When Carlito Keyes told Frank West on the roof of the Willamette Mall that this place was hell, he wasn’t kidding. But the perennial antagonist of Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster doesn’t make your stay any easier, complicating your progress with three boss fights throughout the game. The first encounter appears early in the investigation, during Case 1-2: Backup for Brad. It’s a Food Court fight where Carlito forces you into cover with submachine gun fire, and it can be a tricky situation to overcome, especially if you’re under-level and new to Dead Rising.
In this guide, I’ll explain a quick and easy strategy for taking down Carlito as soon as possible so you can proceed with the rest of the case.
How to prepare for the Carlito fight in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
The boss battle with Carlito occurs as soon as you enter the Food Court, which you’ll access by leaving Paradise Plaza and crossing the Leisure Park, a wide-open field that is a crossroads for the mall’s various plazas. Aim to get there before 6 PM when the convicts spawn to make your trek a little easier, as the machine gun-toting jeep will make your crossing a lot more complicated.
In terms of items, you’re going to need some firearms and melee weapons, as well as some healing items. The best place to visit is Colombian Roastmasters on Paradise Plaza’s second floor. It’s here where you’ll find heaps of orange juice and coffee creamer to gorge on, and if you hop the barrier at the back, you’ll land on a canopy with a katana, which you can respawn by leaving and entering the area. And you should, because it’s an extremely powerful weapon.
Jessica provides Frank with a pistol as part of the story, but if you want the security of a few more, look for cop zombies near the exit to Paradise Plaza. Also, if you head up to the midpoint of the right set of stairs in Paradise Plaza, you can climb up onto the blue ledge to the right and walk between the awkward outcroppings (past the teddy) towards the final blue balcony, which houses a submachine gun that will make short work of Carlito’s health bar.
How to defeat Carlito in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster
Now that you’re good and prepared make your way to the Food Court. As soon as you finish the introductory cutscene, you want to run out from cover towards the main Food Court area through the arches on the left. You’ll see stalls to your right, and there’s a set of boxes (with a much-maligned upwards arrow on it for visibility) you can use to climb on the roof of the stalls. Once you’ve made it up there, leap across the stalls to the ramparts where Carlito is firing from.
Use the corner as a hiding spot, and wait for Carlito to empty a clip towards you. You may have to peek out to make him fire, but he’ll react soon enough. When the shooting stops, walk out of cover and start firing at Carlito, consecutively as to stun-lock his animation cycle. It’s a lot easier in the remaster because you can shoot while aiming and moving. Just be sure to head back into cover when he reloads and starts firing again, or you’ll get stun-locked instead.
If the long game isn’t working, you can wait for Carlito to come closer to you and then leap out and start slashing at him with the Katana. Your swipes should also stunlock Carlito to some degree, and his health bar will be in pieces. It’s more risky to fight up close, but as long as you don’t overstay your welcome (and end up riddled with bullets), you should be fine. Once Carlito is defeated, grab the Gunslinger skill book that drops in his place afterwards, a magazine which will increase your damage with firearms. Now you’ve only got two more Carlito boss fights to look forward to! Lucky you.
