User reviews

This review is of the version for the Wii, in case this has been released for any other console, or the PC; I haven't heard of it being out for any of them, I'm covering my bases. You have to wonder why it took them three(I haven't tried the new arcade one, can't comment on it) games that were practically the same before they made this. You see, this one fixes everything that one could possibly complain about with the others, and alters the things that had grown stale. This is still short, and thus doesn't overstay its welcome(no matter the quality, a 1st person rail shooter that moves on its own, and where you can merely aim and fire is going to get old if it keeps going), but now you can take the 7 chapters(this has a bad-ass trailer voice narration between them, making each of them feel like one picture, like in those theaters) of Story Mode one at a time, as it will save after each, in its profile system, allowing for 3 separate ones. In that way, each of them can be tougher, with literally tons of zombies(and there's a "more" function, if you don't find the amount to be satisfactory; I'd say they either move slowly, like in the classics, or swiftly, like in the recent movies), and extraordinarily intense(in-game, there are longer breaks between attacks than in the others, and this serves to increase the effect when they rush you again, and there isn't a dull moment in this), as you can rest your hands(...you'll need it) in-between them. Also, for replayability value, there is the feature of purchasing(with the cash you earn by playing, extra for doing well) additions to your arsenal(as well as upgrading it), like an automatic shotgun(!), a SMG, and an assault rifle, for a total of six different weapons, for all your trigger-happy needs. Upon completing the entire thing, you will get the Director's Cut option: The same thing, only with harder enemies and limited continues(normally in this, if you lose all life, you either proceed and lose half of your score or give up and keep it). There are unlockables, such as images and videos. The seldom brief cut-scenes are all in-engine, with no CGI, and with how articulate, free and detailed the animation and graphics(the corpses come apart beautifully, and while the Wii is supposed to be the least powerful of the Next Gen machines in that regard, I think someone forgot to tell that to this game) are, not to mention how excellent the cinematography and editing are, you don't miss it. This has the following mini-games: Money Shot II(a shooting gallery), Stayin' Alive(...self-explanatory, "they just keep coming...!)) and Victim Support(rescue civilians by taking out the walking dead near them), all of them gradually growing in difficulty and you can play Co-Op, like in the rest of this(a first for the franchise; you can even play four at any time). Challenging without being frustrating, this is immensely entertaining and addictive. The boss fights, countless types of cadavers and the levels(a speeding train, a swamp, and a... carnival... uh, yeah, when was the script for this written compared to Zombieland?) are all well-designed, nicely varied and memorable. This takes a stylish approach, and emulates the tone of an exploitation flick(makes sense for this series when you think about it), complete with film grain, an opening similar to the one of Planet Terror and material that would get it an R or an NC-17... at *least*(and before you criticize that, do keep in mind that these were *never* for young audiences). The plot holds twists and is about revenge(of course), starring two mismatched law officials(a detective and an AMS agent) who push each others buttons, a stripper(!) and, what else, a mad doctor. This thing revels in clichés(and there is quite a bit of disgusting stuff in it), and is both an entry in its genre, and an homage to it. The music is fitting and cool, and not being an expert on the subject, all I can for sure say is that there's Country & Western, sombre electric guitar, and what I think is disco, among it. All of the sound is incredible, and the acting is great. The characters are well-written. There are no fortune cookie lines in this one, thankfully. The Danger Cam lets you peek to any of the 4 sides by pointing to it, and you reload by pressing A in this one, instead. Some places you can fend off foes by waving the Wii-mote side to side fast enough; it is not as great of an advantage as the thing in Extreme Mode of III(if less awkwardly implemented, since there, it felt like an afterthought), where you can swipe at any time and in fact use it to fend off(though not always hurt) anything that comes at you if you time it right. I'd say that they decided that was unfair, or figured that they'd already done it. There are hardly any bugs or glitches, and I ran into none that were severe. I would suggest getting the Shoot Active Gun(yeah, I think the effort on that one went into everything except the title) and the official Hand Cannon, made by Big Ben Interactive. The only downside is that the latter can get heavy when you play for extended periods of time, other than that, they are well worth it. There is constant, over the top strong language, gore, disturbing content(trust me, it gets pretty sick) and sexual references, all of them gratuitous, in this. I recommend this warmly to any and all fans of grindhouse cinema(Wiki it if you have no concept of what that is) and this kind of VG. Hilarious, bizarre, fun, and does not have the term "politically correct" anywhere to be found in its vocabulary. I give this a perfect rating, and once my wrists stop hurting, I will raise my thumbs up in its honor. 10/10

House of the Dead: Overkill attempts to continue the tradition of SEGA's gory gun games. Typically, players take on the role of a plainclothes agent in an attempt to stop the mega-lo-maniac intentions of a global corporations CEO. But what makes this title the bastard-child in the series is that unlike every other House' title, there was no arcade machine released to build an audience. A small consolation may be that previously featured on the Wii were the 'classic' House' games numbers 2 and 3. Released on a single disc with various adjustments, this title had already found a natural home and a somewhat successful reception. Could 'Overkill add to the series constructively, or was it an unnecessary addition to the now decade old (or more) canon? With its speckled and dust-scratched appearance and muddy, warbled audio, 'Overkill – in its entirety – is a complete homage to B or even C grade 'Grindhouse' films of the seventies and eighties. This has a refreshing and kitsch flavour, and shows that the developer has put some thought into making the title unique where possible. The choice of stylisation gives the game an identity, and artistically it conveys the dirty, underground world of shock cinema well. Obviously, this feature of the game is purely aesthetic, and it's apparent pretty quickly that although the detail is there, it has absolutely no direct effect on the game play itself. In essence, the 'Grindhouse' flavour is really just a skin to a horror-themed light-gun game.

The filmic flavour extends to the presentation of the games levels, as each chapter is presented as a possible movie in itself: "Papa's Palace of Pain" (clever alliteration and the only 'house' level in the game), "Ballistic Trauma" (a goofy mix of mutants, firepower and a hospital. Here, the reference to Rodriguez's "Planet Terror" is more than subtle). The given scenarios range well, and we're given trains, carnivals, prisons and other video game staples, yet unlike every other entry in the House of the Dead series, the range of enemies in the game is stunningly limited. Mutants (not Zombies, as the game itself stresses through its voice-over dialogue) are overwhelming the most common of enemies. These are represented by a handful of character models and are re-used throughout the entire game. Granted, they are fairly well modelled, but I can't help but think how much more interesting things may have been with some more location-specific mutant creatures.

Unlike other titles in the House of the Dead series, 'Overkill asks little of the players' dexterity. Enemy after enemy stagger towards the player from the centre of the screen – while this may be more realistic behaviour, it makes little challenge for the player. Ninety percent of enemies are shot at close-to-mid range, and their behaviours vary little. Occasionally, one or two of them get creative and (gasp!) throw a bottle or knife, but these are easily dismissed with a single shot. In other words, the game has a limited variety of action. I find this baffling, as the game is 'on-rails' (no free-movement), and so particular creativity and care is required to hold interest in what could otherwise be classified as a very repetitive game play premise: (aim, shoot, reload ad infinitum). Titles such as Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and even the House of the Dead release mentioned earlier make efforts to challenge aiming, speed, pattern recognition, timing. 'Overkill only grazes past these concepts, rather going for a higher-body count and bigger calibres together. This approach is fine for the short-term, but modern gamers often require more than this.

There's talk of 'Overkill having issues with its frame-rate and responsiveness. I want to confirm that these problems certainly do exist. Again, I find this baffling, and can only chalk it up to lack of experience on part of the development team. Of course, it does not ruin the experience, but it certainly undermines it, especially when much simpler and less ambitious titles have perfected frame rate issues. Hell, even a launch title "Rayman Raving Rabbids" had smooth and responsive on-rails first-person-shooter sections. I'm not sure what could have caused this stuttering effect that the game suffers from, but it certainly harms the experience.

Musically, the title is both varied and confusing. A lot of effort has gone into providing a soundtrack to the experience, and for the most part it is suitable. Other times, you find yourself distracted, as if the developers wanted you to feel simultaneously frightened and amused – a near impossibility. Killing mutants in grotesque, half-dark environments could be scary, but doing it to an absurd funk song is confusing. It elevates the experience almost to a parody and seems to land the game somewhere between a nerve-wracking scare-fest and a silly shooting gallery mini-game. Audio effects are good for the most part, with loud shot-gun blasts and mutant screams. Strangely, the voice-overs from the two protagonists are mixed unevenly. Washington (the detective based lazily on characters such as Shaft and Jules Winnfield) spouts his garbage loudly and clearly, whereas Agent G's conversed rational and sensible comments are often mixed under the music, resulting in a poor, mumbled reproduction. On another note, it is never explained why these two are put together, and even more ludicrously, it is never shown or explained which of these two men you play as! I find particularly irritating for some reason.

I could go on about the games goofy monetary and reward system, it's depressingly easy level bosses, and it's amazingly shallow mini-game set, but I don't think it's that necessary. For those looking for a major body harvest, this is the game for you. Just be warned that the kills are inversely proportion to the games variety and replay ability.