The House of the Dead 2

Review

by Colin Williamson

If you stepped into an Arcade any time during late 1998, you probably saw Sega's House of the Dead. This was a game that drew in hard-core shooter fans by offering frantic gameplay where the player had to mow down hordes of the undead. Best of all, the zombies wouldn't go down without a direct shot to the head, resulting in carnage-o-riffic gore-fests where walking torsos would keep coming at you.

Naturally, a sequel was inevitable, and House of the Dead 2 manages to satisfy on the same visceral level of the first game. This time, the undead have invaded a circa-1950 European villa, and only you can save the remaining townspeople from the murderous flock of zombies. But now the zombies are tougher and more plentiful (not to mention much better-looking, thanks to improved graphic hardware). You'll still have to save innocents, including women and LITTLE KIDS. That's right, cute little six-year-olds will get EATEN in this game without your help. Egads!

The pacing of House of the Dead 2 is even more breakneck than its predecessor. In fact, it may be a little too much for most players - even though reloading is accomplished by simply aiming off the screen, the shuffling monsters are ruthless in their attacks, and you're gonna go through a lot of quarters by the time this game is over. The game's final boss redefines "cheap" - thank heavens I was playing the game with an unlimited-credit press pass, or I'd be in the poorhouse.

Aside from the improved graphics and faster gameplay, House of the Dead 2 also features the H.P. Lovecraft-esque flavor that made the first game such a hit. It also features really bad voice acting and typographical errors aplenty, as we've come to expect from the series.

All in all, House of the Dead 2 is a graphically luscious shooter that should satisfy anyone who's a fan of gothic horror and guns-a-blazin' action. Just keep a pocket full of quarters on hand.