The House of the Dead (arcade game)
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| The House of the Dead | |
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| Developer(s) | AM1 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Genre(s) | Rail shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, Microsoft Windows, Sega Saturn |
| Input | Light gun, 1 button |
| Arcade cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system(s) | Sega Model 2 |
| Arcade display | Raster, medium resolution horizontal orientation |
The House of the Dead is a first-person, light gun rail shooter arcade game released in 1996 by Sega.
Players assume the role of government agents Thomas Rogan and "G" in their efforts to repel the dangerous, inhumane experiments of Dr. Curien.
[edit] Gameplay
The House of the Dead is a straightforward rail shooter light gun game. Players simply use a light gun (in the PC version, the mouse is used) to aim at approaching enemies, and click the trigger to shoot them. The characters' pistols use magazines for rounds, and are thus required to reload once each mag is spent. This is done by pointing the gun away from the screen and pressing the trigger. A set of torches next to each player's magazine shows their remaining health. Anytime a player is attacked or shoots a civilian, one of their torches is put out. A player is considered "dead" when all of that player's torches are lost. A player may then continue by inserting more money (or selecting the "continue" option in the home versions). First-aid packs can restore health, and are available throughout stages, with some provided by civilians who are saved from death.
This game was one of the first such games to incorporate the possibilities of multiple routes. For instance, in the beginning of the game, a male civilian is about to be thrown off the bridge to his death. If players shoot the zombie and save the civilian, they will enter the house, but if the civilian dies, players go down an underground route through the sewer. There are other critical points in which the players' actions decide where they go. This branching path system was also implemented in subsequent installments to the series.
[edit] Story
In the year 1998, AMS agents Thomas Rogan and "G" are sent on an assignment to investigate a panicked phone call from Rogan's girlfriend Sophie Richards and a series of disappearances at the Curien Mansion, home laboratory of Dr. Curien, an acclaimed biochemist and geneticist. Dr. Curien was obsessed with discovering the very nature of life and death, backed by the DBR Corporation and its scientists. The nature of the experiments, however, drove Dr. Curien insane, resulting in him releasing his experimental subjects onto the unsuspecting world.
Amidst the chaos wrought by Curien, Rogan and "G" face many formidable foes, including The Chariot (Type 27), a plated undead warrior who mortally wounds Sophie, a gargoyle-like creature which sees to it that she cannot escape the mansion grounds, The Hangedman (Type 041), as well as The Hermit (Type 6803), a mutant spider guarding the passageway leading to Curien's restricted research area.
Upon confronting Curien, the AMS agents are treated to his greatest masterpiece, The Magician (Type 0), a humanoid with mastery over fire. Dr. Curien is, however, killed by his creation due to a programming error. To prevent the Magician from escaping the mansion, Rogan and "G" killed it before any harm could be done.
[edit] External links
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House of the Dead • 2 • III • 4 |
