House of the Dead 3 is the PSN re-release of the classic arcade shooter. This game has been made available previously on other consoles, featuring on both the Xbox and Wii. This PSN version comes complete with Move Support, Trophies and updated HD graphics.
As an on-rails shooter, House of the Dead is up there with Time Crisis in being the best that this genre has to offer, it is obvious however when playing this game just how short and difficult in specific sections these types of games can be. This PSN version plays great with the Move (didn’t try it without – why would you?) and the accuracy afforded by Sony’s motion controllers is excellent.
This was exactly as I remembered it and it wasn’t until I unlocked some of the bonus features that I realised that it had been done up in glorious HD. The original graphics shown in a video with the producer and director are extremely grainy and of low resolution. They have done a very good job in updating these without you realising just how much has been done.
The game itself is still as you remember all rail shooters to be. Very short – just 5 levels, a terrible script and extremely difficult, even on normal, in some very specific places. For example, I was always losing a life whilst on the lift regardless of knowing where they would be coming from. The script and voice acting are appalling, I skipped every scene I could once I had heard them speak for the first time. It’s like watching a bargain bin movie if it was an American Daytime soap remade by the Japanese and then dubbed back in to English. They all speak very fast, with no tone in their voices and at a very high pitch.
The game play throughout is still very good, and challenging; particularly on the time attack mode. You do occasionally remember that in the past you would have been shovelling £1 coins in to get the continues to pass the boss, even on Chapter 1 who is the security guard.
At £4.79 this is reasonable value and with an extra 30% discount for Playstation Plus Members bringing it in at about £3.68 quite a good bargain. The trophies give you a reason to replay, complete all 4 endings, get S rank overall etc. and the game is short enough but entertaining enough to allow short bursts of play. If you are a fan of the series or just need more games for your Move controllers this is good value, but expect it to be over quickly.
Presentation:
Nicely improved Graphics, just a shame that the voice acting is awful.
Audio:
Generally ok but you can’t get away from the annoying voices
Gameplay:
Good fun and short enough to allow pick up and play sessions along with trophy reasons for replaying.
Overall Score:
A good game for your Move controllers and nicely updated but short with terrible voice acting.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
