"One of the best games on the Dreamcast"

The House of the Dead 2 is an extremely fun game for the Dreamcast that is FPS and a horror game. Its no Resident Evil game, but its still fun.

Graphics: 10/10

The graphics for this game are superb. You wouldn't even know that this was a Dreamcast game. The character models look marvelous and the environments looks great. One thing about the graphics that will blow you away is the monster designs. Each monster looks gruesome and is designed real well. For example: There is this one monster who is real fat and looks like a dead executioner. I give the graphics a 10.

Sound: 6/10

The character voices in this game are well done. The civilian screams make the game creepier and the level music fits each level perfectly. One thing I like the most is the zombies moans. The moans are just plain creepy.

The reason I gave the Sound score a little low of a score is because of the character lines. The main character (James) has the most cheesiest lines. One example is him entering this big Corporate building; "Its like they are inviting me in." Another cheesy line he delivers is when he hears some hostage screaming; "Heard a voice over there." This game delivers many other quirky lines by James and his pals Amy and Harry. But sometimes it can sound really funny and lame. I give the sound a 6.

Controls: 9/10:

The controls in this game are perfect. You use the "A" button to shoot, "B" button to reload, and the joystick to move your cursor to aim. That is all you have to do. I give the controls a 9.

Gameplay: 10/10

Now to get to the best part of this game...the gameplay. There are several modes you can play.

Arcade Mode is where you play through the game without trying to retrieve items from barrels. The objective is to get through each chapter and score as much points as you can. That won't be easy though. Each chapter contains tons of different monsters you must beat. The problem is, you can't choose which way your character goes. The character moves for you. You must simply use the joystick to shoot of the enemies you come across. That is what makes this game fun. You don't have to worry about backtracking or getting lost.

Shooting off enemies sounds easy? Not in this game. The enemies in this game very on the amount of damage it takes, its speed, and how deadly it is. The enemies also appear in different varieties. You could encounter two weak and one strong monster. Each chapter also contains hostages. You must rescue a hostage before a monster kills them. Rescuing a hostage might unlock a new path or you might get a bonus from them.

Of course each level has its own boss. The bosses are unique and have their own weak point. But its not easy to attack their weak point. You must do certain things to attack their weak points. Once you complete a chapter you are scored on how you did.

Original Mode is the same thing as Arcade Mode except you can use different weapons, have more health, get more credits, etc.

There are also extra too that are fun like rescuing the hostages or fighting a certain number of enemies with limited health and bullets.

I give the gameplay a 10.

Replay Value: 10/10

You can through Arcade/Original Mode to get a high score, unlock new paths, etc.

You can also play the extra modes to try and get more stars to unlock new things. I give the replay value a 10!

Buy, Rent, or Forget about it?

There aren't much fun Dreamcast FPS game out there. Definitely give this one a try!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/10/06