Dead Rising Best Weapons: Where to find the best weapons in DRDR

The best weapons in Dead Rising, what they do, and where to find them all.

Dr. Salvador outfit with chainsaw in Dead Rising / Capcom

Dead Rising is a lot easier when you know where to get some of the best weapons in the game. While a lot of the weapons you can pick up around Willamette Mall will do a great job of helping you survive, some are better than others, and the best ones will make tearing through a crowd of zombies effortless.

The most powerful weapons in Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster tend to come with some kind of drawback, but as long as it doesn’t stop them from being effective. In this guide we’re breaking down our favorite weapons to use in Dead Rising, and where you can find them.

Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster Best Weapon Locations

1. Chainsaw
2. Katana
3. Small Chainsaw
4. Shotgun
5. Battle Axe
6. Shopping Cart

1. Chainsaw

Chainsaw location / Capcom

The chainsaw might be the best weapon overall. It does come with some significant drawbacks – like the fact that you can’t put it in your pockets, or that you drop it every time you get hit, or that the start-up animation is too long to be used in a pinch – but those drawbacks still can’t detract from what is an obscenely powerful tool. 

A swing from a chainsaw can destroy a zombie in a single swing, and it can be swung while Frank runs. This means you can stoll through a crowd of zombies and just watch your kill count pile up. It can even make short work of bosses, as long as they don’t knock it out of your hands. Wherever you’re going, a chainsaw will make the journey easier.

The chainsaw is easiest to find in McHandy’s Hardware in Al Fresca Plaza, but can also be found in Crislip’s Home Saloon in the North Plaza.

2. Katana

Katana location / Capcom

The katana is a big sword, obviously, but each cleave will tear through zombies – and multiple at a time, too. Unlike the chainsaw, you can put multiple katana in your pockets, and pull them out when you need them most. There’s no real drawback, it’s just one of the best weapons in the game.

You can get katana at Ripper’s Blades in the North Plaza, or at Ned’s Knicknackery, which is upstairs in the Entrance Plaza.

3. Small Chainsaw

Small chainsaw location / Capcom

The small chainsaw is like the chainsaw, but you can put it in your pocket. You can’t swing them while you run, but they make short work of zombies, and they don’t have the same start-up time that the bigger chainsaws do.

After you kill Adam the Clown, you can collect small chainsaws near where he died repeatedly, which is next to the control panel upstairs in Wonderland Plaza, opposite Kokonutz Sports Town.

4. Shotgun

Shotgun location / Capcom

Most of the guns in Dead Rising aren’t actually that powerful, but if you’re to grab one, it should be the shotgun. If you’re in a pinch it can take out a bunch of zombies at once thanks to its spray, giving you space to move. And yes, you can put more than one shotgun in your pockets. It’s even great against bosses, being one of the few ranged weapons that deal effective damage. 

You can repeatedly find shotguns at the Hunting Shack, which is hidden away in the North Plaza. Just be careful, as the survivors inside have guns.

5. Battle Axe

Battle axe location / Capcom

The battle axe is similar to the katana, just a bit heavier, with wider swings. It’s pocketable, powerful, and relatively durable. Again, a fantastic melee weapon to have in your inventory.

You can get the battle axe from Ned’s Knicknackery, upstairs in the Entrance Plaza, just like the katana.

6. Shopping Cart

Shopping cart / Capcom

The shopping cart is pretty innocent at first glance, but in the right situation, it can be a life saver. The shopping cart – as long as it doesn’t get slowed by corpses – can power straight through a crowd of zombies, either killing or collapsing any zombies that touch you to the ground. As long as you’re able to grab a shopping cart and start pushing, it’s fantastic. 

There is a shopping cart in the game equipped with actual weapons, but instead of being something you take with you, the shopping cart is something that can be very useful when you happen to come across one. Just remember how effective they can be when you get stuck in a crowd!