As you go deeper into Splatterhouse’s madness, things go wildly over the top. Flying furniture, huge bosses and dangerous enemies stack up on you. Fortunately, you have a huge arsenal of moves to pull off, including gut-wrenching Splatter Kills (where you rip an enemy to pieces in dramatic fashion) and a sweet move where you replenish your energy by sticking limbs out of your body and stabbing everyone around you. Along with your physical prowess, the game throws weapons into the mix, including that trusty 2 X 4 and a chop-happy meat cleaver. Along with the 3-D brawling segments, Splatterhouse also integrates 2-D segments into the game, a fun little throwback to the original ’89 game. These can be frustrating at times, due to Rick’s inability to jump properly and fall down into pits. But they’re still a great inclusion to the product, and a fitting homage to the games of yesteryear.
Let’s say you’ve never played those games, though. Not to worry. They’re unlockable bonus items in Splatterhouse, along with tantalizing nude photos of Jennifer (she’s appearing in Playboy next month, after all) and extra masks for Rick to wear. It doesn’t bump the replay value into the stratosphere, but they’re excellent bonuses. Gameplay-wise, Splatterhouse tends to be repetitive, but some of the attacks are so gruesome, you won’t care. The action is non-stop, and if you ever feel like things get too cheap, you can always turn down the difficulty and rely on your health replenish move. The best part of the game comes with Rick hulking into a super-behemoth, destroying everything in his path while bony spikes stick out of his body. It ain’t a pretty sight, but we love it. Splatterhouse’s presentation is also quite satisfying. Blood flies everywhere, even splattering on the screen for good measure. The animations are pretty sweet as well, especially when Rick rips someone in half with his unstoppable rage. We also like some of the level designs, along with a few nods to the original game. (We’re looking at you, returning chainsaw boss.)
The only downside is that the lighting is off at times. Rick will glimmer a little too much, even when he’s covered in the red stuff. Then there’s the audio, and here’s where Splatterhouse really delivers. The soundtrack is a bold mix of classic Splatterhouse tunes and death metal tunes from the likes of Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch, among others. The sound effects are bone-rippingly good, with lots of splats and spluts to please you. The best part, though, is the dialogue. Rick isn’t really that convincing and Jennifer screaming way too much for her own good, but Jim Cummings, the voice of the classic Disney character Darkwing Duck, is perfect as the demonic mask. His curse word-laden taunts and constant commentary is simply too good to pass up. It almost makes you wish the mask did all the talking. No, Splatterhouse doesn’t revolutionize with its gameplay, and it’s not quite a perfect-looking game either. But if you’re looking for a bloody good time, it comes through on all fronts. Having the classic games in the package is great, too. We definitely can’t deny this overhaul of Splatter.
Game Information:
Developer: Namco Bandai
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Platforms: Reviewed for Xbox 360
Release Date: November 23, 2010
