RetrOS Halloween special Review of House of the Dead Remake (various formats)

 Hey, everyone! Welcome to this Halloween special episode of RetrOS, giving our viewers a fix of good ol' nostalgia, by reviewing games of their childhood. Last year, we tackled Silent Hill 2, this year, we are remaining in retro gaming territory by turning the clocks back to 1996 by reviewing a remake of the first entry of one of Sega's trademark rail shooters.  Can Greig escape the mansion or will he join the hordes of the undead?

Let's find out!

The year is 1996, and the music industry is turned on its head as the all-female British pop band, the Spice Girls released their debut single, wannabe, 1996 was also a very sad year in hip-hop  music, as Tupac was killed in a shooting in Las Vegas.

 Finally, we were introduced to the little pets in our pockets, as the Tamagotchi virtual pet was released in Japan. Do you remember playing one? Which one had the longest lifespan, and how long did it live? Let me know in those comments!

1996 was also a significant year in the gaming industry. Nintendo struck gold twice as the Nintendo 64 was released in the USA, and the first entry in Nintendo's catchiest franchise, Pokémon was released for the Game Boy. What one did you pick as your starter on your first play-through?  Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur Once again, let me know down on those comments!

Arcades were also one of the epicentres of the social aspects of playing video games, although consoles were primarily designed to bring the arcade experience to your home, rail shooters were one of the biggest attractions in most arcades. A main reason why this subgenre was unique, was the use of a light gun peripheral, which was a great way to immerse yourself into the game.

This title was originally released for arcades on September 13, 1996. The game was later ported to the PC, and the Sega Saturn in 1998. 

You play as the AMS agent Thomas Rogan, or his partner, known only by the letter G. It is up to you to infiltrate into a  secret bio lab, filled with reincarnated subjects to take down the head of the project Dr Curien.

The accessibility scores are as follows –

Visibility 11

You can customise what colour your targeting radical is going to be in. In two-player mode, this feature can be even lifeline for a player with a visual impairment. On top of that, you can customise the thickness and outline of your reticle. This will allow the player to enjoy the game without the risk of getting any eye strain while setting the screen for your targeting reticle. So, this game seems to be purposely built the players with visual impairments.

Audibility 10

There are subtitles which are present in this game. These subtitles are displayed both in cut scenes and during stages. So, a player with a hearing impairment should be able to play this game with no issues.

Mobility 7

Although there is no way to completely customise the button layouts, on the console version (we use the Xbox version to test this game). However, you can customise which stick moves your targeting reticle also, you can customise the speed your targeting reticle moves.

However, on the PC version, you can use the mouse to play this game. Also, on the switch version, you can use a joy-con in the same way you would do using a light gun.

So, this game can be played with a mobility impairment, but more customisation options on the Xbox version would be an excellent addition.

Gameplay  8

For the remake of a rail shooter from 1996, this game is pretty good. The developers seem to have stuck to the original source material pretty well. The game's soundtrack is okay, but, an option to switch from the remastered soundtrack to the original game soundtrack would be an excellent idea.

The PC version has a glaring issue – this game eats your  VRAM for breakfast! When I was running the PC version, it used of whopping 5 GB of VRAM! So, if you are using low-to mid-range graphics cards, it's best to go for a console version, as the game will put a massive strain on your hardware.

All in all, this game is quite fun. Nowadays, rail shooters are very few and far between. This is due to the novelty of motion control dying off, apart from the Nintendo Switch. In summary, the House of the Dead remake is a faithful recreation of the 1996 shooter that is hailed as an all-time classic. So, if you are looking for a cheap rail shooter to play over the Christmas period, this game is highly recommended!

OVERALL SCORE 90%

If you are going trick or treating, remember to bring someone with you. If you need a joke, we have got you covered

Why do zombies speak in Latin?

Because it is a dead language!

Okay then, that's it for another year, we will see you on the next review, which is probably going to be one was emotional reviews I have ever done on this channel.