Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster has its fair share of uniquely unhinged characters classified as Psychopaths, serving as the game’s boss encounters. Dealing with these bosses can range from annoying to challenging to even effortless, making for a wide range of gimmicks you must deal with and overcome to emerge victorious.
A perfect example of this is Paul Carson, a pyromaniac that runs away from you while hurling explosives and other flammable objects at you, creating one of the most interesting and mildly irritating Psychopath encounters in the game, especially with the events that can transpire afterward.
How To Find Paul Carson
At 5am during the third day of the outbreak, Otis will call Frank West and go over details about a ‘Guy with long hair over in one of the Women’s Clothing Shops in Wonderland Plaza,‘ unlocking the ‘Long Haired Punk‘ Scoop for you to track and complete.
You must complete this Scoop before 5pm, so you will have a decent amount of time to tackle it, allowing you to focus on ‘A Strange Group’ first, as that is another optional Psychopath Scoop we recommend completing. Once you’re primed and ready, head into the Casual Gals shop in Wonderland Plaza to trigger a cutscene and leap into battle!
If this Scoop is not activating for you, try rescuing more Survivors in the mall. Paul has three Survivors held hostage, so this will not become active unless there is room in the mall for them to spawn. There can only be eight Survivors in the mall at a time, so ensure you have freed up enough room to get the call from Otis!
How To Defeat Paul Carson
Paul can be a dangerous and irritating Psychopath to deal with, so to help mitigate that, let’s grab several items before we enter his arena. In Paradise Plaza, grab the Submachine Gun found on the awning above Shoekin’s, then make your way over to Colombian Roastmasters and pick up three gallons of Orange Juice.
Next, grab a second Submachine Gun from the fountain in Al Fresca Plaza, and you will be good to go. You can also grab a melee weapon if you wish, preferably the Katana, but it won’t be nearly as useful against Paul as the SMG. Just having enough healing items and two SMGs will be more than enough!
Paul's Moves
Now that you’re ready to go, it’s time to face Paul, which will start with him sprinting out of the Casual Gals shop and running around the mall, periodically stopping to light and toss Pipe Bombs at you. You can shoot him as he’s running, but we recommend waiting for him to stop to get a clear shot on him.
When he tosses the Pipe Bomb, run toward him and away from it to avoid taking damage. He will eventually run away again and will begin pulling out Molotovs, lighting them, and tossing them at you. Unload on him here, as shooting him as he begins to throw a Molotov will have him drop it at his feet, dealing substantial damage.
Repeat this process until he’s defeated. Again, if you brought two Submachine Guns to the battle, you will have more than enough to take him down relatively effortlessly. His Molotovs will be what you’re looking for, as that is how you can carve large chunks of his health down with a well-timed shot.
One thing to be wary of with his Molotovs is that they explode fiercely on impact and will deal tons of damage if it hits you. If he happens to throw one without you interrupting it, dodge roll away from it and toward him to avoid taking damage.
In the original game, he also had an RC Car that was rigged with explosives that he would drive toward you before detonating it when it got . He didn’t deploy one when we fought him, but we assume it’s still there. If that’s the case, you can shoot the RC Car early and detonate it prematurely to avoid taking damage and, in some cases, damaging him in the process!
Rewards For Defeating Paul Carson
Upon defeating Paul, a cutscene will play where he accidentally lights himself on fire and begins writhing in pain on the floor before it transitions back to the game. Here, you can grab the Fire Extinguisher directly behind him and use it to put the fire out, sparing his life. We strongly recommend doing that, but the choice is yours.
After dealing with Paul, open the changing room doors to find Mindy and Debbie and talk to them to have them join you. With Paul, Mindy, and Debbie at your side, make your way back to the Security Room to rescue them and get tons of PP as a result.
Unlike most Psychopaths, you won’t get a permanent item for defeating Paul… at least not at first. Deciding to spare his life will eventually lead to the ‘Paul’s Present‘ Scoop, having him give Frank his Molotovs in the Security Room by talking to him, making it an excellent reward in the long run, so be sure to save him!
