DEAD RISING 2 PSYCHOPATH GUIDE
Written by IndRockMonster
muyemura1--at--comcast--dot--net (Read the intro)
v1.0
!!! SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
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-- I. TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------
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I. Table of Contents
II. Legal Disclaimer
III. Version History
IV. Introduction (Read before contributing)
V. General Suggestions
VI. The Psychopaths
- Ted Smith - Guy with the tiger
*Snowflake - An effin' tiger
- Leon Bell - Motorcycle jerk
- Brandon Whittaker - CURE Hippie
- Antoine Thomas - Chef
- Brent Ernst - Slappy
- Randy Tugman - Fat chainsaw guy
- Crystal & Amber Bailey - The twins
- Carl Schliff - Postman
- Seymour Redding - Sherrif
- Sniper Psychos
*Big Earl Flaherty
*Deetz Hartman
*Derrick Dugan
*Johnny James
- Bibi Love - Gross
- TK's Helicopter
- Reed Wallbeck & Roger Withers - Magicians
- Dwight Boykin - The Sarge
- Mark Bradson & Pearce Stephens - Scientists
- Raymond Sullivan - Traitor
- Tyrone King - But you can call him TK, baby
VII. Personal Setup
VIII. Miscellaneous
IX. Closing
! = Updated since last version
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-- II. LEGAL DISCLAIMER -------------------------------------------------------
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This guide belongs to me, IndRockMonster (alias), copyright 2010. I claim sole
ownership of this guide. Contributions from others found in this document
belong to the contributor(s). Dead Rising 2 and all related names and other
related material belong to Capcom, copyright 2010.
Only the following websites may use this guide:
http://www.gamefaqs.com
http://www.gamespot.com
Any other website that hosts this document will be doing so illegally and
waives their right to defend against relentless taunts and profanities.
Owners of websites in violation may also be subject to violent beatings
and mutilation. This document may not be used for any commercial profits.
This guide may ONLY be reprinted in its current and unchanged form, and
ONLY with my consent beforehand. This guide should not be used as a form of
birth control. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are
owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders.
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-- III. VERSION HISTORY -------------------------------------------------------
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Version number with my to-do list and other questions I'll be looking into.
1.0 - Started this guide!
* Test more weapons for effectiveness in psycho fights
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-- IV. INTRODUCTION -----------------------------------------------------------
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This is my Psychopath guide for Dead Rising 2. In another rare case, I actually
got this game early enough that my wisdom(?) might actually be useful to
someone. This guide does not explain how to play, where to find most things, or
anything like that. It assumes that you've played the game some and have an
idea as to the controls. Really, this guide is just about beating the crap out
of psychopaths with minimal effort and minimal time consumed.
This guide's strategies are made for a story playthrough! While you can of
course use this on a run to just hunt psychopaths, if you're under the
constraints of solving cases, saving every survivor (even the stupid time-
consuming ones that make you play poker first), defeating every psycho, saving
Katey, and completing the game to overtime, know that it can all be done in a
single game! Hell, I did it and I'm just some chump!
Obviously, there are multiple ways to beat the psychos. There are many possible
weapons at your disposal and everyone has their preferenced (see section VII).
I wrote this guide because I was tired of seeing people recommending strategies
like "build specific item X" or "mix Pain Killers" or the ever helpful "hit
them until their life bar goes down."
Maybe you don't want to have to carry a truckload of Pain Killers to every
fight. Maybe you only use melee or ranged weapons. Maybe you like not taking a
single hit (and yes, this is absolutely possible). Maybe you don't want to walk
to the other side of Fortune City just to construct a single item for a single
fight. This guide is mostly to explore the mechanics of the psychopaths' AI and
use it to defeat them. This guide does contain weapon recommendations, but it
is also wholly applicable to whatever YOUR playstyle is.
If you have something that you'd like to contribute, feel free, but please make
sure it's specific to psychopath moves/attacks, their AI, or exceptionally
strong weapons to use against them. Easter eggs are always welcome though!
Finally, yes, I am a big mean jerk because I didn't use your AWESOME strategy
and I made fun of your poor grammar and spelling and blah blah blah. If for any
reason you are not totally satisfied with my guide, I hate you.
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-- V. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS -----------------------------------------------------
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* PREPARE!
That's pretty much the golden rule. You know you'll be fighting
psychos and you know you'll need to fight zombies to get to them! This means
arming yourself at all times with SOMETHING. Even if you want to carry around a
Water Gun, at least have a laser sword in your back pocket.
* ENEMY IMMUNITY!
Okay, first of all, a psycho is NOT vulnerable at all times. There are certain
actions and animations they make where they are completely immune to damage.
This is why you need to be taking your time with attacks and not just spamming.
Hey, that's a good point...
* QUIT SPAMMING!
There's a bit of a delay in when you press the attack button and when Chuck
makes his attack. Some weapons also have little combos that they can do.
Mashing attack will lock you into animations that may get you killed. Plus, you
know, that whole TOTAL ENEMY IMMUNITY thing I was just talking about...
* KNOW YOUR WEAPONS!
The psychos are all pretty spry and you aren't going to get more than a few
hits off before they turn around and slap you with a counter attack. So while
you can hit someone with a bowie knife a good six times, if you think you're
going to get more than a single swing with your Defiler before that psycho
takes a bite out of your hide, you've got another thing coming.
I personally prefer quicker weapons that do above average damage. I highly
advocate the Knife Gloves (bowie knife + boxing gloves) since they're quick,
strong, and the pieces are right near the safe house in Royal Flush Plaza (the
knife on top of the Yesterday, Today & Tommorow stand and the gloves in The
Man's Sport).
* GUNS ARE NOT CHEATING!
Any guns you find allow you to do some damage at range. This is a great thing
as most of the psychos you face will be trying to melee you or need to be
somewhat close to hurt you. While in the first Dead Rising, the guns left a bit
to be desired as a psychopath killer, they are quite strong here in DR2 -
especially the shotgun. When using the strategies in this guide, keep in mind
you can be shooting at them the whole time as long as you dodge where
appropriate. Except in certain cases, you can forgo melee range attacks
entirely. Combine the two (shoot them when they're far, melee with a strong
weapon when they get close) and you can become a human wrecking ball.
High Noon Shooting Range (2F) in Palisades Mall is a great place to stock up.
* FOOD!
You've seen it on the long loading screens: food should be on you at
all times. Try to keep items that heal for more health since whether it's a
brownie for one health or an orange juice for four, they take up the same
inventory space. Along those same lines, when drinking alcoholic drinks, try
and pick ones that heal for a greater amount. Chuck can only drink so much
before he, well, chucks.
Good choices: Orange juice, milk, vodka, whiskey, a mixed drink, steak.
Anything that heals for more than two health, really.
* MIX DRINKS!
This ties into the idea of carrying food. The mixed drinks heal for a huge
amount and also provide benefits to Chuck (except that damn Randomizer).
Blenders can be found in the following locations:
-Slot Ranch Casino - Bar in the northeast corner
-Americana Casino - Shots & Awe
-Food Court - Rojo Diable Mexican Restaurant
-Platinum Strip - Juggz Bar & Grill
-Silver Strip - Pub o' Gold
-Atlantica Casino - Sipparellos
-Palisades Mall - In the grotto (1st floor pool thingy)
-Yucatan Casino - Baron von Brathaus
* PAIN KILLER!
Pain Killers are a crutch. Really, they are. But they're also the best mixed
drink in the game. Not only do they provide a great heal but they also makes
Chuck take half damage for 60 seconds! This alone pretty much makes any
psychopath battle a winnable one.
While you can use many different ingredients, just remember the following
recipes: vodka+vodka, whiskey+whiskey, beer+beer. Simple to remember and the
items are plentiful!
Mixing 8 Pain Killers as your psycho strategy is a pretty crappy strategy. Not
only are you lugging around a cooler full of drinks and limiting your inventory
but you're also probably wasting a lot of time doing the mixing and getting
slapped around by the psychos. Then again, if that was your plan to begin with,
you probably wouldn't even be looking at this guide.
"So are you saying I shouldn't make Pain Killers?"
No, Neo. I'm saying that when the time comes, you won't have to.
* ROLL IS YOUR FRIEND!
While not foolproof, rolling (skill required - click left thumbstick in a
direction) will often get you away from dangerous counter attacks.
* CROWD CONTROL!
Not really psycho-specific but you're going to have to get to the psycho first.
Clearing crowds allows you to do this quickly. Also, sometimes you just can't
afford for a random zombie to grab you - especially true in a fight with a
psychopath!
The Spiked Bat (box of nail + baseball bat) combination is easy to get (both
items are in the maintenance room nearest the safe house) and is a very strong
choice for crowd control.
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-- VI. THE PSYCHOPATHS -----------------------------------------------------
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The psychopaths are listed in order that they are available.
Difficulty rating is one through five (1-5) with five being most difficult.
My rating is based on several factors:
* Ease of victory (specifically on a first try)
* How much preparation is required/preferred
* Environmental problems (too small, etc.)
* Are (good) weapons readily available in the area?
* Is food readily available in the area?
You might be a super pro and feel none of the psychos are difficult to beat.
Even then, there are still be those that make you groan when you know you have
to fight them. That's what the difficulty score really means.
And yes, I know scoops are called messages now but in my heart they'll always
be scoops.
*************
* TED SMITH *
*************
Scoop: N/A
Time available: Immediately
Location: Yucatan Casino - Enter casino
Difficulty: Ted - 1/5
Snowflake - See below
Enemy weapons: Ted - Pistol
Snowflake - Uh. Claws and teeth and stuff.
Not much to say here. Focus entirely on Ted except to dodge Snowflake when
necessary. You should be able to get two good hits in before he tries to
counter you with a melee attack (either a swipe of his gun or maybe a
headbutt). Just walk out of range to dodge. As long as you stay close, he won't
even try to use his dinky pistol. For extra fun, a strong hit will bowl him
over; allowing you to get some hits in before he tries to hop up again. His low
health coupled with his basic pattern make this a quick fight with pretty much
any weapon you can find.
For an even faster fight, a shotgun blast will put Ted on his back with every
shot. You can just hammer away on him and he just sits there looking stupid.
A cutscene triggers on Ted's death.
*************
* SNOWFLAKE *
*************
Scoop: N/A
Time Available: Immediately
Location: Yucatan Casino
Difficulty: 3/5 (kill), 5/5(tame), (1/5)tame using the AI trick
Enemy weapons: M4A1 Colt Carbine (no no just kidding).
Snowflake gets her own section because she's sort of a mini-game within the
psychopath fight. After Ted dies you can either kill her or tame her. She is
very quick and she has some of the hardest hitting attacks in the game. On the
plus side, she follows a very specific pattern. She will run away, do stuff
(usually attack a zombie), run toward you, try to pounce, and then follow you
around swiping until running away again.
Her pounce is DEADLY. Getting caught by this will force you to mash out of her
grip while you lose substantial life in the process. Do everything you can not
to get hit by this.
-------------------
KILLING SNOWFLAKE
-------------------
If you want to kill this kitty you'll need to be smart. Melee weapons are
pretty rough because of Snowflake's speed and power but you can get hits off
when she turns her back to run away or when she hits a zombie. Try to pick
melee weapons with a bit of range. If you're looking for something in the area,
a chair works as does the tiki torch. If you need some health, run into Baron
Von Brathaus for some food.
------------------
TAMING SNOWFLAKE
------------------
First of all DON'T HIT HER. If you recall, Chuck suggested feeding Snowflake
some steaks. While Ted was against the idea, Snowflake is very receptive. For
this, you will need three steaks and thankfully, they're all in this area! Grab
one steak on a small rock inside the habitat and then climb onto the rock
structure for the other two.
Here's where a lot of people get hung up. You have to leave the steaks out for
Snowflake to eat them... but then she doesn't eat the damn things! You can't
throw them at her and you can't just leave them on the ground. And if you try
and wait her out on top of the rock structure in her habitat, she just runs off
forever. So what the hell do you do?
Never fear, I've got you covered. First, place a steak in the middle of the
while tiled area just outside her habitat and watch Snowflake's movements. When
she runs away, line yourself up so the steak is between you and her and get
readt. And when she turns and starts running toward you, bravely...hide behind
a pillar. Seriously.
Remember her basic pattern from up above? If she's running back to you for a
pounce and you break line of sight with her, all she sees now is that steak and
she'll go for it. You'll know you got her when she suddenly slows down. This is
the quickest and easiest way I have found to get Snowflake to eat the steaks.
After three steaks, you'll get a cutscene and Snowflake will join you as a
survivor. Take her back to the safehouse and examine her in Katey's room to
offer Snowflake as a gift to Katey. (Father of the year or on the CPS most
wanted list? You decide.)
Well, at least Snowflake doesnt try to mutiny.
*************
* LEON BELL *
*************
Scoop: Meet the Contestants
Time Available: Day 1 - 2:30 PM
Location: Platinum Strip - Outside the arena
Difficulty: 2/5
Enemy weapons: Slicecicle
Another simple fight. After the cutscene, Leon will ride off down the strip.
Hop on your bike and give chase. Once you've located him, try to find an open
area, get off your bike, and get ready to dodge. Leon really only has one
attack but since he's on that Slicecicle, it's a doozy.
After evading a few of his passes, Leon will begin to do donuts (that's
spinning in circles for you kids out there - also, stop playing mature rated
games. Oh, and say no to drugs). This is your cue to run up to him with your
melee weapons. BE CAREFUL! Even when static, Leon's chainsaws are active and
will cut you up something fierce if you approach from the wrong angle. I
usually try to flank him from behind and wail away on his unhelmeted head
(always wear a helmet, kids). When he rides off, hold your ground and evade
when he comes back. Rinse and repeat.
This fight is made significantly easier by having long range weapons or guns
but they are by no means necessary.
In a bonus, Leon may get caught on a wall or other part of the environment
allowing you to beat him down with impunity. If you have difficulty locating
him along the strip, he's probably stuck on a wall somewhere. Just listen for
his bike and the boss music.
Defeating Leon unlocks the truck near Yucatan Casino which contains a shiny
green bike for Chuck to use.
*********************
* BRANDON WHITTAKER *
*********************
Scoop: Chuck the Role Model
Time Available: Day 1 - 5:00 PM
Location: Americana Casino - Bathroom
Difficulty: 4/5
Enemy weapons: Shard of glass
Now this is a boss! If you were feeling good after the last few psychos, this
hippie is here to cut you a new butthole. He's fast, his attacks do multiple
hits, on top of that, he pretty much comes straight for you.
You'll be spending a lot of this fight dodging. In fact, just keep moving the
entire fight and try to stay out of corners. He's just too fast and you do not
want to be near him. If he gets close, he'll either hit you with a single slice
(lucky), double slice (unlucky), or jump on you and start stabbing repeatedly
(very unlucky). If you're getting caught too much, try mixing a Quickstep for
this fight.
I advise not even trying to take potshots because while you can often get a
single hit in, he recovers quickly and combined with his footspeed, you'll
probably eat a counter attack. For this same reason I also suggest not using
guns. The area is cramped and you move slower when aiming/firing. If you're
feeling bold, go for it... but don't say I didn't warn you.
The key move to look out for is his leaping stab. You'll need to already be
running away from him to dodge it (did I mention he was fast?) but you should
be doing that already anyway. After landing from this attack, Brandon is
vulnerable for a moment. Use this to hit him with a quick two and get away from
his counter attack.
Brandon may occasionally jump over the bathroom doors and into the stalls. At
this point, he can pop out of any stall so just stay away from them completely.
This psycho is really best fought at the very top or very bottom of the
bathroom completely away from the sinks and stalls.
Brandon doesn't drop his shard of glass for us to loot ;_;
******************
* ANTOINE THOMAS *
******************
Scoop: Tastes Like Chicken
Time Available: Day 1 - 10:30PM
Location: Food Court - Cuccina Donacci
Difficulty: 5/5
Enemy weapons: Plates, pans, knives, and... food
Probably the reason you're here. Antoine seems to be a wall of plates and pans
and when you finally manage to whittle down his health, he goes and regains it
by stuffing his face. Don't despair! He CAN be defeated!
First of all, let me say that this is something of a cheap fight in that if you
don't have a weapon that deals a considerable amount of damage in a short
amount of time, this fight can take forever. He also blocks bullets with his
frying pan (try this at home, kids!)*
#### I highly recommend the knife gloves for this fight. ####
Antoine starts the fight by throwing some plates at you. Make it a point to
move to the side as soon as the battle begins after the cutscene. Now
unfortunately, staying far away from Antoine will get you nowhere. He's got any
number of things to throw at you including plates, a plate array that hits a
wide angle, and a frying pan. Not to mention he can run off and eat to heal
himself. Actually, take note of the locations of his food reserves since
that'll come into play in a moment.
Let him get close to you (eep!) but be sure to roll or dodge out of the way of
his pan melee. This is a good chance to get a hit in. Eventually, Antoine will
run toward one of his food stashes to get his grub on. This is your chance! Get
your most damaging weapon and do your damage. He will gain a bit of health back
but hopefully you'll do more damage and interrupt his meal. Be sure to back off
before he throws his counter attack.
The major move to look out for is his grab. He will tackle Chuck and begin
smashing food into his face. This is a mashing sequence and I believe it's even
longer than when Snowflake pounces you. It does tremendous damage so be sure to
break out as quickly as possible.
*Note: Do not try this at home.
************************
* BRENT ERNST (SLAPPY) *
************************
Scoop: Everyone Knows Slappy
Time Available: Day 2 - 12:00 PM
Location: Palisades Mall - Ultimate Playhouse
Difficulty: 2/5
Enemy weapons: Dual flamethrowers
Slappy is pretty easy. The main things you'll need to worry about are his flame
rush and his spinning counter attack. The flame rush is easily countered by
standing directly in front of him. The fire on this rush shoots out to his
sides. When he gets in range, jump in place and kick him in his giant head. The
heavy costume will cause him to topple over and you can do more damage. You can
accomplish the same effect by hitting him with any powerful attack or weapon.
He may occasionally change strategies on you and begin shooting volleys of fire
straight at you. Each volley is three successive shots and can be easily
avoided by running to the side.
Finally, by using a water gun (conveniently found in The Ultimate Playhouse)
you can douse Slappy and cause his flamethrowers to fail. This is another
chance to cause some damage but beware as he is not totally defenseless. Should
you get too arrogant, Slappy will take out a novelty Slappy mask and plop it
right on your head! If you're like me and you've been putting buckets, Servbot
masks, pylons, and other things on zombies' heads, this is a cruel taste of
your own medicine. It'll take a second to remove and Slappy will use the
opportunity to run away and fix his flamethrowers.
As with every psycho, his counter attack is easy to dodge but can be tough to
see coming. It also hits all around him in a very wide radius so be sure to
give him some room. Just get a few hits in and let him stand up. He will be a
bit shakey on his feet (he's wearing skates after all) but as soon as he rights
himself, kick him in the dome again to send him back to the ground. Repeat for
an easy victory.
If you have some ranged weapons, you can pretty much get a free win. Slappy has
difficulty following you into stores or down the escalators. You can take some
potshots at him as he does laps and tries to catch you.
A flamethrower can be picked up after the fight.
****************
* RANDY TUGMAN *
****************
Scoop: Here Comes the Groom
Time Available: Day 2 - 5:00 PM
Location: Silver Strip - Swept Away Church
Difficulty: 2/5
Enemy weapons: Giant pink chainsaw (unique)
This fight can be dangerous until you look at the environment. Chuck can hurdle
over the walls. Randy cannot. Hmm. When you see him rush toward you, hop over
the wall (make sure to back away from the wall a bit so Randy's chainsaw
doesn't clip you) and you've successfully dodged his attack as well as put a
respectable amount of room between you and the psycho. When he rushes you
again, he has to run all the way around the wall to get to you. Just hop back
over! If you brought a shotgun, you can finish him just by hopping over the
wall, shooting, and hopping back.
If you've only got melee weapons, this fight will take a bit longer but it's
still not very tough. Keep dodging until Randy begins taunting and thrusting
his hips. Take the opportunity to hit him with a one-two combo and then GET OUT
OF THERE! His wild attacks, surprisng speed, and large frame make it difficult
to avoid his attacks without the safety of a wall. Be on the lookout for either
a taunt or for him to get tired from running around (he's a big boy afterall).
Don't get impatient and be sure to use those walls!
Randy's giant pink chainsaw can be picked up after the fight.
****************
* CARL SCHLIFF *
****************
Scoop: Mail Order Zombrex
Time Available: Day 2 - 11:00 PM
Location: Royal Flush Plaza - Outside The Man's Sport
Difficulty: 1/5
Enemy weapons: Shotgun, mail bombs
With Carl you'll want to be further away from him but not too far. This mid-
range will trigger him to take aim with his shotgun. While he tracks you, be
sure to move to the sides. Once he fires his first shot, rush him! He fires in
three bursts and after that first shot, he stops trying to aim. Tag him and
back away from his melee counter. In fact, you may want to just run back out to
mid-range again so he tries to hit you with his shotgun.
Occasionally, Carl will run off and toss a package. This is explosive! But as
long as you keep moving, and following him at mid-range, you should be safe. I
still tend to give the bomb a little breathing room when I run though.
*******************
* SEYMOUR REDDING *
*******************
Scoop: WWJDD
Time Available: Day 3 - 4:00AM
Location: South Plaza
Difficulty: 1/5
Enemy weapons: Six Shooter (unique), nightstick
I'm not sure what happened during the makng of the game but Seymour is a huge
pushover. Treat him a bit like Ted. While he doesn't stagger as easily, his
gunfire and melee attacks do little damage and he has garbage health. The only
thing that you'll really have to worry about is getting into melee range with
him. He fires his pistol a bit more but this is easily remedied by running or
rolling straight for him. You'll take a single hit but you won't be stunned and
it's probably the only damage you'll receive in this fight.
Try to dance just inside his melee range. Chasing him while he shoots is a
losing battle. Seymour seems to be more aggressive than other psychos once you
get into this range (he actively seeks you out to bash you with his baton or
gun) but this works to your advantage. Just remember to give him a quick two
and then move out of the way of his counter. Honestly, this fight shouldn't
give you any trouble unless you get hit by his counter or you stray too far and
he starts shooting at you.
Seymour's six shooter can be picked up from the table saw after the fight.
It's worth noting that while all the psychopath unique weapons are pretty good,
the six shooter seems to be one of the best. On the surface it looks like a
plain ol' pistol... but you're probably using it on a zombie. Against a psycho,
it's death. It's a single shot so you don't have to worry about wasting ammo on
a psycho during their invincible animations, it has a ton of ammo, and it hits
pretty hard. Take it!
**************************
* CRYSTAL & AMBER BAILEY *
**************************
Case: 4-1
Location: Yucatan Casino - Shoal Nightclub
Difficulty: 4/5
Enemy weapons: Katana (unique)
The Twins can be a difficult fight. In addition to the obvious fact that
there's two of them, they're also quick and will run in to melee you with their
swords. Even recovering health is tough when you keep getting interrupted by a
blade to the face.
The key to this battle is that you only need to defeat one of the twins to end
the fight. Don't spread out the damage! Focus all of your attention on either
Crystal or Amber.
Once you've decided on a target, allow them to close in on you. They'll try an
attack and this is when you can come in with the ol' one-two. When I played,
the twins rarely countered and actually ended up running away after trying a
few attacks. If you end up getting tagged by one of their attacks, you'll be
knocked down and the twins take the opportunity to stomp on you!
A shotgun can be found just outside the club doors by jumping over the small
bar. (You can also retreat here if you keep getting interrupted by attacks when
trying to drink or eat something). The shotgun is a powerful weapon in this
battle as you can continuously move while putting hefty damage on either of the
twins.
#### I highly recommend using this conveniently placed shotgun. ####
A small note: this room makes it look like you've got all the food in the world
but it's all alcohol. Remember that drinking too much will make Chuck sick and
he becomes a big target. You can very easily lose the health you just gained
because you threw up and the twins danced a jig on your spine.
Two katanas can be picked up after the fight.
******************
* SNIPER PSYCHOS *
******************
Scoop: N/A
Time Available: Day 3 - 9:00 AM
Location: Silver Strip
Difficulty: 1/5
Enemy weapons: Sniper rifles
The snipers are annoying. You'll probably get shot a few times just trying to
traverse the strip looking for a way to get to them. You have two options for
victory: the first is to fight fire with fire and grab a sniper rifle. You can
actually hit them from the strip! Try to position yourself near some cover so
either you can pop out and take a shot or obscure their aim completely. Be
advised that you may need more than one rifle per psycho.
I recommend just running right up their dresses and taking the ladders to the
rooftops. All the psychos fight in a similar fashion to Ted or Seymour but they
seem to take the hits a little better. Overall, the only real danger you'll
face is getting shot too much walking the strip or if you try and take on all
four without stopping to eat something. Remember, you don't have to fight them
all at once. Take a break to heal up before heading to the next sniper.
-----------
LOCATIONS
-----------
Big Earl Flaherty - There is a low roof near Moe's Maginations. You don't need
to zone through an actual roof access to get to him.
Deetz Hartman - Roof access behind Juggz Bar & Grill
Derrick Duggan - Follow the alley near Hot Excitorama toward the Atlantica
Casino basement area. You'll be able to take a roof access from there.
Johnny James - The ladder to the roof is near the maintenance room between the
entrance to Slot Ranch Casino and Royal Flush Plaza.
*************
* BIBI LOVE *
*************
Scoop: One Hit Wonder
Time Available: Day 3 - 3:00 PM
Location: Slot Ranch Casino Stage
Difficulty: 1/5
Enemy weapons: Detonator. And the bombs I guess.
Bibi is a bit of an odd psychopath in that she doesn't actively attack you and
can be coverted into a survivor. Unless you want to lose all the survivors
(herself included) do not attack her! Just follow her instructions and
eventually she will see past her delusions.
Bibi is a diva and has a few demands:
*Something to drink
Beer is readily available in the area but she takes pretty much anything.
*Dress for the occasion
A Tuxedo can be found in Royal Flush Plaza - Modern Businessman.
*Gather some fans
I stumbled with this at first (I started chucking fireworks all over the place
to attract them lol) but then I noticed that three hunks of meat spawn in the
casino area. You can find them by looking for the bunches of zombies. Just grab
these and drop them near the stage area. Bibi will let you know when you have
found enough fans.
*Start the show
Right when you pass back stage there is a panel. Examine this to begin the
show.
*Perform
Press the buttons indicated when they cross the blue area. If you've played any
rhythm game ever, you'll do fine.
*Save her!
Optional. But if you want to save Bibi, just wade into the "fans" and start
kicking ass. Bibi finally gets the point and follows you.
*******************
* TK's HELICOPTER *
*******************
Case: 5-2
Location: Fortune City Hotel - Rooftop
Difficulty: 2/5
Enemy weapons: Machine gun, the winch arm
The game pretty much spells it out for you, but the object of this fight is to
use the winch to pull the helicopter down and to then throw things at the
propeller. There are metal barricades, military cases, and spot lights in the
immediate area - metal barricades doing the most damage.
The winch can only be activated when the little light on it is green. Any other
time, you'll want to stay far away because the helicopter will be trying to run
you down. Not only that, but because the winch is still attached, the arm will
be swinging about as well! Try to stay at a mid range where you can dodge the
helicopter but you are not close enough to the winch to be hit by it.
After circling, TK will begin to open fire from the helicopter. This move is
telegraphed by the stream of bullets hitting the ground. Be sure to dodge or
roll out of the path before the attack passes toward you.
When the winch light turns green, make a quick dash to the winch and activate
it. You should have barely enough time to turn around, grab something, and
throw it at the helicopter. If your throw is strong enough, I would advise just
grabbing the item, aiming a little high, and throwing it from where you picked
it up. The helicopter does not stay down long and running up to the helicopter
after grabbing the item may not allow you enough time.
This fight is highly dependant on your ability to aim your throws correctly.
The area has a LOT of items and you only need to hit with a few, but if you
really stink at throwing, you might find yourself having to run around the
corners of the roof. At least you'll find some food.
*********************************
* REED WELLBECK & ROGER WITHERS *
*********************************
Scoop: World's Most Dangerous Trick
Time Available: Day 4 - 12:00 AM
Location: Atlantica Casino - Stage room near maintenance room
Difficulty: 4/5
Enemy weapons: Reed - Rocket Launcher (unique)
Roger - Magician Sword x2 (unique)
Oh boy. This is a pretty tough fight if you don't know what you're up against;
and unlike the twins, both psychos need to be defeated before you can move on.
Reed's rocket launcher is a major source of frustration in this fight. In
addition to it being a long range, area of effect weapon, he can also use it to
blind Chuck. Being blinded will make Chuck vulnerable for a few seconds as well
as force him to drop anything he happens to be carrying. This is the absolute
worst when you're trying to recover health as you'll be interrupted, stunned,
and then you still have to go pick up whatever you were trying to consume!
Fortunately, he's rather slow unless he happens to get a bead on you at close
to mid-range. At that point, he will fire a shot and then bull rush you ending
in a big swipe with the rocket launcher.
Roger on the other hand will be running all over the place trying to carve you
up. He doesn't seem as openly aggressive as other melee-oriented psychos (thank
goodness) but when he gets a wild hair, he will come at you same as everyone
else. He is very quick and it's often difficult to track him but do your best
as he weaves in and out of your view.
If you're going to win, you'll want to take on these guys one at a time. Use
the environment to try and separate the two from each other. Try and always
keep some kind of obstacle between you and Reed so he just keeps trying to
follow you. You're kind of taking a page out of Roger's book and running around
all over the place to dodge Reed. While you give Reed the runaround, pay
attention to Roger's erratic path. Eventually he will stop zipping around and
try to slash at you. Similar to other psychos, this is telegraphed (he stops
wandering and suddenly he's running DIRECTLY at you) and easily dodged. Be sure
not to dodge into a wall or other obstacle! Roger's leaping slash has a long
horizontal range. Put a few hits on him after dodging and he will likely run
away. If not, be prepared to dodge again. Occasionally Reed may catch up to you
and fire off a rocket. This will sometimes hit Roger as well! Use this chance
to get another one-two.
Once he's been put to bed, Reed needs to be handled. Again, you're going to
want to keep an obstacle between you and Reed at all times. Similar to taming
Snowflake, make some ground, pop out from your cover and let him see you. When
he queues up his shot, hide again making sure you dodge his area of effect. He
will then try to rush you. After making a large swing with the rocket launcher,
he is vulnerable. Make sure to only get a quick hit in as he is not afraid to
fire another shot at close range and rush you while you wipe your eyes.
I felt it was helpful to walk around with my weapon "sheathed" by equiping it
and then pressing up on the d-pad (can't have a full inventory). This way if I
was ever hit by a stray stun, I wouldn't drop any items. When Reed would dash
at me, I would just tap up again and I would have my weapon equipped and ready
to strike him.
Both a magician's sword and rocket launcher can be picked up after the fight.
**********************
* SGT. DWIGHT BOYKIN *
**********************
Case: 6-2
Location: Underground
Difficulty: 3/5
Enemy weapons: LMG, grenades
First of all, this isn't just some run of the mill psycho. He's got training!
So just because you've handled psychos with guns before doesn't mean it's going
to be the same. He's not Ted.
Do not get in his face and try to harass him with melee. One of his favorite
techniques is to elbow or kick you over. His attack will continue with a
dangerous "hold" and you'll be coughing up bullets until he mercifully decides
to throw you across the room a good 4 health bars lighter.
This is one of those battles that you probably want to play at range. In
another example of Dead Rising deus ex machina, the room provides. You can find
pistols and other guns near the bodies of soldiers scattered around the area.
He doesn't take huge damage from the guns but it is by far safer than trying to
go toe to toe.
With guns in hand, take same shots at the unfortunately named sergeant while
dancing in and out of cover. You'll really want to try and manipulate the
camera so that even when you're in cover you can still see him; not only to
track him but to watch out for his grenades. The grenade radius isn't huge but
you definitely don't want to be sitting on one.
If you insist on taking him on in melee, you should try to bait him into
rushing you. Stay behind cover but pick a point that's a little closer. When he
comes in with his big attack, give him the ol' one-two and he'll roll away to
safety. That's okay and is exactly what we want. Repeat this until he switches
to tossing a grenade. As long as you stay behind cover (occasionally moving to
escape a grenade) you should be fine.
Look for any opportunites to put some damage on him since you'll need every
bit. Like some of the psychos that have taunts, Dwight has moments where he
comepletely opens himself up to getting hit without need of you triggering it.
I've seen him shooting around at nothing. I'm also told that he sometimes tries
to talk to his dead comrades. Get him!
**********************************
* MARK BRADSON & PEARCE STEPHENS *
**********************************
Case: 7-2
Location: Underground Lab
Difficulty: 1/5
Enemy weapons: Pistols
No real strategy to be had here. These guys just kind of stand in place
shooting. This is more like fighting looters than anything else. Just pick up
something heavy and beat on them. Make sure you eat something before entering
the room if you're low on health and only have melee weapons because it's very
likely that you'll take a hit on the way in - even with a good roll.
********************
* RAYMOND SULLIVAN *
********************
Scoop: The Facts
Location: Yucatan Casino - Rooftop
Difficulty: 5/5
Enemy weapons: Heavy pistol, flares, badass hand to hand
This guy is a one of the harder fights in the game if you don't know what to
do. If you plan on using melee, you'll need to get to him first. This requires
you to climb up the scafolding and jump to his platform.
First, forget about 90% of your weapons doing anything other than pissing him
off. Taking a swing with something like a spiked bat will cause him to
immediately counter you with a takedown, freeing you of the bat in the process.
The only weapons that you can really use are things like gloves - which are
considered a hand to hand weapon and cannot be stripped from you. Luckily, this
includes the knife gloves.
Raymond's melee combat consists of dangerous combos, a rolling kick, and a
front kick like Chuck's. The front kick is the major annoyance since getting
hit by this will send you flying into the air and possibly off the scaffold.
Raymond appears to be invulnerable to attacks when rolling or rising from a
roll making it incredibly difficult to land safe hits on him. In addition, when
doing a combo, Raymond seems to be extra determined - hitting him will not stop
his onslaught.
Standard hand to hand is surprisingly effective in this battle if you've
unlocked power moves like the front kick or drop kick. While you won't be able
to boot him off the scaffold, a clean front kick will cause him to fall to his
knees and you can get a few hits in. A drop kick will stagger him and cause a
hefty chunk of damage as well. I would recommend not using the standard jump
kick as unlike Frank in the first Dead Rising, Chuck cannot cover himself with
a roundhouse when landing. Also, it feels like the hitbox is a little smaller;
making it more difficult to hit this move consistantly.
If you get kicked off the scaffold, you'll have a whole new set of problems. In
addition to the huge holes that drop you down into a level filled with zombies,
Raymond uses alternate attacks when you aren't in melee range. Should you get
knocked into a hole, know that there isn't much to scavenge down there so just
get back into the fight. Either avoid all the zombies or clear a path. There
should also be a few with queens to help.
The first is his pistol. Unlike most other pistols in the game, Raymond's is
strong enough to knock you back on hit. It's very powerful and can easily toss
you into a hole in the roof. Try to manuver yourself in such a way that his
line of sight is obscured. I personally like to run straight at his platform
and maneuver around it to get back to the scaffolding.
The other attack you need to watch out for is his flare. The flare itself isn't
dangerous but it signals his buddies to start shooting rockets at you. Bad
times. Treat the flare itself as a deadly deadly bomb as trying to dodge a
rocket after you see/hear it is a losing battle.
While I do not recommend going strictly ranged for this fight, it can be done.
This is probably only helpful if you've been having a VERY hard time with
Raymond in melee or you have little to no life left (there's some food in the
area but not much and they're all crappy snacks and such). You're going to need
a LOT of guns. Like Dwight, Raymond doesn't seem to take much damage from
gunfire.
Like the sniper psychos, you'll need to find a spot where you can duck in and
out of fire. In addition, you want to be somewhere that the rockets can't hit
you/blow up the nearby environment. The main doors that you enter are a good
spot for this as when you see flares, you can run back inside.
***************
* TYRONE KING *
***************
Scoop: Overtime Mode
Location: The Arena
Difficulty: 4/5
Enemy weapons: Mic, pyrotechnic effects
TK wouldn't be especially difficult if he was fighting fair. The thing that
makes this tough is that you lose all your items and have to balance fighting
with saving Katey and Stacey.
As soon as the fight begins, you're going to want to find something to defend
yourself. Running to the sides along the catwalk will allow you to find some
carboard boxes containing food (Orange Juice is again the best) and various
weapons. While you can try and fight with whatever you want, I believe the
weapons should be prioritized as such:
1) Power drill
2) Lead pipe/crowbar
3) Spot light
4) Flashlight
5) Moosehead
6) Dynamite
Don't spend too much time on the catwalk as TK can turn on the pyrotechnics and
you'll be caught in a series of flames and explosions. Make your way back to
the center platform as quickly as you can.
TK's got some good attacks but nothing you haven't seen before in one form or
another. The first is his basic melee. This is easily avoided by continously
moving around the platform. Be sure to get some hits in after he misses. His
other attack is a long range jump strike. This is a fast move but he telegraphs
it by waving his mic around before leaping at you. Try and either get some
distance from him or use the gap near the crank as an obstacle to deflect his
attack.
The biggest worry you'll face from TK is his running grab. He will hunker down,
charge you, and if he connects, slam you into a wall where he finishes with a
series of brutal punches. This is very fast and an especially bad move to get
hit by as it does major damage and takes a long time to animate - putting Katey
and Stacey at risk if you've been neglecting the crank. When you see TK duck
down, be sure to roll out of the way or use that crank gap to dodge.
Eventually, TK will hop over the railing and vanish under the platform. Use
this opportunity to either grab some items from the sides or to use the crank.
Using the crank will require you to examine and then tap a button to pull the
girls up a bit. Beware! Touching the crank sets off a little gland in TK's
brain that makes him hop back up and come after you. As soon as you see TK in
your peripheral, stop tapping the button (you'll automatically get off the
crank) and roll/dodge.
===============================================================================
-- VII. PERSONAL SETUP --------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
I want to go on record again and state that my way is by no means the only way
to go about doing things. Once you understand how the psychos work, you can
pretty much beat them all bare handed if you wanted to (hmmmmm). For the sake
of completeness and to provide another insight into where my viewpoint (and
thus this entire guide) is coming from, I will also state some of my personal
biases.
- I prefer weapons I can put away (no big things) so that I don't have to pick
it up and re-rev when I roll or get hit. I still use the especially great ones
though.
- I prefer weapons that are easy to find/make and are on my way to whatever
destination I'm trying to get to. Again, I still use the especially great ones
and/or the unique items picked up from psychos.
- I prefer weapons that do not easily break or have many charges/shots.
- I carry minimal food because I don't plan on getting hit by psychos. Random
grabs by zombies is a whole other subject haha.
- I don't often mix drinks. Usually the only one I bother with is Quickstep.
- I use wheelchairs, mooseheads, and other mini-vehicles to travel quicker.
- I kill zombies only when necessary. The rest of the time I'm traveling.
For anyone who cares, I usually have the following on me at any given time:
* Spiked Bat/Laser Sword - crowd control
* Knife gloves - psychos (melee)
* Shotgun x2 - psychos (ranged)
* Some kind of food - duh
The rest of the spaces are random crap that I pick up or craft. Often times
I'll keep some things for survivors to carry. Oh, and occasionally the gambling
or bargaining books; which are not for psychos, obviously.
I'll go ahead and list some of my favorite weapons for their various purposes.
-------------------------
MELEE - AGAINST PSYCHOS
-------------------------
(FAST/MEDIUM)
* Knife gloves
* Katana (unique)
* Magician sword (unique)
* Spiked bat
(SLOW)
* Electric rake
* Paddlesaw
* Defiler
* Power guitar
---------------------------
RANGED - AGAINST PSYCHOS
---------------------------
* Six-Shooter (unique)
* Shotgun
* Blambow (Bow & arrow + dynamite)
* Sniper rifle
---------------
CROWD CONTROL
---------------
* Super BFG
* Spiked bat
* Pole weapon (machete + push broom)
* Plate launcher
===============================================================================
-- VIII. MISCELLANEOUS --------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
This is my section for all the random stuff that really doesn't belong in any
other section. Some of it may not even have to do with psychos. Most of it is
random musings about things I've encountered in the game.
* Survivors are smarter in this game and don't die as easily (as someone who
did a lot of Dead Rising 1, I cried manly tears of joy). This also means that
in some cases, you can take a survivor, give them a weapon, and they'll
actually contribute to clearing areas or do significant damage during
psychopath fights. Certain psycho fights are safer than others, and even then
they might still die, but if you don't mind, you can have your own army
following you around. An eight survivor group all armed with shotguns and
assault rifles is a thing of beauty.
* Survivors have infinite ammo. Give them guns with a single bullet and you
still get the same effect. This is awesome.
</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
* Survivors typically will not drink mixed drinks to restore health or take
crafted weapons. If they require a food item to JOIN you however, you can
pretty much give them anything that classifies as "food" or "drink." I've given
thirsty survivors Randomizers (no ill effects though).
* Janus Razo (the survivor that requires you have a gun before joining) will
accept a water gun found in the nearby water as adequate protection.
* Lone survivors can ride in cars and other vehicles with you.
* Queens will NOT affect zombies with queens in them. This is pretty helpful as
you can throw a queen into a crowd and if you see one in the blast radius
that's still alive, they probably have a replacement queen for you.
* It would seem obvious, but weapons affect psychos differently than zombies. A
key example of this is the power drill: it's garbage on zombies but it's the
weapon of choice against TK - even with other options available.
===============================================================================
-- IX. CLOSING ----------------------------------------------------------------
===============================================================================
Thanks for reading my FAQ! Please be sure to read the introduction about
submissions before sending in a tactics suggestion. If it was helpful to you in
anyway, I'd love to hear about it: muyemura1--at--comcast---net. I may not
respond to every e-mail but I appreciate and (eventually) read every single
one.
