Dead Rising 5 never made it out of development at Capcom Vancouver, despite the popularity of the long-running series. For years, the existence of the sequel wasn’t even public knowledge – until a report from gaming historian Liam Robertson confirmed fresh details about the sequel, and how it wound up being cancelled.
According to Robertson’s research, Dead Rising 5 was the unfortunate victim of 2018 lay-offs at Capcom Vancouver, which was eventually shuttered. Prior to this decision, work on the game had reportedly been well under way, with concept art, narrative, and some elements of the game’s overall design completed.
Keen-eyed fans have now spotted even more details that confirm Dead Rising 5 was progressing steadily before it was ultimately cancelled.
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In the portfolio of former Capcom Vancouver Technical Level Designer, Nick Sinkewicz, fans have discovered a treasure trove of information about the mysterious Dead Rising sequel. Sinkewicz worked on several major levels for the game, and creating many mechanics in the process – including an Environmental Damage System, Traversal System, Loot Container System, and Enemy Spawner. He also created the basic grey box levels for locales including ‘the Barrio, Hotel, Camps, Mayan Temple and Safehouse’ – all of which would likely have played a major role in the game.
A boss fight against an ‘El Guapo’ strike team is also mentioned in this portfolio, as are a range of combat encounters against zombies – with one of these fights set to take place in a jungle filled with gang bases to raid.
While clearly unfinished, the level of polish in clips posted by Sinkewicz suggest Capcom Vancouver was far into development on this project before the plug was eventually pulled. Combat and enemy movement seems jerky, and textures are clearly rough, but the game does appear playable.
These glimpses are very tantalising, and show off an adventure with plenty of promise.
The ongoing popularity of the Dead Rising franchise may lead to a series revival in future, but it does appear this previously-unknown sequel will remain in its current, unfinished state for now, as a relic of the once-bright ambitions of Capcom Vancouver. At least we’ll always have the rest of the excellent, over-the-top Dead Rising games to remember the studio by. If you’re keen to see more of its legacy, you can now view Sinkewicz’s game portfolio here.
