On-rail shooters, for our money, should be dead. But like the brain-hungry, shuffling zombies of House of the Dead: Overkill! Sega have managed have raised them from their grave with this B-movie homage. The cheesy dialogue, OTT monsters and rampant curse words are a world apart from the previously soulless efforts, but with this new direction and balls-out humour, House of the Dead: Overkill! will be the best grindhouse game ever. Here’s why…
Swears
Puerile as it is, House of the Dead’s OTT use of the phrase that rhymes with ‘mother clucker’ is actually laugh out loud funny. It’s detective Washington – the stereotypical macho man – that provides 99% of the potty-mouthed tirades while his suave partner, Agent G keeps his F-bombs on ice for the majority of the action.
For once it feels like we’re playing a mature game on Nintendo’s family-centric console. Mario big fat face will be weeping big fat tears when he hears the blue language here.
Bad acting
In true B-movie style, the acting performances in HOTD: Overkill are stiffer than Pinocchio having a lap dance. Stilted dialogue between the evil and rather camp, Papa Caesar and the two heroes is as painful to watch as it is intentionally entertaining.
Couple this together with serious continuity errors (man gets glasses smashed from his face with a stick only to have them on in the next shot) and you’ve got the perfect combination to mimic the grindhouse flicks of yesteryear.
Giant monsters
No hammy film is complete without some hideous beast springing up unexpectedly and HOTD: Overkill delivers on this front and then some. From huge bug-eyed insects opening a train up with its giant claws to Sebastian and Nigel, the most horrific Siamese twins you’re likely to ever come across.
Sickest thing we’ve seen so far? A kind of Stephen Hawking style bloke called Jasper Guns, who after being whipped across the face by Papa Caesar levitates from his wheels and uses telekinesis to launch bloody body parts at you. Eugh.
