The House of the Dead 4
| The House of the Dead 4 | |
|---|---|
| File:2182 HotD4Logo.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | 2005 December (Japan, Arcade) 2006 (US, EU, Arcade) TBA 2006 (Xbox 360) |
| Genre(s) | Rail shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Sega Lindbergh |
The House of the Dead 4 is a light gun arcade game with a horror theme and the fourth installment of the House of the Dead series of video games, developed by Sega.
Background
The House of the Dead 4 continues the story of the first two games and fills in the gap in the storyline between The House of the Dead 2 and The House of the Dead III, whilst introducing several new gameplay concepts. Players can play as either James Taylor, from The House of the Dead 2, or Kate Green, a new character to the series. The House of the Dead 4 is available either as a 29" upright, a 52" 4:3 ratio deluxe cabinet, or a 62" 16:9 widescreen deluxe cabinet. The House of the Dead 4 is also the first light gun game to be available in a 16:9 screen format.
Gameplay
The gameplay of The House of the Dead 4 differs somewhat from prior installments, in that a submachine gun (based on a cross between a Mac-10 and an Uzi) is used instead of the handguns of the first two games, and the shotgun of the third. Unlike the gun types used previously throughout the franchise, the submachine gun allows for continuous fire simply by holding down the gun's trigger. Ammo is reloaded by shaking the gun itself (unlike 1's "shoot outside the screen" tactic, 2's "point the gun outside the screen tactic," or 3's "Hand-pump" reload). The game also features the use of grenades (three received at the start of each stage) that can be thrown to destroy large numbers of enemies. Additional grenades can be earned by completing certain tasks or by shooting crates.
In some points in the game, players are required to actually shake the gun vigorously in order to escape certain situations such as being grabbed by a zombie. Unlike The House of the Dead III, it has a wide variety of branching paths reminiscent of the system found in The House of the Dead 2; different paths can be taken that eventually lead to the same point in the game's story.
The most common enemies have three attacks. A "normal attack", a "grab," and a "push." The foremost inflicts one point of damage, while the second forces a shaking sequence that, if successful, pushes back attackers for easier disposal. Multiple zombies may also pile overtop both players in an attempt to stomp on them.
As with The House of the Dead III, there is an end-of-stage bonus where players can receive lives (one for A/B rank, two for S rank) depending on critical shots (continuous weak-point shots), accuracy, and score.
Story
In the year 2003, three years after the events of The House of the Dead 2, AMS agents James Taylor and newcomer Kate Green are gathering intelligence in the fifth basement floor of the AMS European branch office. The former of the two still has the events of the 2000 Goldman case on his mind, and believes that the ordeal had not yet ended. A sudden earthquake rocks the room while they talk, collapsing the basement walls and leaving the agents trapped.
Several days later, James and Kate await a rescue team. James' PDA goes off, and a group of undead are seen on the security cameras. Realizing that they are in danger, James has Kate gather all the weaponry they can find in preparation for the arrival of their foes. Eventually, the only door into the room is smashed open, and the nightmare begins...
Characters
- James Taylor
One of the main protagonists hailing from The House of the Dead 2, James is now a recognized veteran agent of the AMS. Three years after fighting undead for the first time, he must once again take up arms against the legacy of his nemesis, Goldman.
- Kate Green
A relatively new recruit of the AMS, Kate has an almost casual attitude in the face of terrible danger. She is also slightly in awe of her current partner, James Taylor, who was one of the participants in the Goldman Incident of 2000. From James, Kate gradually learns to hold onto hope, no matter what happens.
- Goldman
The one-time president of the now-defunct DBR Corporation, who committed suicide in 2000 after AMS agents tracked him down. Having anticipated his own death, Goldman has left behind a legacy in the form of rampaging undead, and possibly, the end of the world. Although Goldman believes that the greed and selfishness of humans has caused the world much harm, he does not intend to destroy humanity. Rather, he wishes to "revert humans to a natural state" so that they can no longer endanger the planet. Throughout the game, Goldman speaks only through James' memories and pre-recorded messages on his personal computer in his old office at the Goldman Building. His last message on his computer was:
"Ah, yes. There is one thing I forgot. The human race has not been eliminated. Travel north - hope is such a splendid thing."
What this means, no one but Goldman himself knows.
- "G"
One of the main protagonists hailing from The House of the Dead, The House of the Dead 2 (albeit in a non-playable role), and The House of the Dead III. "G" makes a cameo appearance in one of the game's endings. Following James' sacrifice to put an end to the evolution of the World, "G" recognizes the fact that the battle is not over, and promises to take the fight "back to the source." With a final wave of his hand, he leaves the burning remnants of "Pandora's Box" behind. "G"'s future exploits are covered in the story of The House of the Dead III.
- "Mystery Man"
In one of the game's endings, a businessman limps on his right leg and sits at a desk in the corner of an office. He claims that Goldman was "soft" and that "wretched humans have no need of hope," stating that "the true end will soon begin" and that "there is more than one 'Pandora's Box.'" As of now, no one knows this man's identity, but he certainly intends to cause trouble at some point in the future.
Note: In one of the endings of The House of the Dead III, the "Mystery Man" is seen picking up a vial from the floor of the chamber where the final battle takes place. According to Dr. Curien, the vial contained the genes necessary for the reanimation of the dead. Although his back is turned, it is clear that he is the same individual, as he too limps on his right leg, stating, "It would seem that he failed to understand its true purpose."
Bosses
- Justice (Type 0053)
A massive undead zombie with four arms, wearing manacles and a loincloth. This behemoth has a circular balance tattoo on one of its shoulders and a mouth which conceals an elongated thrashing tongue. Justice chases down James and Kate in the sewers near the AMS basement, repetitively smashing through walls and attempting to trample them both to death.
- The Lovers (Type 6805)
What at first glance appears to be a single, giant, mutant spider, is actually two spiders - one larger spider and a much smaller counterpart with oversized forelimbs that sits atop the other. The former of the two arachnids has the ability to expel baby spiders (suggesting that the two are constantly mating, and that male pregnancy occurs) and webbing from its maw, while the latter utilized its legs to deflect machine gun fire and slash the AMS agents. The Lovers attack James and Kate within a utility lift shaft.
- The Empress (Type 1210)
A sleek assassin, the Empress wears armor, including a face-plate. It carries a large, double-ended chainsaw, which can be split into two separate chainsaws. As James and Kate escape the sewers via the subway, this creature pursues them. Using its twin weapons to destroy the train piece by piece, the Empress tries to kill the agents as they run towards the front of the train.
- Temperance (Type 0483)
As James and Kate emerge onto the zombie-infested streets from an underground shopping district, an obese, frog-like giant almost fell on top of them. Dressed in black trousers, shoes, fingerless glove, and its body afire with swirling red tattoos, this beast's enormous girth prevented the AMS agents from dealing with it through conventional means. As a result, they must rig a crane to drop a giant clock face on top of it to halt its rolling attacks and fierce punches.
- The Star (Type 0001)
As James and Kate enter the foyer of the abandoned Goldman Building, the Star flies down from above to challenge them to a test of strength, as a parting wish from Goldman. Created by Goldman through the incorporation of the Magician's genes into its body, this stark-white humanoid wears a hooded red trench coat, black trousers and boots. It carries a pair of kukri knives as weapons, and has a diagonally placed scar across the front of its bare chest. The Star possesses the ability to surround itself in a powerful aura, manifesting energy bolts either to shield itself from harm, or to direct as focused blasts.
- The World (Type β)
The final legacy of Goldman and the last evil of "Pandora's Box," the World was meant to hold the key to the hope of the world. If humanity could defeat it, then there was still hope. If not, then humanity was truly lost. Goldman was well aware of the possibility that his Emperor project in 2000 could fail due to its premature state, and as a result, the World was hidden away underground and allowed to develop for three years following his death, before finally being released in the opening of "Pandora's Box" to fulfill its role as the Emperor's successor.
This creature, when it first appears in the courtyard in front of the Goldman Building, is visible only from the waist up. A gargantuan, crystalline dragonfly-like being, the World has access to the powers of cryokinesis. As such, it can manipulate ice to shape the substance into weapons, create freezing shockwaves and flowers, or call forth spiraling dragons.
As James and Kate deal away with it, the World continuously alters its form to meet their threats, each time growing larger and more powerful. Following its second defeat, its evolves into a full humanoid, which prompts James to set his PDA to self-destruct, enabling him to sacrifice himself to destroy it. James' heroic sacrifice bestows hope upon humanity, giving Kate the resolve to move on.
The House of the Dead 4 Special
The House of the Dead 4 Special is a two-player attraction based off The House of the Dead 4. Players enter an enclosed room, sit down, buckle up, and experience zombie blasting like never before. The game makes use of two 100 inch screens, one in front of players and another behind, as well as a five-speaker sound system, giving the impression that enemies are attacking from all directions. The seat shakes as zombies attack, and players are blasted with air for every bullet that penetrates their defenses. Sega has modified the game's light gun to make it more suitable for the attraction; they are now fully automatic and include a hand grenade button. This update to the Lindbergh debut gun shooter follows a new side story in The House of the Dead plotline, teaming "G" up with Kate Green.
A screen shows that Justice is one of the bosses. [1]
Trivia
- The hole left by the Hierophant in the bridge leading up to the Goldman Building during The House of the Dead 2 is still present in the game.
- Upon entering the Goldman Building, Kate says "It's almost like we're being invited in," paying homage to an identical statement made by James in the The House of the Dead 2.
- The dragon attacks of the World are identical to those employed by an LLN Series Virtuaroid, "TA-17B Angelan WM," in the Sega action game, Virtual On.
External links
- Sega's official Japanese The House of the Dead 4 page
- The House of the Dead 4 arcade review at insomnia.ac
- The House of the Dead 4 arcade review at Arcade Belgium