Dead Rising 5: Everything we want to see from the rumoured sequel

Dead Rising 4 was intended as a triumphant return for Frank West, but became an underwhelming open-world slasher which not only scaled back the series’ formula, but undersold a beloved character in the process. The fourth entry was part of a prolonged fall from grace for the franchise. But now, rumours of a revival have begun to surface.

In light of recent whispers, Trusted Reviews has compiled everything we’d love to see from Dead Rising 5 alongside all the latest news, release date, trailers and more.

Dead Rising 5 release date – when is it coming out?

Capcom is yet to officially acknowledge the existence of Dead Rising 5, and thus a release date hasn’t materialised either.

With E3 2018 right around the corner, it feels like a suitable title to unveil on the big stage if neither Resident Evil 8 or Devil May Cry 5 appear.

Related: Call of Duty Black Ops 4

Dead Rising 5 news – what’s being said about it?

Puzzle Fighter was recently cancelled by Capcom Vancouver after a short and sadly unsuccessful lifespan. On the Unity blog, the developer has said it will be moving resources from the project onto an unannounced Dead Rising title.

“As the studio is dedicating its focus to our flagship Dead Rising franchise, we have decided to sunset Puzzle Fighter.”

When contacted for comment by Trusted Reviews we were told that “the studio is focused on the Dead Rising series, however no titles have been announced at this time.”

Dead Rising 5 wishlist – what we’d love to see

Related: Best Xbox One Games

A new protagonist

Dead Rising 4 saw Frank West lose some of the allure that saw fans warm to him in previous entries, especially from the series’ 2006 debut. It didn’t feel like the same guy, and thus we’d rather see him abandoned and a brand new protagonist lead the survival attempts.

The soil is fertile for new seeds to be sown in Dead Rising 5 whether it be the returning Chuck Greene or an all new face we’ve never seen before. Capcom Vancouver has proven in the past that it has plenty of, albeit campy, storytelling chops, so hopefully they’re put to good use in the rumoured sequel.

Return of past mechanics.

We loved the strict time-limit of past Dead Rising titles, making its sudden removal in the fourth instalment a little jarring. It removed the tension of chasing quests and navigating hordes of undead as you could complete every quest available at your leisure. As a result, this only helped to highlight other aspects of the game that’d been scaled back, too.

Combo weapons could be obtained in unlimited qualities which made exploring shops in search of creative ways to kill zombies a thing of the past. It no longer felt rewarding to venture off the beaten path in search of such things. The soul of Dead Rising was lost, and we’d really like it back.

Related: God of War Review

A more creative setting

Dead Rising could probably take place anywhere in the world so long as a few dozens shops were scattered around the place. A zombie outbreak might emerge in Cardiff and you could justifiably set a new entry in the series there. Knowing this, we want Capcom Vancouver to stretch its creative muscles and really blow our socks off.

Perhaps we could see the virus infect the streets of Tokyo or take our hero/heroine to a tropical island where zombies are eager to soak up sun while feasting on the living. Whatever it might be, we hope it’s an improvement over the bleak and bland streets of Willamette from Dead Rising 4.

Survivors with personality

The original Dead Rising and its first sequel were brimming with personality. This not only stemmed from the bright and colourful settings, but also their inhabitants. Survivors you were tasked with saving each had stories to tell. These oftentimes comedic and occasionally tragic tales provided them with a sense of life their successors simply lacked.

Even if escorting them to safety was a frustrating chore at times, the hilarity that accompanied these scenarios more than made up for it. We wouldn’t say no if they also happened to drop a bit of loot, either.

What’s on your wishlist for Dead Rising 5? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter @trustedreviews.