History NightmareFuel / DeadRising

* While their fight is usually undermined by their broken A.I, nobody denies that the Convicts are one of the most memorable fights in the game and their theme invokes both fear and annoyance as soon as they step outside the relative safety of the mall. The way they introduce themselves is pretty unsettling, they try to kill Frank in a drive-by attack but Frank gets out of the way. They laugh this off before noticing Sid and Sofie, they quickly speed up to them as Miguel hangs out the passenger side of the jeep and he fatally hits Sid on the back of the head, killing Sid instantly and traumatizing Sofie.

* Sean and the True Eye cult are quite freaky. [[UncannyValley The way the cultists move just isn't natural]] (a very slow, shambling crawl which is changed when they suddenly rush forward) and they also have distorted voices that are very eerie sounding. Really, Sean is quite unsettling as well, with his penchant for public executions and his demonic tone of voice. And then, there's his [[EyeScream death]]. Really, if you haven't seen the cult yet, the curious player who explores the movie theater may be unnerved when they wander into Theater 4 and see the bloody eye symbols, the torches, and mannequin idol and wonder exactly what the hell went on in there. You just can't help but wonder: Exactly how long have they been doing this? Also, they're able to somehow bypass the zombies and not get attacked by them, even if they deliberately take a swing at one that gets too close for their liking.

* Late enough into the game to have rounded up too many survivors to keep track of, there's a detail about one of them that's nagging and inexplicably disturbing. When you meet the guy, Frank notices that he has a neck injury and he very anxiously insists that it's "just a scratch." [[ZombieInfectee Three guesses what it most likely is]], and even though it's obvious, after you get him to the security room, it's unsettling when you notice him ''vigorously'' scratching his neck through the window of the room he's in, only for him to stop as soon as you walk in. Sometimes the women in the same room start yelling at him, open for interpretation, also. And if you're waiting for a call from Otis telling you it may not have been a great idea to leave your survivors alone with this guy, [[NothingIsScarier nothing actually happens with him]].
** To add to that, you should notice a small detail about the zombies scattered throughout the mall. Some are scratching their necks in the same way that survivor is. The exact same way.
** There's an incredibly chilling piece on the first day. Frank comes across a traumatized survivor called Leah hiding in a Jewelry Store. When you talk to her, she grabs Frank and asks if he's seen her baby, but then she lets go and breaks down, confessing that her baby was [[DeathOfAChild killed by zombies]], and that she sprained her ankle running away. That isn't the scary part. It's when she begins to ''explain in detail about [[ImAHumanitarian the zombies eating her baby]]''.

* Don't forget the hidden cutscene if you leave the main menu idle long enough. In it, a mother and her daughter are driving down the road, desperately trying to get away from the zombies, only to end up stranded alone and helpless as a mob of zombies surround them while they scream. Imagine seeing that at around midnight after returning from a quick bathroom break or midnight snack.

* The look on Brock Mason's face as he falls backwards into the zombie mob, and is DevouredByTheHorde. Even the fact [[AssholeVictim he clearly deserved it]] doesn't help much. It's even worse in that, while his [[JawDrop mouth is wide open]], Brock doesn't scream or even gasp -- he just wordlessly falls to his [[DevouredByTheHorde demise by being devoured]].
** He smiles shortly before he falls into the horde.
* Larry is pretty much ''every'' horrifying butcher archetype all rolled into one ugly, cannibalistic package.
** The other scary part about Larry is the ambiguity of his sanity; was he in the meat packing area for the entirety of the outbreak, or did he go there looking for safety and got trapped in there because of the zombies in the maintenance tunnels? Either way; being trapped in one area, surrounded by monsters trying to eat you, while being completely isolated and being forced to eat nothing but meat for days on end would drive anyone to sheer madness.

* [[MonsterClown Adam MacIntyre the Clown.]] Wielding two chainsaws (and also ''juggling'' them), who also happens to [[LaughingMad laugh while said chainsaws cut open his stomach]] and lets "all the little children go on his fun, killer ride?" Not to mention the ShellShockedVeteran you have to kill, who believes you and the zombies are Viet Cong after he went nuts when his granddaughter was EatenAlive by zombies? To say nothing of PsychoLesbian Cop Jo Slade, who keeps four innocent women as her prisoners, and makes not-so-subtle threats to them.
** What made the ShellShockedVeteran's defeat a TearJerker was how, just before he died, he realizes that you aren't an enemy, and shows you [[FatalFamilyPhoto a picture of his family]] then he tells you how he heard the scream of his granddaughter when she got mauled by zombies. Even though you were only defending yourself, and he's "only" a boss, [[PlayerPunch that scene will stay with you]]. Which makes it all the more satisfying to then [[TakeUpMySword pick up his still-bloody machete]] and [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge bring Hell to the slavering, mindless hordes that took his girl from him.]]
*** While ultimately tragic, the ShellShockedVeteran's intro is pure NightmareFuel. When you walk into the room, you see bloody bodies hanging upside-down from the ceiling [[OffWithHisHead with their heads chopped off]], and [[PaintTheTownRed the floor smeared with blood]]. While you're busy taking in all the {{Gorn}}, Cliff sneaks up on you, and yells "[[JumpScare NAME AND RANK, SOLDIER!!!]]" When you can't answer him, he interprets you as a DirtyCommunist, and takes a swipe at you with his [[MacheteMayhem machete]]. When you get back up -- [[TeleportSpam he's gone]]. [[OhCrap Then you hear his voice calling out to you]], claiming he's ready to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique beat on you until you tell where the (nonexistent) guerrillas' hideout is]], [[FateWorseThanDeath and you'll be begging for death to take you away by the time he's done]]. The cutscene [[ParanoiaFuel closes with Cliff's footsteps on one side of the store, before suddenly going to the other]]]... Then, unless you're fast enough, the start of the fight has him impaling you InTheBack and hoisting your body a good three to four feet off the ground! Frank only survives by being MadeOfIron, and even ''then'' [[ThatOneBoss Cliff is easily the hardest fight of the whole game]].
** Jo had held several more woman held hostage... Janet mentions that she had already killed a couple of them...
*** The timer for Jo's boss fight mission seems pretty long. However, as it shortens, the number of living prisoners Jo has dwindles down from four to one.

*** The timer for Jo's boss fight mission seems pretty long. However, as it shortens, [[FridgeHorror the number of living prisoners Jo has dwindles down from four to one.]]

** On the other hand, FridgeHorror kicks in about Steve when you remember this is in the start of a ZombieApocalypse -- what does Steve run? A grocery store, with food and medical supplies. What's the one thing survivors may be desperate to get by any means -- up to and including murder? Food and medical supplies. For all we know, Steve may have been a decent guy, but was forced to kill looters in self-defense, and [[DrivenToMadness the resulting mental trauma made him the screaming, paranoid maniac we fight]].

* Late enough into the game to have rounded up too many survivors to keep track of, there's a detail about one of them that's nagging and inexplicably disturbing. When you meet the guy, Frank notices that he has a neck injury and he very anxiously insists that it's "just a scratch." [[ZombieInfectee Three guesses what it most likely is]], and even though it's obvious, after you get him to the security room, it's unsettling when you notice him ''vigorously'' scratching his neck through the window of the room he's in, only for him to stop as soon as you walk in. Sometimes the women in the same room start yelling at him, open for interpretation, also. And if you're waiting for a call from Otis telling you it may not have been a great idea to leave your survivors alone with this guy, [[NothingIsScarier nothing actually happens with him]]. [[FridgeHorror On the other hand, in the endings in which Frank and his survivors escape...]]

* Sean and the True Eye cult are quite freaky. [[UncannyValley The way the cultists move just isn't natural]] (a very slow, shambling crawl which is changed when they suddenly rush forward) and they also have distorted voices that are very eerie sounding. Really, Sean is quite unsettling as well, with his penchant for public executions and his demonic tone of voice. And then, there's his [[EyeScream death]]. Really, if you haven't seen the cult yet, the curious player who explores the movie theater may be unnerved when they wander into Theater 4 and see the bloody eye symbols, the torches, and mannequin idol and wonder exactly what the hell went on in there. You just can't help but wonder: Exactly how long have they been doing this?
** Since Sean's intro claimed that "[[ApocalypseHow The End Of Days Is Upon Us]]", this leads to two flavors of FridgeHorror -- either [[ParanoiaFuel they've been waiting in the shadows for an excuse like a zombie outbreak to go nuts]], or formed improbably fast in the wake of the outbreak.
** Also, they're able to somehow bypass the zombies and not get attacked by them, even if they deliberately take a swing at one that gets too close for their liking.

* Once you start investigating the actual plotline, everything goes to hell. The army [[CavalryBetrayal attacks you]], led by a GeneralRipper hellbent on covering up the incident by murdering everything in the mall (undead or not), your quirky teammates from the [[CIAEvilFBIGood Department of Homeland Security]] [[AndThenJohnWasAZombie are both zombified before your eyes]], it turns out that the zombie plague is transmitted by genetically-mutated wasps that inject parasitic larvae that devour the host's brain, and all the people you worked so hard to save [[YankTheDogsChain are most likely disposed of to keep the mall's dirty secret under wraps]], (except for Otis, who is quite possibly the only other survivor in the end). Even after a climactic escape involving you and Isabella using a jeep with a machine gun to fight a tank, a knock-down, drag-out brawl-to-the-death against the deranged special forces commander, and getting the truth out about the zombie outbreak, the protagonist remains infected by the incurable zombie plague, a walking time bomb that may go off at any moment. And, of course, our villain ([[DroppedABridgeOnHim despite being quite dead by this point]]) [[MyDeathIsOnlyTheBeginning has already set things in motion]] [[TheBadGuyWins so that zombie uprisings will occur all over the country]] Oh, and did I mention the MonsterClown?

** What made the ShellShockedVeteran's defeat a TearJerker was how, just before he died, he realizes that you aren't an enemy, and shows you [[FatalFamilyPhoto a picture of his family]] then he tells you how he heard the scream of his granddaughter when she got mauled by zombies. Even though you were only defending yourself, and he's "only" a boss, [[PlayerPunch that scene will stay with you]]. Which makes it all the more satisfying to then [[TakeUpMySword pick up his still-bloody machete]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge and bring Hell to the slavering, mindless hordes that took his girl from him.]]
*** While ultimately tragic, the ShellShockedVeteran's intro is pure NightmareFuel. When you walk into the room, you see bloody bodies hanging upside-down from the ceiling [[OffWithHisHead with their heads chopped off]], and [[PaintTheTownRed the floor smeared with blood]]. While you're busy taking in all the {{Gorn}}, Cliff sneaks up on you, and yells "[[JumpScare NAME AND RANK, SOLDIER!!!]]" When you can't answer him, he interprets you as a DirtyCommunist, and takes a swipe at you with his [[MacheteMayhem machete]]. When you get back up -- [[TeleportSpam he's gone]]. [[OhCrap Then you hear his voice calling out to you]], claiming he's ready to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique beat on you until you tell where the (nonexistent) guerrillas' hideout is]], [[FateWorseThanDeath and you'll be begging for death to take you away by the time he's done]]. The cutscene [[ParanoiaFuel closes with Cliff's footsteps on one side of the store, before suddenly going to the other...]] [[JumpScare Then, unless you're fast enough, the start of the fight has him]] [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaling you]] InTheBack [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower and hoisting your body a good three to four feet off the ground!]] Frank only survives by being MadeOfIron, and even ''then'' [[ThatOneBoss Cliff is easily the hardest fight of the whole game]].

** On the other hand, FridgeHorror kicks in about Steve when you remember this is in the start of a ZombieApocalypse -- what does Steve run? A grocery store, with food and medical supplies. What's the one thing survivors may be desperate to get by any means -- up to and including murder? Food and medical supplies. For all we know, Steve may have been a decent guy, but was forced to kill looters in self-defense, and [[HeroicBSOD the resulting mental trauma]] [[DrivenToMadness made him the screaming, paranoid maniac we fight]].

* [[UncannyValley The look on]] [[TrueFinalBoss Brock Mason's]] [[NightmareFace face]] [[KarmicDeath as he falls backwards into the zombie mob]], and is DevouredByTheHorde. Even the fact [[AssholeVictim he clearly deserved it]] doesn't help much. It's even worse in that, while his [[JawDrop mouth is wide open]], Brock doesn't scream or even gasp -- [[NothingIsScarier he just wordlessly]] [[DisneyVillainDeath falls to his]] [[DevouredByTheHorde demise by being devoured]].

** What made the ShellShockedVeteran's defeat a TearJerker was how, just before he died, he realizes that you aren't an enemy, and tells you how he watched his granddaughter get mauled by zombies, then shows you [[FatalFamilyPhoto her picture]]. Even though you were only defending yourself, and he's "only" a boss, [[PlayerPunch that scene will stay with you]]. Which makes it all the more satisfying to then [[TakeUpMySword pick up his still-bloody machete]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge and bring Hell to the slavering, mindless hordes that took his girl from him.]]

* Letting a survivor get eaten by zombies (which ''is'' tempting due to their ArtificialStupidity) triggers a cutscene of said survivor getting chowed down on, which is obviously horrific to watch, but the one that sticks out the most is when a zombie forces the survivor to the ground, but instead of just taking a bunch of bites out of them, the zombie will ''jam their arm down the victims throat'' and pull their '''oesophagus''' out, and munch away at that, as though there is some kind of reasoning cruelty towards the victim.

* Letting a survivor get eaten by zombies (which ''is'' tempting due to their ArtificalStupidity) triggers a cutscene of said survivor getting chowed down on, which is obviously horrific to watch, but the one that sticks out the most is when a zombie forces the survivor to the ground, but instead of just taking a bunch of bites out of them, the zombie will ''jam their arm down the victims throat'' and pull their '''esophagus''' out, and munch away at that, as though there is some kind of reasoning cruelty towards the victim.

* [[MonsterClown Adam MacIntyre the Clown.]] Wielding two chainsaws (and also ''juggle'' it), who also happens to [[LaughingMad laugh while said chainsaws cut open his stomach]] and lets "all the little children go on his fun, killer ride?" Not to mention the ShellShockedVeteran you have to kill, who believes you and the zombies are Viet Cong after he went nuts when his granddaughter was EatenAlive by zombies? To say nothing of PsychoLesbian Cop Jo Slade, who keeps four innocent women as her prisoners, and makes not-so-subtle threats to them.

* [[MonsterClown Adam the Clown.]] Wielding two chainsaws (and also ''juggle'' it), who also happens to [[LaughingMad laugh while said chainsaws cut open his stomach]] and lets "all the little children go on his fun, killer ride?" Not to mention the ShellShockedVeteran you have to kill, who believes you and the zombies are Viet Cong after he went nuts when his granddaughter was EatenAlive by zombies? To say nothing of PsychoLesbian Cop Jo Slade, who keeps four innocent women as her prisoners, and makes not-so-subtle threats to them.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown "Stay away from there, gramps!"]]]]

* Larry is pretty much ''every'' horrifying butcher archetype all rolled into one ugly, cannibalistic package.

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown ''"Stay away from there, gramps!"'']]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown '"Stay away from there, gramps!"']]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown "Stay away from there, gramps!"]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown Stay away from there, gramps!]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown "Everyone used to laugh at me! I... was a walking punchline. but not anymore..."]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:[[MonsterClown "Everyone used to laugh at me. I was a walking punchline, but not anymore."]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:"Everyone used to laugh at me. I was a walking punchline, but not anymore."]]
''VideoGame/DeadRising'' lulls you into a false sense of security with its over-the-top premise. You are a reporter ([[{{Narm}} he's "covered wars, you know"]]) who gets stuck in a shopping mall full of zombies in search of the ultimate scoop. Sounds safe, right?

* What, the MonsterClown with two chainsaws, who also happens to [[LaughingMad laugh while said chainsaws cut open his stomach]] and lets "all the little children go on his fun, killer ride?" Not to mention the ShellShockedVeteran you have to kill, who believes you and the zombies are Viet Cong after he went nuts when his granddaughter was EatenAlive by zombies? To say nothing of PsychoLesbian Cop Jo Slade, who keeps four innocent women as her prisoners, and makes not-so-subtle threats to them.

** On the other hand, FridgeHorror kicks in about Steve when you remember this is in the start of a ZombieApocalypse -- what does Steve run? A Grocery Store, with food and medical supplies. What's the one thing survivors may be desperate to get by any means -- up to and including murder? Food and medical supplies. For all we know, Steve may have been a decent guy, but was forced to kill looters in self-defense, and [[HeroicBSOD the resulting mental trauma]] [[DrivenToMadness made him the screaming, paranoid maniac we fight]].

-->'''Leah:''' "They ate her. Those damn zombies ate my baby! Right in front of me...oh God, I've never heard her cry like that! Please... Just leave me alone..."

* [[UncannyValley The look on]] [[TrueFinalBoss Brock Mason's]] [[NightmareFace face]] [[KarmicDeath as he falls backwards into the zombie mob]], and is DevouredByTheHorde. Even the fact [[AssholeVictim he clearly deserved it]] doesn't help much. It's even worse in that, while his [[JawDrop mouth is wide open]], Brock doesn't scream or even gasp -- [[NothingIsScarier he just wordlessly]][[DisneyVillainDeath falls to his]] [[DevouredByTheHorde demise by being devoured]].

* Once you start investigating the actual plotline, everything goes to hell. The army [[spoiler:[[CavalryBetrayal attacks you]], led by a GeneralRipper hellbent on covering up the incident by murdering everything in the mall (undead or not)]], your quirky teammates from the [[CIAEvilFBIGood Department of Homeland Security]] [[spoiler:[[AndThenJohnWasAZombie are both zombified before your eyes]]]], it turns out that the zombie plague is transmitted by [[spoiler:genetically-mutated wasps that inject parasitic larvae that devour the host's brain]], and all the people you worked so hard to save [[spoiler:[[YankTheDogsChain are most likely disposed of to keep the mall's dirty secret under wraps]], (except for Otis, who is quite possibly the only other survivor in the end)]]. Even after a climactic escape involving [[spoiler: you and Isabella using a jeep with a machine gun to fight a tank]], a knock-down, drag-out brawl-to-the-death against [[spoiler:the deranged special forces commander]], and [[spoiler:getting the truth out about the zombie outbreak]], the protagonist [[spoiler:remains infected by the incurable zombie plague, a walking time bomb that may go off at any moment]]. And, of course, our villain [[spoiler: ([[DroppedABridgeOnHim despite being quite dead by this point]]) [[MyDeathIsOnlyTheBeginning has already set things in motion]] [[TheBadGuyWins so that zombie uprisings will occur all over the country]].]] Oh, and did I mention the MonsterClown?
* What, the MonsterClown with two chainsaws, who also happens to [[LaughingMad laugh while said chainsaws cut open his stomach]] and lets "all the little children go on his fun, killer ride?" Not to mention the ShellShockedVeteran you have to kill, who believes you and the zombies are Viet Cong [[spoiler:after he went nuts when his granddaughter was EatenAlive by zombies]]? To say nothing of PsychoLesbian Cop Jo Slade, who keeps four innocent women as her prisoners, and makes not-so-subtle threats to them.
** What made the ShellShockedVeteran's defeat a TearJerker was how, just before he died, [[spoiler:he realizes that you aren't an enemy, and tells you how he watched his granddaughter get mauled by zombies, then shows you [[FatalFamilyPhoto her picture]]. Even though you were only defending yourself, and he's "only" a boss, [[PlayerPunch that scene will stay with you]].]] Which makes it all the more satisfying to then [[spoiler:[[TakeUpMySword pick up his still-bloody machete]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge and bring Hell to the slavering, mindless hordes that took his girl from him]].]]
*** While ultimately tragic, the ShellShockedVeteran's intro is pure NightmareFuel. When you walk into the room, you see bloody bodies hanging upside-down from the ceiling [[OffWithHisHead with their heads chopped off]], and [[PaintTheTownRed the floor smeared with blood]]. While you're busy taking in all the {{Gorn}}, Cliff sneaks up on you, and yells "[[JumpScare NAME AND RANK, SOLDIER!!!]]" When you can't answer him, he interprets you as a DirtyCommunist, and takes a swipe at you with his [[MacheteMayhem machete]]. When you get back up -- [[TeleportSpam he's gone]]. [[OhCrap Then you hear his voice calling out to you]], claiming he's ready to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique beat on you until you tell where the (nonexistent) guerrillas' hideout is]], [[FateWorseThanDeath and you'll be begging for death to take you away by the time he's done]]. The cutscene [[ParanoiaFuel closes with Cliff's footsteps on one side of the store, before suddenly going to the other...]] [[spoiler:[[JumpScare Then, unless you're fast enough, the start of the fight has him]] [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaling you]] InTheBack [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower and hoisting your body a good three to four feet off the ground!]] Frank only survives by being MadeOfIron, and even ''then'' [[ThatOneBoss Cliff is easily the hardest fight of the whole game]].]]

* Don't forget the hidden cutscene if you leave the main menu idle long enough. In it, a mother and her daughter are driving down the road, desperately trying to get away from the zombies, [[spoiler:only to end up stranded alone and helpless as a mob of zombies surround them while they scream.]] Imagine seeing that at around midnight after returning from a quick bathroom break or midnight snack.

* The eventual appearance of the army, while spectacularly epic, is also rather terrifying due to their sheer efficiency. [[spoiler:Also knowing that they're here to kill you, if you're replaying, doesn't help matters]].
* [[UncannyValley The look on]] [[spoiler:[[TrueFinalBoss Brock Mason's]]]] [[NightmareFace face]] [[spoiler:[[KarmicDeath as he falls backwards into the zombie mob]], and is DevouredByTheHorde.]] Even the fact [[AssholeVictim he clearly deserved it]] doesn't help much. It's even worse in that, while his [[JawDrop mouth is wide open]], [[spoiler: Brock]] doesn't scream or even gasp -- [[NothingIsScarier he just wordlessly]] [[spoiler:[[DisneyVillainDeath falls to his]] [[DevouredByTheHorde demise by being devoured]].]]

*** While ultimately tragic, the ShellShockedVeteran's intro is pure NightmareFuel. When you walk into the room, you see bloody bodies hanging upside-down from the ceiling [[OffWithHisHead with their heads chopped off]], and [[PaintTheTownRed the floor smeared with blood]]. While you're busy taking in all the {{Gorn}}, Cliff sneaks up on you, and yells "[[JumpScare NAME AND RANK, SOLDIER!!!]]" When you can't answer him, he interprets you as a DirtyCommunist, and takes a swipe at you with his [[MacheteMayhem machete]]. When you get back up -- [[TeleportSpam he's gone]]. [[OhCrap Then you hear his voice calling out to you]], claiming he's ready to [[JackBauerInterrogationTechnique beat on you until you tell where the (nonexistent) guerrillas' hideout is]], [[FateWorseThanDeath and you'll be begging for death to take you away by the time he's done]]. The cutscene [[ParanoiaFuel closes with Cliff's footsteps on one side of the store, before suddenly going to the other...]] [[spoiler:[[JumpScare Then the start of the fight has him]] [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice impaling you]] InTheBack, [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower and hoisting your body a good three to four feet off the ground!!!]] Frank only survives simply from being MadeOfIron, and even ''then'' [[ThatOneBoss Cliff is easily the hardest fight of the whole game]].]]

*** The timer for Jo's boss fight mission seems pretty long. However, as it shortens, the number of living prisoners Jo has dwindles down from four to one.