14 Nov, 2011
Title: The House of the Dead Overkill Extended Cut
Platform: PS3
Developer: Headstrong Games
Publisher: Sega
Tagline: 70’s Grindhouse Meets Modern Console for Mutant Infestation Bloodbath
Family Friendly: With Detective Washington dropping F-Bombs left and right and a copious amount of blood, limb removal and so much more, this should stay out of the reach of younger ones, even though it is all done in an over the top, unrealistic manner.
Verdict: Buy, but Waiting for a Sale might be the hot ticket
One of my big surprises on the Nintendo Wii was House of the Dead Overkill. Filled with blood, gore, over the top violence and more cursing that you would find inside of any sailor, it was a great title that never saw much of an audience on the Wii. Fast forward a few years and Headstrong Games have brought this ode to Grindhouse to the PS3, complete with Move support, and while the ride is short, it is sweet from beginning to end.
House of the Dead Overkill Extended Cut eschews the current day setting for the series, instead moving Agent G back to his early years as a rookie with the AMS. Here we have Agent G teaming up with police detective Washington as they track down the man responsible for a mutant outbreak in the bayou – a man by the name of Papa Caesar. Tagging along for the ride is Varla Guns; a woman looking for revenge after her brother is killed by Caesar.
What follows from this setup is nothing short of over the top violence and destruction by our three main protagonists as they work their way through a montage of levels that hark back to 1970’s grindhouse theater. At every turn, the player is provided ample opportunity to mow down hordes of enemy mutants (the story makes it clear these are not zombies). Nothing is sacred in this satirical romp as you kill everything from candy stripers to mutant infant babies.
As an on-rails shooter, your trip though the world is guided at every turn, but you are taken though so many differing levels that House of the Dead Overkill never becomes static or repetitive. At one point, you are storming a mansion, and at the next you are killing strippers in a club. The levels are colorful and become their own character throughout the experience. Levels provide a ton of collectibles that will keep you coming back and upon completion of the game, you unlock the director mode that adds a bevy of new features and options that you can switch on to change your experience.
One thing I did not realize with House of the Dead Overkill Extended Cut was that it can be played with a Dualshock controller, but to be honest, I am not sure why you would. Yes, it does work as advertised, but this game is designed around a Move controller, and going without it just does not give the same feel as when you are holding up that Move controller. The downside to the Move controllers though, is an unnatural float in the crosshair that never made me feel 100% accurate. Many times, I would have to shake the controller to get the aim back on proper, but it always seemed as if the targeting reticule would be a bit under or over where I was aiming. I have my Eye Camera under my TV, seven feet from my couch, so it should not have had these issues, and I never ran into this with other Move enabled shooters like SOCOM 4 or Killzone 3.
It also doesn’t help that while the game is a ton of fun, it still suffers from being over far too soon. You can beat through the main story in about four hours. Yes, there are a ton of collectibles and challenges that add to the play time, and the Director mode unlocks compel you to play again, I struggled to keep coming back to it, regardless of its slick atmosphere. Even the mini-games that you can play to kill time start to drag after a few runs.
But with all those complaints aside, I have to say that this is a title that PS3 owners should play, even if it comes as a rental vs. a purchase. It is unlike any title you will play on the console this year, and with its lovingly crafted presentation and over the top action and swearing, it keeps a smile on your face the whole way through. It’s short and repetitive, but it is a blast to play, especially with a friend jumping in on a second Move controller. House of the Dead Overkill Extended Cut might be exactly what the doctor orders for those that are looking for something out of the norm during this onslaught of paint by numbers action shooters – over the top, stylized action through and through.
The Good:
- Stylized action, dripping with an ode to Grindhouse flavor
- Competent Move controls
- Fun collectibles that feel right in the game
The Bad:
- Control reticule sometimes floats one direction or another, even after calibration
- The game ends far too soon
- Extra modes offer limited value, depending on your thoroughness
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