Splatterhouse Review:

Namco's Splatterhouse aims for the jugular in this comic book blood-fest. The storyline is penned by Gordon Rennie, who also worked on Necronauts and Judge Dredd. There's a splattering of original artwork created by artist and Marvel contributor Dave Wilkins. So with all hands on deck with developer Bottlerocket Entertainment, is this one brawler not to be missed?

Gameplay:

The story is pretty simple as you take on the role of nerdy looking Rick Taylor who is killed and subsequently transformed into the hulking beast that is Rick with the 'Terror mask', a ton of added muscle and bucket-loads of attitude. Somehow his stunning girlfriend Jennifer has been kidnapped and will be sacrificed if he doesn't stop her captor - a mad surgeon on a mission to reunite with his dead wife. Once Rick comes to terms that he's done some sort of deal with a demon, maybe Satan himself, and you've got one mean killing machine on your hands.

Story aside, the aim of the game is simple. Punch, slap, Main, kill and generally rip apart various demonic beings, fight numerous boss like characters and rescue Jen. You're able to update Rick's repertoire of attack moves as you fill your blood bank with the blood of your opponents with several upgrades becoming key to winning your many battles. It's a satisfying progression, and makes the somewhat repetitive nature of killing the same set of enemies all the more rewarding. Once Rick has new moves and increased stats, you've got several ways to mix things up.

When enemies reach a critical state, Rick is able to grab them and perform a signature move. There are several of them and require button inputs a la QTE and stick movements to mimic Rick's actions. These are interesting distractions for a while, although eventually they do get stale - to the point where ignoring them is desirable. It seems you can't just run away that easily. Rick has a blood filled special meter which enables him to transform and go berserker or perform special 'Mask Moves'. The most efficient way of refilling this meter is to perform the signature moves. So, you can't avoid them as often as you'd possibly like to. The signature move animations do somewhat slow the flow of the combat down which is shame as the rest is pretty fluid once you've figured out enemy weaknesses. One most notable move has Rick pulling the innards from the anus of a large creature which is as horrific looking as it sounds. Someone on the development team has a warped imagination and in this regard, it seems the game in general proposes a shocking and overly gory purpose. The gore is great, but like with most repetition you become desensitized when you've seen the same thing over and over - with the exception of the anal fisting finishing move. The mind simply boggles here.

Whilst playing through the linear mansion and then onto other realms as you're teleported, there are a number of melee weapons and even a shotgun you can get your hands on. These instruments of death can make light work of groups and troublesome opponents. What's neat, is once Rick has upgraded his move set, he's able to pull limbs off enemies to use as makeshift clubs. These actually work very well against most foes, and become an interesting gameplay addition.

On occasion the game's view will switch to side on, which is reminiscent of the three previous games in the series. These are an interesting throwback but sadly there are some platforming moments which generally tend to ruin the rest of the game's flow. In fact luckily the puzzle element is fairly low and has you interacting with the scenery in the most obvious of ways. This is good, but still doesn't hide the fact that the gameplay is pretty one dimensional overall.

Graphics:

The game's comic book delivery is spot on and although perhaps lacking in the finer details, captures the essence perfectly. Rick's character in particular has some interesting features such as his flesh ripping and bones becoming exposed as he takes damage. Even his arm will grow back as you play if you suffer a critical blow. It all looks good and is married with some fast paced CGI scenes to add substance to the action. These are well produced and non intrusive and show Rick and Jen before his death and transformation.

Sadly there are some frame rate issues when too much is happening at once, but nothing game breaking. The biggest issue that can occur is if enemies get stuck and become invincible, forcing a restart of the checkpoint. Luckily this doesn't happen often, or you might even avoid it entirely.

Sound:

Josh Keaton voices Rick, but the star has to be the voice of the Mask who is voiced by Jim Cummings who you might be familiar with through his work on animated movies such as Shrek and The Lion King. Throughout the game Cummings' devilish delivery of comments from the mask come thick and fast and add a banquet of aural colour to the Metal inspired soundtrack and licensed Metal tracks during key fights. Richard Doyle who voices the mad doctor is worthy of a mention also for his creepy performance - something you can gain more of if you unlock and listen to the journal files. The rest of the game's audio is satisfactory and does what is intended.

Longevity:

There's several difficulties to play, a survival arena mode to wade through and enough temptation to max out Rick's abilities by replaying levels or the story again. With a few easy to find collectibles such as sordid images of Jen wearing little clothing and exposing breasts, there's something to strive for. How long you keep playing is down to how interested you are at seeing the same repeated actions and animations over and over. If you're a one time player not interested in the smaller details, then expect to clear the game in a rental period. For fans the three original Splatterhouse games can be unlocked and played which is a pretty sweet bonus.

Overall:

There's something likeable about Rick, the mask and their plight. Jen is worth fighting for it seems, and with some geniune satisfaction gained from killing the denizens of hell the journey feels enticing. Splatterhouse isn't perfect and suffers the same fate as others before it. There's simply not enough variety to hold your interest beyond the first few hours, and only fans and die-hards will likely want to play beyond this. Whilst there's no doubt over the quality of the design and production, it's possible this could have benefited from being an XBLA release at a lower price point instead of full retail. That said, if you're after an abundance of comical gore, a game which doesn't take itself too seriously and an appealing but simple scenario, then you'd do well to give Splatterhouse some of your time.