The zombie genre has been influenced in countless ways since Resident Evil 4 released in 2005. Some games like Dead Space are clearly direct influences, while others like Dead Rising take a more indirect approach in their inspiration. Zombies have been a staple enemy in video games for decades now, taking on a variety of different forms and attributes over time.
When Resident Evil 4 released, it took the entire series in a different direction. Previous tight corridors and sluggish enemies turned into open spaces and sprinting zombies. The alternative take on the undead had them holding weapons and acting like a pack in order to chew up Leon Kennedy in rural Spain. Dead Rising creator Keiji Inafune saw this sudden shift in the series and decided that the approach devalued what made zombies so terrifying in the first place. This dissatisfaction, though, led to a new inspiration of its own.
Heavily inspired by classic George A. Romero films like Night of the Living Dead, Dead Rising was able to coexist with Capcom’s other popular zombie franchise because of the different ways they portrayed the undead. According to the latest documentary by GVMERS, while Keiji Inafune respected Resident Evil 4 as a game, he said that director Shinji Makami shouldn’t have made the zombies faster. He felt that if the Resident Evil series was going to abandon the way zombies originally appeared, it was time for him to make a series of his own that would embrace them.
How Dead Rising Brought Back The Real Undead
One of the earlier Xbox 360 games, Dead Rising did a magnificent job of showing off the new hardware of the time. Seeing dozens of zombies on screen at once and being able to interact with each one of them was something unattainable on previous consoles. However, it was essential to keep the zombies as dumb and slow-moving as they are in classic 80’s films to make the game work.
Blasting through hordes of intelligent, fast zombies works in a setting like Left 4 Dead, but in Dead Rising, utilizing the slow-paced zombies made interacting with the environment that much more enjoyable. Playing as Frank West in a crowded mall with several items to pick up and attack with works best when the zombies are more objectives than difficult enemies. Combining the eerie atmosphere of George A. Romero films along with a dose of cheesy humor makes Dead Rising the ultimate homage to the early era of zombie films.
Dead Rising was one of Capcom's attempts to attract a western audience to their portfolio. The game’s development team came from the failed Shadow of Rome, Keiji Infafune’s first attempt to create a western-focused franchise. Although the game was well-received, its sales forced Inafune to scrap the franchise and make Dead Rising instead, spawning several sequels of its own.
Although the Dead Rising series has fallen off in recent years, there’s still plenty of opportunities to capture the original games feel. With the success of the Resident Evil 2 & 3 remakes, the love for 80’s-era sluggish zombies is on a high and a Dead Rising sequel could take advantage of that to capture the hearts of fans all over again. Capcom allegedly has plans for a Resident Evil 4 remake, so the two franchises can once again co-exist in harmony.
Source: GVMERS