DRW Frank West

"It's Frank... Frank West. Remember that name 'cause the whole world's gonna know it in three days."

- Frank West

The protagonist of Dead Rising, Frank West is a freelance photographer and photojournalist. Frank is not a handsome man. He's not even particularly good looking. He's a big guy, with a lantern jaw and a no-nonsense attitude, and all he's interested in is the biggest scoop of his career. He is a relatively well-known freelance journalist who has covered many world events, wars, and other big stories. Lately, however, his career has begun to fizzle out. Looking for the next big scoop, he stumbles on to some strange events happening in the small town of Willamette Colorado. His personality is such that he would rather visit dangerous places to satisfy his desire for adventure than out of any sense of journalist curiosity. A loose cannon who doesn't like working for, or with, others, Frank's research style, articles and photos are all unregulated and sold to the highest bidder. While he's not the most polished and professional person in his field, he is strong, genuinely kind and decent, and always operates on instinct. Not your typical journalist, Frank is quite capable of handling himself in combat and is very keen to help other survivors to safety. During his time at Willamette, he earned the trust and friendship of Brad Garrison, Jessica McCarney, Otis Washington, and Isabela Keyes.

72 Hour Mode
72 Hour Mode begins with Frank is traveling to the recently quarantined town of Willamette in a helicopter piloted by Ed DeLuca. As the pass over the town, Frank takes photos of a man fighting for his life on top of a car. He is pulled down and killed by rioters. Further along a gas station explodes. He then witnesses a woman shooting these rioters on a building roof top, she signals for help but is tackled off the building and falls to her death. Military helicopters pursue Frank's helicopter and he jumps onto a mall's helipad.
 * Introduction (helicopter ride)

Frank travels down to the Entrance Plaza and finds many survivors. One of which says that the rioters aren't people, but zombies. He also catches a glimpse of a Hispanic woman. The mall is breached by the zombies but Frank manages to escape upstairs into the security room.
 * Introduction (Entrance Plaza)

In the security room Frank meets Jessica McCarney, Brad Garrison, and Otis Washington. Brad leaves for supplies, and Frank follows him for a scoop. Jessie asks Frank to help Brad and gives him a handgun. When asked if he knows how to use it, Frank replies: "Kinda. I've covered wars you know."
 * Case 1-1: A Dangerous Encounter

When Frank finds Brad, he is ambushed by Carlito Keyes, who manages to escape after the fight. Frank convinces Brad to let him cover the story when he shows a picture of the man he is looking for, Dr. Barnaby, who refuses to leave the area he is barricaded in until it is safe for him to leave. Later, Brad and Frank find that Barnaby has been captured by Carlito, who had ambushed them earlier.
 * Case 1-2 to Case 2-1

After a second confrontation with Carlito Keyes, Brad is injured and Carlito escapes yet again. Frank and Brad manage to bring Barnaby back, but Brad passes out from his injuries. Jessie then asks Frank to acquire a first aid kit for Brad from the pharmacy in the supermarket. When Frank is searching for the medical kit, he is attacked by the insane manager, Steven Chapman. Frank manages to defeat Chapman and also manages to save a woman from captivity. It is hinted she was looking for medicine as well. Frank notices that she is the same woman he met in the Entrance Plaza. When offering his help, she quickly gets angered, leaving Frank with mysterious words before running off.
 * Case 2-2: Rescue the Professor and Case 2-3: Medicine Run

Later, Dr. Barnaby awakens, but refuses to talk with Frank around, stereotyping him as "paparazzi". Frank then spots the woman he had confronted in the supermarket on the monitor. Frank eventually finds her and is attacked by her. Once Frank defeats her, she claims the zombie parasite came from Santa Cabeza. She also reveals Carlito is her brother, and that her name is Isabela Keyes. She claims she will bring Carlito for questioning and designates a rendezvous point. As Frank is waiting at the rendezvous point for Carlito, Isabela bursts through the door with a zombie attacking her. After it is killed, it appears that she has been bitten, but she states that it is a gunshot wound from Carlito.
 * Case 3-1 to Case 5-1

Isabela is taken back to the security room for questioning. When Brad is interrogating her, she tells him if he wants answers to ask the person who was the head of the Santa Cabeza Research Facility; Dr. Barnaby. Barnaby reveals that the zombies were accidentally created in an attempt at mass producing cattle. Barnaby transforms into one of the undead, and is killed by Brad.
 * Case 6-1: Santa Cabeza

Isabela explains that Carlito was planning on blowing up the mall, which would release the zombie plague beyond Willamette. Now against her brother's cause, Isabela devises a plan to disarm the explosives. Once they succeed in preventing the mall's destruction, Carlito escapes and Brad is killed. Once Frank returns to the security room, Isabela and Frank travel to Carlito's hideout to see if he is planning anything else, but Isabela cannot crack his password.
 * Case 7-1 to 8-2

Carlito is killed by insane butcher Larry Chiang, before dying from his wounds, Carlito gives Frank his locket to give to Isabela. Frank returns to Isabela and gives her the locket, which then reminds her of an old saying of Carlito's, "pachamama", which turns out to be the password to his computer. After the landlines are open, Jessie is able to contact the government. Jessie calls Frank and informs him the Special Forces will come at midnight to kill everyone including the uninfected.
 * Case 8-3 to Memories

Jessica becomes a zombie (possibly from Dr. Barnaby) and kills two military officers interrogating her. The survivors saved by Frank escape via helicopter piloted by Otis, but Frank and Isabela are left behind. The undead Jessie attacks Frank and he is forced to kill her. If the player unlocks "Ending A", the helicopter pilot, Ed DeLuca (whom Frank requested to return in order to provide Frank with an escape route) crashes and dies. Frank sees Ed being attacked, and collapses in defeat, awaiting his inevitable death.

Overtime Mode
In Overtime Mode, Isabela saves Frank, and tells him he is infected with the parasite, and will turn into a zombie unless he procures the items requested by Isabela. Once Frank has acquired the necessary items, Isabela creates a temporary potion to delay the effects of zombification. The excess inoculation is used by Isabela to fashion a zombie repellent potion.

Frank discovers that there is a gaping hole in the clock tower, as a result of Ed DeLuca's crash. Frank and Isabela decide to descend into the tunnels that were opened up by the helicopter crashing.

They then confront the commander of the military clean-up operation Brock Mason, who Frank defeats. Surrounded by the masses of the undead, Frank gets on his knees and yells as the game ends. In the credits it states that Frank and Isabela were able to escape and survive. After escaping the zombie infested town, they were able to spread the story of what really happened at Willamette and acknowledge those who died at Santa Cabeza.

Dead Rising 2
In Dead Rising 2, Stacey mentions that that Frank and Isabela are working on a cure for the zombie infection.

Dead Rising 2: Case West
In Dead Rising 2: Case West, Chuck asks for Frank's help to clear his name. Frank and head Chuck head to the Phenotrans Facility to contact Frank's source, who turns out to be Isabela Keyes. Frank and Chuck learn that the director of the facility managed to cure herself of the zombie infection. The director activates the factory's self-destruct mechanism. Chuck tries to stay behind and frantically search for the cure, but Frank convinces him to get out just in time.

Outside of the facility, Chuck ponders on the difference a cure could make to the world, but Frank says it could have been a lie, and they at least have the proof to clear Chuck's name.

Character design
Designer Keiji Inafune wanted Frank West to be an average person instead of the usual Japanese characters which are young and beautiful. Frank wears a black jacket with a white button-up shirt, green pants and brown shoes. His appearance can also be changed by visiting various stores around the Willamette Shopping Mall, ranging from suits, dresses, hats, sunglasses, masks and more.

Other Appearances
Frank West had made a few appearances in other games since his debut in Dead Rising:

Frank West appears as a playable character in Lost Planet: Extreme Condition for the Xbox 360 and PC, through downloadable content.
 * Lost Planet : Extreme Condition

A skin of Frank West is available for use in Lost Planet 2.
 * Lost Planet 2

Frank West is a playable character exclusive to the Nintendo Wii version of Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars. He can call zombies into the fight and his stage is based off of the Entrance Plaza.
 * Tatsunoko vs. Capcom : Ultimate All Stars

While Frank West does not appear in the Left 4 Dead 2 Downloadable Content, he is referenced through a note in The Passing. In a room located in a bar, he has a note sprawled across the wall, for Otis Washington saying: "Otis, Out of film, No Helicopter. Zombies are too fast. Not Going to make it. Frank West"
 * Left 4 Dead 2 : The Passing

Producer Ryota Niitsuma recently explained that Frank West was cut from the game late in the development, and that legendary lawyer Phoenix Wright was actually considered as a fighter.
 * Marvel vs. Capcom 3 : Fate of Two Worlds

"As for Frank West, he was actually in the process quite deep, and in one of our high quality CG trailers he was actually part of it," Niitsuma told VideoGamer. "But we've taken him out, due to the fact that we've foreseen some extra work involved, just from the nature of his moves. We felt we could direct our resources to better use, so we've taken Frank out." Additionally, you can see West's silhouette on the announcement trailer for Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Trivia

 * Frank is not always voiced by his normal actor, TJ Rotolo. When Frank says "Fantastic!" after taking a perfect photograph, he is voiced by Marty Belafsky. Furthermore, in the very first trailer, depicting the game in its beta stage (different logo etc), Frank had a completely different voice actor. The beta trailer can be seen here.
 * One of Frank's lines: "I've covered wars you know", became a meme. In Dead Rising 2, there is an Achievement called "He hasn't covered wars..." in reference to this line. At another point, Chuck asks Rebecca, "have you covered wars or something?" during a cutscene. In Case West, Frank's notebook description is simply "he has covered wars, you know."
 * Although Frank does not appear in Dead Rising 2, he is mentioned numerous times.
 * When Frank is idle in Case West he will occasionally take a picture of Chuck.
 * Frank's outfit from Dead Rising is available in the Shipping Office, appropriately titled Journalist Suit.
 * ScrewAttack.com rated Frank the 3rd "Manliest Man in Gaming".
 * Frank cannot kill a zombie by spitting on them alone, unless he's drank a Spitfire smoothie.

Appearance

 * Frank wears a Mega Man brand watch.
 * In Dead Rising 2: Case West, it appears Frank is wearing Carlito's locket.


 * Frank has two round marks on his left shoulder, similar to the scars caused by Soviet vaccinations.
 * Frank always holds his camera in his left hand whenever possible.