A mid-90s arcade rail shooter that takes the Virtua Cop formula and puts a horror spin on it, giving birth to a new franchise.
In House of the Dead, the main characters are two AMS agents named Thomas Rogan and G (Yes, just G). They are sent to investigate a mysterious outbreak at the DBR Corporation’s genetic research facility, which has been overrun by hordes of undead creatures. Throughout the game, the player controls either Thomas or G as they fight their way through the facility and uncover the truth behind the outbreak. Along the way, they encounter various other characters, including DBR’s CEO, Caleb Goldman, and his assistant, Dr. Roy Curien, who is responsible for the creation of the undead creatures.
The gameplay of House of the Dead is simple, you’re armed with a light gun and tasked with shooting your way through levels filled with zombies, mutants, and other monstrous creatures. The gameplay is fast-paced and requires quick reflexes, as enemies can come at you from all angles in the form of jump scares. The game also features branching paths, which add some variety to the levels and encourage replayability as many of these will affect the ending sequence.
Some items can be shot at, typically pots, and will reveal additional lives. There are also opportunities to save scientists, who will sometimes reward you with an extra life or will direct you to another path.
There are a few boss battles, each with a different way of defeating them. These occur at the end of each chapter. The Chariot is a large, armored zombie and appears at the end of Chapter 1 with the goal to target its weak spot in the armor to damage it. The final boss being the Magician serves as a challenging and memorable boss battle. He is able to create multiple illusions of himself, making it difficult for the player to determine which one is real. Additionally, he has powerful psychic attacks that can drain the player’s health and make it more difficult to aim. Defeating the Magician requires careful observation, quick reflexes and a lot of coins.
Versions
The game was somewhat popular and prompted Sega to port it to their Saturn console, it also get a Windows PC port similar to Daytona USA and Manx TT Superbike.
Arcade
The arcade version of House of the Dead is considered a classic and is highly regarded by many gamers and fans of the shooter genre. The game was initially released in arcades in 1996 and like other Sega arcade titles of the era, it ran on the Model 2 arcade board.
This version of House of the Dead was popular due to its use of light guns, which allowed players to aim and shoot at enemies on the screen. Reloading is done by shooting outside of the screen, In contrast to Namco’s Time Crisis where you have to release the pedal to enter cover to reload.
Sega Saturn
The Sega Saturn version of House of the Dead was a faithful recreation of the arcade version’s gameplay mechanics, graphics, and sound effects. However, the game’s performance on the Saturn can be a bit sluggish, with some frame rate drops and occasional slowdowns during intense action sequences.
The Saturn version also supports use of a light gun controller that was intended to give more precise aiming. Unfortunately this does not work well on modern LCD displays leaving the traditional controller as the only form of input.
You do have the ability to play as different characters, either ‘G’, Sophie or one of the Scientists which will affect the cutscenes as they are rendered in engine. Compared to the arcade version, the graphics takes a downgrade but you do get the benefit of high quality sound.
Still there’s no option to revert to the arranged arcade soundtrack, odd because both the Saturn and the Model 2 have the same sound processor (SCSP)
Microsoft Windows
The game was initially released for PC in 1998, It offers several enhancements over the arcade version, including improved graphics and higher resolution support. Additionally, players have the option to use a keyboard and mouse or a controller for more precise aiming. Some parts of the Mansion have been retextured, likely to give it a more colder atmosphere and due to differences in how Model 2 and DirectX games handle textures.
For video cards that don’t support Direct3d, the game can run in DirectDraw mode instead. The 3DFX Voodoo card is capable of Direct3D acceleration and is supported in 86Box.
Conclusion
House of the Dead is a classic arcade game that still holds up today. Its addictive gameplay, impressive graphics, and horror-themed setting make it a must-play for any fan of arcade shooters.
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