I love your passion Wright!

So I've only played 1 and Case Zero so I can't speak with much authority. That said, I tend to agree with you Wright. Escort mission and timers were super frustrating and nerve-shredding, but that was the point. You had to prioritize and maybe leave someone behind. It made those you did save that much more meaningful. Seems like Capcom realized a forgiving zombie-killing open world game would sell better than what amounts to a niche title.

I think I get too worked up about this especially considering it's just a videogame franchise out of plenty, but I don't mind admitting it makes me salty as fuck watching how this goes further and further into derivative run-of-the-mill casualized mess that renegates from the franchise uniqueness like it's cancer.

Being unoriginal is what sells these days, I suppose. I know the original Dead Rising and its sequels weren't games for everyone indeed, but in the pursuit of getting everyone to like it they alienated the original fanbase, and their only freaking consolation prize is a paid DLC that will include some time-based missions in DR4, which can't be less of a slap considering it then again fails to realize why the timer is there in the first place, and also forces that fanbase to pay extra for it.

Who would miss time limits?... from any game for that matter.

Maybe people who enjoy time-constrained narrative structure that's done in a good and unique way. Dead Rising's timer is not a time limit that goes down for no reason.

There's definitely a rush to reach the lowest common denominator. Surely Capcom could have made something approximating the original Dead Rising on a smaller budget and then create a new brand for the zombie maiming simulator. But I suppose the Dead Rising name carries some cachet.

Are they going to keep that "die and start over" grind from the first game? Because, for me, that was the worst.

THE WORST.

Die? Is that even possible in a game that changes everything in favour of the player not dying at any point?

Probably not, since the game has checkpoints every five seconds and there's no ramification/consequence. Worst case scenario here, just New Game + after beating the game.

I didn't really mind dying. I just hated the fact that the game COULDN'T be beaten without replaying early sections. It wasn't the player's fault. They just had to grind.

I'm not opposed to various modes for different types of fans getting different experiences but for me, I just didn't think it was fair.

I disagree considering... I beat both Dead Rising games on the first go. I sure as hell messed up saving survivors like every step I could, but I always managed to get to every story segment and beat the ocassional unavoidable psychopath. Fuck Cletus though, that asshole cheats regardless of your level. Dead Rising 2 was much much more manageable in this sense, and I don't see why anyone would have to grind to beat it on the first go, so if this somehow was an issue, it was already fixed there.

But that's just me I suppose.

You must be some kind of God! If memory serves, you only start of with like 1 or 3 blocks of health. You eventually build it up but you're always just strong enough to get a little further. Then you die and have to start from the beginning, and get a little stronger, only to reach a point where you're just not strong enough to continue. Then, you do it again. It was too much for me. I did beat it. Hell, I still have my save! But yeah. I'm not the badass I used to be when it comes to games.

Even DR2, I bought the Dlc that released before the game just to be at a higher level when the full game came out!

I have DR3 but I don't think I've ever played it.