Reviewed
12.05.2002
Publisher
Sega
Developer
Wow
Entertainment
Format
1x
DVD
Origin
Import
/ Domestic
Available
Oct.,
2002 (USA)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Adjustable
Dimensions
3D
View
1st
Person
Genre
Light
Gun / Shooter
Player(s)
1~2
Options
Backup
Mad
Catz Blaster
Vibration
Requires
n/a
Importable
99% |
| Intro |
|
> The House of the Dead made a huge splash when it hit the arcade
scene in the mid 90's. Following in the footsteps of Virtua
Cop, Sega had another bona fide gun shooter hit, which eventually
turned into a series. The House of the Dead (HOTD) was ported
to Saturn, while The
House of the Dead 2 and Zombie
Revenge were ported to Dreamcast.
> For those of you in the dark, the HOTD series is light gun rampage against
grotesque, bio-deformed undead creatures to save humanity. For many
gamers, this series is unmatched in gameplay, gore and fun. Wow Entertainment
intends to keep the crown with this sequel... |
| Graphics |
|
> Each prior HOTD features state-of-the-art visuals, and HOTD3 is no different.
I was under the impression this game was to be of the cell shaded variety,
but it looks more realistic than say, Jet
Set Radio Future. The cut-scenes are real-time -- very cool.
Beasts of all shapes and sizes never looked this gross, and certainly never
animated this realistic. I especially love pummeling the monsters
with bullets to see the blood and guts pour out, then they disintegrate
convincingly. Don't forget the bosses. They're varied, deadly,
and require a certain amount of accuracy to defeat. Outstanding!
There's only one thing wrong here. What happened to Lisa Rogan?
She's an anti voluptuous skeleton of a heroin?! (x_X |
| Control |
|
> I'm sure HOTD3 plays best with the Mad Catz Light Gun, but it's
definitely no slouch with the "oversized" Xbox pad. The gameplay
is basic: you move on rails while shooting the bad guys. At certain
points in the game, you can choose the route you take, all of which lead
to the final stage. There's even an auto reload for your gun (great
addition). Along the way you'll even have an opportunity to find
power-ups and save your companion. For the bosses, they have the
expected weak points you need to concentrate on. Very tight. |
| Sound |
|
> There's certainly nothing wrong with the music, it's just forgettable
background horror music. The sound effects are top notch and are
sure to please. The voice acting is well done too. No real
beef here. |
| Fun |
|
> Choose from Survival and Time Attack modes. After you've beaten
HOTD3, you can even play the full version of HOTD2 (most likely a PC port;
done very well, BTW). There's even a House of the Dead Movie
trailer to watch, which actually looks like a game-to-movie worth paying
to see! Top that off with a brightness adjustment (very good) and
five satisfying arcade shoot 'em up levels. |
| Bottom
Line |
|
> I'm sure you've read all the reviews complaining about HOTD3 (an arcade
game) being too short. For my taste and attention span for a gun
game, HOTD3 is the perfect length. If you like light gun shooters,
then this package (HOTD3 and HOTD2) is unparalleled. |
| Ratings |
| Overall:
9.0 | Graphics: 9.8 | Control: 9.5 | Sound: 8.0 | Fun: 8.5 |
~
Shinobi ~
|
