Mini Review: The House Of The Dead 2: Remake (Switch)

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.