broken weapons in the game and can 2-3 shot most bosses.
 
RivalCore

RivalCore

Member
Oct 28, 2017
521
I replayed the Steam version when it came out a few years ago. Still are great game and runs really well on PC if you can get it there. It's funny, the quirk and obtuse mechanics should work against it but they hold up really well. Especially with how hand-holdy and overly automatic games have become.
 
Goldenroad

Goldenroad

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Nov 2, 2017
9,475
The controls and boss fights are unbearable imo. I'm sure you can get it for cheap and you'll realize pretty quickly if you're willing to put up with it, but I personally don't think it holds up, but tbf, I don't think DR2 does either, so if you can deal with that, maybe you'll enjoy the first one.
 

PieOMy

Member
Nov 15, 2018
615
Boston
I'm playing it now on PC. It is a lot of fun.

The walking speed you start out with makes me want to rip my brain out and the moves you unlock are not that intuitive to use.

I did not figure out how to charge the camera battery for the longest time. There is a battery stand in Cam's Camera, right outside the hallway door that leads towards the safe room.
 
ChilliConCarnage

ChilliConCarnage

Member
Oct 27, 2017
167
A Cave
Actually playing through DR1 for the 1st time myself after countless hours of playing the sequels over the years

Can easily see why people hold it up as the best of the series, the more 'realistic' tone compared to the constant ramping up wackiness of the sequels is quite refreshing

The atmosphere of the Mall at night is unmatched, the silence, the darkness, the feeling of stillness, faint chanting of the cult psychos somwhere in the dark *chefs kiss*
 
Dead Man Typing

Dead Man Typing

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,831
The first next gen game of the 360/PS3 generation.

While the controls are different from modern action games, it's still fun to play. Especially once you level up Frank.

Levelling up is more important than progressing the story. Save often and don't be afraid to restart the game with your upgrades. It'll happen a lot.
 
eso76

eso76

Prophet of Truth
Member
Dec 8, 2017
8,106
I was just playing DR1 a few months ago after...well, since completing it on x360 when it came out.

It's *amazing*

Bold, but very carefully pondered, design decisions and unique mechanics and structure make it 100% fresh 15 years later.
Feels unlike anything else, I actually had a much deeper appreciation for Inafune's work on my recent replay than I did back in the day.

But remember to save your game.
 
Host Samurai

Host Samurai

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,157
Agreed that it's the best of the series. All the sequels did was dumb down it's mechanics. I've been burnt out on this series since DR2 and don't miss it.
 
Sketchsanchez

Sketchsanchez

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
2,702
I'll be the first in the thread to recommend Off The Record as well, going through it right now on steam and it's great. Sandbox mode rules
 
Grand Galvantula

Grand Galvantula

Member
Nov 14, 2017
2,834
A bit of advice: Make sure to recruit every survivor you find, even if you don't feel confident in successfully escorting them to the safe room. You'll still get the recruitment bonus, which is crucial for leveling up since you won't be able to rely on combo weapons.

Also, mannequin torsos are your best friend early on. Very fast attack animation, can kill a zombie in one hit, and can easily be replenished in the warehouse.
 
StreamedHams

StreamedHams

Member
Nov 21, 2017
4,323
G Status Ray said:
Hey y'all,

thinking bout picking up the updated version of the first Dead Rising and was just curious if it holds up and is still fun today. I loved the 2nd one back in the day but it's the only one I played.
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Strong art direction and overall design hold up very well for a 15 (holy shit) year old game.

Looks fantastic on PC. I got it dirt cheap, too.
 
Urðr

Urðr

Member
Aug 13, 2020
507
The game was so next-gen at the time that it still feels next-gen in my mind lol. The controls were never good, and the same goes for the AI. Other than that, it doesn't feel outdated at all.
 
Chinner

Chinner

Member
Oct 25, 2017
520
It's a brilliant game. Some aspects are a little dated due to hardware limitations, like having the shopping mall split up into different sections for loading purposes. The controls and aiming system are dated for sure. Outside of this, still one of the most intelligently designed games ever.
 

Deleted member 17184

User-requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,240
The AI sucks and you'll have to deal with some frustrating issues from survivors there. It's also a bit hard, especially at the beginning.

Outside of that, I still think it's the best of the series. The way it used the themes to actually feel like a horror game instead of the cool, edgy approach of the sequels. The best characters as well.
 
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