The latest entry in The House of the Dead franchise is different from the previous games as Overkill becomes even sillier and even more fun. Opting for the Grindhouse movie stylistics, the game is as hardcore as you can get. Script is silly as you’d expect, full of swearings (the game is even recognized by the Guiness folks for being the most vulgar game ever made) and action is violent full of splattering blood and body parts. The action is simple as the game controls where you move: all you have to do is shoot waves after waves of zombies with various guns at your disposal.
The gameplay is typical of rail shooter, but what sets this game apart from other entries in the genre is the over-the-top action and script. The game is pretty short (clocking in at about 3 hours on a regular play session), but you will enjoy the game more than you’d think. Overkill is better enjoyed with friends as all you need is extra Wiimotes. There are technical issues, such as severe frame rate drops that can cause the game to not register commands but these could be overlooked by the fact that you are having fun shooting and decapitating zombies.
Rating: 80%
IGN: The House of the Dead: Overkill blends some great gameplay with an impressive style, some great humor, and enough violence and vulgarity to confuse the hell out of soccer moms looking for a new Sims game or Petz title. I wouldn’t put the overall production value or difficulty up there with WoW’s offerings just yet, but for a relaunch of the series on Wii, Overkill is off to a very nice start.
Eurogamer: Incredibly for such a simple and strictly limited game, it almost never tries your patience, and it’s made with such infectious and irreverent glee and such obvious pride, you can’t help but join in.
Gamespot: Even though it suffers from technical flaws, The House of the Dead: Overkill offers tons of entertainment with plenty of style.
