The House of the Dead III – XB – Review

When House
of the Dead 2 hit the Dreamcast a few years back, it sported great graphics and
fast-paced zombie shooting action.  It did not, however, include a first-party
light gun peripheral.  Although you could still move an on-screen cursor and
shoot with the controller, this proved very detrimental to the gameplay, since
playing a light gun game without a gun is like eating spaghetti with a spoon.
Now Sega releases The House of the Dead 3, with improved graphics, excellent
pacing and an auto-reload function to speed up the gameplay.  However, the game
does not come with a gun.  Even if you wanted a gun, neither Sega nor Microsoft
is releasing one; only Mad Catz has stepped up to the plate with its Blaster.
However, if you are the type of person who would spend the extra 40 bucks for a
light gun, chances are you will enjoy House of the Dead 3, albeit for only a
couple hours.

The story
for House of the Dead 3 is pretty campy fare.  Twenty years after the second
House of the Dead, zombies (created by Dr. Curien) have overrun the world.  You
step in as Lisa Rogan, the daughter of Thomas Rogan, one of the heroes of the
first House of the Dead.  Your father went to Curien’s lab to find the cause of
all the pandemonium, and hasn’t been heard from since. This brings you and G,
your father’s former partner, to the lab to bust some zombie heads and find your
father.

The gameplay
is actually quite impressive when compared to the previous installments of the
game.  The zombies move much faster and come at you from all sides, requiring a
great deal more reflex and impulse on your part.  The bosses are also really
cool and oftentimes surreal.  They range from a huge mutant security guard with
a huge club fashioned of human skulls to a giant sloth in a cage.  That’s right,
I said sloth.  The last boss (who is much harder than any of the previous
bosses) is very cool looking as well, although his appearance has nothing to do
with zombies.

Sega made a
valiant attempt to make up for the lack of a gun by adding an FPS-style onscreen
gun.  While the onscreen gun does help, and the onscreen cursor is easy to
control once you get the hang of it, the experience is much better with a light
gun.  Another problem with the game is its length, which is incredibly short.  I
managed to beat the game the first time through in a little over half an hour.
However, to make up for the game’s shortness, Sega included the full version of
House of the Dead 2, which is unlocked after you get through House of the Dead
3.

The game’s
graphics are spectacular.  The environments scream of style and vibrant colors,
and the zombies are great (and gruesome) to look at.  The action occurs
blindingly fast, running at 60 frames per second without a single hiccup in the
framerate. The game also boasts a significant amount of stunning special
effects, such as nice explosions and impressive lighting effects.

The sound is
a mixed bag.  The soundtrack does have its highlights (such as weird, trippy
sci-fi tunes that sound like they’re from the 60’s) and the sounds are
satisfactory, comprised of grunts, groans, yells and gunshots.  However, the
voice acting leaves much to be desired.  While the horrible acting was charming
in House of the Dead 2, here the acting just seems flat and boring.

House of the
Dead 3 (if you’re into this sort of thing) can be a fun, frantic action game
with incredible graphics.  However, this type of game certainly isn’t for
everyone, and even those who are suited won’t be engaged for very long.  If you
are willing to buy a gun for this game, then you will have a great time.

Reviewer’s Scoring Details

Gameplay: 6.9
The gameplay is
pretty fast and intense, but it’s just not the experience that it’s meant to be
without a light gun.  While the onscreen gun is indeed a noble effort, it’s just
not the same.  However, while the game is terribly short and simple, the
inclusion of House of the Dead 2 is great for replay value.

Graphics: 9.5
In a word: wow.
House of the Dead 3 is certainly one of the best looking games on the XBox, and
that says a lot.  The colors are vivid, the lighting effects are spectacular,
and the character models are unique and inventive.  Not to mention all of the
action occurs at a blindingly fast framerate.

Sound: 6.5
The sound in this
game is pretty average, although the campy sci-fi music is pretty cool.  The
voice acting is pretty dull and leaves much to be desired.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Most gamers will be able to finish the game in less than an hour, maybe even on
the first go around.

Concept: 6.5
The story is
laughable and the idea of a rail-shooter that puts you on a fixed path is
getting a little dated.  However, the game’s surreal boss battles are certainly
interesting and original.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The game has a
decent two player co-op mode.

Overall: 7.0
House of the Dead
3 is in about the same boat as House of the Dead 2 was a few years back.  While
its got some excellent eye-candy, the game is super-short and simply isn’t that
fun without a gun.  However, fans of the genre (who will definitely buy a gun)
should get a couple hours of enjoyment.