The House of the Dead III

"Get ready to destroy your mouse!"

The House Of The Dead III is the third in a series of zombie shooting arcade shooters. The first House Of The Dead game was released in 1996. The game's plot involved an insane scientist named Curien attempting to create his own undead army and attack the public with it. AMS, an agency dealing with paranormal activities, dispatch agents Thomas Rogan and "G" to stop Curien and rescue Sophie Richards, Rogan's fiancee. The House Of The Dead II takes place two years after the events of the first game, with agents James and Gary becoming involved in another undead plot on their way to meet Agent G. The two soon find out that they must confront Goldman, head of DBR Corporation, which originally funded Dr. Curien's projects.

Storyline
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The House Of The Dead III takes play in 2019, AMS has been disbanded, and the world is in a state of despair. Thomas Rogan and a team of commandos attack a corporate tower, which may have led to the collapse of the world. Two weeks later, not a word is heard from the team. Lisa Rogan (Thomas Rogan's daughter) and old partner G decide to attack the tower for themselves in hopes of solving the mystery and rescuing Thomas Rogan.

Controls
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The game is a port of an arcade shooter. The mouse controls a cross hair showing where the gun will shoot. You shoot by pressing the left click, and reload by pressing the right click. Controls can be changed according to whatever the player wants.

Gameplay
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Standard arcade shooter style. The game is played in a "rail shooter" style. This means that the player does not control the movement of the characters. All the player has to do is protect themselves against damage until the character decides to move. You move around each area until you reach the next. Shoot any enemies you encounter and any projectiles they decide to launch or throw at you to prevent damage. Enemies come in many different forms, ranging from the traditional zombie, to giant bugs. In some sequences, a player might be attacked, and the other player must save him for an additional life. If you fail this, you will not receive an additional life. In two player mode, the player being attacked will not lose a life even if the other player fails to rescue them. The goal of each level to get from the start to the end of the level, usually having to confront a boss character at the end. Multiple paths are included in some levels, and they are taken depending on the actions of the players in certain areas, such as shooting open a hatch or killing certain enemies before they knock into a different area. The game supports two players for both G and Lisa, but two people playing on the PC is extremely difficult and awkward.

Audio
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The sound effects usually mask the soft background music, which consists mostly of horror-movie-style organ music. The sound effects of the guns are satisfying, especially the reloading of the shotgun and the sounds of the enemies. The background music could have been much better and had a bigger impact on the game.

Visual
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The House Of The Dead doesn't try to achieve realistic graphics. Instead, it has a cartoon style of art to it. Cutscenes are generated completely with the game engine, so they look the same as gameplay. The lighting effects at the beginning of the game at the base of tower are quite impressive. The colours of the blood of the enemies can be adjusted according to what the players prefer. While the enemies don't look particularly realistic, most of them are grotesque and believable enough to ensure that players don't want them getting too close.

Replayability
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A port of an arcade game is what most people always want when they enjoy a particular arcade game. And yet, when the port is in their possession, the enjoyment of the game dissipates with each playthrough. The bottom line is that the game is still a port of an arcade game, designed so that people can stand at the arcade and play through it in a short amount of time, as opposed to a PC or console game. Unlike the other House Of The Dead games, the alternative paths are much more limited. The game itself is also shorter then the two previous games, or at least it feels that way, due to the game being much more fast paced then it used to be. While there are unlockables and multiple endings, this game will mostly likely be shelved after the third or fourth playthrough. Occasionally you will feel the urge to pull it out and blast some undead enemies, but this game will not last you very long.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/19/07, Updated 05/30/08

Game Release: The House of the Dead III (EU, 02/11/05)