Dead Rising has always played second fiddle to Capcom’s vastly more popular and successful Resident Evil franchise. Yet, while Dead Rising might not be as famous or beloved as Resident Evil, its quirky characters, oddball tone, endless hordes of zombies, and tension-building ticking clock made it feel unique and helped it develop its own fanbase.
It all started with Dead Rising in 2006, which was unlike any other zombie game released before that time. It let people live out the fantasy seen in George Romero’s iconic Dawn of the Dead. Finally, you could explore a zombie-infested mall and test your various strategies. Over time the franchise would evolve and change, in good and bad ways. After Dead Rising 4 in 2016, the series went dormant for a bit.
But good news: The franchise is returning later this year, though not with a new sequel. Instead, in September, nearly 20 years after the first game came out, Capcom is set to release a remake of Dead Rising. So before people start hopping into this new spin on an Xbox 360 zombie classic, let’s dive into the entire franchise and figure out which games are good, meh, and bad.
