The Best Dead Rising Games: All 9 Ranked (Worst to Best)

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Chris Jecks

Published: Dec 7, 2016 12:48 pm

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People probably don’t realize that there’s quite a lot of Dead Rising games. Now that you do know, however, you’re likely wondering which one is the best one for you to play right now. Well, have no fear, we have you covered. Here are the best Dead Rising games, all nine of them ranked from worst to best. Let us know in the comments below which one’s your favorite!

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

9. Dead Rising Mobile

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Bringing the Dead Rising series to mobile must have seemed like a good idea on paper, but sadly the execution was nothing short of excruciating. The game could barely run at the time and due to limitations, there was only so much content that could make it into the final release.

Combat was unresponsive and the zombies offered little to no challenge even when you were swarmed. Tasks devolved into the most stripped down versions of their former selves and the actual visuals for Dead Rising Mobile were shockingly bad. Perhaps killing the dead is better left for consoles and not phones.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

8. Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

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Normally, ports across different consoles are fairly straight forward but Chop Till You Drop for the Wii deserves its own mention. While the idea of motion-controlled attacks and movement seems like a perfect match for the Dead Rising series, it sadly didn’t work. Response time felt sluggish and aiming weapons wasn’t exactly intuitive.

Combat was mixed at best, no thanks to the Wii’s hardware limitations which only could show a few dozen zombies at a time, let alone the hundreds we saw on the Xbox 360.

Along with this are bland visuals and a far emptier world. However, the biggest issue is that this port outright removed the entire photography concept. You can no longer take photos, yet Frank will still wear his camera around his neck as if to taunt you. Chop Till You Drop did introduce the concept of multiple save files, which was a life saver if you ended up missing something.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

7. Dead Rising 3

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The Dead Rising series has always been about colorful, goofy chaos that was drenched in the brains and blood of your zombie foes. Sadly, these ideas seemed to have gotten lost during the development of Dead Rising 3, as the colorful backdrops were replaced with a beige colored skyline. While the game itself boasted an impressive number of zombies on screen at once, the world and story were just not interesting enough to truly get invested in uncovering the outbreak’s secrets.

Along with this came awkward driving mechanics, lackluster Psycho bosses, and a terrible protagonist that had only two facial expressions.

Dead Rising 3 was a very mediocre game that really didn’t take the series forward in any interesting or new directions beyond a bigger world and more zombies shoved on screen. Thankfully, we will never have to deal with leading man Nick’s childish naivety ever again… hopefully.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

6. Dead Rising 2: Case Zero

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Acting as the prequel to Dead Rising 2, Case Zero sees Chuck stranded in a small town outside of Fortune City with his daughter. In order to escape, he needs to scour the buildings and shops for motorcycle parts so he can construct his ride and escape. At its heart, Case Zero is really just a demo for Dead Rising 2 that shows off the new mechanics, leveling system, and combat.

Now there’s nothing wrong with this as the game itself, outside of the loading screens, runs fine but there isn’t much to offer.

Saving survivors and looking for parts can only last so long, so unless you were a big fan of the original Dead Rising’s formula don’t expect much of a change here. However, it was nice that you could carry over your saved data to the second installment in this series, which made the playthrough feel worth it in the end.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

5. Dead Rising 2: Off The Record

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Off The Record was a curious game because it was essentially the second title in the series, just with some new content added into it. Following Frank West instead of Chuck was an interesting move as it really didn’t change a large portion of the story, but it had enough of an impact to make it feel unique. A new area was added in, along with the photography aspect of the first title.

However, the problem was that unless you were already a fan of the Dead Rising series, there was really no incentive to go back. Even though it did introduce new content, it was substantial enough to justify both its price and appeal to new fans.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

4. Dead Rising 2: Case West

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Case West acts as a final chapter in the second game’s story, with Chuck Greene teaming up with Frank West to stop an evil corporation that has been experimenting with zombies. Focused more on co-op this time around, this expansion added some interesting changes such as no longer needing to escort the survivors to safety once rescued.

It was a refreshing change of pace and the fact that Frank’s AI is actually competent and can’t die relieved a lot of the possible frustrations. Even though the setting isn’t exactly inspiring, the new combo cards, soldiers, and story are interesting enough for those willing to explore this five-hour campaign.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

3. Dead Rising 4

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The fourth official entry in this series, this title was extremely controversial due to it changing a lot of what the hardcore fans loved. Gone were the timed missions, Frank West’s original voice actor, and cutscenes for Psychos, allowing players to take their time and focus on zombie slaying. While this will certainly turn some players off, it did allow us to slay as many zombies as humanly possible. Along with this came a plethora of amusing combination weapons.

Thankfully, this game recognizes some of the best aspects of the series and leans into the wacky, ghoul-slaying humor more than any other entry in the series.

Along with this, the large map, funny Christmas theme, and combat all worked nicely together. Sadly, the dialogue was the biggest issue as jokes are incredibly hit or miss, with the campy horror elements failing to drive most of the actual plot forward. However, this is still a solid entry in this blood-soaked series, as long as you don’t mind the changes to the series’ formula.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

2. Dead Rising

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The original Dead Rising was a perfect example of what the Xbox 360 console was capable of, as it showcased a massive environment flooded with the undead. Combat was unique and fun, with the franchise’s light-hearted humor seeping in throughout every mechanic and story moment.

Even with a few problems such as the on-screen text being way too small and your guide, Otis, spamming you with calls over the radio, it rarely ever detracted from exploring the mall. Bosses were challenging and inventive, putting players’ skills to the test in ways the zombies couldn’t have.

While the AI for survivors was hit or miss, it never fully detracted from the sheer joy of beating zombies to death with a sledgehammer, umbrella, or baseball bat. Even though it had rather long loading screens, the number of areas you could explore in each section of the mall was worth it, as was the impressive amount of zombies on screen to kill.

Best Dead Rising Games (Worst to Best)

1. Dead Rising 2

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While the original game may have shown off what this series was capable of, the sequel perfected and refined virtually every aspect. Not only was the world bigger and better looking, but the number of zombies had also grown exponentially.

Combat was enhanced by the new combination cards, which allowed players to create unique and powerful weapons. The Vegas setting was a perfect fit and it offered some interesting locations like a casino, strip club, and stadium to fight in.

Bosses were unique and fun to fight, with the AI drastically improved from the original title. Dead Rising 2 also introduced driving vehicles, making shakes that gave you buffs, and having to administer medicine to your infected daughter Katey. This added a better focus to your actions and gave weight to a lot of the choices you made throughout the story.

Trying to save Chuck’s child and clear his name from the zombie outbreak was genuinely compelling and still stands as one of the best stories in the series. Plus, you could have a pet tiger that killed the undead for you and who wouldn’t want that?

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Author

Chris Jecks

Chris Jecks has been covering the games industry for over eight years. He typically covers new releases, FIFA, Fortnite, any good shooters, and loves nothing more than a good Pro Clubs session with the lads. Chris has a History degree from the University of Central Lancashire. He spends his days eagerly awaiting the release of BioShock 4.