Way back in 1988 Namco released the original Splatterhouse for the arcade and the TurboGrafx-16. This dark and gory “beat ‘em up” side-scroller gained a small following, allowing the Japanese company to release three sequels. Now, Namco Bandi Games has revived the franchise in a 3-dimensional remake with a heavy metal soundtrack. Sadly, this game is merely the latest one to cram up the testosterone filled market of M rated video games.
Splatterhouse brings back the four main characters of the original game. You play as Rick Taylor, a college student who tags along with his girlfriend, Jennifer, to her interview with Dr. Henry West for a college newspaper. But when they arrive at West’s mansion, Rick is attacked by monsters that kidnap Jennifer. Left for dead, Rick’s blood comes in contact with an Aztec burial mask that has fallen on the floor. The blood awakens a nameless demon trapped in the mask, who tells Rick that they can save Jennifer if he wears the mask. It heals Rick’s wounds and turns him into a muscular freak. Now Rick will have to fight his way through hordes of demons, zombies and genetically altered freaks to save his girlfriend, all while dealing with the annoying jokes of the demon in the Terror Mask.
One thing this remake does right is use a lot of the elements of the original games. While Rick’s primary offense is his unnaturally meaty fists, he’ll also find weapons along the way, including 2x4’s with nails in them, severed limbs, and chainswas. Rick has the ability to heal, even if he loses an arm, which he can then pick-up to defend himself with. The game occasionally switches to side-scroller format, paying homage to its predecessors.
Also, if there’s an award for bloodiest game of 2010, no one will be surprised when Splatterhouse wins it. If you’ve got a weak stomach, watch out for the gallons and gallons of blood what will spray everywhere, including across the screen, when Rick smashes, slashes, shoots, and dismembers his enemies. Blood is used as currency for character upgrades, as well as unlocking certain doors.
There’s also a decent soundtrack of thrash and death metal, featuring a good balance between mainstream acts like Lamb of God and Mastodon, and lesser known artists like Invisible Enemies and WolfShirt.
Sure, all of this stuff sounds great…if you’re a 14-year-old. The gory gameplay tends to get a bit repetitive, the humor is mediocre at best, and it feels a bit creepy to collect reassembled pictures of Rick’s topless girlfriend. (Seriously, you'll actually spend time reassembling nude pictures of Jennifer.) What is it with M rated games that seem to be made for kids that are too young to legally purchase them? I know this game isn't meant to be taken seriously as art, but come on!
Also, the button command mini-games don’t always seem to respond properly, and items tend to glitch into the air and become unreachable.
If you get bored you can also play through the survival arena, and unlock three of the original Splatterhouse games.
Overall, this game is a good rental for action fans that need to let out some frustration, but it’s definitely not worth a $60 purchase.
Available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Rated M for Mature. Published and developed by Namco Bandi Games.
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