More gore, blood, and enough curse words to last a generation.

The House Of The Dead: Overkill Extended Cut Review PS3

Developer: HeadStrong games

Console: PS3

Other Platforms: None

Release Date: October 25, 2011

The House of the dead is a port of the on the rails shooter for the Wii. This game has been remade with more gore, blood and content to last you a very good time. Does this translate over to a great game? Read our review to find out more!

Single Player:

House of the Dead Overkill: Extended Version is a ported version of the Wii title House of the Dead Overkill. This game features a few new things as it touts more gore, and harder gameplay for fans of the series. If you’re expecting an epic graphic film adventure you will rather displeased with what you find here. If you’re looking for a thrill ride with some action and profane language than this game is right up your alley. You play the game as Isaac Washington and Special Agent G. You never do find out G’s real name though, sad I know.

The story goes somewhat like this; Isaac and G are tracking down the evil Papa Caesar who is up to no good. They each have their own motives for doing so and neither will stop in their relentless pursuit to bring this man to justice or kill him, whatever comes first. Along the way you will meet a few corky, crazy, and downright suspect characters in the game. They do vary however and they make for some pretty entertaining dialogue at times when they are actually being series about a situation.

There are some pretty disgusting moments in the game and it’s not disgusting in a way that you won’t like, its disgusting because its scenes like the ones HeadStrong has created that really makes me want to vomit and laugh at the same time. Their creativity for using the player’s imagination is shown through the way they create certain situations so the user can make an indirect inference. Boss battles are pretty fun and enjoyable and finding certain enemies’ weak spots are absolutely hilarious to do.

Gameplay:

The gameplay in this game is very simple that even a caveman could do it. There are some pretty cool and unique parts to the game. There are certain enemies and boss battles that will require you to shoot a bull’s eye target that will enable you to dodge an enemy’s attack. These are a pretty refreshing departure from the traditional shoot and reload mantra of the game. The game also allows you to purchase upgrades for your weapons and carry two weapons at the same time.

There are also power ups that you can grab during the game to get an advantage on the mutants that you are fighting. Power ups in the game are grenades, DNA strands that slow down time for you, cash for purchases, and also health packs to regain your health. These all help you out in your ultimate goal of beating the level.

This is an on the rails shooter so with that said, there isn’t really much to play here. The game plays for itself and you’re just along for the very fun ride. Shoot, reload, pop heads, and save civilians this game really has it all. I can say that the time I spent playing this game I really enjoyed the shooting mechanics of it.

Presentation:

House of the Dead Overkill takes on a very movie type film reel appearance to it. The game feels like you’re watching a movie play out; the only difference in this situation is that you are playing the reels in real time. The game looks and feels like you’re in a drive through on a rollercoaster ride. Levels look well-made and nothing is done cheap here. The textures look good and there are really no issues that I can make to complain about how everything looks in the game except for a few minor things.

The only issue in the game that I have with how everything in the game looks is that I feel at times, some of the mutants that you have to fight are recycled over and over again. This wouldn’t be bad but, it gets to the point where the only variety comes to you when fighting a huge boss which happens at the end of the level.

Sound:

Now this is where the game has a few issues for me. Let me start with the dialogue in the game. In a game like this you wouldn’t really expect much talking, but you would expect a lot more shooting. The time that isn’t spent on shooting, is spent to help flesh out the story-line through these two drama filled characters. Most of the conversations that they have are pretty boring and annoying. I found myself on my first play through wanting to skip over the scenes because I couldn’t take any more of the senseless chatter. I will say this however; at times the game actually does make you laugh. The issue here is that I feel at certain times, the senseless swearing of f-this or f-that brings down the appeal of the game to me.

The voice acting in the game to me was pretty forgettable. I was never really able to create an in-depth relationship with the characters that I would have wanted to. I remember their names not because I like them but because you are constantly reminded when you meet other characters. After strenuous repetition, it becomes drilled into your brain who they are and why they are with you.

Music in any game is what makes the game really enjoyable to me and I have to say that although the game’s dialogue and voice acting is pretty dull and uninteresting to me, the music in the game really made me enjoy the game a little bit more. Some of the songs have a classic feel to them and it was at this point that I was really able to get into the game. It really compliments the presentation in the game when you make music that makes you feel like you’re watching an old 80’s movie.

Controls:

This game can be played in two ways. One is with the PlayStation Move controller and the other is with the DualShock 3 controller. I find that if you play with the DualShock 3 controller that aiming the reticle is harder as opposed to playing with the move. The controls are very easy to master and you also have the options to change guns during gameplay.

The move controller is absolutely great to play the game with; it’s simple and easy to shoot. The move is great and I have to say playing this game with the move is absolutely the way to go. It makes aiming and shooting at mutants so much easier as you can imagine. The game plays absolutely well and it’s a blast to rapid fire at enemies in this on the rails shooter.

Cons:

• The voice acting in the game is not the best, but it’s also not the worse. The problem here is that the consistent swearing becomes pointless at times. The dialogue between the characters also feels somewhat disconnected to me as I couldn’t form a deeper connection.
• The story-line in the game was something that I really couldn’t immerse myself with. I felt disconnected with what was going on in the game and everything felt predictable. I knew when a boss was going to come up. I knew when there were collectibles. The only surprise I got was when you beat the game on the first play through and it requires a second run through of the director’s cut to fill in a missing section. I thought that was interesting and as I finished the game I just had to go back for that final level.

Pros:

• Re-playability in this game is huge, even after you beat the game there is a ton of challenges, collectibles, and perks that you can go back and have some fun with.
• Some of the boss battles in the game are absolutely some of the most disgusting battles that I have ever played. Towards the end of the game you’re going to yell at the TV screen because of the final scene is disgusting.
• Gore, guts, and boobs pretty much anything a man could want in a game.
• The presentation in the game is very reminiscent of a B-class 80’s or 70’s movie and the way it is presented is very well done.

Final Thoughts:

House of the Dead Overkill does a great job in what it is trying to accomplish. Even though the dialogue can be absolutely cheesy at times and the consistent f-bombs are spoken at a moment’s notice which really makes the game tacky at times. It is really good clean fun. The cheese in the game is light enough that it can put a very entertaining smile to your face. This on the rails shooter is fun to play and if you like to play games of these types, than I suggest that you pick it up you won’t be disappointed. The replay value in this game is great for those that like collectibles, and trophies.

Final Score:  I give The House of the Dead Overkill: Extended Edition a score of 8 out of 10.

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