He’s got a camera and he knows how to use it, Frank West isDead Rising’s unlikely hero. When Capcom’s zombie-themed franchise debuted in 2006, Frank quickly struck a chord with players as he was quite unlike mostprotagonists from Japanese publishers, a result ofDead Risingaiming to appeal to a Western market. Since then, Frank has become something of a minor icon in the gaming industry, but what is there to know about the character besides the fact that he can turn anything into a deadly weapon?
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For some diehard fans of Capcom’s license, Frank representsDead Risingat its best and worst. Let’s take a look at those things that define Frank West’s legacy.
10The Everyman
From its setting to its protagonist,Dead Risingscreams “western” game. The franchise marked a clear attempt by Capcom to craft a license that could appeal to an international audience; consequently, Frank was conceived to be an everyman.
Keiji Inafune, the producer of the originalDead Rising, explained inan interview with Engadgetthat the original goal was to make Frank “ugly” and “fat.” Eventually, these elements were toned down and the protagonist was given a design defined by its averageness. Frank was created to be as far removed from an anime hero as possible.
9His Rise To Fame (In-Game)
Frank’s story begins with a trip to Willamette, the location of the first zombie outbreak. Along with a group of NPCs, Frank spendsDead Risingtrying to survive in a mall and eventually uncovers the cause behind the outbreak. This whole mess was created by experiments run by the government, a truth Frank brings to the masses.
Going intoDead Rising 2and beyond, Frank is no longer a mostly unknown journalist seeking that big story that will put him on the map. Frank becomes something of a celebrity, at least for the first few years following the Willamette incident.
As touched upon inDead Rising: Road to Fortune, the journalist took full advantage of his meteoric rise in fame. With the aid of his agent, Clay Hurlton, Frank launched something of an acting career as he got his own TV show, “Uncovered.” It, admittedly, did not last too long and Frank eventually found himself stepping behind the camera once again.
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While Frank did seem to adapt well to the life of a celebrity, field reporting is undoubtedly his true calling.
Despite being the face ofDead Rising, Frank is hardly a permanent fixture in the series. Putting aside DLCs or non-canon remakes, West is only the protagonist of the first and fourth entries in the franchise.Dead Rising 2and3are headlined by Chuck Greene and Nick Ramos respectively. While these games include a couple of nods to Frank, they mostly stand on their own.
While Nick is somewhat bland, Chuck serves as an enjoyable and sympathetic alternative toDead Rising’s iconic journalist.
6Fan Support
Even withDead Rising 2and3opting for different main characters, Frank West remained in demand. Capcom might have played around with new protagonists, presumably opting to copy a page fromResident Evil’s book, but Frank was too beloved to ignore for long.
Dead Rising 2sought to appease the fans by including Frank West inCase West, a DLC episode that saw the journalist teaming up with Chuck. Capcom then madeDead Rising 2: Off The Record, a remake that replaced Chuck with Frank. Eventually, Frank was brought back into the spotlight to star inDead Rising 4.
5He Changes A Lot Throughout The Series
Frank West is basically a different character inDead Rising 4. Not only is his design altered significantly, but he is also far more self-centered, pessimistic, and obnoxious than inDead Rising.
Now, in all fairness, 16 years have passed between the events of the first and fourth entries in the series, so it makes sense thatDead Rising 4’s Frank is not the same person as the one found in the original release. However, age has somehow made him less mature, despite his cynical nature implying the opposite. These changes to the character were not especially well-received by the franchise’s fanbase.
4Voice Actors
Within Capcom’s series, Frank has been voiced by two actors. TJ Rotolo handled the role for most of the character’s early appearances, voicing the journalist inDead Rising,Dead Rising 2: Case West, andDead Rising 2: Off The Record. ForDead Rising 4, Capcom Vancouver opted to switch things around and cast Ty Olsson as Frank.
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This change was implemented to reflect the character’s evolution, as the studio picked Olsson to emphasize thatDead Rising 4’s Frank is older and “more grizzled.“Both voice actors delivered good performances in the role, but Rotolo’s voice will always be associated with Frank West.
3He Covered Wars, You Know (Maybe)
Frank’s most famous quote is “I’ve covered wars, you know.” Uttered in the first game and referenced frequently in subsequent adventures, this line provides a tiny hint at Frank’s background, suggesting he served as a warzone reporter. This quote is Frank’s attempt to explain why he should be trusted with a gun as if covering wars is somehow similar to actually being a soldier.
However,Dead Rising 4suggeststhis quote might just be a fib that Frankuses to get his way when someone is not buying what he is selling.
2He Becomes A Zombie
Dead Rising 4ends with Frank falling into a horde of zombies and becoming one, a moment that seemed to mark a sad end to this gaming icon. However, this conclusion is expanded upon inFrank Rising, a DLC that sees the journalist regain control of his body, pick up a few special zombie-themed abilities, and eventually become a human once again.
Frank Risingfalls somewhat flat as the focus on Frank’s abilities is a weak replacement for thefranchise’s trademark weapons system.
1Other Games
What are the odds that a journalist armed with a baseball bat and a camera could defeat the likes of Ghost Rider, Magneto, andMorrigan Aeensland? Well, ifUltimateMarvel vs. Capcom3is anything to go by, Frank can apparently hold his own against Marvel andCapcom’s finest.
Dead Rising’s protagonist has featured in his share of other games, including the first twoLost Planettitles,Project X Zone, andTatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. The latter only debuted two years after the release of the originalDead Rising, showing that Frank was a hit on arrival.
