Thanks to Hamada, Source Gaming alumnus TheAnvil, and fellow Dead Rising aficionado WigiWobbles for helping with edits.
Capcom’s Xbox 360 classic Dead Rising proudly sits among my all-time favorite games. Seeking a big scoop, freelance photojournalist Frank West found himself trapped in a mall overrun by zombies, armed only with his camera and whatever objects he stumbled upon. It was a critical and commercial darling, victories Capcom keenly noticed. Sequels were inevitable, as were new protagonists to star in them.
Chuck Greene, seen in 2010’s Dead Rising 2 (Image: Capcom)
Keiji Inafune, then a venerated Capcom producer, was infamously critical of Japanese game development, contesting that it lagged behind its overseas contemporaries. This spurred Capcom to start collaborating with western studios, with Inafune partnering with The Bigs developer Blue Castle Games on Dead Rising’s successor. And Dead Rising 2 was another rousing success, impelling Capcom to purchase and revamp the studio into Capcom Vancouver in 2010. Helping foster some of that success was Dead Rising 2’s status as a multi-platform joint, meaning new audiences were introduced to the brand through its hero…
Chuck Greene’s History
Chuck Greene’s a retired motocross star, father, and widower, who lost his wife, Pam, during the Las Vegas zombie outbreak years ago. Because his daughter, Katey, was bitten then (by her zombified mother, no less), she’s fighting an infection, requiring the Zombrex drug to inhibit it. Consequently, Chuck perennially seeks the medicine and is regularly desperate for cash – enough so to compete in Fortune City’s Terror is Reality game show. Regrettably, Chuck’s anything but fortunate: zombies escape, overrun the metropolis, and a video of someone impersonating him freeing the hoard was broadcast nationwide. Security personnel Sullivan begrudgingly lets Chuck and Katey enter the safe house, explaining there that the military’s rescue operation will commence in three days. Resourceful and perspicacious, Chuck spends those seventy-two hours retrieving Zombrex, conducting an investigation (with assistance from reporter Rebecca Chang), and (thanks to activist Stacey Forsythe, who monitored the security cameras) locating lingering survivors – several of them hostile. Chuck eventually discovers Zombrex manufacturer Phenotrans orchestrated the outbreak (and older ones, including Vegas), conspiring with Terror is Reality host Tyrone King to frame him. Although Zombrex and TiR always seemed destined to serve as Chuck’s impetus, his veneer and backstory saw considerable refinement over the project’s maturation. Among other alterations, his previous surname was “Reid” and he was a professional “smoke jumper.”
Two replicas of Chuck’s jacket were produced; Inafune kept one, while someone won the other in a contest. The coat also appears as an unlockable in subsequent DR titles. (Image: Capcom)
Katey and Chuck’s proper debut actually predates Dead Rising 2 by one month. Short prologue game Case Zero opens with them fleeing America’s Playground, making a pit stop at the eerily quiet Still Creek. Soon thereafter, a thief absconds with Chuck’s truck, zombies invade the town, and the military violently quarantines the area, all roadblocks the stunt man surmounts. Continuing from Dead Rising 2’s “Ending A,” a timely Frank saves Chuck from the undead TK in small-scale sequel Case West. Although initially distrustful of each other, the men infiltrate a nearby Phenotrans facility together, fending off zombies and soldiers alike. After numerous altercations, Phenotrans director Marian Mallon meets and taunts Chuck, claiming a cure for the infection exists but is being withheld from the public. Ultimately, Chuck evacuates the base feeling utterly perturbed despite procuring evidence verifying his innocence. Will people believe him, and does a cure truly exist? One final Dead Rising 2-branded title was published in 2011, dubbed Off the Record. A “what-if?” scenario reimagining Dead Rising 2 with Frank as an answer to those who missed him, Chuck’s presence remained palpable. The second player in a co-op session assumes control of him, and the disgraced biking champion also appears as a psychopath, a frenzied boss (replacing the original’s Leon, one of Chuck’s TiR rivals).
Chuck’s cemented as a mainstay in auxiliary games and media. Valve frequently honors Dead Rising through its Left 4 Dead series (tributes Capcom Vancouver regularly reciprocated), sneaking a Chuck poster into its The Sacrifice comic. In 2011, Capcom produced their own four-issue comic series, partnering with IDW Publishing for Road to Fortune, depicting Chuck’s Vegas excursion. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, also released in 2011, gave Frank and Resident Evil’s Chris Redfield palette swaps based on Chuck (Infinite retains the latter). A card bearing the mechanic’s mug could also be acquired in the crossover’s “Heroes & Heralds” mode, too. Chuck cameos during 2016’s Dead Rising: Endgame film in his sole live-action venture, portrayed by actor Victor Webster. Finally, the doting dad accompanied his photojournalist forebear in Capcom Vancouver’s short-lived 2017 Puzzle Fighter revival.
Canadian Stargate actor Peter Flemming voices Chuck in his Dead Rising appearances, whereas Jason Simpson assumed the role for Puzzle Fighter. (Image: Capcom)
Within Dead Rising’s narrative, society stagnated in an undead purgatory of sorts after Case West, though Chuck kept busy. Stacey and Chuck pursued a relationship, but the family became strained once the United States government began implanting mandatory Zombrex tracking chips in infected citizens. Aiming to avoid surveillance, Chuck resorted to shady means to attain the drug, winding up centered within the criminal underworld. Stacey left him, as did his guilt-ridden teenager, who fled to Los Perdidos. Chuck sent his right-hand mook Gary there in search of her, setting the stage for 2013’s Dead Rising 3. Los Perdidos’ museum hosted an exhibit summarizing the earlier games, sporting a Chuck standee near the Fortune’s End recap. However, Chuck himself arrives during 3’s “Overtime” portion, where he reconciles with Katey and helps his successor, Nick Ramos. According to former Capcom Vancouver designer Randolph Stayer, three DLC epilogue cases starring each of the series’ frontmen were planned, but sadly scrapped due to logistical issues. Nevertheless, the Super Ultra Dead Rising 3′ Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX + Alpha DLC features Chuck, wielding his flagship “Paddlesaw” and five costumes.
Dead Rising 4 slogged onto store shelves three years after its predecessor, though Chuck nor Katey physically appears therein. Regardless, one area alludes to Chuck’s Off the Record scuffle and two in-game articles reference him. Another Dead Rising was in the works, but Capcom unceremoniously cancelled it in 2018 upon terminating its Vancouver wing. Liam Robertson’s exposé explains how that troubled project, Dead Rising 5, intended to reintroduce both Greenes as dual protagonists. Set in Mexico during the ten-year gap between DR2 and 3, the brawler would’ve once again sought Zombrex.
So, what’re my thoughts on Chuck?
“Dead Rising 2! …Where’s Frank? Who’s this new guy? Has this new guy covered wars?” – my reaction circa the sequel’s February 2009 reveal (Image: Capcom)
I was ecstatic when Capcom unveiled Dead Rising 2, though I had two reservations: an unproven studio was helming it, and it was sidelining Frank for someone new. Neither were dealbreakers, especially the latter considering Dead Rising’s sizable world left ample room to explore other survivors’ predicaments and perspectives. Once my knee-jerk reaction subsided, I was happy seeing Dead Rising grow. I hoped the series would eventually cultivate a robust roster à la Resident Evil, Capcom’s pioneering zombie-centric series. And though Frank was a fantastic lead, he wasn’t unassailable, nor unsurpassable. In 1998, Leon debuted in Resident Evil‘s second numbered installment, later growing into one of its principal players. One year afterwards, Pokémon’s second generation followed suit by introducing its own greenhorn luminary, further demonstrating the potential in doing so. Series newcomers can complement their seniors, even exceed them, and I was eager to see Chuck’s story unfold.
Capcom’s tryst with overseas studios often yielded dubious results, but if any of those endeavors produced a happy medium between Japanese and western design ethos, Dead Rising 2 was it. A follow-up that mostly retained its antecedent’s essence, Chuck inherited several of Frank’s compelling attributes. They’re both quintessential everymen investigating their outbreaks, albeit out of necessity in Chuck’s case. Upon leveling up, they fortify themselves and master vigorous skills. Meanwhile, the Groundhog Day-esque loop powering both Risings furthered my knowledge of their environments and pre-scripted events, synergizing my growth with theirs. Similar to how I could arm Chuck however I chose, I had the same freedom in dressing him, which comically carried over into but otherwise didn’t affect cutscenes – all qualities Frank pioneered. Chuck, likewise, rarely escalated things when confronted by psychopaths. And just like how Frank’s profession informed his photography gimmick, handyman Chuck’s background fed into 2’s innovation: combo weapons.
Case West was a felicitous finale to Dead Rising’s second epoch, establishing plot threads for DR3 to inelegantly continue. (Image: Capcom)
Nevertheless, Chuck preserved Dead Rising’s tenets while carving an identity unique to himself. Unlike the nonplussed folk in the first title, Chuck carried experience handling zombies by Case Zero and wasn’t bemused by their existence. It’s a subtle but logical change; after all, Dead Rising’s outbreaks were no longer new phenomena to those on its Earth, nor ours. Chuck, moreover, bore a stoic demeanor, accentuating it with a stern stare reminiscent of Clint Eastwood’s. Bad puns – telling Leon he’s “on fire,” for example – were another Chuck hallmark, a trait Frank even began pilfering by Off the Record.
But the biggest element distinguishing Chuck is his devotion to his family, namely Katey. Whereas Frank and Nick strive to survive their situations (the former with his story, and both with their friends in tow), Chuck’s priority is ensuring his offspring’s well-being, not his own. When Chuck’s vehicle is stolen in Case Zero, losing his Zombrex stash is his first concern. Katey succumbing to her infection in DR2 yields one of the franchise’s most downbeat endings wherein a catatonic Chuck lets zombies consume him. Opting not to pursue Pheonotrans’ alleged cure was a dereliction on Chuck’s behalf, but you can at least assume providing for Katey required his attention. A principled man by nature, DR3 (ironically, given 2’s scenario) proves Chuck will resort to criminal activities should it aid his child. She’s his emotional anchor, something perhaps demonstrated best by Off the Record. Brilliantly taking advantage of its premise, Record studies what would transpire if Chuck – a compassionate, loving father we grew intimately familiar with – failed in his paternal responsibilities. It’s terrifying and devastating, depicting a broken man unable to cope with or process his loss.
Unhinged, disheveled, and reliant on alcohol, this Chuck fashions a doll onto his back he believes is Katey – and the slightest perceived attack on “her” incurs his wrath. (Image: Capcom)
Chuck Greene’s esse is defined by tragedy, more so than any other lead within Dead Rising’s purview. And though we’ll never suffer through harrowing, life-altering zombie boutades, Chuck’s plight is relatable: he’s a struggling single parent dependent on an amoral pharmaceutical giant. A cure for the infection was finally invented in Dead Rising 3’s conclusion, meaning the Greenes are now presumably living some semblance of a normal life. Given the hibernation their franchise is currently undergoing, that serenity is unlikely to be disturbed for some time. Nevertheless, Chuck and his saga endure as the greatest achievement borne out of Capcom Vancouver’s term, enriching their universe narratively and mechanically. Dead Rising 2 did not supplant the original in my heart, and that’s fine; it’s still a great game I’ll enjoy in perpetuity.
Congratulations, Chuck! You’re a hero… you’re a survivor… you’re Chuck Greene!
Chuck, I hope you’re living a happy life. You deserve it! (Image: Capcom)
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