Dead Rising 3 was first released as a launch title exclusively on the Xbox One. Now, developer Capcom Vancouver is bringing the game to PC in the form of an exclusive Apocalypse Edition with additional options tailored for the platform. But if you've already experienced Dead Rising 3 in all its over-the-top glory on Xbox One, why play it again on PC? GameSpot spoke to producer Jon Airhart to find out.
Full Graphics Options
On the Xbox One, Dead Rising 3 runs natively at 720p and is locked at 30fps. By comparison, the PC version of the game will offer what Airhart describes as a "full suite of graphics options."
"For PC, that meant we needed to go back and put extra work into optimizing the game for the full range of PC gaming hardware out on the market," he said. A PC setup which meets the game's minimum system requirements will be able to play the game at 30fps without reducing the number of zombies in the world. However, while the default fps will be capped at 30, players will be able to remove that limiter.
"Of course, PC gamers love to see what their rigs can do, so we are going to make it easy to remove that cap if you have the equipment to do so and that's what you want to explore," Airhart said.
Downloadable Content
Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition will include all four "Untold Stories of Los Perdidos" downloadable content episodes. These DLC packs offer four new playable characters and their perspectives of the outbreak. New weapons, vehicles, and costumes will also be included in the DLC, which can be then be used in the main game by protagonist Nick. A digital art book will also be offered as a PC-exclusive bonus.
Mod Support
Like its predecessor, Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition will support user modifications to the game. "Dead Rising is the ultimate sandbox, and if modders decide to turn their creative talents to DR3 (which I hope they do) the sky is the limit," Airhart said when asked about his expectations for the mod community. "With combo vehicles, DR3 has blurred the lines between a vehicle and a weapon, so I expect to see an even wider variety of crazy creations."
Steam Integration
Launching on Steam means the game will include Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud save files, Steam Trading Cards, Steam Leaderboards, and controller support. Capcom Vancouver has traditionally been a "console-focused developer", and Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition marks the first time the developer has utilised Steam's matchmaking system.
"We were very conservative at the outset when planning what features to support as we wanted to make sure everything we did on Xbox One worked for the PC," Airhart said. This meant cutting out cross-platform play as it "simply didn't fit."
Launching on Steam also served as a suitable means of running DRM without interfering with the game. "If I choose to implement some kind of piracy protection, it has to be something that doesn't detract from the experience. As a player, Steam is how I prefer to play my games, and it's the platform we are using to release Dead Rising 3," he said. "I think the best thing that I can do as a developer is to create an awesome gaming experience that people want to play."
Dead Rising 3 Apocalypse Edition will be released via Steam on September 5. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review of the Xbox One version.
| Zorine Te is an associate editor at GameSpot, and you can follow her on Twitter @ztharli |
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