History VideoGame / DeadRising

The second (and more controversial) is its TimeLimit: starting from the moment of Frank's arrival on the mall's roof, the game begins ticking down a three-day timer (six hours real-time) until Frank's chopper pilot returns. Every mission in the game begins at a certain time and must be completed within a set number of in-game hours, including the story; the game has no GameOver state other than death, instead offering MultipleEndings depending on how much of the story Frank managed to complete and whether he makes it to the chopper in time.

** In the beginning of the game, Frank may bump into an old woman called Lindsay Harris, frantically searching for her dog Madonna. A few minutes later, she spots Madonna trapped outside with the zombies. What does she do? Overpower the dozens of men attempting to stop her and [[OhCrap break the barricade]], setting the zombies inside and [[WhatAnIdiot single-handedly started the game]]. The kicker? The zombies didn't even show a single bit of interest in Madonna herself.

** Fifteen of the rescuable survivors [[spoiler: (Jeff, Natalie, Bill, Sophie, Heather, Pamela, Jennifer, Nick, Sally, Kindell, Gil, Brett, Jonathan, Alyssa, and Susan)]] have no in-game indication of their location or even their existence; however, you're pretty much guaranteed to meet Jeff and Natalie (who spawn right outside the Security Room), and Kindell will cross your path if you follow the story.

[[caption-width-right:350: When all you have is a tv...]]

** The [[BossBattle Psychopaths]] and survivors are absurdly durable compared to the humans {{mook}}s despite all of them being unarmored, having from 2,000 to 5,000 hit points on average (zombies average 100 for reference). The least durable boss by far is the only one who wears armor- Brock Mason, at 1,000 hit points.

* BigBadEnsemble: Carlito Keyes, the terrorist who engineered the Willamette outbreak and plans to duplicate his feat on a continental scale, and Brock Mason, a black ops commander who's responsible for both the FieryCoverup in the mall and the massacre that drove Carlito to villainy in the first place.

* OptionalBoss: All the Psychopaths, barring [[spoiler: Carlito, Isabela, Steven, Larry, and Brock]], are the focus of side quests rather than having any importance to the plot.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[{{Tagline}} Chop till you drop!]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer When all you have is a TV...]]]]

** At the end of the game if you get ending A, a zombie sneaks up on Frank and infects him with the zombie virus. In gameplay, Frank can get munched on by zombies for three days straight and not have to worry about zombification. In the same vein, if you never get hit by a zombie throughout the whole game (pretty much impossible), Frank will still end up infected by Overtime Mode.

Despite the game's overseas success, it sold poorly in Japan due to a number of factors (most notably its Xbox exclusivity and the game's gory BMovie aesthetic not gelling with Japanese gamers of the time). After a cut-down UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} remake, ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'', received a similarly weak reception, Capcom handed off development of ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' to its Vancouver branch, who would handle the series going forward.

Despite the game's overseas success, it sold poorly in Japan due to a number of factors (most notably its Xbox exclusivity and the game's gory BMovie aesthetic not gelling with Japanese gamers of the time). After a cut-down UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} adaptation, ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'', received a similarly weak reception, Capcom handed off development of ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' to its Vancouver branch, who would handle the series going forward.

Frank West would go on to cameo in numerous Capcom titles and even appeared as a fighter in ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom: [[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate All Stars]]'', ''VideoGame/UltimateMarvelVsCapcom3'', ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'', and ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone''. The 2015 direct-to-streaming film ''Film/DeadRisingWatchtower'', starring Creator/RobRiggle as Frank, serves to bridge the gap between the first and second games. A sequel, ''Film/DeadRisingEndgame'', was released in 2016, doing the same for the second and third games.

Frank West would go on to cameo in numerous Capcom titles and even appeared as a fighter in ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom: [[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate All Stars]]'', ''VideoGame/UltimateMarvelVsCapcom3'', ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite'', and VideoGame/ProjectXZone. The 2015 direct-to-streaming film ''Film/DeadRisingWatchtower'', starring Creator/RobRiggle as Frank, serves to bridge the gap between the first and second games. A sequel, ''Film/DeadRisingEndgame'', was released in 2016, doing the same for the second and third games.

Frank West would go on to cameo in numerous Capcom titles and even appeared as a fighter in VideoGame/UltimateMarvelVsCapcom3 and VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite. The 2015 direct-to-streaming film ''Film/DeadRisingWatchtower'', starring Creator/RobRiggle as Frank, serves to bridge the gap between the first and second games. A sequel, ''Film/DeadRisingEndgame'', was released in 2016, doing the same for the second and third games.

[[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff While the game is well-liked abroad]], it sold poorly in Japan, largely due to how the game's character are homelier compared to [[Franchise/ResidentEvil CAPCOM's own flagship series]]. ''Chop Till You Drop'', the Wii adaptation, sold half of the XBOX 360 version in Japan. Probably owing to that, Capcom gave the development responsibility to their Vancouver studio overseas for the [[VideoGame/DeadRising2 sequel]] set in Fortune City, starring new character Chuck Greene, changing developer from Capcom Japan to Capcom Vancouver (formerly Blue Castle Games), and releasing across the 360, [=PS3=], and PC.

See also ''VideoGame/DeadRisingChopTillYouDrop'', a PragmaticAdaptation for the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}}. And speaking of ''Dead Rising'' and the Wii, Frank made his fighting game debut in ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom: [[UpdatedRerelease Ultimate All Stars]]''. And speaking of fighting games, Frank makes an appearance in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'''s UpdatedRerelease, ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3'', and its sequel ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcomInfinite''. [[RunningGag And speaking of]] crossover games, he makes another appearance in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', a cross between Capcom, Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment, and Creator/{{Sega}}. Clearly, Frank West gets around.

Shout Outs can be found [[ShoutOut/DeadRising here]].

See ''VideoGame/DeadRising2'' for the [[MacGyvering chainsawed-and-duct-taped]] sequel, ''VideoGame/DeadRising3'' for the DarkerAndEdgier third game, and ''VideoGame/DeadRising4'' for the [[AnAsskickingChristmas holly jolly]] fourth entry.

On March 27th, 2015, a feature film called ''Film/DeadRisingWatchtower'' premiered online, with Rob Riggle as Frank West. It's seemingly set in the period between the first and second games, during Frank's short-lived brush with fame.

Additionally, the original game recieved an [[UpdatedReRelease HD re-release]], released on September 13th, 2016 on PC, Xbox One, and UsefulNotes/Playstation4, which marks the first time the title has been released on a platform other than the Xbox 360.

There, he discovers terrified locals barricading the entrance and a [[ZombieApocalypse horde of zombies outside]]. When a hysterical survivor accidentally unleashes the horde, the others are content to hole up in the mall's security room and wait for rescue -- but not Frank. Teaming up with Homeland Security agents [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Brad Garrison]] and [[MsFanservice Jessie McCarney]], he braves the overrun shopping center to uncover the truth behind the outbreak, and the identity of his mysterious source...

The game has three defining features (four, if you count the [[TechnologyMarchesOn then-astonishing]] number of zombies the player faces in its WideOpenSandbox). First is its combat system, built around the idea of using [[CombatPragmatist everything at your disposal to survive]]: Frank and pick up and use just about everything lying around in the mall, from guns and sports gear to benches and trash cans, and even [[JokeWeapon sillier options]] like frisbees and novelty masks. All weapons have limited durability and/or ammunition, meaning that the player must constantly scavenge new equipment to replenish their arsenal.

Lastly is the game's RPGElements and approach to NewGamePlus: Frank begins the story weak, slow, and unable to carry many items, with his stats increasing [[LuckBasedMission semi-randomly]] as he earns [[ExperiencePoints Prestige Points]] from taking interesting photographs, defeating zombies and bosses, rescuing survivors, and performing random activities throughout the mall. While it is possible to complete the story and even achieve OneHundredPercentCompletion starting from level one, it is punishingly difficult -- the game instead encourages players to restart the story when they die or reach an ending, resetting their progress to zero but retaining their current level and stats.

There, he discovers terrified locals barricading the entrance and a [[ZombieApocalypse horde of zombies outside]]. When a hysterical survivor accidentally unleashes the horde, the others are content to hole up in the mall's security room and wait for rescue -- but not Frank. Teaming up with Homeland Security agents [[BaldBlackLeaderGuy Brad Garrison]] and [[MsFanservice Jessie McCarney]], he sets out into the mall to uncover the truth behind the outbreak, and the identity of his mysterious source...

The game has three defining features (four, if you count the [[TechnologyMarchesOn then-astonishing]] number of zombies the player faces). First is its combat system, built around the idea of using [[CombatPragmatist everything at your disposal to survive]]: Frank and pick up and use just about everything lying around in the mall, from guns and sports gear to benches and trash cans, and even [[JokeWeapon sillier options]] like frisbees and novelty masks. All weapons have limited durability and/or ammunition, meaning that the player must constantly scavenge new equipment to replenish their arsenal.

There, he discovers terrified locals barricading the entrance and a [[ZombieApocalypse horde of zombies outside]]. When a hysterical survivor accidentally unleashes the horde, the others are content to hole up in the mall's security room and wait for rescue -- but not Frank. Teaming up with Homeland Security agents Brad Garrison and Jessica [=McCarney=], he sets out into the mall to uncover the truth behind the outbreak, and the identity of his mysterious source...

There, he discovers terrified locals barricading the entrance and a [[ZombieApocalypse horde of zombies outside]]. When a hysterical survivor accidentally unleashes the horde, the others are content to hole up in the mall's security room and wait for rescue -- but not Frank. Teaming up with Homeland Security agents Brad Garrison and Jessica McCarney, he sets out into the mall to uncover the truth behind the outbreak, and the identity of his mysterious source...

It's [[NextSundayAD September of 2006]], and the sleepy town of Willamette, Colorado -- population 53,594 -- has gone completely silent. A military lockdown and media blackout is preventing any information from escaping the rural backwater, and most people wouldn't be interested in the backwater anyway. But Frank West isn't most people. A [[IntrepidReporter freelance photojournalist]] willing to brave warzones for his scoops, he follows an anonymous tip to the town, chartering a helicopter to bypass the military's checkpoints, drop him off at the local megamall, and return in three days.

Frank West, a freelance photojournalist [[MemeticMutation (He's covered wars, you know!)]], follows a tip of unknown origin into the small town of Willamette, Colorado. A military lockdown of the town is hiding a ZombieApocalypse from the media, and Frank is hellbent on getting the story. Via helicopter, he bypasses the barricades and enters the Willamette Mall in hopes of finding the secret behind the happenings...

So begins ''Dead Rising'', Creator/{{Capcom}}'s hit 2006 free-roamer for the UsefulNotes/Xbox360. Armed with just about anything you can find (and in a shopping mall, that's plenty), your goal is to survive for three days while getting the story. The game has two defining features: first up is the sheer number of zombies that can be on screen at once, greatly adding to the effect of a mall literally overrun with the living dead. Second, the game has a unique CombatPragmatist-style combat system wherein Frank can pick up nearly any item around the mall to use as makeshift weapons. Your arsenal can range from more traditional weapons like baseball bats, guns and swords, to [[ImprobableWeaponUser stranger things]] like [=TVs=], cash registers, potted plants, and soccer balls. While the game is short (Six hours, real time, not counting cutscenes or pauses), it's a haven for fans of OneHundredPercentCompletion challenges (unless you want to get 100% in one playthrough), as different achievements require wildly out-of-the-way trips and are of varying difficulty.

The game is somewhat difficult and has a [[LuckBasedMission rather strange]] way of rewarding the player with experience: PP (or [[FunWithAcronyms Prestige Points]]) is given to the player upon completing major objectives, like killing a milestone of zombies, saving survivors, completing cases and defeating [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters dangerous human bosses called Psychopaths]]. The player can also earn PP by killing zombies in creative ways, like heating up a frying pan and smacking a zombie's face with it. This levels up Frank, who gains more health, item slots, new moves and more. Also unique is the game's take on NewGamePlus: Frank starts out pathetically weak and slow at the beginning of the game, and the player must fight hard to even survive. Upon dying, the player is given the option to reload the last save, or end the playthrough at that death and transfer Frank's level over to the next run. Reaching the level cap is exceedingly difficult to get in one playthrough, so the player is encouraged to beat the game multiple times in an attempt to see everything, facilitated by the game's MultipleEndings that each requires harder and harder qualifications in order to get, and the game's rather short run time.

%% Zero-context examples have been commented out. Please do not un-comment without adding context.

[[quoteright:313:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deadrising_7643.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:313:[[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer When all you have is a shovel...]]]]

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!!''Dead Rising'' Provides Examples Of:

** The special forces only come to clean up the mall if you complete "The Facts". [[spoiler:Jessie's calling for help after you finish "The Facts" will cause DHS to send in the military to silence the truth of Santa Cabeza.]]

* GeneralRipper: Brock.

* ZombiePukeAttack: Queen Zombies and Gas Zombies vomit infected blood.

** Frank [[BagOfHolding can carry an absurd amount of items in his pockets]] that would be considered bulky and/or heavy in real life: rifles, shotguns, hedge clippers, 2x4s, a skateboard, mannequin torsos, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and gallon-size jugs of orange juice.]] Taken UpToEleven when Frank maxes out his inventory at a whopping ''twelve'' slots.

* AttackDrone: Looking like an RC helicopter with a machine gun slung underneath, they help the Special Forces patrol the mall in Overtime mode.

** In the final section of Overtime mode, the player has to carry Isabella through an underground tunnel full of zombies. Once you pass through, you enter a separate area where you can leave Isabella waiting. Even though there is no reason for the player to go back to the tunnels alone, Frank has a different set of sounds for his HollerButton in which he yells out loud "Heyy!!" instead of his regular "Hello?" and "Anyone there?", just for that specific circumstance.

* FisticuffsBoss: Naturally, waiting at the very end of Overtime mode.

** At the end of the game if you get ending A, a zombie sneaks up on Frank and infects him with the zombie virus. In gameplay, Frank can get munched on by zombies for three days straight and not have to worry about zombification. In the same vein, if you never get hit by a zombie throughout the whole game (pretty much impossible), Frank will still end up infected by Overtime.

** When the Special Forces arrive at the mall towards the end, they swiftly begin killing all of the zombies with impunity. By the time Overtime begins, the Special Forces withdraw and every single zombie in the mall is dead...until Frank has to gather some queens for Isabela's serum at which point, the mall is completely full of zombies again.

** A: Complete all cases, [[spoiler:talk to Isabela at 10 PM on the last day]], and be at the helipad when time runs out. Ed shows up to rescue Frank, [[spoiler:but there's a zombie in the copter, which causes him to crash, stranding Frank in the mall and unlocking Overtime mode.]]
*** True ending: Complete Overtime mode. Frank escapes from the mall [[spoiler:with Isabela]], and breaks the story to the public. They care, but only a little.

** During Overtime, If Frank doesn’t collect all of Isabela’s supplies or the queens within 24 in-game hours, he will succumb to his zombification and drop dead on the spot. The ending text refers to his death as a “humane end to his hopeless situation”.

* KillEmAll: Willamette, Colorado has 53,594 citizens. If you kill that many zombies, you get the "Genocider" achievement and the Mega Buster.

* HotScientist: [[spoiler:Isabela is a competent pharmacist. She creates the first drug that delays zombification as well as a zombie repellent that allows her and Frank to safely navigate the underground tunnel near the end of Overtime Mode]].

* SkywardScream: After completing [[spoiler:Overtime Mode, Frank lets rip a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKwvdIDq3Ck#t=3m11s glorious one of these]] whilst on top of a tank, complete with the camera pulling out and [[EverythingsBetterWithSpinning spinning.]]]]