The House of the Dead: Overkill Review
By Dana Vinson - Posted Feb 12, 2009In this X-Play Review, we take a look at the grindhouse-inspired rail shooter 'House of the Dead: Overkill' for the Nintendo Wii. Does it carry on the House of the Dead legacy? Find out!
The Pros
- Awesome grindhouse-inspired feel
- Good dialogue and cutscenes
- Fun arcade shooter experience
The Cons
- Subpar wii graphics
- Meh mini-games
- No online co-op mode
House of the Dead: Overkill is the grindhouse-inspired prequel to the first person rail shooter series House of the Dead.
Over The Kill and Through the Woods
Overkill’s storyline follows the first case where Agent G and Isaac Washington meet. Characters include Varla Guns, who has big umm…guns…and some pretty twisted villains like PaPa Caesar, while other villains are best kept secret here to prevent spoilers.
Earning its M-rating, Overkill spews more profanity than can be heard on a typical day in the X-Play offices. It definitely has an addictive quality and hits the “campy” factor dead-on, but is it enough to make you boot up your Wii again? Maybe.
"Overkill" is a Four Letter Word
Now, Overkill’s dialogue is more nuanced than just using the word s#@^ over and over again. There are genuinely hilarious moments between Agent G and Detective Washington. If you enjoy the banter of Pulp Fiction, then you’ll like this as well. It’s over the top, but well done, so you won’t feel compelled to bash buttons to skip every cut scene. And s&*# , it’s really nice to hear the word @(#* while playing the Wii.
Shoot ‘Em Up!
Of course, more than making you giggle like a school kid over the game’s potty mouth, the game is really fun. The arcade style shooting is satisfying and provides a challenge for experienced players, while, at the same time, easily conquered for those who can’t aim a Wiimote to save their life. To nail high scores you’ll need precision and some quick reaction times. Once you’ve passed the variety of levels (your standard creepy fare of hospital, jail, carnival, etc), you’ll unlock the director’s cut version of the game which includes extended versions of each level and the option to add more enemies or dual-wield the weapons you’ve bought.
As you play through each level, your score gets you a certain amount of money, which you can then use to purchase and upgrade the multiple weapons (pistol, assault rifle, shotgun etc) in the game. That means with two Wii remotes you can dual-wield fully upgraded automatic shotguns. I mean, I guess you could double fist the other weapons but why the f@&# would you want to? Shotguns are awesome, and the only proper weapon to use against zombies. Anyway, it saves you from having to pay extra money to dual wield at the arcade and look like a jerk when you fail.
Not So Fast
Now it’s time to address the more lackluster game elements. Overkill has great concepts for the game’s bosses, but the actual fights are lackluster and overly simple. Can you unload a round of ammo into a large red circle? Good, than you can beat every boss in the game easily. Overkill definitely doesn’t need to hold your hand through it the way that it does. This is a minor criticism though, the game really isn’t about the end level battles and, on the plus side, the game ends in one of the most disgusting ways I’ve ever seen. You see it coming, but it’s still disgusting…in a good way? But there is a glaring problem with Overkill that almost warrants giving it a 3. While I’d like to keep my stick off of the pile of dead horses accumulating around the Wii graphics discussion, Overkill’s graphics leave a lot to be desired. It’s often difficult to see the zombies lurking in the shadows, and not in a good, creepy way, more like a “can the brightness on my TV go high enough?” sort of way. The faux-film grain effect over the action doesn’t mask the blocky/muddy look. I wouldn’t bother to mention that the graphics are subpar if they didn’t affect the game play, but they really do.
Mini-Fun
For those bored with the single player or have more than one other friend who wants to play, there are 3 mini-games included in Overkill: a timed zombie horde mode, saving civilians mode, and a carnival shooting range game with scaling difficulty. Are they fun? Yeah, they’re ok. Horde mode won’t do much for anyone and would benefit from not being timed and just letting you see how long you can last. The saving civilians mode is pretty average as well, but the carnival shooting range is probably the best. If you enjoy the bonus rounds in a game like Big Buck Hunter, you’ll enjoy it.
House of the End of this Review
House of the Dead: Overkill does exactly what it sets out to do. It’s addicting and accessible to gamers of all abilities, though not all age groups. Beginners will be able to make it through the game, but those with a competitive edge will strive to achieve “Goregasm” (a point multiplier you earn for hitting the targets consecutively), as well as, earning high scores. Plus, it’s awesome to play on a console with a built-in light gun and not have to fork out the extra money to buy one (unless you feel strongly that owning the Wii zapper attachment is integral to the game, which it’s not really). The music is great and the grindhouse concept is pulled off well.
If you want a game with rewarding, blood gushing headshots, the HOTD arcade feeling at home and a Wii game that doesn’t try to be cute or even remotely family friendly, this is a good one to pick up.
Article Written By: Abbie Heppe
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