"Bring ou'cha dead! *hits gong*"

After waiting nearly two weeks to get my hands on a Dreamcast light gun (bear in mind this review was written shortly after the launch of the Dreamcast), I can finally play The House of the Dead 2. I have always loved the whole gun action genre; from Operation: Wolf to Time Crisis 2, I've played them all. In particular, I've always enjoyed Sega's The House of the Dead and couldn't wait to play the console version of the sequel. With the release of the Dreamcast I wait no longer...

Taking place a few years after the events of the original House of the Dead, House of the Dead 2 takes you to a zombie-infested European village and thrusts you deep into a battle for your life. Along the way, the plot quickly unfolds, not only telling you what's going on in this game, but filling in a few gaps of information missing from the last game as well. To be honest, the plot isn't all that heavy or thought provoking so don't expect any surprises. Thankfully, this type of game is designed with the story as an after-thought when compared to the action it delivers.

Graphically, this game really shows off what the Dreamcast can do. The ultra-realistic environments are the first thing you'll notice when you start playing. Then you begin to appreciate the large number of polygons this game is pushing around. Next, the incredibly detailed textures will wow you, stunning you in their beauty. Finally, it's the fast yet smooth animation that will surprise you when the first zombie takes your head off because you were too busy gawking at the graphics. House of the Dead 2 is easily one of the best looking Dreamcast games available.

The one area where The House of the Dead 2 really, really fails to deliver is the sound. To be short and blunt, the voice acting suck, sound effects are mediocre, and the music is completely out of place. I can't even go in to how bad the voice action is, but let's just say it makes Resident Evil's voice work Oscar-worthy. The effects are about the same that you've heard on just about every other gun game, they just sound a little more clear thanks to the Dreamcast's audio channels. And now for the music- it's not that the music is bad, it's actually quite good, but the techno-rock beat that comprises the bulk of House of the Dead 2's various tracks seem a tad out of place amidst the legions of grotesque undead. Still, the game sounds great.

Get one thing perfectly clear right now: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PLAY THIS GAME WITHOUT A LIGHT GUN. While using the controller is possible, not only does it take away from the game play, it is nigh impossible to beat the game without the use of a gun. I've only been able to test the game with one gun (the only one currently available), but it still plays. If you can't find a gun but you must have this game, there are a few options to help the controller-bound zombie hunters, but it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

The House of the Dead 2 is a wonderfully designed gun game. It offers the one thing that other games of this genre fail to- multiple paths. You can literally play through this game a hundred times and not go the same route twice! The way you go depends on the actions you take while playing the game, so try and remember things that you shoot (or don't shoot) if you want to go a certain way. The addition of extra weapons and power-ups to the Original Mode heightens replay value as you can mix and match things to change the way you play the game. Each level is so well thought out that they stand apart from each other in design and element, yet progress in a natural, logical order so as to keep the continuity of the game in tact. My only complaint about this game is a minor one- why do the zombies have names? What, did you stop and ask them who they were before blowing half their body apart? It just doesn't make sense to me.

To keep things a little more interesting, The House of the Dead 2 is packed with a few extra surprises. There is now a ten-mission training mode with five levels of difficulty for each mission. Besides including the arcade version of the game, there is now an Original Mode that adds a few extra things into the mix. Taking the time to play through each mode will yield new options and extras that can effect play of the game. All these little bonuses are nice, but I was hoping to see a hidden game in the form of the original House of the Dead. Oh well, can't have it all.

If light gun games are your thing, then House of the Dead 2 is a more than worthy addition to your software library. But if you're going to get this title, you absolutely must track down a light gun, as the game is far less enjoyable without one. Happy zombie hunting.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/10

Game Release: The House of the Dead 2 (US, 09/09/99)