The House of
the Dead: Overkill is a rarity on Wii. It’s a game that relishes throwing
hideous amounts of blood and gore at the player. Its story contains perverse
sexual themes, and the ‘strong language’ warning on the back of the box might be
the greatest understatement of them all. It all seems even more shocking when
you consider that it’s on a system that is known for its family friendly
content. But regardless, Overkill is also a definite guilty pleasure.
The first
aspect that jumps out is definitely the presentation. The ‘mature’ content is
done in tribute to the grindhouse B-movie style. And this turns out to be a
fantastic choice, giving Overkill a unique feel, and conveniently, one that
doesn’t require the plot to ever even enter the realm of realism or serious
drama. The cheesy horror and humor is a perfect match for an arcade shooter. Too
many games try to take themselves seriously and end up failing miserably. So
it’s refreshing to have a quick moving, cheese ball plot to tie the various
levels together.
As for the
gameplay itself, it doesn’t disappoint. One of the things that bothered me the
most about Capcom’s Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles was its relatively slow
pacing that often left the camera static while you systematically took out a
screen full of enemies. When I play an on-rails shooter, I want super fast
action. Overkill understands this. The game is very well-paced. Rarely will you
be waiting for something to happen. This one will make your trigger finger sore.
The game runs
through a satisfying variety of locations at a brisk pace. One could complain
that the game is too short, but with a game like this it would probably become
tedious if it was much longer. Although it’s certainly legitimate to wonder
whether the developers could have come up with some better boss battles. They
are way too simple. And that’s not even taking into account the gigantic red
circles that basically tell you where and when to shoot the vital points.
That’s not to
say the rest of the game is exactly challenging, however. In fact, Overkill is
surprisingly easy on its main Story Mode. Only after completion do you unlock
the tougher Director’s Cut, with more enemies and limited continues. Those
looking for a challenge will probably wish that this had been unlocked from the
start.
The player can
also buy and upgrade a handful of different weapons. It’s a nice touch, although
once you upgrade the good weapons, don’t expect any challenge whatsoever.
As you would
expect, the Wii remote’s pointer turns out to be the perfect match for the old
light gun style shooter. The accuracy is excellent, and if you really want to
have fun, use the in-game calibration and turn off the cursor. It might not be
the perfect light gun representation, but it’s certainly a fun way to play.
Despite some of
the quibbles thus far, the biggest downfall of Overkill is probably its visuals.
Although the graphics in general are fairly bland, it’s the framerate that
really hurts the game. In a fast-paced game with rapid camera movements, it can
be jarring when the game stutters for even a second. And this happens far too
often. The engine here just can’t quite keep up with what is being thrown at it.
And it’s more than just an annoyance. If you are trying to shoot something while
the camera is moving and the game decides to load up, you aren’t going to hit
the mark. It certainly doesn’t make the game unplayable in any way, but it’s an
obvious flaw in a game that is constantly on the move.
Overkill does
fare much better in the sound department, however. The voice acting is pretty
darn good and the music fits the presentation perfectly.
As you would
expect, multiplayer is a blast with two players battling through the
mutant-infested areas. The additional mini-games are just Ok, so the main game
is certainly the best experience for blasting away with a friend.
The House of
the Dead: Overkill certainly doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of
gameplay, but it’s good at what it does. Add on a well-executed and unique
presentation and you get a game that provides enough personality and fun to
overcome its flaws and the limitations of its genre.
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Gameplay: 8.0
Overkill provides
fun and fast-paced arcade shooter action. The boss fights are a bit
underwhelming though.
Graphics: 7.0
While not poor
visually, Overkill’s overall impression is fairly bland. The game has a very
washed out and soft look to it. The character models of the two main characters
are the highlight here, with far too much slowdown as the main detractor.
Sound: 8.0
The super cheesy and
surprisingly vulgar dialog is well-delivered and the music fits the retro
b-movie setting perfectly.
Difficulty: Easy
The main Story Mode
is surprisingly easy, and with upgraded weapons you almost feel sorry for the
mutants. Those looking for a challenge can play through the tougher Director’s
Cut mode, but it’s only unlocked after playing through the game.
Concept: 7.5
The gameplay
certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the retro presentation is a very nice
touch.
Multiplayer: 8.0
The frantic action
is even better with a buddy.
Overall: 7.9
Overkill provides a
solid light gun shooter experience with a unique and entertaining presentation
to boot.
