Thanks to Hamada and Source Gaming alumnus TheAnvil for helping with edits.

Ah, the Christmas season has begun. It’s a cheerful time, one where people give gifts and celebrate. Alas, it’s also the season in which Capcom’s Dead Rising 4 released, the final console game by subsidiary Capcom Vancouver before its unfortunate closure. Superficially celebrating Dead Rising’s legacy, this entry brings back Frank West and Willamette, the first game’s protagonist and setting, respectively. Of course, it complements them with a handful of new characters. Some are friendly, others are not, and one oscillates between those two extremes.

Vick Chu, seen in 2016’s Dead Rising 4 (Image: Capcom)

Dead Rising 4 was marketed as a well-written game, a new benchmark for the series. Studio director Joe Nickolls boasted how 4 had three “proper video game writers” behind it, who imbued it with “depth.” Among other changes, Nickolls claimed his product sports sharper character interactions, with the cast sharing “amazing” chemistry. Regrettably, I do not echo his enthusiasm… 

Vick’s History

At the dead of night, Frank West is awoken by his cell phone, seeing a message from his student, Vick Chu. The two head out, seemingly driving towards a minigolf course, when Frank notices they’re approaching Willamette. She heard rumors of illegal experiments happening there, and though Frank initially refuses to investigate, she persuades the “world class photographer” by appealing to his ego. So they break into a laboratory, one they discover is being used to clone zombies (a plot point that’s never directly addressed again). Soon, the duo stumble upon an infected woman who’s trapped in a cell, screaming. Frank takes a snapshot, and Vick shoots her with a firearm, causing an alarm to blair. Afterwards, the two argue, part ways, and escape.

Galavant and Fear the Walking Dead star Karen David voices Vick, doing a solid job with the material. (Image: Capcom)

A month later, Zombie Defense and Control head Brad Park tracks down Frank (who’s now living under an assumed name, following fallout from the raid), informing him that Willamette’s enduring a second outbreak. Again, Frank’s reluctant to go, only agreeing to after Brad confirms Vick’s there. So they fly in, and Frank begins searching for his pupil and the truth. That night, Frank sees Vick offer her assistance to Obscuris, the organization behind the lab. The two have an explosive argument over that the following day. After obtaining evidence crucial to the case, Vick appears, forces Frank to relinquish it, flees, and gets intercepted by Calder, the “monster” haunting Willamette. Both reporters work together to defeat the undead mutant, reunite with Brad, and agree to jointly publish their story – his pictures, her words. However, a zombie horde snares Frank during their escape, dragging Brad’s helicopter down. Out of options, Frank releases his grip from the rotorcraft’s landing skids, ensuring his friends’ safety. In its best ending, DR4’s downloadable Frank Rising campaign confirms Frank survives, returns home, and prints his scoop with Vick. 

So, what’re my thoughts on Vick?

Going into Dead Rising 4, I really wanted to like Vick. On paper, she was exactly the sort of character I wanted the series to tackle. One of my favorite dynamics is a good rivalry, seeing two similarly matched foils push each other. Dead Rising has flirted with giving Frank a rival twice, though never a dedicated, game-spanning one. Now, the returning Frank should be wiser and level-headed, leaving Vick as the hot-headed greenhorn, and her naiveté could nicely inform an ideological clash between the two. Plus, they share another dynamic, one wholly new to the series: a student-teacher relationship. Graduating Frank into a mentor role suits him by this advanced point in the series’ continuity, letting him pass the torch to new heroes.

Shortly before the pair enter Obscuris’ facility, we see Vick secretly brandish a pistol. There was no doubt she’d fire it, drawing attention to them. (Image: Capcom)

Despite DR4’s terrible sense of humor, its opening actually shows promise. It starts with the journalists enjoying a convivial rapport, and Frank is appropriately protective of Vick and teaches her his techniques. She, likewise, adds two filters to Frank’s favorite camera. But, after some hijinks, their inevitable schism arises. Where the pragmatic veteran simply wants to leave after getting a scoop, his protégé risks it for ostensibly philanthropic reasons. In fact, she believes the zealous zombie-killer is morally bankrupt, only caring about reaping rewards. Of course, she’s welcome to express that, even if Frank’s detached journalistic approach is hardly unheard of. Plus, to her credit, Frank is a jerk, a decompensated caricature of who he formerly was. 

But Vick’s negative feelings snowballing into such a powerful loathing is absurd and, as we discover, hypocritical. Showing sympathy for the deceased is one thing, but it’s uncomfortable watching Vick express more compassion for the walking cadavers than the living. She voluntarily sells out Tom Pickton’s ragtag group to Obscuris – and yes, he’s unambiguously unhinged, but a number of decent, innocent people rely on his compound and resources. The self-righteous rebel is so zealous to find the truth that she even tries torturing an Obscuris scientist. Again, admittedly someone who isn’t a good person, but shouldn’t the idealist be above such behavior? 

It’s also hard to invest in Vick’s goals when they can change on a whim, from wanting a scoop (and tricking Frank into participating), to wanting to destroy that lab, to wanting the scoop so badly she begins conspiring with the people who ran that lab. (Image: Capcom)

Moreover, she justifies collaborating with Obscuris, saying it’s a means to discover who the soldiers work for, who orchestrated the outbreak. Allegedly, it’ll result in less casualties, a net positive. In actuality, it’s insanely naive. These toughs had opened fire on Vick without a moment’s hesitation, are known to fight some civilians, and regularly capture others – victims Frank can save, no less. Willingly working with and even defending such shady characters only reinforces how shaky Vick’s moral high ground is.

And her unrelenting, unbridled hatred of Frank becomes exhausting. Vick drives away after the raid, abandoning him. She incessantly criticizes Frank to his face, to others, and throughout her podcasts, sometimes unfairly so (challenge his methods or demeanor, sure, but Frank isn’t a “poacher,” he is doing his job – and frankly is much better at it than Vick, who wasted four weeks making no consequential headway). Vick threatens him at gunpoint a few times, the final instance of which ends with her stealing evidence he legitimately earned. During the ensuing chase, Vick throws several flashbangs at Frank. Considering the many zombies populating the area, he could easily be snagged while incapacitated, leading to his death. 

Vick speaks directly to Frank in her last journal, asking him not “to piss on” her corpse if he stumbles upon it. He’s discernibly shaken afterwards, a rare occurrence for the psychopath. (Image: Capcom)

That feeds into my biggest issue with Vick: she’s ultimately yet another reminder of how unlikable DR4’s interpretation of Frank is. Any of his prior incarnations would try to reason with Vick, not make tone-deaf jokes. I also picture earlier Franks actually addressing Vick’s questions, explaining how, according to Brad, the Pentagon orchestrated this outbreak (Vick acknowledges the government’s involvement during her journals, but one would think it’d behoove Frank to share the ZDC commander’s insight with her). For whatever reason, this illogical crybaby instead baselessly calls her a glory hog, further fracturing their relationship. Altogether, it’s impossible to take Vick’s rift with Frank seriously because, regardless of the valid points they do make, neither are laudable or worth rooting for. They’re just petulant children yelling at each other, not two adults with differing ideologies learning to work together.

Unsurprisingly, they reconcile, segueing into my final problem with Vick: she never faces any repercussions for her actions, getting knocked down twice notwithstanding. For as irritating as Frank and his humorless quips are, at least other people give him grief, he has a character arc about becoming more empathetic (hollow though it may be), and makes a heroic sacrifice (an unabashed hook for then-upcoming DLC though it may be). And while a zombified Frank stays behind, working to undo his affliction, Vick just… leaves. No worse for wear, showing no meaningful growth. If not for getting access to Frank’s photos, this whole rigamarole might as well not have happened.

According to reporter Liam Robertson’s exposé, Dead Rising’s head writer left Capcom Vancouver during 4’s production and there wasn’t much time to polish its script. (Image: Capcom)

If nothing else, Vick’s character adequately represents Dead Rising 4: she’s an obnoxious, barely coherent letdown. At the time, I assumed she was being groomed for a bright future – for one thing, Vick’s name fits the naming convention series protagonists Frank, Chuck, and Nick (and his co-op buddy, Dick) share. Dead Rising sadly isn’t currently in a healthy position, however; 4 infamously underperformed and Capcom Vancouver’s gone. Nevertheless, I’m confident the franchise is merely hibernating, not dead, and when it eventually rises, I hope Vick is nowhere to be seen. The character isn’t inherently unsalvageable, but any effort spent redeeming her would be better spent on a newcomer without her baggage. Honestly, I wouldn’t complain if Dead Rising 4 altogether gets the Highlander II treatment going forward: it didn’t happen.

As for Frank, he remains one of my favorite protagonists in the medium and I still want to see Capcom explore new sides of him. Would competing against another photojournalist, potentially losing an exclusive fire him up? Is mentoring greenhorns, sharing his experience and knowledge, something he’d enjoy doing? When Frank hits the field again, I hope those angles are given another, more earnest chance. 

Congratulations, Vick! Keep your eyes on the prize.

The core of Frank and Vick’s disagreement – should journalists remain impartial or directly involve themselves in a story – is interesting. Sadly, the greenhorn ultimately only really rivals Frank for the title of being DR4’s most insufferable character. (Image: Capcom)

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Cart Boy

Cart Boy wants to be the very best, like no one ever was. When the stars align properly, he also writes articles, edits his peers' work, and helps run Source Gaming's social media.

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