Rail-Shooting Thrills, Missing the Charm
Remakes have become something of a given in the gaming industry of today. What was once a novelty and rare occurrence saved for the best of the best, is now, what feels like, a monthly occurrence. I suppose it’s only expected that as time goes on and more games release, there will be more to remake.
I also suppose that – just like with everything else in life – there are the good (think Resident Evil remakes) and the bad (think Sonic The Hedgehog 1 on the Gameboy). Somewhere along these two polar extremes, lies THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake.
This title originated as a Dreamcast cult classic, selling one of the most odd accessories alongside the console, the Dreamcast gun. Its predecessor has been fortunate enough (or unfortunate depending on your opinion) to receive the beauty treatment already, to generally mixed reception. Some sources cite the gameplay as excelling, yet the voice acting, and just about every other aspect, removing personality for corporate polish. Regardless of your stance, it’s only fair to give its sequel a fair chance, and what better place to begin than the story?
On-Rails Mayhem
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake sees you choosing between two agents, James Taylor and Gary Stewart, either one about to embark on a journey of zombie brains, government conspiracy, and a lot of death. The story is nothing to write home about, the original had this charming 90s voice acting that you couldn’t help but laugh at, yet unfortunately this has been replaced for mediocre voiceovers that lack any soul at all.
Moving onto gameplay, this title can be experienced in multiple ways; a campaign mode (also split into a classic or modern scoring system) offering a classic experience, and a boss rush allowing for guaranteed goliath galore. Both modes have their place in THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake, ultimately offering vast replayability. Yet what do you actually do? To answer this, it’s best to begin with the campaign mode.
As mentioned earlier, you’ll choose between two agents, James Taylor and Gary Stewart, leading different, yet largely similar stories through a zombie ridden city. You’ll also choose two bonus perks before any run, offering extra bullets or extra continues, and much more. You journey through various chapters, each with the same structure and objective, all the whilst conforming to every rule of an on-rails shooter (a genre where the camera automatically moves as you’re dragged from one location to another, as if on rails).
Headshots, Civilians, and the Necronomicon
Your job is simple, aim and shoot any zombies that come past; headshots are an instant killer, yet also keep your eyes peeled for boxes or other destructible objects to obtain bonuses from, civilians to rescue, and secret pathways to take. You have a bullet count, and a life meter which, as you can probably guess, will end your run if it depletes, affected by the various deadly zombies, of which there are a wide variety. Be it ground-based, flying, insects, or water bound creatures, each enemy is distinct, with their own attacks to memorise. The gameplay is truly simple, yet the replay value and unique paths to take make it simply so fun to master.
As you reach the end of each chapter, you run into what I believe is the highlight, boss fights. You’ll find no breaks for silly dialogue, just attack patterns, huge behemoth zombies, and your own skill to factor in. They all have weak points, kindly highlighted beforehand through a Necronomicon-esque book stating various facts about them. These are superb set pieces, and the boss rush mode allows for the best aspect of the game to be enjoyed time and time again.
Rotten Pacing
There is one huge issue I have with THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake’s gameplay, and that is the overwhelming implementation of cutscenes. Inherently, these would be a good addition to flesh out the narrative and lore, yet in action, they completely ruin the shooting fun, popping up almost every thirty seconds to halt your momentum.
Unfortunately, the remake doesn’t do much in the way of refurbishing any aspect of gameplay besides minor improvements and updated graphics, yet the strong foundation creates for a fun experience. Whether it be campaign or boss rush, there is certainly fun to be had here with immense replay value. On the other hand, gameplay and, specifically, dialogue seem to have forgotten the power that charm and personality add in terms of a gaming title, instead sacrificing them for corporate polish that goes against what the franchise stands for.
Level design is another aspect I can praise for various reasons; each placement of zombies is thoughtful, for either a jump-scare or reaction based moment forcing you into quick decision making. Diverging paths contribute a large portion of replay value, opening up many different routes keeping each run unique. Pair this with the various destructible environment pieces for bonuses, and civilians to save (or kill if you misfire). When factoring in the two playable characters different stories, level design excels in creating a fun on-rail shooter with immense replay value.
Brains, But Missing the Soul
Once you’re done with any amount of fun you take away from THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake, you can revisit your mixed memories through the Secret Lab. This area operates as a gallery of sorts – much like Resident Evil remakes have implemented – to educate you on everything from the monsters you’ve fought, to the environments. Every day is a school day, and the Secret Lab offers one in the form of educational zombie facts.
THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake is more brains than pains, through the thrilling on-rail action maintained from the original, and stellar boss fights with behemoths. Sadly, this experience becomes just as rotten as the zombie flesh shown throughout, due to a severe lack of personality, or any attempt to streamline the crossover of cutscenes and gameplay.
Important Links
Reload! THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2: Remake Blasts onto Xbox, PlayStation, Switch & PC – https://www.thexboxhub.com/reload-the-house-of-the-dead-2-remake-blasts-onto-xbox-playstation-switch-pc/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/the-house-of-the-dead-2-remake/9NWM3HCKMM85/0010
Consider the Bundle of the Dead – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/the-bundle-of-the-dead/9PMBNH82RJQH/0010
