House of the Dead: Overkill Hands On

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It's details like this that will be essential if Headstrong is going to make a success of the first House of the Dead custom-designed for the home. A couple of runs through the demo - level two of the game proper - show that the arcade-game design is strong enough: highlighted civilian rescue scenarios for extra points, a "slow-mofo" pickup for extravagant, bullet-time explosions of dismemberment and gore, and a smart and easy-to-follow combo system. Combos are built up simply through successive hits, tracked on a six-shooter cylinder graphic, and each cylinder gains you a rank with scoring and performance bonsues, up to the heady Goregasm. We also loved the bold, cartoony ammo readout on the left side of the screen.

Length is one thing, but it's really a combination of densely-packed opportunities for score-attack improvement in the level design, and a broad range of unlocks and options, that will make Overkill a worthwhile investment for the home. The signs are good; the level we played was very busy, and layering combo multipliers over judicious use of pickups over timely weapon-switching over pattern-learning over simple reflexes gives plenty of headroom for score improvement.

Sunglasses indoors penalty: one gun.

As far as options and unlocks are concerned, Overkill is naturally still an unknown quantity. Headstrong is promising a weapon reward and customisation system that will allow you to expand and improve your arsenal considerably as you replay the game - and, theoretically at least, push that score-ceiling even higher.

All the customisation in the world would be worthless if Overkill's guns didn't have the right feel; there is nothing to do in House of the Dead but shoot, and shooting, more so even than in an FPS, needs to be a deep, visceral, addictive thrill in itself. On this score we have no concerns at all. Even pistols fire with meaty, explosive force and a kick of rumble in your hand. There's also a quick buzz from the remote whenever your crosshairs successfully target an enemy, a lovely touch that provides both helpful information and an extra jolt of tactile satisfaction, another accelerator to the feedback-loop of adrenaline.