I don’t think I’ve ever messed around with a game’s settings menu as much as The House of the Dead 2: Remake. And, unfortunately, try as I might, I could never get the game to feel 'good'. Much like its predecessor on the Switch, Forever Entertainment’s latest arcade revamp is limited to just two control schemes: analogue stick and gyro. Neither is an ideal way to play.
But let’s start with the positives. This is a remarkably faithful remake of the 1998 original, maintaining everything that makes the experience so memorable — including wacky boss battles and god-awful voice acting — while providing an extensive overhaul of the visuals. It’s a blast watching zombies’ limbs and guts go flying with each successful shot, and the way the enemy design has been revamped feels both fresh and respectful at the same time.
There’s plenty to get stuck into, including two versions of the campaign — original and arcade — a boss mode, and a training mode that throws you into a variety of challenges. These might entail protecting human NPCs or destroying barrels within a time limit, but it’s all useful in letting you get to grips with how the game plays on Switch.
Speaking of which, back to the control schemes. The gyro aiming, in theory, should be the way to go, but like the first remake, it’s way too erratic. Even when turning the sensitivity down in the settings, I could never hit that sweet spot. Either the reticle would fly off in random directions upon pressing the fire button, or it would inexplicably drift over to one side, requiring you to constantly recalibrate by moving it to the edge before recentring it.
Standard analogue controls feel more accurate, but again, it’s a monotonous exercise in tinkering with the sensitivity to find the setting that feels right. Spoiler: it never felt quite right. Even after landing on a setting that felt reasonably comfortable, the very nature of using an analogue cursor in a light gun game feels incredibly unintuitive. The fact that a 2008 port for the Wii feels better is quite saddening, to say the least.
I should note that the game isn’t horrifically unplayable or anything like that. It’s perfectly serviceable, but a light gun shooter should be instantly playable and fun, and having to constantly fiddle around with the settings to achieve something close to satisfying is definitely frustrating. It's something that developer MegaPixel Studio really should have rectified from the first Switch remake.
Ultimately, I am glad The House of the Dead 2: Remake exists. Control woes aside, I suspect many players will eventually find some enjoyment from the game, provided you're willing to spend considerable time in the settings menu beforehand. It's a fascinating blast from the past, warts 'n' all, and a real showcase of some truly terrible voice acting from the '90s. Just make sure you toggle the 'Mute "Reload!" Scream' option – good lord.
Comments 50
I had no issues with the first game. I’ll be buying this.
Joy-Con 2 are better for gyro controls, so that’ll help too.
I couldn’t get into the 1st one due to the controls and the fact that a Wii and any light gun game is better. I still have several games for when we get that itch, but gyro and joystick controls just take away from the fun these games are. Mouse controls would atleast make it playable, but still not the same as light gun.
Question. For anyone who has tried it on switch 2, does it play as excellently as the first remaster on the switch 2? That game was horrendous on the switch but the switch 2 joycons have made it damn near perfect.
I really hope someone creates a fix for the controls on these games. They’re part of gaming history and to only remember them as a fading memory would be truly heartbreaking.
Why in the hell is there no Mouse Mode for the HotD games?
I miss the lightgun era, one of the best eras in gaming that basically disappeared completely about 20 years ago.
Ima say it again... Sega's current retro 'effort' sucks. Aside from the programmers handling the Club Sega parts of the Yakuza games, they've been retreating where Namco and Capcom seem happy to advance. They've decided there's more money to be made licensing the classics out to other studios to potentially butcher them, rather than spending the money to accurately port and preserve them. It seems Lizardcube knows what they're doing, but Forever clearly doesn't.
Also, I continue to be bugged by how murky these remakes look. Why add all this graphic detail if the environments are sparse and the lighting is so dim?
Time to dust off the Wii...
Forever Entertainment moment.
Why they can't just pack in the original versions of the games???
I don't agree It's sad to say the Wii version is better. This Switch version has better graphics and that's It. But shiny graphics don't automatically make games better. The Wii on the other hand has a controller made for motion gaming and many on-rail shooters, and even though not as precise as a light gun, It's the closest you will get to that experience on modern TV. I recommend, besides House of the Dead 2 & 3, House or the Dead Overkill, Ghost Squad, Gunblade NY & LA Machine Guns Link's. Crossbow Training, Eco Shooters Plant 530, Dead Space Extraction, Resident Evil Umbrela Chronicles/Darkside Chrinocles, Target Terror and many others.
Is physical coming?
Dear Sega and whoever is planning to make any light gun style game in the future. Give us a working TV light gun so we could play your freaking game the way it was meant to be play. Thank you. See Linus video below for idea cause it looks like y'all don't have any anymore.
A shame about the slightly not great controls, hopefully anyone who plays it enjoys it.
@Gavintendo
Agreed. Jumped into the first game on the S2 a few weekends ago with the JC2 and it felt good.
@Guido84 100%
@JayJ it is a bygone era along with car combat games and rhythm instrument games. I think in the case of light fun games it’s just very expensive with modern tvs these days. Duckhunt is one of the few big Nintendo games that really has been left in the dark for sometime despite its popularity.
@MikeP House of the Dead Overkill and 2 & 3 Return are amazing on the Wii.
@Vyacheslav333 That's my biggest issue. Pack in the original FFS.
The voices are different, but still awful. Which begs...what was the point? If they are still bad, why tf replace iconic performances? This thing is wrong all over.
They should sell a sensor bar for peanuts... and should have included infrared tech in the S2 joycons... I mean, come on, the technology for that must be just $2 dollars at most at this point.
@Serpenterror thats pretty impressive. Fingers crossed it catches on, light gun games were and can be so much fun. Would be great to see them return.
Not to keen on the updated graphics.
This just makes me want to play Die Hard 2 on PS
I'm still holding out hope that Nintendo will release a sensor bar for Switch 2. The inferred sensors could easily attach to the joycon.
Maybe if the switch 2 camera can replicate pointer controls, I'll have a reason to buy it.
Perhaps when Wii comes to NSO...
Until then, my Wii U will still serve as my go-to for light gun games.
The first remake disastrous, so i'm not too surprised about this.
Just another reminder that the Dreamcast was the greatest thing ever.
Until they start bundling these games with modern lightguns, they just aren't playable.
Really hope that Namco or Sega bring back the genre.
I played this to death on the Dreamcast. The genré should stay dead as it will never be the same again without light guns.
@AG_Awesome this was basically the only
Question i had for this review. Jon gvg is quite harsh on this though
I had a blast with first one, controls were fine for me and recalibrating became part of the fun (just like reloading)
First one plays excellent on Switch 2! Suppose this one do too.
@Paulo oh boy, I LOVED Overkill and the two RE Chronicles games on Wii. Good times indeed!
Thanks for the review, wonder how much the controls would affect the enjoyment of the game itself for me, especially considering that it varies from person to person based on comments here (and also apparently playing it on Switch 2 with the new Joy-Cons at least in the case of the previous one and speaking of, it would be great if there were an upgrade to add mouse controls) - as much as horror isn't my cup of tea, I've overall enjoyed what I've played of House of the Dead games in arcades and so I'll consider eventually giving this and the previous one a try!
DO NOT MUTE RELOAD
Don't ever do that it's the beating heart of HotD
@Serpenterror
Honestly the Wii HotD are really nice alternatives.
Other than that I should really rebuy Overkill and 2&3 for the Wii while they are not terribly expensive. They left the apartment slamming the door with my ex girlfriend and a couple other things some years ago.
Due to the continued failure to address the motion issue with part 1. I am out.
I played the demo of Steam a while ago and my review is
Looks worse than the original
Sounds worse than the original
Plays significantly worse than the original
Essentially a lightgun game that isnt even made as a lightgun game, so even on PC cannot function with modern ones
Utter garbage 2/10
@JohnnyMind I won't comment on the standard controls but even with a mouse this plays poorly, as its not actually built as a lightgun game and every time there is a camera cut it resets the cursor to the centre of the screen. So with a mouse, you constantly have to pick it up and move it to be able to aim
@Serpenterror I've had one of these for a few years and its brilliant. I think there is a standalone lightgun and plug and play console coming soon and is bundled with Time Crisis and Point Blank
@Paulo I don't even think the graphics are better, I think this looks worse than the original game
@carlos82 I was wondering how you played it with a mouse, then saw your previous comment - anyway, unfortunate (and also ironic considering the options present when it comes to other controls) that there isn't an option to avoid that in the Steam version although I was talking about potential mouse controls on Switch 2 which would hopefully work like the controller/gyro controls where that doesn't seem to be an issue as neither the review nor other comments mentioned it, just with the Joy-Cons in mouse mode!
The best way to play the first game on Switch is touch screen after an update. I remember purchased on a salé for 5 dollars. If the second game adds touch screen support I might get It on salé. I just wish Forever Entertainment had done another Panzer Dragoon instead.
@JohnnyMind yeah there was a demo on Steam and I own the original there which has the same issues. I've got the Sinden Lightgun and its basically useless with this game because of how its made. With motion controls the cursor persistence isn't as big of a deal but even if this got mouse support on Switch 2, it would have the exact same problems as on PC, simply because that is how the game was designed.
First remake heavily discounted now. And since joycon2 improved it. It was worth my 2 euros. Still have the wii version on my wiiU though. Which is better
Where the heck is the Panzer Dragoon Zwei remake?
@Moistnado You just need a Switch 2. The new Joy-cons handle the gyro aiming much better.
Thanks for the review. Wow, better on the Wii? I played it on that system and it was an enjoyable playthrough. Poor they screwed it up for the Switch 1 which could have had proper gyro aiming like in 3DS Ocarina of Time as well as of course the joycon controls. Hopefully th Switch 2 can sort some of this out? Heard that was the case for the first game?
@HexagonSun I could be wrong but I don't think the Switch 2 joycons have infrared sensors so a sensor bar wouldn't work at all with them.
@Alex79uk No, but theoretically, they could make infrared sensors that clip onto each joycon. At least, that's how I explain it to myself. 😊
Nintendo will have to figure out how to bring us pointer controls if they ever want to add Wii to NSO.
@HexagonSun They'll just use the gyro, they won't do anything else. Exactly how they did it for Mario Galaxy on the Switch. Shame because the gyro is never as good as the Wiimote for accuracy but Nintendo are hardly known for putting any effort in to the control schemes on the Online service.
@Alex79uk I don't know. Nintendo did just add controller remapping for NSO. From my perspective, the service has only continued to improve since it released. This is coming from someone who owns a sizable retro collection from every Nintendo console (except Virtual Boy). I'm holding out hope that they'll at least have an optional way to replicate pointer controls. Zapper games are starting to gain popularity again, so that may be reason enough to release some sort of solution. That could just be using the new camera accessory to track joycon instead of faces. I don't know. Perhaps unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibility.
@HexagonSun Yeah all fair points. I do hope they think about how they might best implement Wii games if they ever do come to the service. I am dubious though, they'd need to put in some sort of 'choose which games to download' feature (and ideally would let you do this on the GameCube app as it grows, too) otherwise we'd end up having the app be 100+ GB.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...