The House of the Dead III

"A great arcade shooter"

The House of the Dead 3 is the third part of one of the most popular arcade shooters of all time. And now people can play it at home too, provided they have an Xbox.

GRAPHICS 9/10

The graphics in this game are awesome. The mobs of zombies that fill your screen and are waiting to be shot are very detailed, and look very good. The stages themselves are great as well, and contribute to the creepy feeling in the game. This means in some parts very little light, and a horde of zombies who are waiting for you. In short, the graphics are outstanding, not the best, but great none the less.

SOUND 9/10

The sounds that the zombies make are awesome. They don't sound boring, or even annoying, they sound perfect. It gives you the idea that you are fighting against the undead, rather then some strange beings which make some noises that are hard to explain.

The background music is also good and nicely done, especially the music you hear when fighting a boss. Overall, the sounds are neat, but in some parts not a lust for the ear.

Your shotgun makes a nice sound to, as does the reloading sound. The voices of the characters sound perfect too, although they sometimes don't really put everything in it.

GAMEPLAY 9/10

Very, VERY easy to learn. You move on a set out course through the chapters, but at the beginning of each new chapter you can choose which floor you are going through next.

In some cases, you must rescue your teammate, and if you are successful, you are awarded a bonus life. And these are precious and invaluable throughout the game. One hit from the enemy means losing one life. Simple as that. Once all lives are up, you can use a continue. Continues up? Game Over!

Since this game supports lightguns, it is highly recommended that you get one, since it adds to the fun a whole lot more, although playing with the controller is fun too. The game can be played with two players together.

REPLAYABILITY 9/10

Once you beat Survival Mode, you can try House of the Dead 2, which comes with the game as an unlockable bonus. Or, you can try how far you can get in Time Attack.

So you see, the game offers a lot of replay, but once you've beaten it all, it is sadly done and over. But keep in mind that it will take a lot of time to beat everything.

OVERALL 9/10

This game is nice and fun to play, not to mention addictive. Plus the support for lightguns adds to the fun.

If you like arcade shooters, get this one. You won't be disappointed. Guaranteed.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/08/03, Updated 05/08/03