Combat

Zombie outbreaks are messy affairs, and fighting for your life is an all-too-common practice. Chuck’s health is at constant risk while he fearlessly scours the city in search of the living. Let’s review the different sorts of horrors he encounters out there.

ZOMBIES

With the vast majority of Fortune City’s population having been transformed into the undead, zombies are by far the most ubiquitous enemies in the game.

Battling them is like trying to fight the ocean; no matter how hard you struggle, the waves just keep crashing against you.

Fortunately, zombies are slow and easily outmaneuvered— the same rigor mortis that grants them their inhuman strength also hampers their agility. It’s therefore best to simply outrun the undead, dashing through gaps in the teeming hoard.

Be on the lookout for weapon-toting zombies, such as security guards—these undead often carry handguns and nightsticks. The occasional rare security guard may even be packing a powerful shotgun!

These unfortunate souls can no longer use such valuable tools, but Chuck certainly can. Slaughter weapon-toting zombies to score some additional gear.

BREAKING HOLDS

Zombies commonly attack by swiping at Chuck as he darts by, but they’ll also grab hold of him from time to time, yearning to sink their teeth in.

When snared by a zombie’s powerful embrace, quickly imitate the onscreen button commands to break free of the hold. Failure to do so means suffering constant damage.

LOOTERS

The dead aren’t Chuck’s only adversaries in Fortune City. Immoral men are also present in the quarantine zone, seeking to plunder whatever they can get their hands on.

Some of these looters will help Chuck by ofering to sell him their ill-gotten goods from various pawnshops— others will attack our hero on sight with whatever weaponry they’ve gotten their greedy little paws on.

Looters always travel in groups, but aside from their speed and aggression, they aren’t much more challenging than zombies. Each looter you defeat earns Chuck 500 PP.

MERCENARIES

There’s more to the outbreak in Fortune City than meets the eye, and Chuck encounters trained killers at various points throughout the adventure.

These hired henchmen travel in squads and wield rapid-fire assault rifes, which they fire in short bursts to conserve ammo. Fortunately, mercenaries aren’t very good shots, and Chuck suffers relatively little damage each time he’s hit by their gunfre.

Limit your exposure and close in fast to batter these villains, earning 1,000 PP for each one you kill.

PSYCHOPATHS

By far the most dangerous adversaries Chuck faces, psychopaths are deranged individuals who have been sent over the edge by the countless horrors of the zombie outbreak

Psychos come in all diferent varieties, each with their own unique reasons for being totally insane. One thing all psychos share is the ability to bring Chuck’s heroics to a swift end, so treat these villains with respect.

Psychos serve as boss enemies in Dead Rising 2. Each encounter is unique, and you’d do well to have plenty of potent curatives on hand before taking them on.

Of course, you never quite know when or where you’ll encounter a psycho (unless you follow our walkthrough, of course), so it’s best to keep Chuck loaded with food.

Defeating psychos is worthwhile because many have taken survivor hostages—rescuing these poor souls equates to PP. The act of killing a psycho nets you significant PP as well, and can also earn you special bonuses, such as hidden combo cards.

Follow side missions to seek out psychos and show them how dangerous a motivated sane man can be.

HEALTH AND DAMAGE

As Chuck confronts looters, psychos, mercenaries, and the legions of undead, he’s certain to suffer damage. Chuck’s health is measured by a number of yellow squares beneath the PP gauge at the upper left corner.

The squares darken as Chuck suffers harm, and it’s game over if they all disappear. Prevent this from happening by fleeing to safety when the going gets rough, consuming foods and drinks to restore Chuck’s health.

Zombies, looters, and mercenaries all have a small amount of health that isn’t visually represented in the game—just keep hitting them until they’ve had enough.

Named characters, such as psychos and survivors, have a green health bar that appears above their name while they’re within view—these characters have significantly more health than the aforementioned lot and, like Chuck, their health can be restored through consuming curatives.

Only one psychopath, Chef Antoine, is able to consume food.

WEAPONS

With so many hostiles out to get you, it’s fortunate that practically everything you see in the environment can be used as a weapon.

Chairs, tables, potted plants ... massagers ... You name it. All of these can be picked up and wielded against those who would do Chuck harm.

Anything that can be hoisted and used as a tool of mayhem is hallmarked by a tiny orange handgun icon when Chuck steps close. Simply press the interact button to grab these items, then use the Attack button to swing or fre away.

Press the Attack button rapidly to unleash normal attack combos, or press and hold the Attack button to perform a weapon’s heavy attack (if applicable).

Sometimes, it’s best to keep your distance. To hurl objects at enemies, press and hold the Aim button, followed by the Attack button. Some weapons are deadlier when thrown, such as the long stick, which acts like a javelin.

The Aim button also allows you to sight targets when wielding a ranged weapon or firearm.

Chuck can continue to move while aiming certain firearms, such as shotguns and handguns—use this to your advantage by remaining mobile while aiming to present a challenging target.

COMBO WEAPONS

Chuck gains access to special maintenance rooms early in the adventure. Each of these rooms provides Chuck with the basic tools he needs (mostly duct tape) to mesh nearly any two items together, forming mighty combo weapons!

Weapons forged in this fashion are usually far more powerful than standard killing tools, and—best of all—they give Chuck bonus amounts of PP when used. Wield combo weapons as often as possible to help Chuck level up much faster.

Once maintenance rooms become accessible, all items that can be combined into combo weapons will sport blue wrench icons when examined.

When you see that wrench icon, you know that the item can be combined with another one somehow— experiment and see what sorts of devious devices you can develop!

COMBO CARDS

After concocting a new combo weapon for the frst time, you acquire that combo weapon’s scratch card.

These cards are stored under the “Combo Cards” section of the Pause menu, allowing you to review them in case you forget what it took to build something. Scratch cards are handy, but they aren’t as valuable as combo cards!

As Chuck levels up, he’ll regularly receive special combo cards in addition to new skills and stat enhancements. Combo cards are much the same as scratch cards, except that it’s possible to receive them before combining a new weapon.

Therefore, combo cards tell you exactly what is needed to make combo weapons, edging out the guesswork. In addition, owning a combo card means you’ll earn even more PP when using the associated combo weapon—scratch cards only give you half!

But wait, there’s more! Combo cards also allow you to unleash a combo weapon’s heavy attack (if it has one)—you can’t use a combo weapon’s heavy attack if you only own its scratch card.

Heavy attacks are just brutal, and they often give you even more PP than a combo weapon’s normal attack. You’re just not getting the full effect of combo weapons without those combo cards.

Some combo cards can only be acquired through special means, such as completing certain tasks. Others are scattered about Fortune City and must be discovered. There are 50 combo cards to collect in all, and owning them means Chuck will level up much faster through the use of combo weapons.

See the “Skills, Weapons, and Combos” section of the guide for complete details!

FOOD AND DRINK

When Chuck’s health begins to wane, consuming food and beverages is the way to reanimate him. Like weapons, there’s an incredible variety of nourishment that will restore Chuck’s health—you’ll find food all over the place.

Some tasty treats will replenish large amounts of health; others will restore only one or two squares. Check the “Appendix” chapter at the end of this guide to discover the potency of every type of food.

GETTING SICK

Be careful: not everything Chuck swallows is easy to keep down. Spoiled foods may replenish a bit of health, but they also cause Chuck to periodically double over and vomit—not good when you’re surrounded by mobs of zombies!

Chuck spews three times after eating something icky. Each time he does, he drops his current weapon, thereby becoming extremely vulnerable.

Thankfully, it’s no secret what will make Chuck ill—anything with “spoiled” in its name will have this undesirable effect.

BLENDERS

Certain restaurants and bars feature blenders—special objects that Chuck can use to combine any two foodstufs into a single, powerful restorative. Blended drinks not only replenish a significant amount of Chuck’s health, but also grant him short-term benefits.

Blenders can be found at the following locations (refer to the “Appendix” chapter for a complete list of blends and their special effects):

1. Shots & Awe (Americana Casino)

2. Slot Ranch Casino (at the bar)

3. Rojo Diablo Mexican Mestaurant (Food Court)

4. Baron von Brathaus (Yucatan Casino)

5. Palisades Mall (first-foor grotto bar)

6. Sipparellos (Atlantica Casino)

7. Pub O’ Gold (Silver Strip)

8. Juggz Bar & Grill (Platinum Strip)

MAGAZINES

Knowledge is power, especially when it comes in the form of trendy magazines. Find these special items sprinkled all about Fortune City and collect them to bestow special advantages to Chuck for as long as he carries them around.

Press the Attack button while holding a magazine to read its effects, and see the poster map and “Appendix” chapter for a complete list of magazines, including their effects and locations.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Chuck begins with just four inventory slots, but he gains many more as he levels up. Still, it’s vital to exercise sound judgement when deciding what to carry along, particularly in the early goings.

If you’re careful to avoid conficts with zombies, you can usually make do with just one or two reliable weapons—the spiked bat combo weapon is always a fantastic choice because it’s easy to construct whenever you’re moving to or from the Safe House and it strikes a perfect balance between attack speed, damage, and durability.

All remaining inventory slots should be filled with potent healing items—you can never have too much food on hand. Once Chuck has gained several additional inventory slots, start trading restoratives for useful magazines, and perhaps even a skateboard for faster travel.

RESTARTING

Dead Rising 2 puts Chuck through the meat grinder. It’s easy to become stuck on some of the more challenging scenarios. Mercifully, you’re able to restart the adventure at any point while still retaining all of the skills, stats, and combo cards you’ve unlocked.

If you’re fnding the game too difficult, simply pause and choose “Quit,” then select the “Restart” option. You’ll have to replay the adventure from the very beginning, but at least Chuck will be better prepared to handle the horrors of Fortune City.

SAVING YOUR PROGRESS

Everyone needs a break now and then, and Chuck’s no exception. Visit any restroom and examine a stall or urinal to give Chuck a chance to relieve himself of his burdens and record his current progress.

You only get three save slots, however, so use them wisely. We recommend cycling through the slots so you can easily go back to a previous save without losing much ground (if need be).