DRW Dead Rising 2: Off the Record


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Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is a re-interpretation of the Fortune City outbreak in Dead Rising 2 in which Frank West is the lead character.

The story is non-canon to the overall storyline in the series, a "what-if" alternate reality had Frank been in Fortune City to cover the outbreak. Frank even states in the trailer: "What would I have done?"

The game was released for the Xbox 360, Play Station 3, and PC as a full retail disc for $39.99. In a quickly retracted June 30 posting, Capcom originally stated Off the Record will be released in North America on the 11th October 2011, and in Europe on the 14th. On July 20, 2011 these dates were officially confirmed.

Introduction
The entire game is a "What If?" scenario where Frank West covered the Fortune City outbreak, instead of Chuck Greene.

After surviving the Dead Rising zombie outbreak, Frank West quickly became a bit of a celebrity. After authoring a successful book, he is given his own talk show. But like many "flash in the pan" celebrities, he squanders his opportunities and soon finds that his fifteen minutes are up.

Desperate to get back on top, or at least earn some money, West is offered an opportunity that he hopes will things around. The producers of Terror is Reality, the American Gladiators-style zombie-killing television show, invite him to appear as a special guest. Down on his luck and thinking things couldn't get any worse, he heads to Fortune City to get back in the spotlight.

The opening moments of Off the Record parallel that of Dead Rising 2 in one way and one way only -- it starts off with the hero participating in a Terror is Reality event. At the beginning of the event, West, wearing a wrestling outfit, is lifted via platform to the center of a ring surrounded by a chain-link fence. Joining him in the ring is a group of zombies in which he must defeat as many as possible within a certain time limit. There is a grinder on each corner of the ring, and West can jump on top of these to activate them. They chew up zombies factory machines mulching meat. The twins from Dead Rising 2 attack West. "This must be so embarrassing for you," one says. "Doesn't look like those baldness remedies worked too well," says the other. Even though he won the event, West feels that he has lost his dignity and decides to take his prize money and get out of Fortune City. As he is leaving, Frank observes from a series of catwalks above a large, warehouse-like room as TK speaks with Brandon Whittaker. TK hands Brandon a suitcase full of cash, for a package that looks like a time bomb and a keycard. Frank takes a picture of this gaining prestige points.

Frank is caught eavesdropping, and Frank must kill three mercenaries with melee attacks. The outbreak occurs shortly after which is similar to Dead Rising 2. Frank must fight his way through the back corridors of the arena, eventually making his way out to the main entrance and, eventually, the strip. As Frank makes his way out, a few references to Dead Rising 2 can be seen. A TIR poster of Frank in his wrestling outfit is left only half-covering a similar poster of Chuck Greene. Frank also comes across a discarded child's backpack and portable video game device in an empty green room.

After escaping the arena, Frank finds Fortune City overrun with zombies. He makes his way to the safehouse, where he meets Ray Sullivan, the only security officer that made it to the safe house. Sullivan tells Frank that he knows he is infected. Frank, infected by the zombie virus as part of the Dead Rising canon, will need to find and use Zombrex at regular intervals. Frank pulls out some Zombrex to prove he has it and then Sullivan lets him in.

Story
After watching a news report with Stacey Forsythe, he begins investigating the claims that CURE is responsible for the outbreak. He meets up with an old friend of his, Rebecca Chang, and together they venture off to the Arena to check out the video monitors that recorded Brandon arming explosives, only to find the security room has been ransacked. With a dead end, Frank returns to the Safe House after Stacey calls him, saying that Sullivan is threatening to kick her out. Later, the two observe Brandon on the security monitors dragging a woman into the bathrooms at Uranus Zone. Frank heads over there to confront Brandon, only to witness Vikki murdered and is suddenly attacked by Brandon. After he is defeated, he questions Stacey with the information he got out of Brandon. Stacey reassures Frank that Brandon was only a new recruit and probably working for TK.

Spotting more people on the monitors, Frank investigates several men moving equipment in the Underground. The men are goons working for Tyrone King, loading equipment onto a train under TK's orders. When Frank is spotted, TK takes off on the train but Frank manages to board at the last minute. After defeating the mercenaries on board, he confronts TK, only to be shot at and separated from his as TK unlatches the locomotive from the rest of the cars. After returning to the Safe House, explosions are felt and it turns out TK is robbing the city's casinos. Frank stops the robberies and saves Rebecca from an explosion from the armored van outside the Americana Casino. Brought back to the Safe House, Rebecca explains that she has a meeting with her source later that night. When Frank goes to meet up with Rebecca at an Americana Casino restaurant, it is revealed that Rebecca has been kidnapped by TK. He demands $1,000,000 in exchange for her life. After running around the city collecting money, Frank heads to the Shoal Nightclub where TK's Bodyguard takes the money and leaves as Amber and Crystal Bailey show up with the tied-up Rebecca. The twins are eventually defeated as one is killed and the other commits suicide. Rebecca is saved again and brought to the Safe House once more.

Rebecca informs Frank that TK is planning to leave the city via helicopter that is to land on the Fortune City Hotel rooftop. The pair make their way to the hotel and manage to cause TK's Helicopter to crash, killing the pilot and bodyguard while TK was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious. Now locked up at the Safe House, the survivors await rescue. Frank and Rebecca go out to the streets to film and photograph the military rescue, only to witness it go horribly wrong as gas is released and the soldiers are slaughtered. Frank spots Rebecca running through the streets and he goes after her. He finds Rebecca in an underground parking lot beneath the Yucatan Casino, captured by the now-crazy Sergeant Dwight Boykin. He is forced to battle the deranged commander in order to save Rebecca, who is once again brought back to the Safe House. The survivors discuss about what happened to the military squad and Rebecca says the gas must have mutated the zombies. As Frank goes out to the Underground to investigate the origin, Sullivan warns that another rescue is to be attempted, but if it fails, a firebombing will be called in which the entire city will be eradicated.

Frank finds out that a Phenotrans operation has been set up in which they have been collecting Queens and the gas has been used to quicken the harvesting process, as it mutates the zombies to force out the Queens after killing them. Frank defeats a number of mercenaries and kills Mark Bradson and Pearce Stephens, two hostile Phenotrans scientists. He takes their computer and shows the evidence to Stacey, Sullivan, and Rebecca. Just as Rebecca was going to call her station for rescue, she is shot in the stomach by Stacey, who stole Sullivan's gun. Sullivan then takes a bullet in the chest and falls to the ground. Frank is about to be shot when Sullivan attacks her, only to be shot down twice more, killing him. Frank then tackles Stacey but she manages to escape, though he was able to pull off her fake ponytail.

Chasing her out to Fortune Park, Frank finds several harvesters that have been deployed with Phenotrans Mercenaries guarding them. He kills the armed goons and destroys the harvesting equipment before facing Stacey in a final show down at Uranus Zone. When he arrives, Stacey reveals she is a Phenotrans Agent going by the codename of "Agent S." They have a lengthy argument about the morals of outbreaks, then she attacks him. He is able to destroy the machine she resides in and fight her in the machine's cockpit. She is thrown out of the cockpit, but drags Frank with her to the ground where she beats him and retrieves her gun. She is about to shoot him when he rolls out of the way and she is crushed to death by the falling machine.

Frank returns to the Safe House as Tamara Stein and Skylar Ali, the last of the survivors, are ready to be evacuated. He asks about Rebecca's and Sullivan's bodies being loaded but the two don't know anything about it. Simon Bostwick calls out to Frank saying that they need to leave but Frank refuses to leave without making sure the dead have been flown out of the city. The helicopter leaves and Frank heads to the office to find Sullivan still there, but Rebecca missing, only her press tag remaining.

Overtime
Now standing alone in the safe house, Frank gets a call from TK, telling him that Rebecca is alive and if he wants to save her from her wounds, he has to go around the city to get supplies for her, along with items for TK. After getting the items and returning to the arena, Frank is knocked out by TK where he awakens in the arena and is forced to survive against the zombies during the TIR game. While TK watches from a catwalk, Rebecca slowing crawls over to a rope and pushes it down to Frank, then pushes a button to make the rope pull up. Rebecca is then knocked out again as Frank grasps on to the rope and is lifted onto the catwalk. Frank and TK then engage in battle, and soon TK grabs Frank and attempts to choke him and toss him over the edge of the catwalk, but Frank flips TK off the platform. He then gets Rebecca and they leave the arena together.

Alternate endings
There may possibly be other endings, however they have not yet been discovered.

Ending B

 * Don't give TK Zombrex

Frank heads back to the safehouse on the helicopters sent by Rebecca's news team. When he goes to the elevator to get TK, He finds TK in the elevator, zombified. TK grabs Frank and hurls him to the ground. The pilot notices the zombies flooding the area, and he flies the helicopter away, leaving Frank trapped by TK as the other zombies surround him.

Ending C

 * Don't defeat Stacey in time or fail to complete case 7 or 8 before the firebombing begins

A squadron of bombers fly across the city, dropping bombs and destroying all traces of life, both alive and undead. If you fail to defeat Stacey in time, a helicopter will come pick her up and she gets away. After, the firebombing cutscene will play.

Ending D

 * Be in the safehouse when the military arrives and not on the Royal Flush rooftop

Frank talks with Sullivan saying there is nothing to do but wait for the rescue, Frank then heads in to the safehouse kitchen to have some coffee while he waits for the rescue and all of a sudden he is shot by an unknown survivor presumably Stacey. A podcast reveals that a military firebombing was dispatched, killing all traces of life.

Ending E

 * Be anywhere in Fortune City except the safe house and the Royal Flush rooftop when the military arrives

Frank wakes up in a military truck where two soldiers explain they are rescuing the survivors and picked him up while killing the zombies. Just then, the truck stops and the back of the van opens, revealing a strange green gas. A podcast reveals that no one escaped the city alive and a military fire bombing was dispatched.

Modes, missions and Uranus Zone

 * Sandbox Mode. "Something the fans have been asking for since the first game... [it is] as big, if not bigger, than the story mode."
 * Co-op multiplayer is included, this time with Frank West and Chuck Greene as the second player.
 * New unique story, "the story’s been changed quite heavily".
 * New missions, including the mission: Quarter Circle to Forward, and the case: Case 5-1: The Source.
 * A new area, "Uranus Zone" Amusement Park

Photography

 * Frank's camera returns, allowing outtake photographs.
 * New photo opportunities in a “Buddy Shot”, Frank can grab a zombie from behind and essentially "photo bombs" his own image, snapping a photo of him grinning next to a zombie before he throws him/her aside.
 * Digital camera rather than a film camera.
 * Sandbox Mode also has fully integrated cameras. "In Case West it was in there but it was kind of ‘camera lite.’ This time around we’ve made sure to integrate all the categories - Horror and Brutality and Outtake. Plus of course we had to put in the Erotica category too."

Clothing, weapons and food

 * Cosplay Warrior Skills Pack pre-order bonus
 * Off the Record detects a Dead Rising 2 save and unlocks Chuck Greene's Motorcyle Jacket as a bonus.
 * New combo weapons, including Bouncing Beauty, Cryo Pod, Electric Crusher, Laser Eyes, Molten Cannon, Pegasus, Saw Launcher and Super Massager.
 * New weapons, including Alien Probe, Escape Pod, Giant Spaceship Toy, Ray Gun, Remote Mine, Space Bench, Tennis Ball Launcher,  Toy Rocket Ship. Over 350 weapons.
 * New vehicles, including the Clown Car.
 * New food including Cotton Candy, Popcorn and Pretzels.
 * New clothing Alien Boots, Space Girl Outfit, Space Suit.
 * Barbecue Chef, Cyborg, Fire Fighter downloadable content for extra money.

Psychopaths and enemies

 * New enemies and psychopaths
 * Scare Zombies, rare zombies that when a player walks around a corner or pass over a dead body, they leap out and there is an audio sting at that moment.
 * A more difficult game, with "A tougher Frank West and a Tougher Fortune City", with more aggressive zombies than those featured in the same city in Dead Rising 2. Executive producer Jason Leigh explained, "We’ve upped the zombie density this time around. When we first started showing [Dead Rising 2] at Captivate a couple of years ago, on one level we had 7,000 zombies on the screen. What we found in Dead Rising 2 that was not actually practical in an environment because it was just too dense. This time around, because we made Frank a tougher character right at the beginning and we gave him more cool weapons that do a lot more damage, we actually managed to up the zombie density and have the world be a little more dangerous for him."
 * Psychopaths have much longer health bars. Also, striking repeated blows on a Psychopath will inflict smaller and smaller amounts of damage until Frank backs away, discouraging the player from constantly staying close and attacking.

Game mechanics

 * Multiple save slots.
 * Load times reduced by half from Dead Rising 2.
 * Auto saving, a checkpoint system which will have the game save progress after major story points. Including checkpoints right after the player enters a new area and right before the player fights a boss. It is still undecided whether the save system can be turned off.
 * Fully voiced radio mission descriptions.
 * The ability to set waypoints on the Fortune City map.
 * The ability to check the time and set active missions from the map screen, instead of from your wristwatch in the active game environment.
 * Flashing red "[SURVIVOR] IS TOO FAR AWAY!" message that pops up when an ally is lagging too far behind to "zone" with you into the next environment.
 * Controls for weapon switching slightly changed, now Frank's weapon will switch upon release of the weapon switch button, instead of as soon as it is pressed. This is to work with some of his new skill moves.
 * Updated movement systems makes climbing and traversing areas easier and smoother looking.

Other features

 * PlayStation 3 and PC owners can play Frank for the first time.
 * Victims commit suicide with a gun.
 * Frank starts at level one.
 * Trophies/Achievements are easier to earn. "There’s still going to be some tough challenges in there. There’s one or two that are relatively tough, just because we didn’t want it to be a cakewalk. Overall though, I think people are going to find it a little easier to get all the trophies."

Returning from previous games

 * All the original skills from Dead Rising are available in Off the Record, plus new unique skills which Chuck did not have before, such as "Bruiser Frank West style wrestling moves".
 * TK will return as the final boss.
 * Overtime has returned.
 * Different endings. "It’s still the convention of a sandbox on a clock. All of the Dead Rising games so far have branch points where if you do it a certain way you get a certain ending. There is replayability where is players try things a slightly different way they may find a different ending."
 * Celldweller and Blue Stahli will once again return to score the psychopaths' music.
 * Sullivan is no longer the mole, Stacey is.

Way to add spoilers and not warn people you dick head(s)

Development
Off the Record executive producer, Jason Leigh explains: "Originally, the plan was that we were going to do a 'Director's Cut' of Dead Rising 2. Capcom has a long history of successful 'Director's Cuts," especially with the Resident Evil series, and we wanted to bring that treatment to the Dead Rising franchise...But when Dead Rising 2 was first announced, something strange happened...Fans of the franchise were excited for its return, and the development team was confident players would click with the game's strong new hero, Chuck Greene. But the feedback was clear. Many felt that something was missing. That "something" was Frank West, as fans asked, "Why did you take our hero away?...What this did for us and for this product was to create an incredibly interesting opportunity. What if, instead of doing a director's cut, what if we re-envisioned the outbreak in Fortune City with Frank West as the hero. What would that do to missions? What would that do to story? What would that do to the gameplay, bringing him back with his camera?"

Marketing
Dead Rising 2: Off the Record was first announced on on April 12, 2011 at Captive 2011, a Capcom sponsored event.

Some of the game's new components were revealed at the E3 Expo in June 2011, including the Electric Crusher, Cosplay Warrior Skills Pack, and Chuck's jacket.

A facebook page (April 22, 2011) and youtube page (July 26, 2011) were created to promote Off the Record.

In regards to criticisms that Capcom is cashing in, Leigh stated that "There might be a possibility of [cynicism about this release]...but that's certainly not how we're regarding this game. We're regarding this game as something that is actually very different and very fresh and very new. Yes it is Fortune City, it's the Fortune City outbreak, but in this re-envisioning and bringing Frank back into the game, even that first 15 minutes is quite different than it was."

"If fans have any reservations about this, hopefully the stuff we're rolling out in the next several months as we approach the release in the fall, things like E3 which is next, there will be more big announcements and more of those big features being shown off, very quickly people will realize, wow, there's a lot of added value in this game."

Trivia

 * Chuck Greene is a psychopath in this game. This is most likely because his daughter died in the outbreak, because when Frank enters the backstage green room, there is Katey Greene's empty backpack and a portable gaming system lying on the floor in a pool of blood.
 * In the background of the loading screen, a portion of text on a tabloid infers that a former Terror Is Reality contestant had been administered emergency CPR after a motorcycle crash. This may actually be referring to Chuck Greene, who is not seen anywhere at the Arena prior to and during the outbreak (though a cardboard stand of his likeness can be spotted in the locker room halls). It is not stated when this article was printed.
 * Action movie star Clint Rockfoot is again found on Off the Record combo card posters.
 * There are no plans for an Off the Record prologue or epilogue. A demo was also never released.
 * In one of the trailers, Tyrone King and Chuck the Role Model's Brandon Whittaker exchange a briefcase, despite no known relationship or interaction between the two characters in Dead Rising 2.
 * Destructiod writes: "Off the Record isn't just changed in terms of adding photography to the mix. The entire world has been transformed to reflect our new story. Posters of Chuck Greene promoting his appearance on Terror is Reality are now covered with advertisements of Frank doing the same, for example."
 * Greene is also the second character in Off the Record's co-op mode.
 * Stacey's involvement was confirmed at by the 2011 E3 Trailer below.
 * Frank is older in this game. To show this, when Frank idles too long he will stretch out his back and groan a little bit.
 * On the pause menu, the two red dice on the right side of the screen have a different number face up every time the pause menu is brought up.