He’s got a camera and he knows how to use it, Frank West is Dead 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 most protagonists from Japanese publishers, a result of Dead Rising aiming 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?
For some diehard fans of Capcom’s license, Frank represents Dead Rising at its best and worst. Let’s take a look at those things that define Frank West’s legacy.
10 The Everyman
From its setting to its protagonist, Dead Rising screams “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 original Dead Rising, explained in an interview with Engadget that 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.
9 His 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 spends Dead Rising trying 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 into Dead Rising 2 and 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.
8 He Had A TV Show
As touched upon in Dead 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.
While Frank did seem to adapt well to the life of a celebrity, field reporting is undoubtedly his true calling.
7 He Is Only The Lead In Two Main Games
Despite being the face of Dead 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 2 and 3 are 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 to Dead Rising‘s iconic journalist.
6 Fan Support
Even with Dead Rising 2 and 3 opting for different main characters, Frank West remained in demand. Capcom might have played around with new protagonists, presumably opting to copy a page from Resident Evil‘s book, but Frank was too beloved to ignore for long.
Dead Rising 2 sought to appease the fans by including Frank West in Case West, a DLC episode that saw the journalist teaming up with Chuck. Capcom then made Dead Rising 2: Off The Record, a remake that replaced Chuck with Frank. Eventually, Frank was brought back into the spotlight to star in Dead Rising 4.
5 He Changes A Lot Throughout The Series
Frank West is basically a different character in Dead Rising 4. Not only is his design altered significantly, but he is also far more self-centered, pessimistic, and obnoxious than in Dead 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 that Dead 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.
4 Voice 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 in Dead Rising, Dead Rising 2: Case West, and Dead Rising 2: Off The Record. For Dead Rising 4, Capcom Vancouver opted to switch things around and cast Ty Olsson as Frank.
This change was implemented to reflect the character’s evolution, as the studio picked Olsson to emphasize that Dead 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.
3 He 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 4 suggests this quote might just be a fib that Frank uses to get his way when someone is not buying what he is selling.
2 He Becomes A Zombie
Dead Rising 4 ends 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 in Frank 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 Rising falls somewhat flat as the focus on Frank’s abilities is a weak replacement for the franchise’s trademark weapons system.
1 Other Games
What are the odds that a journalist armed with a baseball bat and a camera could defeat the likes of Ghost Rider, Magneto, and Morrigan Aeensland? Well, if Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is anything to go by, Frank can apparently hold his own against Marvel and Capcom’s finest.
Dead Rising‘s protagonist has featured in his share of other games, including the first two Lost Planet titles, Project X Zone, and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars. The latter only debuted two years after the release of the original Dead Rising, showing that Frank was a hit on arrival.
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