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Review - The House of the Dead Overkill

 
 
PEGI 18+
ESRB M
THE FACTS: The House of the Dead Overkill
Wii | Sega | 1-2 Player co-op | 1-4 Player versus | Out Now | PEGI: 18+ / ESRB: M (Mature - 17+)
Controller compatability: Wii remote (pointer); Wii remote and Nunchuck; Wii Zapper
Reviewer: Billy White


Many people have been giving Nintendo the finger recently over the lack of "hardcore" titles on the Wii, so it's great to see third parties stepping in to help out and make those complainers happy. Not only will this game satisfy the hardcore needs of gamers, but the gore, profanities, incest and disgusting animations will keep your average maniac happy as well.

    This Wii exclusive is an on the rails shooter like no other, as you participate in the hunt for the evil Papa Caesar. Playing as "Agent G", your objective is to find the man due to possible links with mysterious disappearances, but your fellow detective Isaac Washington is there beside you to get revenge for his fathers death. The story features many twists, turns and hilarious quotes all the way through the game, and without them, Overkill wouldn't be half as enjoyable.

    Not that the gameplay isn't any fun of course, because it most certainly is. The on-rails style gameplay may seem simple, and it doesn't require half as much skill as it would do in the form of an FPS, but it gives the game a great dynamic as your character moves around for you, turning, dodging and walking around each of the levels. In each level, there are loads of zombies for you to plough through either on your own or with a friend in drop-in drop-out co-op. With a friend, the experience is even more fun as you shoot your way to victory on the same screen.

    There is a bit more depth to the game though, with "hidden" golden skulls to be found (which aren't really well hidden, just hard to shoot) and extra health and grenades to be found. One particularly fun feature is the slow motion camera, which can be both useful and humorous at the same time, and makes for a great way to slow down the action when it gets too much. Also, throughout each level you'll have to shoot zombies in order to rescue civilians, shake the controllers to force certain enemies away from you and encounter a rather large boss fight, which are easy enough on your brain, if sometimes a little tricky to get the hang of.

    Throughout each level, you'll also earn money depending on your score, which will allow you to purchase new weapons in the in-game store. These are more powerful, offer a larger amount of shots between reloads and also improve your ability drastically. There are no choices for how big your magazine is here, since your ammo supply is unlimited, and so instead, you just get to choose how many shots you have left before you're forced to reload (performed with a press of the fire button or a slightly too responsive flick of the remote).

    There are several different types of weapon available, from shotguns to automatics, but if you'd rather stick with the original handgun, the option is there for you to upgrade different features of your weapons at a lower cost, a feature not uncommon with many shooting games these days.

    In addition to the B-movie style adventure mode (which should last you three hours or so) there are a couple of extra modes as well. There's the directors cut version of the game (which includes longer levels and many more zombies) and a few quick party games where you have to shoot targets at a carnival stand, protect civilians from oncoming zombies or see how many enemies you can defeat in a certain time. These can all be played with friends, and make for some enjoyable, if short lived, fun.

    House of the Dead Overkill is simply some top notch shooting fun. Sure, it's not perfect. The animations are sometimes jittery, you'll no doubt encounter the odd bit of slowdown and some enemies pop straight back up after being shot due to the ocassionnal bug, but you'll be laughing and enjoying yourself too much to notice. Well done Sega, you motherf*****s.

Final Score
24/30
Very Good
Gameplay 8
Simple light-gun on-rails gameplay, with a surprising amount of fun to be had in comparison to the game's length
Presentation 7
The B movie style works really well, the sound bites and music are excellent and the graphics aren't that bad, but bugs riddle the animation
Enjoyment 5
The hilarious storyline should keep you happy throughout the game, even during the most sickening moments
Other 4
The single player mode might not last too long, but there's still plenty of fun to be had here

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