The House of the Dead 2: Remake [PC] | REVIEW

Over two decades after its arcade debut, The House of the Dead 2 rises again. MegaPixel Studio’s remake aims to preserve the frantic rail-shooter action and campy tone that fans remember, while giving the game a fresh layer of visual detail. And sure, what’s here is undeniably faithful in structure, but a mix of a lack of polish, underwhelming changes to the presentation, and imperfect gameplay adjustments keep it from hitting the same highs as the original.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Players step into the shoes of AMS agents James Taylor and Gary Stewart, dispatched to investigate a mysterious outbreak that has flooded an Italian city with undead horrors. Their mission: track down the elusive Goldman, a wealthy and eccentric figure suspected of orchestrating the chaos. What follows is a frantic dash through canals, cathedrals, and crumbling streets, as the agents battle grotesque creatures, confront towering bio-weapons, and race to stop a plan that could spread the nightmare far beyond the city. It’s grisly, gruesome, and absolutely corny, but hey, that’s all part of the charm.

The House of the Dead 2: Remake keeps the bones of the 1998 game intact. The Original and Arcade versions of the campaign are included, alongside Boss Mode and Training Mode for extra replay value. Branching routes and multiple endings remain, rewarding multiple playthroughs with new paths and scenes that ensure each playthrough can offer something a little different. Bonus weapons can be unlocked through exploration too, letting you swap out the standard pistol for things like a crossbow or grenade launcher to cause a bit more undead-destroying mayhem.

The core rail-shooter loop feels the same: move automatically through levels, blast zombies before they attack, and try to save civilians for points and health. Enemy patterns, branching paths, and boss encounters are largely as they were, but some tweaks alter the overall feel of the game. Boss weak points are now only vulnerable during specific animations, turning certain fights into repetitive waiting games. Enemy attacks can also feel faster and less forgiving, reducing the margin for error (something that took a bit of getting used without the light gun support). That said, the game still has that satisfying flow when you’re cutting through hordes without missing a shot, especially with the improved gore visuals. It’s short enough to enjoy in bursts, and replaying for alternate routes or higher scores still works as a hook.

“The House of the Dead 2: Remake is a faithful resurrection, but some of the changes it does make feel like they hurt the experience.”

So… the graphical changes. In fairness, the overhaul is noticeable, with sharper textures, updated character models, and reworked cutscenes. Enemy redesigns generally stay true to their classic forms, and in some cases even improve upon them, so kudos is deserved there. However, for every visual upgrade, there’s a rough patch: missing textures in certain areas, an overall dark tone that makes it hard to make out details, mismatched skyboxes, lighting that makes environments feel unfinished, and occasional objects that simply seem out of place. There’s no doubting that it looks more modern and shinier, but at the same time, it’s lost a lot of the soul that made the original version of the game feel distinct.

The same can be said for the new voice overs, which simply do not hit the mark at all. The original House of the Dead 2 had voice acting so bad that it was endearing and became part of the fun. Wooden delivery, mismatched tone, and awkward pauses turned nearly every line into a meme, and you know what? Gamers loved it. The remake re-records all dialogue with cleaner audio, but in the process, loses that ‘so bad it’s good’ quality. Performances are flat where the original at least attempted drama, and moments that once had unintentional comedy now just feel dull and uninspired. For those who loved the original’s hammy charm, this change is one of the remake’s biggest downgrades, and believe it or not, I think it hurts the storytelling.

But hey, at least the game does include the original soundtrack, which is a treat. In fairness, there’s nothing wrong with the new one, but it brings back a sense of nostalgia that is often missing throughout the other aspects of The House of the Dead 2: Remake.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Controls-wise, on PC, the mouse and keyboard aiming feels pretty natural, whilst it’s fine to play with a controller – even if it’s still not perfectly tuned. Sensitivity often needs adjusting to feel comfortable, and the default settings can feel either too twitchy or too sluggish depending on your setup. Hit detection is consistent, but there’s a certain stiffness to aiming that makes it feel less precise than if you’re used to playing the game with a light gun. That being said, the developers have noted that they’re looking to implement light gun support in the future, which will undoubtedly make for a more immersive and precise experience.

Developer: MegaPixel Studio
Publisher: Forever Entertainment
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3376690/THE_HOUSE_OF_THE_DEAD_2_Remake/