Dead Rising 2: Case West

In this downloadable epilogue to Dead Rising 2 (exclusively for the Xbox 360), Chuck Greene teams up with the original game's protagonist, Frank West, to infiltrate a Phenotrans facility and uncover a conspiracy between the Zombrex manufacturer and the zombie outbreaks.

Overview

Frank West and Chuck Greene, together at last
Frank West and Chuck Greene, together at last

Dead Rising 2: Case West is a third-person action-adventure game developed by Capcom Vancouver and published by Capcom for the Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade) on December 27, 2010. It is a downloadable epilogue to Dead Rising 2, expanding the game's plot, while re-adding the photography element from the original Dead Rising and adding online co-operative multiplayer (with one player playing each of the two protagonists).

Set immediately after the conclusion of Dead Rising 2 (via Ending A), players control either former motocross champion Chuck Greene (the protagonist of Dead Rising 2) or photojournalist Frank West (the protagonist of the original Dead Rising), as they investigate a facility owned by Phenotrans (the pharmaceutical company that develops Zombrex) to find a connection between the company and the Fortune City outbreak, as well as evidence to clear Chuck's supposed involvement with the outbreak.

Unlike Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, which serves as Dead Rising 2's downloadable prologue, progress made through the game is not reflected in the main game.

Gameplay

Photography makes a return in the Dead Rising series.
Photography makes a return in the Dead Rising series.

Case West retains all gameplay elements from both Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2, including the ability to photograph (from Dead Rising) and the ability to create improvised weaponry from two items (from Dead Rising 2). To make it easier on the player(s), both Chuck and Frank can take photographs and create combo weapons. Players start at level 40 (ten levels less than the maximum level of Dead Rising 2) and must level up by achieving Prestige Points through rescuing survivors, expert photography, and creative killing with improvised weaponry.

Many different kind of zany outfits for both Chuck and Frank to wear are located around the environment in true Dead Rising fashion, including Frank's old wartime photojournalist outfit from Dead Rising and even a costume of Mega Man's Dr. Wily.

Combo Weapons

Just as in Dead Rising 2 and Case Zero, you can create combo weapons by combining different objects found in the world. Combo cards can be found for each weapon as well.

The following objects and combo weapons were found in the previous games Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.

WeaponItems Needed
Drill BucketCombination of a drill and a bucket.
Freezer BombCombination of a fire extinguisher and a stick of dynamite.
Hail MaryCombination of a grenade and a football.
FlamethrowerCombination of a water gun and a gas can.
Plate LauncherCombination of plates and a cement saw.
Blazing AcesCombination of a tennis racquet and a tiki torch.
Snowball CannonCombination of a fire extinguisher and a water gun.
RipperCombination of a saw blade and a cement saw.
Laser SwordCombination of a flashlight and gems.
DynameatCombination of a hunk of meat and a stick of dynamite.

These objects and combo weapons are brand new to Dead Rising 2: Case West.

WeaponItems Needed
Zap N' ShineCombination of a floor buffer and an electric prod.
Impact BlasterCombination of an Impact Hammer and a blast frequency gun.
Lightning GunCombination of a blast frequency gun and an electric prod.
ReaperCombination of a katana sword and a sickle.
Laser GunCombination of a laser sword and a lightning gun.
SterilizerCombination of chemicals and a Syringe Gun.
ShockerCombination of a medical tray and a defibrillator.

Plot

Case West begins only seconds from the A ending of Dead Rising 2, with Chuck fending off the zombified Tyrone King. Frank West conveniently (and inexplicably) arrives to then help out Chuck against Tyrone. Once it is killed, Frank then recognizes Chuck as the man believed to have caused the Fortune City outbreak and treats him with suspicion. Chuck manages to garner some trust from Frank, proclaiming that he was framed and that it's down to the company that manufacturers Zombrex, Phenotrans.

Frank tells of a Phenotrans company located west from there, and after giving himself a shot of Zombrex for some reason, the two set out towards the facility. Once they arrive, they scout out the area and infiltrate the building via an air duct. Unfortunately, they both fall below due to their combined weight, surrounded by zombies. They fight their way through, eventually finding themselves in the shipping office, to which Frank introduces his mysterious source via computer to where he's gotten most of his information.

The source notifies the two that to gain evidence of Phenotrans involvement, they must enter the Directors Office. Once there, Frank begins to understand the severity of Phenotrans operations and how zombrex is made through the Queens, rather than synthetically. Out of frustration, Frank hurls his zombrex away with it landing on an alarm, alerting of Impact Hammer equipped guards. They manage to beat them both, with Chuck also picking up Frank's zombrex before they leave.

Back at the shipping office with the evidence, Frank asks the sources location so they all can escape, with the source explaining they'll first have to shut down the power since the source's been locked in. Frank and Chuck hunt around for a piece of C4 and a detonator and then proceed to blow up the power. Once completed, they head to the sources location to have it revealed that Isabella Keyes, creator of the original zombrex drug and ally in Dead Rising, is Frank's source and is working with Phenotrans.

Frank is angered by this discovery with Isabella assuring him that she's being trying to create a synthetic cure. Shortly after, the female director of Phenotrans (who shows to have an ugly scar across her face from a zombie bite) appears above behind bulletproof glass ordering her men to capture the three. Isabella manages to catch a break, though, and escapes. Frank and Chuck lash their hate towards Phenotrans and the director's methods of business, with Isabella returning shortly after, shooting the guards that held Frank and Chuck at gunpoint. A monster of a man arrives behind her, equipped with dual impact hammers which he uses to knock Isabella out cold, but not before she tries to throw a USB stick which apparently holds information towards making a cure for the zombification virus. The security Commander with hammers unfortunately stamps on the stick before Frank or Chuck could react. The director of Phenotrans then gloats at their misfortune stating there already exists a cure that she produced herself with Isabella's notes, with her then ordering the Commander to kill them both.

Frank and Chuck engage in a tough bout against him, but to no avail with the facility set to self destruction. Chuck plans to quickly go find the cure, with Frank countering that they have to leave now. Chuck reluctantly complies and both of them manage to escape.

It cuts to them both standing atop a faraway hill witnessing the facility blow up. Chuck explains how vital that cure will be to the world, with Frank conjecturing that the director could have lied. Frank then begins to panic when he remembers losing his zombrex with Chuck then fortunately brandishing the one Frank threw away. Frank now reminded of the constant struggle zombrex gives changes his tune and asserts that the cure must be found, leaving them both now determined to make Phenotrans pay and obtain the zombification cure.