$20 Game of the Week: The House of the Dead – Overkill (Wii)

In the days of the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast, the House of the Dead provided players with zombie-blasting thrills long before zombies became cool. Fast forward to now, with the Wiimote making it easy for light gun rail shooters to make a comeback of sorts, with games such as Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and Dead Space Extraction. What better time for Sega to reintroduce the House of the Dead to the masses? Of course with the popularity of games such as Left 4 Dead and Dead Rising, Sega had to insure that the new HOTD game wouldn’t be just another ‘me-too’ zombie shooter (especially after Uwe Boll’s misguided attempt to squeeze a 90 minute movie out of a game that can be completed in 20, and the forgettable HOTD 4). What better way to do this than with Grindhouse-inspired facelift?

From the moment you power on your Wii, it’s not hard to figure out the inspiration for HOTD Overkill: Those sleazy 70s exploitation movies, filled to the brim with sex, violence, and profanity. You know, the kind of movies that Quentin Tarantino recently paid homage to. Levels begin with a drive-in movie style trailer, the graphics have a grainy dirty cinema feel, and the soundtrack is composed of progressive-style rock, and there is a lot of profanity. In fact, the game is set to receive a Guinness World Record for the most profanity in a video game! Taking placeyears before the events of the original HOTD, Overkill follows the exploits of rookie Agent G and officer Isaac Washington as they travel the Bayou to investigate the mysterious Papa Caesar, who has been transforming the populace into mutants. Along the way you’ll meet a stripper named Varla Guns, who seeks revenge for the death of her brother.

Being a shooter, the game is pretty easy to pick up and play. You’ll be blasting zombies apart in no time. You can use money earned in the levels to upgrade your weaponry. When you want a break from the main game, there is a selection of minigames to play. There are also plenty of unlockables to find, including a dual-wielding mode using two Wiimotes, artwork, and a ‘director’s cut’ mode, with higher difficulty level.

HOTD Overkill is an excellent package for Wii Owners starved for more serious action, and Tarantino fans especially will get a kick out of the grindhouse-inspired action. If you have the Wii Zapper (or better yet Nyko’s Perfect Shot) then it will go great with this game. What else are you waiting for? Cock your gun, load your ammo, and get ready to pay another visit to The House of the Dead.