A key part ofDead Rising1 and 2 are the survivors. They’re pretty forgettable in Dead Rising 3 and absent in 4, but in the first two, rescuing all the survivors possible was a big goal. Getting all these peopleto the safehouse can be quite tricky, but their stories make the survivors even more memorable.
There are some survivors that you will just never forget due to the moments attached to them, and they might offer some great benefits like combo cards or weapons. They offer unique perspectives in this nightmarish zombie apocalypse scenario.
The Man In A Bind
Outside of the first two survivors on the rooftop, Bill Brenton could likely be the first survivor you’ll have to escort. Otis won’t call you about him, so you must find him naturally in the In The Closet store in Entrance Plaza. He was stuck behind the back of the store for two whole days and, as such, doesn’t know about the zombie outbreak currently going on.
This offers a very unique perspective that only Bill has in this game, as the title begins after the zombie outbreak has already begun. It’s interesting to see how people would immediately react to zombies in this universe, and that’s why Bill stands out, especially in Dead Rising 1.
Darker Than You Would Imagine
Some people may forget that while Dead Rising turned more comedic as the series went on, the original remains quite dark overall in its tone. Leah Stein, who appears in the A Mother’s Lament scoop at Al Fresca Plaza, is a great example of this.
Leah is bawling her eyes out about her baby daughter Grace, who you eventually learn has been eaten by zombies. That’s pretty dark, and, surprisingly, the game went there. This moment is highly memorable but, at the same time, seems alien to the rest of the series, which has a far more silly tone, making it stand out even more.
Another Dark Moment
A few scoops in Dead Rising can have different outcomes, and probably the most memorable one of this type is Lovers. Inside Wonderland Plaza, you’ll find Tonya Waters and a badly injured Ross Folk. Ross has been shot, and after talking for a bit, he’ll ask for a handgun.
You’ll likely have a handgun in your inventory during your first playthrough, and a lot of people won’t even think twice about giving Ross the weapon. If you give him the handgun, you’ve just made a severe lapse in your judgment, as Ross will blow his brains out. It’s shocking and proves that you shouldn’t always follow orders in video games.
The Most Important Survivor To Rescue Every Time
Adam the Clown isn’t just one of thebest boss fights in the Dead Rising seriesbut also one of the hardest. Even with the Real Mega Buster, Adam proves to be more resilient than most other boss fights, but beating him is well worth it.
Not only do you get the Small Chainsaw, but you also find Greg Simpson, who gives you an amazing and must-have shortcut that joins Wonderland Plaza and Paradise Plaza. This shortcut has to be discovered in every playthrough to use it, and it proves so helpful that rescuing Greg is a must in every run. Plus, he’s good friends with Otis, and you can’t go wrong with that.
Both A Psychopath And Survivor
Paul Carson is probably the most unique psychopath in Dead Rising 1. A victim of bullying and lover of explosives, he’s an appropriately challenging boss near the end. However, what makes Paul unique is that you may save him. After the boss fight, you can use the fire extinguisher to save Paul and take him back to the safe house.
This was cool in the original because you’ve been so used to killing all the psychopaths at this point. That’s not all, because later, Paul will give Frank an unlimited supply of Molotov Cocktails in the safehouse for as long as Paul’s around, a sweet bonus to play around with.
A Huge Helper You Can Actually Save
A character type appearing in a few Dead Rising games is the sniper survivor found up high, which helps clear the zombies in your way. There’s one in Dead Rising 3, but after a while, the character just vanishes with no resolution. A character that does get a resolution is Bob Blackrock in Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.
Shooting zombies from up high but also being the Otis/Stacey equivalent, telling you about survivors in the area, he helps a lot throughout the game. After the Jed boss fight, you’re free to leave the city, but you shouldn’t. At this time, Darcie, Bob’s daughter, can finally be found, and after they reunite, both can be rescued. It’s awesome that this helpful character can be rescued, especially in this hidden way that many will miss.
Since Dead Rising 2 introduced combo weapons, it makes sense that many of the survivor rewards are combo cards, making them must-have survivors to rescue. The best weapon to come from a survivor must be the Laser Gun from Dead Rising 2: Case West. You’ll find Jerry Sampson in the Living Quarters during Case 3-1, and he is, in fact, the creator of this beast of a weapon.
You’ll naturally need to give him the two combo weapons needed to make it: the Lightning Gun and the Laser Sword. After giving them to Jerry, he will be saved, along with obtaining the Laser Gun and its combo card. One ofthe most destructive weapons in the series, it can kill plenty of zombies with just one shot, so you’ll want to rescue Jerry.
The Baddest Of The Bands
With Las Vegas as the setting for Dead Rising 2, there are plenty of aspects associated with that area in the game, including a rock concert. On the morning of the 26th, you’ll encounter the band Angel Lust towards the north end of the Silver Strip, performing to a group of zombies.
After a while of talking, they’ll eventually join you, but not before finishing their rocking performance, which ends with a deadly guitar wave explosion. This is showcasing the combo card reward for saving the band, the Power Guitar,which is fun to play around with. They’re just an awesome group of characters, and it’s worth saving them for the exclusive combo card.
An Unbelievable Surprise At Release
Leading up to the release of Dead Rising 2, there was a promotional website called tapeitordie.com. It was an in-universe blog featuring four distinct characters, and it was a good read, adding lore to the Dead Rising world. You’d think the characters would be completely absent in the actual game, like most promotional tie-ins, but you would be dead wrong.
In the last third of DR2, a door normally locked in the Palisades Mall will be unlocked. Inside is the entire Tape It Or Die crew, which was an amazing surprise. They’re involved in a few side quests, and completing them all will net you three exclusive combo cards, so definitely do them.
Raaawr!
Another boss that can be turned into a survivor has to be the best survivor in the series, Snowflake. Her boss fight is brutal and will likely take many healing items, but once you have her tamed, she is the ultimate beast.
She’s no question the best-attacking survivor in the game, mauling zombies and even psychopaths. There’s even an achievement in Off The Record for damaging a psychopath with Snowflake. It sucks she probably won’t be with you for long since you’ll want to escort her to the safehouse, but she’s a total joy.
