In Seeming Attempt To Avoid Offense, Capcom Race-Swaps Psychopath Enemy From Asian To White In Upcoming ‘Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster’
In what can only be described as a pre-emptive measure to avoid backlash from the terminally online, Capcom’s Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster has race-swapped one of the game’s violent ‘Psychopath’ boss enemies from Asian to Caucasian.
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Scattered throughout the fictional Wilamette Mall in which the game takes place, the ranks of Dead Rising‘s Psychopaths consist of particularly dangerous human survivors who, unable to comprehend the undead horrors unfolding around them, have lost their minds and gone violently insane.
Among these unhinged individuals is one Larry Chiang.
A once-respected butcher who seeks to uphold his reputation amidst the outbreak by serving ‘Fresh Meat’ – otherwise known as the flesh of non-infected humans – Chiang crosses path with protagonist Frank West after kidnapping one of his allies, Carlito Keyes, and threatening to grind him up into his next meal, his threat only coming to after a meat-locker-set duel against the veteran photographer.
In the original game, Chiang – unsurprisingly in light of his name – was depicted as a bald and heavy-set Chinese individual, the Chinese character for ‘meat’ even tattooed down his neck.
(As an aside, it should be noted that outside of informing his visual appearance, Chiang’s ethnic background plays no part in his on-screen story. Not once does he himself bring up his heritage, nor does he work at any sort of Chinese restaurant.)
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However, in the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster, it seems Chiang does not appear at all.
Rather, as seen in the game’s announcement trailer, his role in the game will instead be filled by a heavy-set white man sporting a baseball cap, thin glasses, a graying moustache, and a notably crazy look in his eyes.
At current, Capcom has yet to provide any public as to either why they made this change.
Further, in terms of speculation, it’s currently theorized that Chiang’s character was edited in order to avoid drawing accusations of racism regarding his design, which some (could disingenuously reach to interpret as a racist caricature.
Further, it currently remains unclear whether the version of ‘The Butcher’ seen in the Remaster is intended to be a lighter-skinned version of Chiang or a new, wholly different character.
At current, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is currently on track to chop ’till it drops starting on September 19th.
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